US Film Director Quentin Tarantino spent the last year living in Tel Aviv, his son Leo calls him “abba” (Hebrew for dad), and Tarantino speaks some Hebrew himself. Naturally, these facts alone might leave you wondering: is Quentin Tarantino is Jewish?
We’ll cut to the chase. He’s not.
But there is more to the story. His wife,model, actress and musician Daniella Pick is indeed Jewish and Israeli.
Here are some things to know about Pick, her life with Tarantino in Israel, and their family.
The pair met in Israel
The famed American film director met Pick when he was in Jerusalem promoting his movie “Inglorious Basterds,” and the couple dated off and on for more than eight years. Eventually, the two tied the knot in 2018 in Los Angeles.
Tarantino fans may recall that the director of “Pulp Fiction” and “Kill Bill” said he would retire before ever getting married. That wasn’t the case, as “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” was released in 2019. However, Tarantino promised to make 10 movies and then retire, and that’s something he will be staying true to, he said in an interview.
They had a very Jewish wedding ceremony
Pick and Tarantino had a small Reform wedding ceremony with 20 guests. They got married under a Chuppah, the wedding was officiated by a Reform rabbi, and Tarantino wore a Kippah. Among the few guests there were a few other Jewish celebs, like Jewish director and actor Eli Roth, who was the best man, Maya Rudloph and Harvey Keitel.
Dana Harel designed Pick’s wedding dress
Dana Harel is an Israeli designer who specializes in custom bridal and evening gowns from her flagship showroom near Tel Aviv. Her line specializes in clean cuts, modern designs and luxurious textiles and her gowns can be found in boutiques in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New York.
Here are some pictures Harel posted on Pick and Tarantino’s special day:
Pick and Tarantino spent the last year living in Israel with their son Leo
Earlier this summer, Tarantino spoke with Jimmy Kimmel about his time in Israel and life with his then-15-month son, Leo.
Tarantino explained that the plan was for his family to spend part of their time in Israel and part of their time in the U.S, but then COVID hit.
“The idea was that we would spend three to four months in Tel Aviv, and three to four months in Los Angeles — and then Covid hit. So, three to four months became nine, 12 months.”
“I would rather not have been out of my own country, against my will, for a year,” Tarantino added. “However, if I’m going to be in another country, the country that handled Covid the best is probably the best country to be in.”
Leo is learning to speak — and his first word is in Hebrew
As it happens, Tarantino also had some spare time on his hands during quarantine. He told Kimmel he spent it watching children’s TV with Leo, and since the shows were in Hebrew, he picked up a few words along the way.
Leo can only say one word, Tarantino told the late-show host, and that is “Abba,” the Hebrew word for Dad.
Naturally, Tarantino also picked up some Hebrew lingo
“I learned a lot of words [in Hebrew] but not enough to carry on a conversation or string anything other than a perfunctory sentence together,” he told Kimmel.
He’s especially good at farm animals.
“Cat is hatul, horse is sus, cow is parah,” Tarantino told Kimmel laughingly.
Pick starred in “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
She played the character Daphna Ben-Cobo along side Brad Pitt, Leonardo diCaprio and Margot Robbi.
She actually appeared in a qualifying round for Eurovision
Pick is an incredibly talented singer.
She first started singing in the early 2000s as a duo with her sister Sharona. Appearing in a qualifying round for the Eurovision contest, their music had more of a teen pop flavor back then. However, Daniella’s tastes have matured over the years. In the music video to her song “More or Less,” she’s giving off almost Amy Winehouse-meets-Adele vibes.
She gets it from her dad, who’s kind of a big deal
Pick’s dad is musician and composer Svika Pick.
He was named “Israel’s Male Singer of the Year” in the 1970s, performed in the Hebrew version of the Broadway musical “Hair” and penned a song which won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998.
When asked about his daughter’s marriage to Tarantino, the father of five said, “There is joy in our family.”
