Sammy Davis Jr., Faith, and Identity: Why a Black Entertainer’s Conversion to Judaism in 1960 Mattered
When readers picked up the February 1960 issue of Ebony magazine, they encountered more than glossy celebrity stories and stylish fashion spreads. They opened a deeply personal testimony from one of America’s brightest stars—Sammy Davis Jr.—titled “Why I Became a Jew.” In it, the celebrated entertainer explained how a near-fatal accident, years of soul-searching, and friendships across faith traditions led him to embrace Judaism.
For Black readers in 1960, this was more than a story about a celebrity’s private beliefs. It was a rare and intimate glimpse of spiritual struggle, resilience, and self-definition—published at a time when African Americans were fighting for civil rights and dignity in every aspect of American life. Sammy’s journey mirrored broader questions of belonging, survival, and faith in a changing nation.
The early 1960s marked a turning point in American history.
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The Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum. Sit-ins, boycotts, and legal challenges were redefining the fight for equality. The decade would soon bring the March on Washington (1963) and the Civil Rights Act (1964).
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Sammy Davis Jr. was at the peak of his career, performing in Las Vegas and on television with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Yet his personal life was shaped by hardship. In 1954, he survived a devastating car accident that cost him his left eye. That experience left him wrestling with questions of meaning, identity, and mortality.
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Race and Religion in America were both hotly contested terrains. For a Black man to publicly convert to Judaism—a minority faith often facing its own discrimination—was a striking and courageous act.
Ebony, founded by John H. Johnson, was uniquely positioned to tell this story. The magazine had become the leading voice for African American readers, blending coverage of politics, culture, entertainment, and personal triumph. By giving Davis’s spiritual journey such prominent attention, Ebony highlighted the seriousness of Black identity, resilience, and the universal search for truth.
By 1960, Ebony had already established itself as more than a lifestyle magazine. It was a cultural institution, bringing together photojournalism, social commentary, and entertainment in a way no other national magazine did.
The February issue carried two landmark stories: the cover feature on Guinean President Sékou Touré’s visit to Chicago, and Davis’s personal essay. Together, they showed how Ebony connected global politics with intimate, human stories of African American life.
The Words
Sammy’s essay, written with Trude B. Feldman, was a personal confession:
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He described his religious upbringing—a Catholic mother, Baptist father, but no strong ties to faith.
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He recounted his car accident, calling it the moment that forced him to ask, “Who am I? What do I believe?”
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He detailed his meetings with Rabbi Alvin I. Fine, whose teaching of Hillel’s command—“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”—became his guiding principle.
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He reflected on parallels between Jewish and Black oppression, drawing strength from the endurance of both peoples.
The Images
The photographs accompanying the article were as telling as the text:
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Sammy studying the Talmud backstage, signaling his commitment.
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Performing with an eye patch after the accident—symbolizing resilience.
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With Jewish entertainers like Eddie Cantor and Jerry Lewis, who influenced his journey.
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Shirtless, wearing a Hebrew Holy charm Cantor had given him.
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His fiancée Joan Stuart, a Catholic dancer, captured in a moment of hesitation about conversion and interfaith marriage.
These images were not staged glamour shots. They were intimate portraits of struggle, reflection, and change—exactly the kind of photo-narrative Ebony excelled at.
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The Hospital Bed Awakening – After his 1954 car crash, Davis began deep conversations with chaplains, asking endless questions about meaning and faith.
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The Rabbi’s Wisdom – Rabbi Alvin I. Fine encouraged him with lessons rooted in Jewish tradition, particularly Hillel’s Golden Rule.
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Celebrity Friendships – Eddie Cantor, Jerry Lewis, and others offered support and symbols of faith, reinforcing Davis’s sense of belonging.
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Black-Jewish Solidarity – Davis wrote that as a Negro, he felt emotionally tied to Judaism because both peoples had endured oppression and triumphed through resilience.
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Private Conviction – Davis emphasized that his decision was not publicity-driven but rooted in genuine belief and inner peace.
Together, these moments painted a picture of a man seeking wholeness and finding it in a tradition that emphasized history, resilience, and moral responsibility.
For collectors of vintage magazines, the February 1960 Ebony is a rare gem. Its significance lies in several factors:
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Historical Timing: The issue was published on the cusp of the 1960s civil rights revolution. Davis’s conversion reflected broader themes of identity and freedom.
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Celebrity Crossover: As one of the first African American entertainers to openly embrace Judaism, Davis broke barriers and sparked national conversation.
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Iconic Photography: The mix of personal, vulnerable images with polished performance shots makes this issue visually powerful.
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Global-Local Connection: With a cover on African politics (Sékou Touré) and an inside feature on American celebrity faith, the issue captures the wide scope of Ebony’s vision.
Collectors today prize such issues not just as entertainment relics, but as original artifacts of African American cultural history. They are tangible links to the stories, struggles, and triumphs that shaped mid-20th century life.
Like Life magazine’s wartime photo-essays, Ebony’s issues from the 1950s and 1960s endure because they are time capsules. They carried urgency, pride, and identity in their pages—intended not just to inform, but to affirm the dignity of African American readers.
Sammy Davis Jr.’s testimony in Ebony is powerful because it is both personal and collective. It is the story of one man’s faith, but also a reflection of broader questions of race, resilience, and belonging.
Today, vintage Ebony magazines continue to resonate because they remind us that history is not abstract—it was lived, written, and photographed month by month.
For those who want to explore this issue and others like it, thousands of original Ebony magazines are available in our collection. From the 1940s through the 1970s, you can trace decades of African American culture, politics, entertainment, and progress as they were first reported.
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Original Ebony Magazines Collection
Whether you are a seasoned collector, a historian, or someone honoring family heritage, these magazines are more than reading material—they are living artifacts.
The February 1960 issue of Ebony magazine remains one of the most significant cultural publications of its era. Sammy Davis Jr.’s “Why I Became a Jew” offered readers a rare look at the inner struggles of a star, blending personal faith with broader themes of race and resilience. Its words and images still resonate, not only as a record of one man’s journey but as a reflection of the complexity of identity in America.
Holding this issue today is holding a moment when celebrity, faith, and civil rights intersected—when a Black entertainer’s private search for peace became a public testament of strength. Thanks to Ebony’s unique coverage, that story endures, preserved in print for generations to revisit.