Itongadol.- The Jewish world on Tuesday mourned the loss of actor and comedian Robin Williams, who died at the age of 63 in his Northern California home on Monday night.
The talented improvisational comic was born an Episcopalian, but the Jewish media accepted Williams as one of its own as word of his death spread.
A picture that Williams tweeted of himself wearing a kippa last year made the rounds on Jewish news outlets Tuesday, together with his quip, "Too late for a career change? Rabbi Robin?"
The Jewish Federations of North America posted the photo on its Facebook page, with the status: "We mourn the loss of the great actor, comedian Robin Williams, z"l."
Williams\’s use of Yiddish in his comedy often made people mistake him for a member of the tribe, and he proclaimed himself an "honorary Jew."
Williams played Jews in a handful of movies, including Jakob the Liar, in which he portrayed a Jewish shopkeeper in Holocaust-era Poland and in the film adaption of author Saul Bellow\’s book, Seize the Day.
The Marin County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying they suspected the death was a suicide due to asphyxia, but said a "comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made."
“This is a tragic and sudden loss," an official statement by his publicist Mara Buxbaum said, adding that Williams had been battling severe depression as of late and called on the public to respect the family\’s privacy, "as they grieve during this very difficult time.