National | Religion & Jewish Life

Kirk Douglas honored on his 102nd birthday by NY town where he grew up

(JTA) — The latest honor for Jewish actor Kirk Douglas came in the upstate New York town where he was raised on his 102nd birthday.

Friend and relatives gathered in Amsterdam on Sunday to unveil a historic marker for a sign that will say that Douglas, 102, “Rose From Poverty To Appear In Over 90 Films In Hollywood,” The Associated Press reported. The sign will be erected near his home in the town, which is about 30 miles from Albany, the state’s capital.

Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch to Yiddish-speaking immigrant parents. He has starred in such films as “Spartacus” and “Lust for Life.” He earned three Oscar nominations for best actor, as well as an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

His son Michael Douglas also is an accomplished actor and director who won the Genesis Prize, or “Jewish Nobel,” in 2015.