Paula Abduls Ethnicity and Nationality

May 2024 · 6 minute read

Paula Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is a 61-year-old American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality who is of mixed ethnicity comprising of Syrian Jewish and Canadian heritage.

The world-famous and highly regarded singer, who has bagged several awards and nominations, is very proud of her Jewish heritage and is known to often talk about her roots and family history whenever she gets the chance to do so.

Summary of Paula Abdul’s Biography

What Is Paula Abdul’s Nationality? 

Paula Abdul is a bonafide American woman. The singer was born in San Fernando, a general-law city in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, USA. This was also where she was raised. She was born to a Jewish family and raised in the Jewish tradition.

Paula is not an only child; she has an older sister who is called Wendy. It is reported that both Paula and her sister, Wendy, are very close. The sisters spent lots of time together while growing up in San Fernando.

Paula Abdul is of Mixed Ethnicity

Even though Paula Abdul was born in the USA and is a bonafide American woman, we have found out that the singer is actually of mixed ethnicity. As we have mentioned before, she was born into a Jewish family because both her parents are Jewish.

According to our findings, Paula Abdul is actually of Syrian Jewish heritage, and she also has Canadian roots. Paula is very proud of her Jewish heritage and often talks about it whenever she gets the chance to do so. In fact, for years, she publicly explained that her dream is to go to Israel for a real holiday and connect with her roots.

Eventually, in November 2006, the Israeli Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog invited her to Israel, and this got Paula Abdul really excited. She immediately responded by hugging the minister and telling him excitedly that she would come. She also explained that the man had helped her make a dream come true. In 2013, Paula finally fulfilled her dreams and got to visit Israel, where she connected with her Jewish roots. She described the visit as ‘the most magnificent trip ever.’

Also, in 2013, when she was the age of 51, Paula had her bat mitzvah, a Jewish coming-of-age ritual, in Safed, Israel. She did this at the International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah, a museum and spiritual retreat for the study of Kabbalah – Jewish mysticism. Essentially, Paula Abdul is very proud of her roots as a Jewish woman and tries to connect with her roots as often as she can.

Paula Abdul is also very proud of her Canadian roots. In 2012, the actress stormed Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario, Canada. While there, she connected with her people and talked extensively about her Canadian roots, explaining how proud she is to be from there.

Who are Paula’s Parents?

Paula Abdul was born to a father identified as Harry Abdul and a mother identified as Lorraine Abdul. According to our findings. Paula’s father, Harry, was born in Aleppo, a city in Syria, and so he is of Syrian Jewish heritage. This is apparently where Paula Abdul got her Syrian Jewish roots from.

Even though he was born in Syria, Harry Abdul was raised in Brazil and later emigrated to the United States, where he settled and built his family. The man has endeavored to raise his children in the proper Jewish fashion and instill in them Jewish values. Both his children would later become ardent observers of the Jewish faith.

On the other hand, Paula Abdul’s mother, Lorraine, is a Canadian woman who also has Jewish roots. This is where Paula got her Canadian roots from. Lorraine was reportedly born and raised in Canada before later moving to the United States. She was a concert pianist who played with exceptional dexterity. Paula apparently got her love for singing and music from her mother.

It is not clear how Paula Abdul’s parents first met and fell in love. Their love story has largely remained untold as Paula has kept sealed lips on that topic. Sadly, Paula’s mother, Lorraine, died in 2018, and her father, Harry, died shortly after in 2019. The loss of her parents left Paula truly devastated. In a 2019 interview, she explained that not a day goes by that she does not think of them.

Is Paula Abdul British?

No! Paula Abdul is not a British woman. Over the years, for some reason, some people have often asked if Paula Abdul is a British woman or if she has British roots. Well, the answer is a resounding no!

As we have explained already, Paula is a bonafide American woman who has Jewish, Syrian, and Canadian roots. She was raised in a proper Jewish fashion and is very proud of her Jewish heritage.

Where Did Paula Abdul Grow Up?

Paula Abdul grew up in her town of birth – San Fernando, a general-law city in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California. She was raised in San Fernando alongside her sister, Wendy.

Growing up in San Fernando, she watched her mother, who was a concert pianist, play the piano and quickly took interest in music. She then began taking dance lessons at an early age in ballet, jazz, and tap. Paula later attended Van Nuys High School and became a cheerleader and an honor student there.

When she was 15 years old, she received a scholarship to a dance camp near Palm Springs, a development that truly excited her. Years later, in 1978, she appeared in a low-budget independent musical film called Junior High School. After graduating from Van Nuys High School In 1980,  Paula went on to study broadcasting at California State University, Northridge.

While still in her freshman year, Paula Abdul got selected from a pool of 700 candidates for the cheerleading squad of the Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball team. She did so well that in the space of just one year, she had grown to become the head choreographer. Paula Abdul was later discovered by The Jacksons, the world-famous American pop band composed of members of the legendary Jackson family, including Michael Jackson.

She was discovered after a few of the band members had watched her while attending a Los Angeles Lakers game. After she got discovered, Paula was eventually signed to do the choreography for the video to the group’s single “Torture”. From there, she went on to build her own career and became a very successful music star who is known around the world.

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