Are The Russells In Gilded Age Jewish

So, HBO's The Gilded Age has us all obsessing over Carrie Coon's fabulous hats and whether Bertha Russell will ever truly fit in high society. But one question keeps bouncing around every Sunday night viewing party: Are the Russells Jewish?

Here's the thing — the show itself never outright confirms it. Creator Julian Fellowes kept things pretty vague on purpose, which honestly makes it even more fun to debate over wine, am I right? 🍷

But let's dig in a little. The Russell family are famously new money — a railroad fortune built from ambition and grit. Historically, a huge number of America's industrial-era billionaires came from immigrant backgrounds, including many Jewish families. So it wouldn't be a giant stretch.

Some fans have noticed that Bertha's publicity-hungry dealings, her fierce social climbing, and her willingness to "shock the establishment" could mirror certain real-life Jewish socialites of the era like the Seligmans and Bachadins. Of course, plenty of new-money Protestant families were equally out of place — look at the Vanderbilts. 😄

Honestly, the biggest clue comes from how the old-money characters treat the Russells with this veiled prejudice — a pattern that unfortunately repeated across ethnic and religious lines in the Gilded Age.

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Bottom line? The Russells' Jewish identity remains deliberately ambiguous, and that's arguably the most brilliant storytelling choice. After all, the show isn't about labels — it's about how society judges anyone daring enough to rise above their station.

So grab your champagne, queue up the next episode, and remember: class has never been about what you wear — it's about who you are. And darling, that's always worth celebrating. 🥂