An actor who is "Proud to be Jewish"
I remember when I was in my early 20s, my brother who was very much older than I, making a remark about an actress who was “A thinking man’s crumpet”.
I did not really understand what he meant at the time, but I found out this was Felicity Kendal or Barbara Good as many of us have grown up, revering her part in the wonderful series - “The Good Life”.v
I was astonished the other day to read that Felicity is very proud to be Jewish and wears her Magen David.
So this is the biography of Felicity. I have used various sources incuding IMDB and Wikipedia but I start with part of an article taken from the Jewish Chronicle, written by Elian Jordan
Felicity Kendal: ‘I am proud to be Jewish. How could I not speak up?’
The Good Life star told the Times about the importance of speaking up and wearing her Magen David necklace since October 7
The Good Life actor, 77, who converted to Judaism from Catholicism in her thirties, told The Times that she had always seen the Star of David as a symbol of protection prior to October 7. Since then, however, wearing the Jewish motif has come to represent something else entirely.
“I was in a shop in Chelsea when a woman came over and said, ‘You’re brave to wear that. You know, it could be a bit dangerous.’ A day or so later, I was walking in Battersea Park when another woman said, ‘Thank you for wearing that.’
“I was quite taken aback. Would people say anything like that to someone wearing a cross or a turban?” Kendal said. “I know young people who would not dare to wear a Star of David now. That is wrong. I don’t think we are getting it right. As Anne Frank wrote, ‘One day this terrible war will be over. The time will come when we’ll be people again and not just Jews.’”
Felicity Kendal was born in England in 1946. Her parents, Geoffrey Kendal and Laura Liddell were both actors and when Felicity was 7 the family moved to India where her parent ran a repertory company.
Her parents were Catholics and she attended the local convent whereveer they were putting on plays. At the same time from the beginning she was involved in the stage as well, whether taking child parts or helping backstage.
Her parents were friends with Stephen Merchant and James Ivory and they produced a film in 1965 - Shakespeare Wallah which gave Felicity her first leading role on screen.
The next year Felicity came back to England, and had parts is various TV shows like Love Story and on the stage at the Savoy in Minor Murder. It was while she was appearing in Norman Conquests that she was approached to take on the role of Barbara Good in a sit come which was to run for 4 series and has become one of the great classics of television.
In the show, she was married to Tom Good, a successful business man played by Richard Briers. They live in leafy Surbiton, a very middle class life. Next door are the Leadbetters - Jerry, a work colleague of Tom and his wife Penelope who is a total snob.
The story of the next 4 series is that Tom decided he wants to leave business and become a man of the soil- by which he means initially turning his back garden into a farm. Barbara supports Tom in this.
When Margo Leadbetter hears of this she is appalled and this is exacerbated when pigs, hens and goats are imported. Jerry though secretly fascinated by the whole story is bullied onto supporting Margo.
The series has been a mega-hit and 50 years after it was made, it is regularly available on one of the TV channels or Youtube.
After the Good Life, Felicity Kendal has starred in several sit-coms including Solo, the Mistress and Camomile Lawn However she turned her attention back to the stage for some years, before she became a detective in Parsley & Thyme a series where she and Pam Ferris, take the roles as 2 gardeners who are also detectives - That ran from 2003-2006.
Into her 70s, Felicity made her debut in musicals in Anything Goes in 2021 and in 2023, appeared as Dotty in Noises Off.
Personal life
Kendal's first marriage to Drewe Henley (1968–1979) and her second to Michael Rudman (1983–91) ended in divorce. Kendal has two sons: Charley from her marriage to Henley and Jacob from her marriage to Rudman.
During the 90s, Felicity Kendal was also romantically involved with Tom Stoppard.
She reunited with Rudman in 1998, and they remained partners until he died on 20 March 2023.
Kendal was brought up in the Catholic faith. She converted to Judaism at the time of her second marriage, but has stated about the conversion, "I felt I was returning to my roots." Her conversion took more than three years; she has stated that her decision to convert had "nothing to do" with her husband. Kendal's memoirs, titled White Cargo, were published in 1998.
On the subject of Israel, she felt strongly about the surge of anti-semitism and though she is not a supporter of Bibi Netanyahu, she is like many who seek a peaceful solution and return of the hostages.