ARTS

Billy Joel

Musician

The Piano Man's embrace of his Jewish identity took center stage in 2025 with the release of HBO's two-part documentary "And So It Goes," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and aired in July. The film traced his father Helmut's escape from Nazi Germany at age 10 and revealed that his grandfather's textile factory was repurposed by the Nazis to manufacture striped concentration camp uniforms. "No matter what, I will always be a Jew," Joel declared in the documentary, addressing his decision to wear a yellow Star of David at Madison Square Garden in 2017 following Charlottesville. Though the 76-year-old artist was forced to cancel all concerts in May after being diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, he surprised fans with a brief two-song performance in Florida on January 2, 2026. The documentary sparked conversations about Jewish identity, intergenerational trauma, and standing against antisemitism in contemporary America.