Paul McCartney was spotted attending Yom Kippur services at Circulo Israelita de Santiago in Chile, accompanied by his Jewish wife, Nancy Shevell. The iconic musician, wearing a kippah, was photographed by Nathan Gani, capturing the delight and surprise of the congregation as they recognized the world-famous star among them. The photo was later published on the website Infobae.
The 82-year-old Beatles legend was taking a brief break from his solo tour in South America. Social media buzzed with excitement, with one Reddit user enthusiastically posting: “Dear Sir Paul McCartney-- You are a Mensch!!! Thank you for standing with us.”
McCartney and Shevell have previously been seen at St John’s Wood Liberal Synagogue in London, not far from Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded many of their legendary tracks.
In 2008, McCartney performed in Israel despite calls for him to cancel, and in 2018, he was awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize, though he was unable to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts. McCartney’s connection to Judaism also includes his first wife, Linda Eastman, who came from a prominent Jewish family in Scarsdale, New York.
* The Jewish Chronicle contributed to this article.