Fact Check: Is Jonah Hill Jewish? Ethnicity explored as viral Kanye post takes internet by storm

Jonah Hill's acting in the film "21 Jump Street" finally changed Kanye West's mind about the Jewish community. The rapper, also known as Ye, made his return to Instagram with a bang - sharing a poster for the 2012 film starring Hill and Channing Tatum.

The caption, however, is what took the internet by storm.

Ye claimed that Jonah Hill in the film made him "like Jewish people again."

"No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people. No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew," he added.

He ended his caption with a note of love for Hill and thanked him for his assistance.

Earlier, Kanye was declared the 'Antisemite of the Year' by a watchdog group who went by the name StopAntisemitism. This was in response to his recent anti-Semitic comments on social media. He was widely condemned by many across the world for his views.

Several political figures and organizations that represent the community also openly talked about his actions and the hatred brewing due to them. Kanye also reportedly walked out of an interview where he was challenged over his anti-Semitic comments and inclinations.

Jonah Hill's true ethnicity is unsure about in light of Kanye's allegedly changed sentiments. He was raised Jewish, but he doesn't seem to be all that religious.

---

Jonah Hill's ethnicity debunked over Kanye West's recent Instagram post

Although Jonah Hill doesn't necessarily describe himself as a Jewish person, he was raised Jewish. His full name is Jonah Hill Feldstein. He has talked about his religious inclinations in bits and pieces over the course of several interviews.

He talked about his spiritual inclinations during the press cycle for The Wolf of Wall Street. He played the character of Donnia Azoff, who was partly inspired by a Jewish man.

The semi-biographical film is an adaptation of the memoir by stockbroker Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio's character was shown as someone who wanted to be seen as a white, Anglo Saxon protestant so he could fit in amongst the debauched wealth around him.

In a 2014 interview with The Jewish Journal, Hill talked about his split feelings over “being someone who’s Jewish and playing someone who’s Jewish in such an unflattering way.”

Jonah Hill has described himself as "not super religious" in an interview with The Guardian in 2014. He said:

“I like the parts of Judaism that are about being with your family and being a good person more than the specific rules. And lox. I really like the lox.”

Born and bred in Los Angeles, California, Jonah Hill is an actor best known for his comedic roles. His acting debut came in 2004 when he appeared in Dave Russell's indie black comedy called "I Heart Huckabees."

He has since appeared in over 50 other films including, "War Dogs," "Moneyball," "Don't Look Up," "Get Him To The Geek" and the "How To Train Your Dragon" series.

In 2022, he attempted to legally change his last name to Hill with a petition to the LA courts. 'Hill' is Jonah's legal middle name while his surname stands 'Feldstein'. A court date was set for January 2023, as is a formality in the name change proceedings. Hill has not publicly spoken about his reasoning.

He inherited the surname from his father, Richard Feldstein, who had a job in the music industry in Hollywood. He is a tour accountant for Guns N' Roses.

Hill's sister is also an actress who goes by the name Beeanie Feldstein. She used the surname as part of her stage name, as did Hill's late brother Jordan Feldstein. Jordon was a music manager who passed away suddenly in 2017.

His mother Sharon Lyn (Chalkin previously) is a costume designer and fashion stylist. Originally from Long Island, New York, the family vacationed in the Catskills. Jonah Hill attended The Center for Early Education at Brentwood School and then moved onto the Crossroads School in Santa Monica. After graduating from high school, he left California to attend The New School, where he took courses in music and sports.

In recent years, he has made quite a name for himself in acting roles like Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained and Martin Scorcese's The Wolf of Wall Street. He was nominated for two Best Actor Academy Awards for the latter.

Hill stars in the recently released chick-flick romantic-comedy called You People, which he co-authored with director Kenya Barris. It is now streaming on Netflix.