Comments made by the Rev. Keith Hudson, the father of pop star Katy Perry, during a sermon at an Ohio church were taken out of context, the church’s pastor said.

Paul Endrei of the Church on the Rise in Westlake told the Cleveland Jewish News Tuesday that Hudson’s remarks were meant to be complimentary, but that “He went too far.”

On Jan. 5, Hudson told church-goers, “You know how to make the Jew jealous? Have some money, honey. You go to L.A., and they own all the Rolex and diamond places. Walk down a part of L.A. where we live and it is so rich it smells. You ever smell rich? They are all Jews, hallelujah. Amen.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Endrei told the newspaper that Hudson was praying for business owners and wishing that they be as blessed as the Jews, so much so that it would make Jews jealous.

He also said that his church is pro-Jewish and noted that he recently led a delegation of 42 people to Israel.

“We pray for Jerusalem’s peace. We’re 100 percent backing the Jewish people and their struggles to maintain their land that we feel like God gave to them from the time of Abraham,” Endrei said. “If I should be criticized, honestly, it would be to be too pro-Jewish. That’s why it’s so funny the way the cards got played in this particular situation.”

Perry’s mother, Mary Hudson, also spoke at the church.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount