Seth Green
Green in 2013, photo via s_bukley/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Seth Benjamin Gesshel-Green
Place of Birth: Overbrook Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of Birth: February 8, 1974
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Seth Green is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer. He has played Scott Evil in the Austin Powers films and Richie in Stephen King’s It (1990), among many other roles.
Seth is the son of Barbara and Herbert Green. Born Seth Benjamin Gesshel-Green, he shortened his legal name to Seth Benjamin Green. He is of Russian Jewish, German Jewish, Ukrainian Jewish, and Latvian Jewish descent. He was attending a Reform Jewish congregation, and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony.
Seth is married to actress, producer, model, and singer Clare Grant.
Seth’s paternal grandfather was Allen/Allan Green (born Abraham Greenblatt, the son of David Greenblatt and Mollie/Molly Rosenfeld/Rosenfield). Allen was born in New York, the son of Russian Jewish parents. David was born in Odessa, the son of Haaron Shlome and Freide Zedlovitz. Mollie was the daughter of Abraham/Abram Rosenfeld and Lena or Devora.
Seth’s paternal grandmother was Rhoda Blatt (the daughter of David/Dana Blatt and Anna Lichblau/Lichtblau). Rhoda was born in New York. David and Anna were born in New York, both of them to German Jewish parents. Anna was the daughter of Hershel Lichtblau and Gussie.
Seth’s maternal grandfather was Benjamin Morton Gesshel (the son of Meyer/Meir Gesshel and Kaela/Kate Bor). Benjamin was born in Pennsylvania, to Jewish emigrants from the Russian Empire. Meir was from Kraslava, Latvia. Kaela was from Dagda, Kraslava, Latvia, the daughter of Eli Isaac Bore and Dora.
Seth’s maternal grandmother was Pearl Schwartz (the daughter of Hershel/Harry Schwartz and Rivka/Reba/Ruth/Becky Cooperman). Pearl was born in Pennsylvania, to Russian Jewish immigrants. Harry was from Kiev.
Sources: Interview with the Jewish Exponent of Philadelphia – http://jewishexponent.com
Seth’s paternal grandfather, Abraham Greenblatt, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Abraham Greenblatt on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituaries of Seth’s paternal grandfather, Allen/Allan A. Green – https://familysearch.org
https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Seth’s paternal great-grandparents, David Greenblatt and Mollie/Molly Rosenfeld/Rosenfield – https://familysearch.org
Seth’s paternal great-grandparents, David Greenblatt and Mollie/Molly Rosenfeld/Rosenfield, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Seth’s paternal grandmother, Rhoda Blatt, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Seth’s maternal grandfather, Benjamin Morton Gesshel, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Seth’s maternal grandmother, Pearl Schwartz, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Correction:
Seth Green is listed at this link as of partial Scottish ancestry:
List of Scottish Americans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_Americans
“Seth Green, American actor, comedian, producer, writer, and director. Of partial Scottish ancestry”
He’s not.
Wikipedia is a poor source, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re wrong.
Wikipedia is often wrong and posts poorly sourced material.
Many Jews, in fact an astonishingly high percentage have red hair and blue eyes and are easily mistaken for Irish and Scottish.
Even in biblical times King David was recorded as having red hair.
Correction: he has green eyes.
Is it worth noting he changed his name legally to only Seth Benjamin Green?
Rhoda. —> Rhoda Blatt (the daughter of David Blatt and Anna Lichblau). David and Anna were both born in New York, both of them to German Jewish parents.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVT1-63BW
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4JY-49R
Obituaries of Seth’s paternal grandfather:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK93-93JN
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WQ-NDY5
This is Allen’s sister, Kerry:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVT1-DHM9
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=136171534
For some reason Allen, and his sister (as listed in his obituary) Dorothy Meltzer, isn’t on Kerry’s obituary. Assuming nothing fishy is going on here, Allen’s mother was Mollie Rosenfield.
Because of his comment, I was expecting to find out that Allen Green was of British Isles descent, but evidently not.
Wikipedia has a lot of incorrect information regarding ethnicity. That’s why we should go to this site to get accurate information about the ancestry of celebrities.
“That’s why we should go to this site to get accurate information about the ancestry of celebrities”
Oh, what site??? This putative website sounds awesome. Link please.
Oh no, no, Allen Green, born in Brooklyn in 1921, brother of a woman named Meltzer… definitely Jewish.
I think the comment was a joke or a misquote or something else.
Thank you.
I filled out Green’s paternal grandfather’s ancestry. Allen and Dorothy had died by that point, so perhaps that’s why Kerry’s obituary didn’t list them.
Madman was referring to ethnic celebs. here is a link http://ethnicelebs.com
This Lichtblau family was definitely Jewish (as are many others). Anna Lichtblau’s mother was buried in a Jewish cemetery.
Seth Green attended Beth David Reform Congregation in Pennsylvania growing up, and had his Bar Mitzvah ceremony there. He’s been interviewed by the local Jewish paper a number of times.
http://jewishexponent.com/2012/12/28/on-the-scene-recapturing-the-throne/
He looks very Scottish.
wikipedia quote:
In European culture, prior to the 20th century, red hair was often seen as a stereotypically Jewish trait: during the Spanish Inquisition, all those with red hair were identified as Jewish.[16] In Italy, red hair was associated with Italian Jews, and Judas was traditionally depicted as red-haired in Italian and Spanish art.[17] Writers from Shakespeare to Dickens would identify Jewish characters by giving them red hair.[18] The stereotype that red hair is Jewish remains in parts of Eastern Europe and Russia.
Essau, the grandson of the first Jews, Abraham and Sarah, had red hair.
People seem to associate red hair with the Irish these days.
right, but the country with the most people having red hair is actually scotland.
Red hair is Norway, Sweden, Iceland. (Erik the Red?) The Vikings brought it to England, Ireland AND Scotland. Just like all people with blue eyes are somehow related, so are all people who carry the redhead gene.
Very true Andrew. It is said that many Jews migrated North with the Romans to England, Scotland and Ireland. Whether they were redheads at the time is unknown. It is though that when the Vikings invaded, they brought the red hair with them and spread it over Europe. I don’t know if this is speculation or fact, but they are, somehow, related. One thing, I think it’s funny how people deem the English as “purebreds” — they are the biggest mutts in Europe.
King David was said to have red hair … that was a bit before they migrated to Northern Europe. :D
I disagree, I think he looks very Jewish. Many, many Jews left with the Romans heading to England. On both sides of my family there is a T Haplogroup which is only traced back to deriving from England.
correction; it should say jewish (Russian, Scottish and Polish)
“Jewish” is a religion. Not an ethnicity. Ashkenazi is a ethnicity.
It’s both. Just ask one Jew if you know one.
Being Jewish is cultural as well