After I performed “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” from “Fiddler On the Roof” one too many times for my mom and grandmother as a child, the two matriarchs have now made it their mission to find me a match of my own. Every time I’m with them, they bring up a new prospective Jewish boyfriend for me — most of whom are Jewish celebrities. But sadly, over the years, they’ve repeatedly had their dreams dashed. The people they’ve picked, Jews like Ben Platt and Gregg Sulkin, have either been too old, too young, not interested in women or — the most tragic option — taken. Each time, they’ve had their hearts broken on my behalf.
But, since the art of matchmaking is a staple of our culture, I’ve learned from their mistakes, and I’m ready to try my own hand at it. So, just in time for Valentine’s Day, here’s a list of Jewish celebrities of all genders who your mom would definitely want you to know about. After reading this, I encourage you to be brave and shoot your shot! Who knows, maybe you will be the lucky Instagram DM that catches their eye.
Maude Apatow
Even though we all shipped Maude Apatow and Angus Cloud after their performances in season 2 of “Euphoria,” this Jewish actress is seemingly single and ready to mingle. The daughter of two Hollywood icons, Jewish director and producer Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann, Maude has been paving her own path as an actress over the last few years. Known for her work in “Other People” (2016), “The King of Staten Island” (2020) and, of course, “Euphoria” (2019-present), she is set to star as Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors” off-Broadway in a limited engagement until April. She also has a cat named Dolly. Shoot your shot with Maude by complimenting her cat Dolly, and maybe she’ll get back to you!
John Kennedy (Jack) Schlossberg
John Kennedy Schlossberg is, you guessed it, the only grandchild of JFK, and yes, he’s Jewish! Schlossberg is the son of Caroline Kennedy, an author and attorney, and Edwin Schlossberg, artist and author whose family is of Ukrainian descent. He has two older sisters, Rose and Tatiana, so you know he was raised right. Plus, he’s a lawyer, so your mom should still be happy even though he’s not a doctor. Although he was raised Catholic according to his mother’s faith, he also celebrated Jewish holidays growing up. After getting his undergraduate degree at Yale, he worked at the Japanese internet company Rakuten Inc. before obtaining his MBA and JD at Harvard. (Yes, you read that right!) He’s also well-traveled, having accompanied his mother on numerous work trips in the past (specifically when she was the U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2013-2017). So if you want to become a part of the elite Kennedy family, shoot your shot with Jack, and you just might be the new Jackie.
Zac Efron
Our “High School Musical” king, Zac Efron, is, of course, Jewish (if you couldn’t tell by his last name, which means “bird” in Hebrew). Confession: he was my first celebrity crush as a kid, and I truly thought I was going to marry Troy Bolton. To this day, he still holds a very special place in my heart. Although he grew up agnostic and didn’t practice religion formally as a child, he says he identifies as Jewish and is very close with his Jewish paternal grandfather. Known for his work in the HSM series, “Hairspray” (2007), “17 Again” (2009), “The Lucky One” (2012), “The Greatest Showman” (2017), “Down to Earth With Zac” (2020-present) and so much more, it’s safe to say many of us in Gen Z loved him growing up. So who knows, shoot your shot with Zac and maybe you can be the Gabriella to his Troy.
Molly Gordon
Molly Gordon is an actress who grew up in LA and is close friends with actor and singer Ben Platt. After performing in musicals during her childhood, she pursued a career in film and is known for her work in “Life of the Party” (2018), “Booksmart” (2019), “Shiva Baby” (2020) and, most recently, “You People” (2023). She also wrote, directed, produced and starred in the movie “Theater Camp” (2023) alongside Platt, Noah Galvin and Nick Lieberman. Shoot your shot with Gordon and maybe you can be an honorary member of the theater kid summer camp crew!
Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet — or, as some of us know him, Lil Timmy Tim (if you know that reference, you’re amazing and if you don’t, you’re welcome) — is one of the most talented actors of our generation. Born to Nicole Flender, a former Broadway dancer of Russian and Austrian Jewish descent, and Marc Chalamet, a French editor for UNICEF of Protestant descent, Chalamet was raised in NYC in Hell’s Kitchen. After graduating from LaGuardia High School, he attended Columbia University before transferring to NYU Gallatin to pursue acting. Known for his work in “Call Me By Your Name” (2017), “Lady Bird” (2017), “Beautiful Boy” (2018), “Little Women” (2019) and more, he’s regarded as this generation’s heartthrob and is consistently praised for his fashion sense. As for future projects, he’s starring as Willy Wonka in the upcoming film “Wonka” directed by Paul King, which will serve as a prequel to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” To shoot your shot with Lil Timmy Tim, I suggest making your own rap about a subject of your choosing, and maybe it’ll be up to par with his rap about statistics.
Dianna Agron
Who would have thought that ultra WASPy Quinn Fabray from “Glee” is Jewish? Well, she is! Actress Dianna Agron was born to Jewish parents Mary and Ron Agron in Georgia. (Ron Agron is of Russian Jewish descent, and Mary converted to Judaism when they married.) Dianna was raised in Texas and California and was a musical theater performer as a kid. Known for her work in “Glee” (2009-2015), “Hollow in the Land” (2017) and “Shiva Baby” (2020), Agron is an innovative actress who continues to put out really cool work. In addition to working in film, Agron also had a singing residency at the Café Carlyle in New York in 2017 (and returned in 2019 and 2022), performing songs that are typically sung by men. Shoot your shot with Agron and maybe you can join the Glee club.
Noah Schnapp
Oh, Schnapp! If you’ve got good enough moves, you could be dating one of the “Stranger Things” kids. Born and raised in New York, Noah Schnapp is known for his role as Will Byers in Netflix’s “Stranger Things” (2016-present), as well as his work in Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” (2015), “The Peanuts Movie” (2015) and “Hubie Halloween” (2020). Schnapp currently attends the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and is set to graduate in 2026. He also recently came out as gay in a TikTok video and compared himself to his character, Byers. Shoot your shot with Schnapp and maybe you can make a cameo on his TikTok.
Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield was born in LA before he moved to, and was raised in, Epsom, England. Garfield’s mother, Lynn Garfield, was from Essex, and his father, Richard Garfield, is from California and is of Jewish descent. In 2019, when discussing his dual citizenship to the U.S. and the U.K., he told the Independent that he “identifies as more Jewish than anything.” Known for his work in “The Social Network” (2010), “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012), “Tick, Tick… Boom!” (2021) and more, I believe Garfield is up there with Timothée Chalamet as one of the most talented actors today. In addition to film, Garfield has also had numerous roles in television and theater, both on Broadway and on the West End. Garfield doesn’t have an Instagram, so you may just have to try your luck and shoot your shot in person with him.
Hailee Steinfeld
An American actress and singer, Hailee Steinfeld was born and raised in California to a Jewish father and a Christian mother. Known for her work in “Romeo & Juliet” (2013), “The Edge of Seventeen” (2016), “Dickinson” (2019-2021) and more, Steinfeld has also released music including the songs “Love Myself,” “Starving” and “Coast.” Shoot your shot with Steinfeld and maybe you can release a duet together.
Jazz Jennings
Jazz Jennings is a Jewish YouTuber, TLC TV personality and LQBTQ+ rights activist who came out as transgender at 5 years old. Paving the way for other trans youth in the United States, Jazz has written several books and stars in the TLC show “I Am Jazz” with her family (2015-present). In July 2014, she came out as pansexual while doing a Q&A for her fans on her YouTube channel. She now attends Harvard University. Shoot your shot with Jazz and you can join her in the incredible work she’s done for LGBTQ+ youth.
