Last October, just before Yom Kippur, Lenny Kravitz posted a photo on Instagram that stopped Jewish fans like me mid-scroll. There he was, cool as ever, wearing a gold chai necklace—an unmistakable Jewish symbol. The caption read, “Life has never been better than it is right now,” but it was the necklace that spoke volumes.
Kravitz, self-identifying as “half-Jewish, half-Black,” is a descendant of Ukrainian Jews and was raised in New York. And while he’s embraced Christianity as an adult, he’s never shied away from his Jewish heritage—quite the opposite, in fact. He’s honored it in interviews, on social media, in his music and in a deeply personal memoir, “Let Love Rule.”
So, when Kravitz comes to Forest Park this fall to headline Evolution Festival in late September, we’re not just welcoming a rock legend—we’re welcoming one of our own.
A chai kind of guy
Kravitz’s father, Sy, was a Russian Jewish TV producer who made sure Jewish traditions were part of the household. In his book, Kravitz recalls time spent in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his grandparents, Joe and Jean, celebrating holidays, eating chopped liver on matzah and soaking in what he calls “Old World energy”—kosher butchers, delis, synagogues and all.
Grandpa Joe, who worked in the “shmata business,” wore his own chai necklace and dreamed of being an entertainer. He was also the first person to ever hand young Lenny a microphone.
The family hero with the same name
And then there’s the other Lenny Kravitz—Private First Class Leonard M. Kravitz, the musician’s uncle and namesake, who gave his life in the Korean War and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2014. When President Barack Obama presented the award, he made a point of calling out the family connection to the “great rock star” we all know today.
Kravitz live in STL
Kravitz is one of the headliners for this year’s Evolution Festival, happening Sept. 27–28 in Forest Park. While the full lineup has been released, organizers have not yet announced which day each artist will perform. So if you’re planning your weekend around Lenny, hold tight—we’ll update when the official schedule drops.
In the meantime, just know this: Evolution Fest’s third year is shaping up to be its biggest and most eclectic yet, with TLC, Public Enemy, Father John Misty, The Hives and more set to take the stage.
Tickets are available now at evolutionfestival.com.
