Paula Abdul
Abdul in 2011, joe seer/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Paula Julie Abdul
Place of Birth: San Fernando, Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: June 19, 1962
Ethnicity:
*father – Syrian Jewish
*mother – Ukrainian Jewish, Russian Jewish
Paula Abdul is an American dancer, choreographer, singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. She is known for being a judge on the show American Idol.
Paula’s father, Harry Abdul, was a Syrian Jew from Aleppo, who emigrated to Brazil, and then to the U.S. Paula’s mother, Lorraine (Rykiss), is Ashkenazi Jewish, and is originally from Saint Boniface, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. All four of Paula’s maternal great-grandparents were born in Eastern Europe, Russia and Ukraine.
Some have associated her with the black community, because of her style of music.
Paula’s maternal grandfather was William Alexander Rykiss (the son of Avram/Avraham Rykiss and Bessie Peshe “Passy” Malamed). William was born in Katerburg, Ukraine. Bessie was the daughter of Moishe Malamed and Dvora/Dovrah Berg.
Paula’s maternal grandmother was Sally/Sarah Naomi Riceberg (the daughter of Moishe Leib “Maurice” Riceberg and Mariam Goldbreski/Golubitsky). Sally was born in Manitoba, Canada, to parents who were born in Russia and Ovruch, Ukraine.
Sources: Genealogy of Paula Abdul – https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Paula Abdul (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com
Paula talks about being Jewish – http://www.ynetnews.com
It’s interesting how she’s half sephardi/half ashkenazi but could pass as a middle eastern Jew (usually half sephardi Jews like Nora Arnezeder and Eva Green for example look not much diff than ashkenazi)
Nora’s mother, Piera Schinasi, is Italian Jewish.
She looks like a Caribbean Latina.
Always thought she was of Spanish, native mestizo orgin. Nope. She is Jewish, european.
European? She’s Jewish/Middle Eastern
She looks like the biracial actress, Jasmine Guy.
correction
Ashkenazi Jewish & (I assume)Sephardi Jewish
OR
Russian/Ukrainian Jewish
Syrian Jewish