Jewish Convert Elisheba Rachel Taylor
The Time magazine on April 6, 1959 reported the following;
Time Magazine – “Certainly the most famous and perhaps the most beautiful baby born last week was a Jewish girl named Elisheba Rachel Taylor. For according to Jewish legal theory, every convert is "a newborn child." And last week 27-year-old Film Star Elizabeth Taylor became a Jew and acquired a ceremonial Jewish name: Elisheba, the Hebrew version of Elizabeth, and her own favorite Biblical heroine, Rachel, the "beautiful and well-favored" wife of Jacob (Genesis 29:17).
The article continues to describe the English-American dual citizenship actress of “Cleopatra” fame’s who transformed her life from her Christian Scientist roots to Judaism at theage of 27 years of age. She was first married to hotel heir, Conrad “Nicky” Hilton (May 6, 1950 to January 29, 1951, whose marriage ceremony was “like a fairy tale” that crashed in nine months. Hilton was abusive and she became suicidal. The divorce left Elizabeth “crushed” as the first divorce in her family.
The second marriage went to the fatherly figure of Michael Wilding (February 21, 1952 to January 26, 1957), twenty years her senior, where together they had two sons, Michael Howard Wilding (born 1953) and Christopher Edward Wilding (born 1955). Their relationship was placid and peaceful as Elizabeth admitted it was more like a “brother and sister”. Yet to the untamed “fiery and flaming vixon” after five years the marriage was over.
She described here marriage with Wilding as “lovely, easy life, very simple, very quiet”. Afterwards, in her memoires, she admitted, “it’s very difficult for me to remember what it was like to be married to him or to believe we were ever married. He was one of the nicest people I’ve ever known. But I’m afraid I gave him rather rough time, sort of henpecked him and probably wasn’t mature enough for him. It wasn’t that we had anything to fight over. We were just not happy.”
It was Elizabeth’s third marriage to the Jewish movie producer, Michael Todd (February 2, 1957 to March 22, 1958) that no doubt introduced Elizabeth Taylor to life’s spiritual meaning and the deep and profound truths of Judaism. Born as Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen, Mike Todd, again a father figure twenty three years her senior, gave Elizabeth and their marriage the most blissful year of Elizabeth’s young life. Though their marriage was described as tempestuous by some, Elizabeth was also introduced to divine love, and the Jewish ideologies of tzedakah (charity), the defense of the oppressed, the care of the orphans.
Michael Todd’s father was an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi called, Chaim Goldbogen. They arrived in America as a poor Polish immigrant whose father, Todd’s grandfather, also an Orthodox rabbi in Poland. Elizabeth quickly got pregnant and later that year gave birth to her first daughter and namesake, Elizabeth Frances “Liza” Todd, born on August 7, 1957.
Yet, according to Elizabeth Taylor, she “ferociously denied converting to Judaism solely for the sake of marriage. Yet, she did not deny that living with a Jew enhanced her insight and understanding of Judaism plus the deeper meanings of Judaism upon a person’s life.
It was in her autobiography, titled, “Elizabeth Takes Off”, Taylor stated that her conversion to Judaism “had absolutely nothing to do with my past marriage to Mike (Todd) or my upcoming marriage to Eddie Fischer (her fourth marriage), both of whom were Jewish.” As she reencountered, “It was something I wanted to do for a long time.”
Mike Todd, as she stated was “one of the two loves of her life (the second to Richard Burton). Yet, his tragic death again crushed her life, when Todd was killed when his private twin-engine Lockheed Lodestar suffered engine failure with one engine in icy weather on March 22, 1958, went out of control and crashed in the Zuni Mountains near Grants, New Mexico. On that day, Elizabeth grew up.
Michael Todd and Ezabeth Taylor with the Cartier Diamond Tiara worn at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival
"When [third husband Mike Todd] gave me this tiara, he said, 'You're my queen, and I think you should have a tiara,'" Taylor wrote in “A Life in Jewelry”. "I wore it for the first time when we went to the Academy Awards. It was the most perfect night, because Mike's film “Around the World in 80 Days” won for Academy Award’s Best Picture”. It wasn't fashionable to wear tiaras then, but I wore it anyway, because he was my king."
Todd’s son wanted his father’s remains to be cremated after it was identified through his dental records, but Elizabeth refused, but rather she knew her husband would have wanted to be buried in a Jewish Cemetery. According to the autobiography, “Been there, Done that” of Elizabeth’s next husband, the Jewish singer Eddie Fischer and best friends of Michael Todd, he wrote o;
Eddie Fischer – “There was a closed coffin, but I knew it was more for show than anything else. The plane had exploded on impact and whatever remains were found couldn't be identified....The only items recovered from the wreckage were Mike's wedding ring and a pair of platinum cuff links I'd given him.
Todd’s remains were buried in Forest Park, Illinois, at the Beth Aaron Cemetery in plot 66, that is part of the Jewish Waldheim Cemetery there. Yet, the story of Todd’s burial was not over. In 1977, the Lost Angeles Times reported that the story given by Eddie Fischer on the remains of film producer Michael Todd was not true. As reported on Wikipedia;
Wikipedia – “Todd's remains were indeed recovered and buried in Forest Park, Illinois. The remains were desecrated by robbers, who broke into Todd's coffin looking for a $100,000 diamond ring, which, according to rumor, Taylor had placed on her husband's finger prior to his burial. The bag containing Todd's remains was found under a tree near his burial plot; the bag and coffin had been sealed in Albuquerque after Todd's remains were identified following the 1958 crash. Todd's remains were once more identified through dental records and were reburied in a secret location.”
Taylor's eyes had been opened to the beauties of Judaism and from that day, her education began. As she confessed, “for years, until I started Cleopatra, until I met Richard, I would dream at night that Mike was still alive. It was like I was still married to Mike. I was married to a ghost, and the ghost was more alive to me that any human being.”
It would be a year after the death of Mike Todd that Elizabeth made one of the fateful decisions of her life, to convert to Judaism. According to her history, Taylor studied for about six months under the tutelage of the late Rabbi Max Nussbaum. He had survived the Holocaust and later became associated with the Reformed Jewish synagogue called Hollywood’s Temple Israel. One of her first assignments was to read; the Bible, “A History of the Jews” by Agram Leon Sachar, president of Brandeis University, “What is a Jew? by Morris Kertzer, and “Basic Judaism” by Milton Steinberg. Out of these books, they then discussed the ancient traditions of the Jews and how they affected the modern dilemma of Jewish life in a world of anti-Semitism.
The tutorial education was not easy. There is no role of proselytizing as a religion in Judaism. As Benjamin Ivry, in the article wrote for the Jewish newspaper called The Forward;
Benjamin Ivry – “Judaism is not a proselytizing faith. In fact, an ancient practice that some rabbis still follow is to turn away would-be conversion candidates three times before agreeing to work with them as away to test their commitment.”
It has to be the quest of your life, and the willingness to open your hearts to a people who over the centuries have suffered isolationism, pogroms, genocide, holocausts, led astray by false messiahs into Islam and Christianity and still remain as the only indigenous peoples of the world, who have brought with them over 3500 years a national identity since the eruption of the volcano at the mount called Sinai, Not only did they bring their own identity, but also their ancient language, history, sacred writings, and future prophecies.
Rabbi Nussbaum was reported to be “no star-struck pushover” though living in celebrity city of the world, Hollywood. He put his new disciple, Elisheba, through six months of studies and lengthy discussion on the meaning of Judaism in her life and the role she should live as a Jewish convert.
Elizabeth Taylor and Jewish-American Singing Legend, Eddie Fisher
After Taylor’s conversion, Rabbi Nussbaum also married her to her 4th husband, Eddie Fisher (May 12, 1959 to March 6, 1964). Eddie Fisher, America’s most famous and successful singing artist in the 1950s, was the fourth of seven children that were born to Russian-born Jewish immigrants. His father’s surname was originally Tisch or Fisch that they anglicized to Fisher when they immigrated to the United States. His mother’s name was Kate Winoker. Elizabeth and Eddie’s wedding was very controversial for Taylor and Fisher were having a relationship while Eddie Fischer was still married to Debbie Reynolds. As Debbie Reynold wrote;
Debbie Reynolds – “I remember how strikingly beautiful she was. Sometimes people just stared at her, distracted by her breathtaking looks. Elizabeth and I became good friends. When I was married to Eddie Fisher, we spent a lot of time with Elizabeth and Mike Todd. At Elizabeth and Mile’s wedding in Acapulco, Eddie was the best man and I was their maid of honor…Mike Todd’s tragic death was devastating to Elizabeth. Right after his accident, I took care of their young children while Eddie went to consol her. Everyone knows what happened after that. Although the public divorce was hard on all of us, I think she wanted to be with Eddie because it helped her keep Mike’s memory alive.”
Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth would later reconcile when both Burton and Taylor plus Debbie Reynolds and her husband Harry Karl were on the same Atlantic luxury liner Queen Elizabeth cruise from New York to London. As Debbie wrote:
Debbie Reynolds – “We sent each other notes to put the past behind us and meet for dinner. We had so much fun together during that trip, Burton, the real love of Elizabeth’s life, was so entertaining and gracious to us. She and I were happy to renew our friendship…I spoke with her just two week before she died…There will never be another Elizabeth. She had it all – beauty, talent, humor and compassion. She used her fame to help countless people. I’ve lost a great friend. The world has lost one of its greatest stars.”
Elizabeth Taylor in 1st film in 1943 with MGM “Lassie Come Home”co-starring with lifelong friend Roddy McDowall and Donald Crisp.
Michael Todd and Eddie Fisher were both Jewish and the best of friends. The friendship of Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds went back to their teenage years, where they studied together in the studio’s schoolhouse. Elizabeth had been a movie star since the age of eleven, when this doggedly determined young beauty, co-starred opposite Roddy McDowall in MGM’s film, starring the world’s most famous dog, Lassie, in “Lassie Come Home!”
Elizabeth Taylor starring in the 1944 film, National Velvet
Yet, it was the 1944 film “National Velvet” where Elizabeth Taylor co-starred with Mickey Rooney. She played the acting role of Velvet Brown, a precocious teenager in Sussex, England in the 1920s who saved a wild steed from being put down, trained him to become a race horse champion. National Velvet was immediately a smash hit that went on to win two Oscars and made the violet eyed beauty into an international movie star.
Elizabeth Taylor as a Young Lady in 1954 film, “Elephant Walk”as Elizabeth faces rampaging Elephants
At Taylor’s conversion held in the chapel of the Temple Israel, the young convert in the presence of her parents faced the open Ark of the Covenant holding the Sacred Scrolls. There she answered the ritual questions in the presence of her new Jewish family that included; “Do you promise to cast in your lot with the people of Israel amid all circumstances and conditions?" "Do you agree to rear your future children according to the Jewish faith?"
To these questions she answered with her pledge, “I, of my own free will, seek the fellowship of Israel . . . I believe that God is One, Almighty, All-Wise and Most Holy . . . I promise that I shall endeavor to live, as far as it is in my power, in accordance with the ideals of Jewish life . . . Most fervently, therefore, do I herewith pronounce the Jewish confession of faith:
Shma yisroel adonoy elohenu adonoy echod (Hear, O Israel: the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One).
Boruch Hashem kvod malchuso I'olom voed (Praised be his Name whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever)."
It was soon that Taylor had to answer to her peers and colleagues of Hollywood, the reason for her conversion. According to her biographer Kitty Kelley, Taylor said;
Elizabeth Taylor – “I felt terribly sorry for the suffering of the Jews during the war (Holocaust of World War II). I was attracted to their heritage. I guess I identified with them as underdogs.’”
Yet, even before her conversion, in the same year, Taylor purchased $100,000 State of Israel bonds as she along with a host of Hollywood stars that were present at the opening of the bond campaign in Southern California. These attendees included Jewish singer Eddie Fischer, and actors George Jessel, Jack Benny and Eddie Cantor.
The Middle East reaction was swift when the United Arab Republic officially banned all movies in which Elizabeth Taylor played a role on March 18, 1959. They also officially linked this ban in their country to Taylor’s purchase of Israeli bonds in America.
It was in 1961 that Elizabeth Taylor made a surprise visit to the US servicemen that were stationed in the Soviet capital in Russia. There the Jewish couple, Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fischer sang a duet in honor of the servicemen’s dedication.
The Box-Office Poster of Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
As a repercussion to her quest to help Israel, later in 1962, Egypt banned then the Zionist affirming Jew, Elizabeth Taylor from entering Egypt, a fact that almost bankrupted 20th Century for Fox over the financial strapped production of “Cleopatra”. This movie was being filming the movie in Egypt chronicling the struggles of the young queen of Egypt, Cleopatra VII, who resisted the imperialistic ambitions of Rome.
Of all the beauties of Hollywood, it was no doubt Elizabeth Taylor who was the most natural to film the starring role of the last Pharaoh of Egypt, a female called Cleopatra, and launched her to fame as the first actress to earn $1 million for a movie. Before the movie was over, she eventually earned $7 million due to production delays, no doubt partly due to her international relations in Egypt and the Middle Eastern nations that was also due to her Jewish faith and Jewish philanthropy.
The budget alone for Taylor’s wardrobe and costumes was $194,800, the largest budget ever for a single actor or actress. This wardrobe included 65 costumes, of which one costume alone was made from 24-carat gold cloth. With Egypt shutting its doors for Taylor’s largess to the Jewish Nation of Israel, 20th century Fox had to move the sets to Rome to complete the movie that still included a few location shots that were done earlier in Egypt.
Despite the fact that the movie, Cleopatra was a critical failure, it did win four Academy Awards. In 1963, it was the highest grossing film earning US $26 million. Yet Cleopatra’s production losses were close to US $44 million. This was the equivalent of US $320 million in 2010 dollars, making the movie, Cleopatra, the world’s third most costly movie
It was even amazing that there was an official Cairo Regional Bureau just for the “Israel Boycott Office”. It suggests with the strongest emotions that Egypt was becoming the model of Jewish anti-Semitism. It was from here that Egyptian General Essam Elmasri stated that the American actress was barred from entering Egypt because she had adopted the Jewish faith, and “supported Israeli causes.” This official declaration was very Egyptian in its anti-Semitic focus, but was also in agreement with the Arab League’s ban of all persons who aided the Zionist State of Israel.
Yet, the world acclaim of Taylor, and the fact that “Egypt” was mentioned over 122 times in the “Cleopatra” movie, Elizabeth Taylor’s name was soon taken off the Egyptian blacklist. The publicity in Egypt only heightened her appeal as she won the hearts of the Egyptian people.
Actress Elizabeth Taylor starring in the Epic Movie, “Cleopatra”
The international love affair of Richard Burton, believed by many to be the “finest classical actor of his generation”, and Elizabeth Taylor, the “most famous film starring actress in the world” while she was still married to Jewish-American Singer Eddie Fisher was the gossip of the world.
Together, the production of Cleopatra by the two highest paying actor and actress in the film industry produced enormous publicity for the future debut of Cleopatra. The endless curiosity of their private lives also enhanced 20th Century Fox’s publicity but did much to soil the Jewish image of Elizabeth Taylor.
She did enter a new marital career and there met Richard Burton’s flaming temper, alcoholism, and drug addiction. This also affected the life of Elizabeth Taylor, and would haunt her, the rest of her life when she later in life when to alcohol and drug rehabilitation in the Betty Ford Drug Rehabilitation Center in California. Together Taylor and Burton had one child, Maria Burton, adopted by Elizabeth when she was still married to Eddie Fischer, and later adopted by Richard Burton in 1964.
Three years after they were married, Elizabeth Taylor and her 5th husband, Richard Burton promised 200 pounds in a 15 minute fundraising blitz at London’s Café Royal on June 12, 1967. During that exciting moment of time, 600 Jews and non-Jews raised 300,000 pounds sterling ($840,000) for Israel. This event was two days after Israel was fighting for her own survival in the 1967, “Six - Day War” between the dates of June 5 and 10, 1967.
Four Arab states, Egypt, United Arab Republic, Jordan, and Syria were plotting for Israel’s demise. Instead of waiting for the Arab offensive to begin, Israel launched a surprise air strike against Egypt that assured a swift and decisive Israeli victory. This was the land that was first promised to Israel and the Jewish people through the 1917 Balfour Agreement to be a homeland for the Jewish people. It was later incorporated into the British Mandate, adopted by the League of Nations and later adopted on November 29, 1947 at the General Assembly of the United Nations in whose resolution called for the establishment of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel. As the resolution stated;
General Assembly of the U.N. - “This recognition by the United Nations of the rights of the Jewish people to establish their State is irrevocable.”
Two weeks later, both Taylor and Burton cancelled their trip to attend the Moscow Film Festival that was to be hosted in Moscow on July 9-20, 1967. This diplomatic gesture by private Jewish citizens in America was to counter a Soviet diplomatic offensive against Israel. Taylor, along with Jewish film star, Tony Curtis wanted to send a strong voice of opposition to all the governments of the world that slated their national diplomatic pathway against the homeland of Abraham’s seed through Isaac, Jacob and Judah.
During the days of the Russian film festival in Russia, the Algerian government put numerous film stars that supported Israel on their “blacklist”. This list included Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Juliette Greco, Sophia Loren, Yves Montand and Paul Newman. The Hollywood films that were refused to be shown in Algeria and other Middle Eastern countries included; "The Ten Commandments," "Ben Hur," "Lawrence of Arabia," and "Cleopatra."
Mother Elizabeth was getting tired of movie acting, and she was desiring to stay home and focus on her marriage. During this time, she unsuccessfully tried gaining weight in order to not receiving film roles. This desire for family life, was played out in her film career for after the debut of Cleopatra in 1963, Elizabeth did not film any movies in 1964, one in 1965, one, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” in 1966 for which, she won her second Academy Award for Best Actress. She later returned full time in 1967, starring in five movies in that one year. But her filming career was about over. She would transform her talents to the television movie and mini-series audiences.
During these coming years, the Jewess Zionist would not only become more politically mature and active for the Land of Israel, but would begin to refine her sense of Jewish Tzedekah (charity) until part of her legendary fame would to become one of the most famous philanthropists in Hollywood.
Please go to Part Two – “Elizabeth Taylor, the Zionist Jewess”
The Life of the Jewish Dame Elizabeth Taylor
Part One – “The Conversion to Judaism of the Israelite Actress Elizabeth Taylor”
Part Two – “Elizabeth Taylor, the Zionist Jewess”
Part Three – “The Passions of Elizabeth Taylor and its affect upon her Hebrew Israelite Jewish Consciousness”
"If the G-d of Israel is touching your heart to support directly the Jewish people and the Zionist Patriots of Israel as the Pioneering Settlers of Shomron and Judea who are preserving these lands for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel, Destination Yisra’el is inviting you to support the Kol Ha Tor Vision,
Click on the “Donate to Kol Ha Tor” link in support of the joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United).
This super Event of all Times will entail Establishing the Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All Israel.