Although a Christian, Moissi was often labeled as Jewish or of at least partial Jewish descent due to his name (which translates to "Moses") and his friendly relationship with fellow Jewish actors at a time when antisemitism was on the rise.The Jacobean: "Alexander Moissi, Non-Jewish Actor, Indicts Christian World for its Persecution of the Jew", ufdc.ufl.edu, 4 December 1931 (page 5); "As a Christian, states Moissi, he cannot stand by and see the virus of anti-semitism infect Christian people, nations, and states, robbing them of all semblance of humanity and justice."Lisa Silverman. Becoming Austrians: Jews and Culture between the World Wars: "Although actor Alexander Moissi was not Jewish, many assumed he was because of his name..."Bernad Shaw's Letters to Siegfried Trebitsch; "In February, 'Too True' opened in Manheim with Alexander Moissi (not a Jew) in the leading role and was disrupted by Nazi shouts of 'Jew Moissi', 'Jew Shaw' until police intervened."Jews and the Making of Modern German Theatre (edited by Jeanette R. Malkin & Freddie Rokem) page 76|"The appeal and success of some non-Jewish foreign actors among German audiences, however, was due at least in part to their foreignness. Such was the case with star actor Alexander Moissi, whose German was tinged with an "Italian singsong, which fascinated many." ("Moisiu" is a common Albanian name and rarely indicates Jewish ancestry.) Moissi strongly rebuked his critics in the German press challenging the Christian world to live up to its ideals and desist from persecuting the Jews noting that: "Where Jews are concerned Christian morality, humaneness, and values are trampled underfoot" and "The road of anti-semitism is a throwback to the dark days of the Middle Ages."
