Scarlett Johansson said she identifies as Jewish.
The actress said in an Israeli television interview broadcast Saturday that her mother is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and brought her up with a basic observance of Shabbat and holidays such as Chanukah.
Johansson, 23, was speaking to Israel’s Channel 2 from the set of “The Other Boleyn Girl” along with her Israeli-born co-star Natalie Portman.
Unlike Portman, Johansson does not speak Hebrew and claims to know only a smattering of Yiddish.
According to Channel 2, Johansson’s father is of Danish descent and is not Jewish.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
