Actor Michael Douglas appears to be growing closer to Judaism, the New York Post reported Thursday, after he gave a High Holiday sermon on Yom Kippur at Temple Shaaray Tefila in upstate Bedford.
Douglas's son Dylan celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Temple.
The actor reportedly spoke about anti-Semitism and inclusion, speaking at length about his Jewish immigrant grandfather and his father Kirk Douglas, who was born Issur Danielovitch.
Anti-Semitism was rampant in Hollywood in Kirk's day, he said, and noted that his father had heard many comments firsthand from stars unaware of his Jewish roots.
Douglas has been growing closer to Judaism throughout the past year, and recently penned an op-ed explaining how his son's studying for his bar mitzvah has inspired him to reconnect to the Jewish people - and even encourage Jewish marriage. Earlier this year, he visited Israel to receive the million-dollar Genesis Prize.
While Douglas himself is intermarried and only began exploring his Jewish identity recently, he has begun becoming involved in trying to keep Jews - whether halachic or not - in the fold.
“He does love the faith and the culture, and he thinks the number of Jews is declining because so many are assimilating and marrying non-Jews, him included," a representative told the Post.
“If you turn your back on these people because your mother was not Jewish, you’re going to lose people...he’s passionate about inclusion.”