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Of the most famous things of Marilyn Monroe, being Jewish is not on the list.
But the imminent sale of Monroe's personal prayer book – or siddur, as it is called in Hebrew – has sparked interest in the role religion plays in the star's film life.
It is believed that Monroe received the book after his marriage to playwright Arthur Miller and his conversion to Judaism. The book, entitled "Daily Prayers" on his back, seems to have crossed the Jewish Center Avenue N, where the Miller Synagogue in Brooklyn was located.
"It did not belong to Marilyn Monroe," said Jonathan Greenstein, chairman of the auction house who will sell the book on Nov. 12, "The book itself will be worth $ 50 to $ 100. , if that's it. "
It was estimated that he was selling between $ 5,000 and $ 8,000. But with the buzz around the Monroe connection, it could rise to $ 12,000, said Greenstein, whose auction house, J. Greenstein & Company, is based in Cedarhurst, New York.
Monroe and Miller were married in 1956 in a Westchester County courthouse, according to a 2012 book on the couple, "The genie and the goddess." Two days later, they have a religious ceremony and a rabbi converts Monroe to Judaism.
Monroe once told the actress Susan Strasberg that she could "identify with the Jews," according to the book. "Everyone is always looking to get them no matter what they do," Monroe said. "Like me."
Others think that Monroe embraced Judaism because it brought her closer to Miller's family, all the more so since she never had much herself. Because her mother was attending psychiatric institutions and her father had died as a result of a motorcycle accident, she had ended up living in a dozen foster homes.
Academics and museum curators have learned more about Monroe's faith through letters from Rabbi Robert Goldberg, who presided over his conversion. In a 1962 letter to a scholar in Jewish history, dated a few weeks after Monroe's death, Rabbi Goldberg wrote that Monroe had no religious training in his life apart from "some memories of a fundamentalist Protestantism that she had long rejected.
Letter from Rabbi Goldberg, extracts of which have been printed in According to Reform Judaism magazine in 2010, Monroe admired "the ethical and prophetic ideals of religion and its concept of close family life."
The conversion to Judaism seemed to be a way for Monroe to develop healthier family relationships, said Joanna Robotham, a former curator of the Jewish Museum in New York.
Ms. Robotham, who organized an exhibition in 2015 on Jewish conversions of Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, said that the conversion of two of the world's greatest celebrities was a source of pride for Jews, especially after the Second World War.
"It just showed that Judaism, coming out of the war, was not something that people were trying to hide," she said. "They really celebrated Jewish culture and identity."
After the end of his marriage with Miller in 1961, Monroe would have maintained his Jewish identity. She kept in her possession the prayer book and a menorah, which played the Israeli national anthem, until her death a year later.
Mr. Greenstein said the prayer book contained evidence of prudent use. The pencil notes have survived in the margins.
There is no definitive proof that the writing is Monroe's, but Mr. Greenstein said he suspects it. One indication is that "omit" is written next to a prayer wearing a garment that is traditionally worn by Jewish men. Mr. Greenstein added that the writing could also be that of Miller or that of a rabbi.
Some of these items, such as a miniature gold metal purse with lipstick and cigarettes, reflect the glamorous life typically badociated with the superstar character of Monroe. Other articles, such as emotional letters on his mental health issues or the Jewish prayer book put up for sale next month, offer insights into the private life of a woman devoured by celebrity.
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