Rock The Menorah! 20 Rock Stars Who Are Jewish

Judaism has a rich musical history and tradition, so it shouldn't be a surprise that some of the most predominant rock stars in history are Jewish. In Jewish culture, music is used to celebrate, to reflect, and share scripture and prayer.

While not all Jewish musicians have remained close to their faith, many raised in Jewish households have reflected on how their upbringing influenced their musical future. Some have even found music as a way to smash Jewish stereotypes and fight anti-Semitism.

While you won't find people like Adam Sandler on this list, a lot of the musicians highlighted in this list have influenced people like Sandler and many others.

20. Josh Silver

Raised in a Jewish household, the Type O Negative keyboardist now identifies as an atheist. Despite rumors that members of the band were Nazi's, he insists his heritage is proof that those were truly rumors with no truth behind them.

19. Daryl Hall

One half of the band Hall & Oates, he converted to Judaism in the late 1960s in order to marry his first wife. Despite the marriage ending a few years later, Hall stayed with his new religion.

18. Billy Joel

Despite being Jewish by birth and having family members who perished in the Holocaust, Joel was not raised religiously or observant. His reality reflects on the fact that a lot of people tried to hide their Jewish heritage post-WWII.

17. Mick Jones

Yes, the guitarist for the famed punk group, The Clash, was born to a Russian-Jewish mother. He spent most of his upbringing living with his grandmother, a survivor of the Pogroms - a series of anti-Jewish mass executions in Russia from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

16. Lou Reed

Born with the surname Rabinowitz, the Velvet Underground frontman eventually separated from his strict Jewish upbringing and found new "salvation" in music.

15. Scott Ian

Though he doesn't consider himself a practicing Jew, the Anthrax guitarist was raised in a Jewish household, including visiting his grandparents every Passover.

14. Joey and Tommy Ramone

Born Jeffrey and Tommy Hyman, these brothers famously known as members of The Ramones came from a New York based Jewish family. The brother's parents met in the Catskill Mountains, a famed Summer resort area for Jewish families. In 2005, Joey was posthumously awarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jewish Music Awards.

13. David Lee Roth

Who would have thought this Van Halen frontman learned to sing while studying for his bar mitzvah. Roth was raised in a Jewish household, despite only being half-Jewish, and he saw his musical fame as a way to fight Jewish stereotypes and fight anti-Semitism.

12. Pat Smear

Born Georg Ruthenberg, this legendary guitarist went on to co-found the Germs and serve as a touring member of Nirvana and Foo Fighters. Smear was born to a Jewish immigrant from Germany.

11. Steven Adler

Born to a Jewish mother, the Guns N' Roses drummer was present until 1990. Despite not staying longer, and having stints on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2012.

10. Adam Lambert

Stepping in as a touring member of the Queen revival, the American Idol alum grew up in a mixed-faith household but attended Hebrew school. Lambert has said his family were "diet Jews" who were more observant of their heritage rather than religious devotion.

9. Mickey Hart

Born in a predominately Jewish area of New York City, the Grateful Dead drummer was a practicing Jew throughout his tenure with the band. He even arranged Passover celebrations while on tour, including a Rabbi.

8. Lenny Kravitz

Kravitz was born into a multi-cultural family including Judaism and Bahamian culture, but he's continued a tradition of respecting his Jewish heritage. He has elaborated on growing up going to temple and celebrating High Holidays with his family.

7. Max Weinberg

Best known as the drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Weinberg is well-known for celebrating his Jewish heritage. He has stated that he attended Hebrew school as a child and that most of his early musical experiences took place inside of Jewish temples.

6. Simon & Garfunkel

Yes, both Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon are Jewish men. Simon was born to Hungarian-Jewish parents, while Garfunkel was born to Romanian-Jewish parents. Despite different backgrounds, the pair became one of the most popular acts in rock & roll history with hits like "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson."

5. Perry Farrell

Born Peretz Bernstein, the Jane's Addiction frontman once got kicked out of Hebrew school for being a troublemaker. Farrell is now a follower of Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah and regularly studies Jewish documents, such as the Torah.

4. David Draiman

Perhaps one of the most well-known modern Jewish rock stars, the Disturbed frontman was raised in a respected Jewish family from Brooklyn. Draiman went on to study at two institutions in Israel along with five Jewish day schools. He was considered for a pathway to rabbinic ordination and trained as a hazzan (aka, cantor) - a musician trained to lead congregations in Jewish prayer.

3. Paul Stanley

Born Stanley Eisen, the Kiss co-founder was born to a Jewish family who fled Nazi-controlled Europe. Stanley has insisted that he feels a strong obligation to educate others on Judaism and the impacts of the Holocaust.

2. Gene Simmons

The other half of the Kiss co-founding team, Simmons was born Chaim Witz in Israel. When he moved to the United States at the age of nine, his name was changed to Eugene Klein. Born to a Hungarian mother, she was one of two surviving members of her family after the Holocaust. Simmons has stayed devoted not only to his heritage, but to the country of Israel and is a strong supporter of the country's government and military.

1. Geddy Lee

Born Gary Lee Weinrib to Polish-Jewish refugees, the Rush co-founder identifies more as a Jewish atheist - despite his parents being Holocaust survivors. Lee considers Judaism as more of a race than a religion.