144 replies to this topic

[Richard Jenkins]

Already making good headway of my christmas present, the Stirling Moss biography by Robert Edwards but already I've come across something interesting. Stirling's grandfather was Jewish, with the surname Moses, who like so many other families took out the E to avoid any possible discrimination & so although Stirling is "officially agnostic", trhough is father, Alfred he can be classed in some terms as a Jew.
I never ceases to amaze me how many people I discover are of the Jewish faith with no "outward" sign of "being" Jewish, if you get my meaning - I hope I don't offend anyone here. Have there been any other Jewish personalities who for war reasons, hid their background & are there drivers more recently, that I don't know about who are Jewish. Please forgive my total ignorance on the matter which stops me from being more coherent with my question, but I'd be interested to know & learn. Going by surname alone, possibles could be Allan Berg? Or am I way off the line?

[scheivlak]

AFAIK Dutchman Tom Coronel, former Formula Nippon Champion & noted Sports Car driver, is of Jewish ancestry. Pretty safe guess that his twin brother Tim, Touring Car buccaneer, is too

[Wolf]

Ritchie- AFAIK, being a Jew is carried down the female line (which is not unlogical- since motherhood was always more easily provable than fatherhood ;)), so in Moss' case requirement for him to be 'by default' Jewish is his mother Aileen. If she was not Jewish, he would have to become Jewish (as opposed to being born as Jew in case she was). Of course, I reserve the right to be wrong™...

[rdrcr]

Right you are Wolf, the interpretation of Jewish lineage is from the mother. However, if the parents are both known, then both parents are taken into consideration when determining if the offspring are pure Jew or half-breeds. Many Jews during and after WWII changed their last name to shield themselves and their families from prejudice.

I didn't know that Moss had a Jewish ancestry, very interesting and surely gives additional credence to the fact that Jews can drive. (if you've ever been to Miami, you'll get the joke). Other Jewish racing stars include Jody Schecter from South Africa and his brother Ian and his son Jaki.

Britain's Woolf Barnato (1895-1948), a director of Bentley Motors and son of Barney Barnato of South African diamond fame, won three consecutive Le Mans 24-hour Grand Prix of Endurance races in 1928-30.

In a 14-year career, Rene Dreyfus of France triumphed in 36 races and gained the Grand Prix of Monaco (1930) and the Grand Prix of Belgium (1934).

After winning the national driving championship in 1936, Mauri Rose of the United States drove to three victories (1941, 1947, and 1948) in the Indianapolis 500-mile classic.

Sheila Van Damm (1922-1987) of Great Britain was the European women's driving champion in 1954-55.

Robert Grossman (1923- ) of the United States placed among the top ten finishers in six consecutive Le Mans races (1959-64).

Other American drivers Peter Revson, Steve Krisiloff and Kenny Bernstein can also be counted as those who have reached the higher ranks of motorsports.

Of course I'd count myself if I were any good...;)

[David M. Kane]

Francois Cevert was a half-Jewish, but I'm not sure which side of the family it was on. I also believe Jo Bonnier was Jewish.

[David M. Kane]

I forgot that the American driver Bobby Brown is also Jewish. He was very
successful in a number of Formula from Formula Atlantic, F5000 and Can-Am.
He is still buzzing around very quickly on the Historic racing scene in
America.

[cabianca]

Erwin Goldschmidt, winner of an early Watkins Glen.

[rdrcr]

Originally posted by David M. Kane
Francois Cevert was a half-Jewish, but I'm not sure which side of the family it was on...

David,

True enough, we all knew him as Francois Cevert, but his real name was Francois Arthur Goldenberg. He was Jewish and changed his name because he thought the racing world would not accept him if he was. I haven't been able to find out if his Mother was Jewish as well.

I've also found out that the great Eddie Sachs was Jewish.

And of course I forgot to mention that 'ol Bernie is Jewish as well. Typical though, he doesn't go waving around his heritage around.

[SennasCat]

Jody Scheckter

[Rob29]

Originally posted by rdrcr


David,

True enough, we all knew him as Francois Cevert, but his real name was Francois Arthur Goldenberg. He was Jewish and changed his name because he thought the racing world would not accept him if he was. I haven't been able to find out if his Mother was Jewish as well.

I've also found out that the great Eddie Sachs was Jewish.

And of course I forgot to mention that 'ol Bernie is Jewish as well. Typical though, he doesn't go waving around his heritage around.

According to the Cevert book, Cevert was Francois' mother’s maiden name.

[mat1]

Originally posted by rdrcr


True enough, we all knew him as Francois Cevert, but his real name was Francois Arthur Goldenberg. He was Jewish and changed his name because he thought the racing world would not accept him if he was.

Amazing, because this was in the 1960s, I suppose.

Was/is there a racism or ant-semitism in the racing world?

BTW, the veteran american race and teamowner Paul Newman is of jewish ancestry too, I seem to remember.

mat1

[Buford]

Actually Eddie Sachs was absolutely NOT Jewish. He was a very good friend of my family and actually baby sat me when I was a baby. My parents would drop me off in the pits after the race and would put me in the seat of his midget while they circulated and he would look after me as he stood next to his car signing autographs and talking to people.

Eddie was a very religious Roman Catholic. In fact he always made a big deal of having a priest bless his car before the 500 each year. It did not help as he died horribly.

[Rob29]

Originally posted by mat1


Amazing, because this was in the 1960s, I suppose.

Was/is there a racism or ant-semitism in the racing world?



mat1

I don't ever recall any,Mat.only sexism! But F.Cevert did NOT adopt the name for that reason.He was given it by his parents in 1944 Paris.

[mat1]

Originally posted by Rob29
But F.Cevert did NOT adopt the name for that reason.He was given it by his parents in 1944 Paris.

That sounds more probable.

mat1

[rdrcr]

Originally posted by Buford
Actually Eddie Sachs was absolutely NOT Jewish. He was a very good friend of my family and actually baby sat me when I was a baby. My parents would drop me off in the pits after the race and would put me in the seat of his midget while they circulated and he would look after me as he stood next to his car signing autographs and talking to people.

Eddie was a very religious Roman Catholic. In fact he always made a big deal of having a priest bless his car before the 500 each year. It did not help as he died horribly.

Well, perhaps you are correct. And the article in AutoRacing1.com was in error. (scroll down to the bottom of the page to (10/1/00). If so, then I stand corrected. And I think that an email to the editors at AutoRacing1.com would be in order.

www.autoracing1.com/Archives/HotNews/2000/0929_1006.htm+Eddie+Sachs+Jewish&hl=en

Originally posted by Rob29
I don't ever recall any,Mat.only sexism! But F.Cevert did NOT adopt the name for that reason.He was given it by his parents in 1944 Paris.

Rob, I also got my info regarding the origin of Cevert's name change from AutoRacing1.com. It is found in the same paragraph. (see link above)

None-the-less, The taking of his Mother's maiden name would make sence, I don't believe that Cevert is a Jewish name so that would make him half-Jewish as David mentioned. I think Nelson Piquet did the same thing, although for different reasons.

[Buford]

Well, perhaps you are correct. And the article in AutoRacing1.com was in error. (scroll down to the bottom of the page to (10/1/00). If so, then I stand corrected. And I think that an email to the editors at AutoRacing1.com would be in order.

www.autoracing1.com/Archives/HotNew...hs+Jewish&hl=en
------------------------------------

I can't get that link to work.

[Martyj]

Perhaps Eddie Sachs was Jewish by birth, but practiced Catholicism as his faith of choice? Its not that uncommon.

[ensign14]

Joe Scalzo's dirt track racing book mentions A J Foyt referring to Sachs as a 'Hee-brew' and that Sachs was the most prominent Jewish driver since Mauri Rose, which suggests to me that Martyj is right.

[rdrcr]

Originally posted by Buford
Well, perhaps you are correct. And the article in AutoRacing1.com was in error. (scroll down to the bottom of the page to (10/1/00). If so, then I stand corrected. And I think that an email to the editors at AutoRacing1.com would be in order.

www.autoracing1.com/Archives/HotNew...hs+Jewish&hl=en
------------------------------------

I can't get that link to work.

See if this one works -

http://www.google.co...hs Jewish&hl=en

[Buford]

That worked. They said he kept it quiet from the press. If that is true, he kept it more than quiet. He was actively deceptive because he always had a priest bless his car and there were photos in the Indy paper every year. That I know but I do not know if he was actually Jewish and was just doing that for some kind of show to get his sponsor in the paper. Eddie was the master showman. That is possible. They said he was very religious, but it is so long ago, I cannot say if they actually said he was Catholic too, although that was certainly the impression given.

[rdrcr]

Buford,

The Anti-Semitic feelings of that era, or any era for that matter, have some relevance. Jews who didn't want their faith or heritage to "upset" their livelihood or their families security often went to great lengths to keep their faith hidden from public view. Some, perhaps like Sachs, adopted Catholicism (if that was his chosen faith) out of preference. It will be interesting to find out and understand the real reasons.

Mat,

Paul Newman is half-Jewish on his fathers side.

[Buford]

Yes - he may have been born Jewish and converted somewhere along the line. Perhaps when he got married.

[No27]

I learned from the trivia-game at ITV-F1.com that Alain Prost is Jewish as well.

[Stefan Ornerdal]

Joakim Bonnier was from a famous jewish family. The family owns 3 of the 4 biggest newspapers in Sweden and they are the biggest book publisher.

Stefan

[Vitesse2]

Adolf Rosenberger, Mercedes works driver in the 20s and partner of Ferry Porsche, was Jewish. According to Cyril Posthumus (Old Motor March 1980), having seen the writing on the wall, he left Germany for America and started a new life under the name of Roberts ... more anyone?

[Muzza]

Adding two Brazilians to the list of Jewish racing personalities: Mário Haberfeld and Ricardo Rosset. And two (sadly deceased) Americans: Mauri Rose and Jeff Krosnoff.

Notes:

1.) Eddie Sachs was of Jewish ancestry but was raised as a Catholic. I have not been able to confirm that his family converted to Catholicism before Eddie's birth, but it seems so.

2.) Contrary to the myth, François Cevert's name was really Albert François Cevert (see http://forums.atlasf...341#post1733341). His father was a Jewish jeweller named Albert Goldenberg, and his mother was Catholic.

[Jimmy Piget]

Originally posted by Muzza
2.) Contrary to the myth, François Cevert's name was really Albert François Cevert (see http://forums.atlasf...341#post1733341). His father was a Jewish jeweller named Albert Goldenberg, and his mother was Catholic.

Who think that calling a baby "Goldenberg" in France of February 1944 could be anything but suicidal ?

Liberation (from nazism) only happened in the following Summer...

The same applies too to Jean-Luc Salomon. And it seems that Jean Achard changed of name during the Resistance.

[Muzza]

Originally posted by Jimmy Piget


Who think that calling a baby "Goldenberg" in France of February 1944 could be anything but suicidal ?

Liberation (from nazism) only happened in the following Summer...

The same applies too to Jean-Luc Salomon. And it seems that Jean Achard changed of name during the Resistance.

Thanks Jimmy for including Salomon, I had forgotten him.

Talking about names changed for political reasons, Mario Umberto Borzacchini, né Baconino Francesco Domenico Borzacchini, of course comes to mind... But that's off the scope of this thread!

[theunions]

Originally posted by Steve Williams
Jody Scheckter

& Tomas too, if what I'm told is correct.

I assume the same applies to Ian, Jaki, Toby, etc.?

[Hieronymus]

...another South African, EDDIE KEIZAN.

ps. Woolf Barnato was half-Jewish. His mother was a South African.

[Muzza]

Dear Fellows,


I received a private message pointing to the fact that my use of the word 'myth" (in "Contrary to the myth, François Cevert's name was really Albert François Cevert ") above is rather unclear, so let me try to clarify that.

Some people were led to believe that Cevert's real name was Albert François Goldenberg at birth and that it was changed to escape the Nazi persecution against Jews in the France of 1944. This is not correct, as Cevert's name was not changed: he was born Albert François Cevert and retained this name his whole life.

The reasons why the family chose to use the (Catholic) surname Cevert instead of (the Jewish) Goldenberg are obviously related to the circumstances I mentioned above - the Nazi persecution to the Jewish community in France (and elsewhere).

François Cevert could (some people might say "should") be named Goldenberg, but that did not happen; as per above (see also this posting) he was always Albert François Cevert.

(oh, and it is not Albert François Cévert either, by the way; there is no diacritic on the surname)

Incidentally, Cevert is by no means the only driver which has not received his father's name (and political, religious or ethnic persecution is by no means the most common reason for that); there are also cases of drivers that don't have the surname any of their parents (even if raised by them). This situation is more complicated in the case of immigrant families - such as many American racers of the period 1920-1960 -, where surnames were modified, adapted and even completely changed from generation to generation. Bill Vukovich's family is only one example amongst many.

If this messag is not satisfactory on its intent to clarify my previous posting, please let me know.

Cheers,


Muzza

[Ferrari_F1_fan_2001]

Jean Todt has Jewish ancestory.

[Jimmy Piget]

It seems that Mr Goldenberg (the father) officially claimed his paternity circa 1971. But that François, yet being famed, did not wish to change of name.

I think Jean-Paul Lajarrige knows better about that.

[Flat Black]

Well, perhaps not so wide.

The only Jewish drivers I can come up with off the top of my head are Mauri Rose (I think), Peter Revson and Marty Roth (?). Surely there were a good many on the European side.

[Twin Window]

Jody & Ian Scheckter?

[Flat Black]

And, perforce, Tomas.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Flat Black
And, perforce, Tomas.

Not necessarily - Jews trace things through the maternal line...

Francois Cevert's father was Jewish, Albert Goldenberg, but again strictly speaking it's down the maternal line...

Minardi tester and occasional F3000 driver Chanoch Nissany.

Drag racer Kenny Bernstein.

NASCAR racer Jon Denning.

Mario Haberfeld, apparently.

Rene Drefyus, according to many articles on t'internet.

I've never been too bothered about a driver's religion, sexuality (except where obviously 'wrong', cf Riseley-Pritchard), or other personal predilections.

[petefenelon]

Sheila van Damm

Alfred Moss - don't know about Aileen, so Stirling and Pat may or may not count by strict definitions!

[Rob Miller]

Have a look here.

http://www.ten-tenth...hp/t-46335.html

[Gene]

I’m not totally sure about this but I'm sure someone here can confirm or deny it.

I heard the Riccardo Patrese and Rubens Barrichello’s grandfather was Italian Jewish who immigrated to Brazil ether before or after the war.

[Paul Rochdale]

I'm not sure this is a subject that interests me one zillionth. How about agnostic drivers, atheist drivers, those with blue eyes, left handed drivers, drivers with sticky out ears, who cares?

[rdmotorsport]

B.E. ??

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Rob Miller
Have a look here.

http://www.ten-tenth...hp/t-46335.html

And here.

[Twin Window]

Thanks E14

[RTH]

Suitable old English pub for a gathering......... The Kosher Horses ?

[Flat Black]

Inasmuch as Sachs is commonly a Jewish name, I'd wondered about Eddie's ethnicity but had put the question to bed after reading buford's comments about Sachs' fervent Catholicism. Now I see that I was right to be curious.

And Jews adopting a different faith is certainly by no means unheard of. The Russian poet Osip Mandelshtam, for instance, was ethnically Jewish but became a devout Methodist as an adult.

[LotusElise]

Originally posted by petefenelon

Rene Drefyus, according to many articles on t'internet.

I've never been too bothered about a driver's religion, sexuality (except where obviously 'wrong', cf Riseley-Pritchard), or other personal predilections.

I've read that René Dreyfus was assisted to America from France by Lucy O'Reilly Schell during the war. The author mentioned his "obvious Jewish name" but did not state whether he was a practising Jew or not.

Re: Paul Newman a long way back - Newman is an obvious gentilisation of Neumann, but I've never heard his faith, if any, referred to anywhere.

[Buford]

Eddie Sachs' grave - note the cross on his headstone.

http://www.findagrav...id=3689&page=gr

[Jerry Entin]

Bob Grossman was Jewish.
This comes from Willem Oosthoek who interviewed him. Willem also believes Eddie Sachs was Jewish. Even though he may have been or practiced in the Catholic faith.

Tomas and Toby Scheckter wouldn't be Jewish by birth. Their mother's maiden name was Bailey. They may have been raised in the Jewish faith.

[Hieronymus]

Originally posted by Jerry Entin
Thomas and Ian Scheckter wouldn't be Jewish by birth. Their mother's maiden name was Bailey. They may have been raised in the Jewish faith.

I have a book that belonged to Jody...given and inscribed to him on the occasion of his Bar mitzvah.