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| Lewis hosting the MDA Telethon (PD) |
Although Lewis was not one to parade religious views, he had an Orthodox Jewish upbringing.
This greatly affected him throughout his life, although in ways that can’t be measured by synagogue attendance.
During a 1965 interview with David Susskind, Lewis talked in depth about his interfaith first marriage. Lewis’ first wife, Esther Calonica (aka “Patti Lewis”), was raised in an Italian Catholic family. When she and
Lewis married in 1944, both their families were somewhat aghast.
According to Lewis, his own mother used the religious differences as an excuse to say mothers tend to say:
that their sons’ wives are not quite “up to snuff.” Yet Lewis also admitted that he was raised to “never go near a Catholic church.”
At first, Lewis insisted that Patti convert to Judaism, which she did.
Over the years, Lewis’ stance softened, and he not only attended church with Patti at times, but also agreed to have most of his sons baptized.
Does this mean that Lewis renounced Judaism for Catholicism?
A resounding no! It instead means
that Lewis believed “religion is in your heart,” and the heart has its own compassionate way of expressing God’s love.
Resources
http://hollowverse.com/jerry-lewis/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONdb9748VBc
Copyright August 21, 2017 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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