No Jew here: Theodore Bikel as described on All Things Considered NPR

There is a word missing from NPR's obituary for Theodore Bikel (Theodore Bikel, Who Starred In Broadway's 'Fiddler On The Roof,' Dies). 

That Jew. Or for the squeamish, Jewish.

The piece was delivered (and one assumes written) by Lynn Neary, described as having" develop[ed] NPR's first religion beat. [And] As religion correspondent....covered the country's diverse religious landscape".

The piece identified Bikel as best known for starring as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway (one would think that honor might go to the man who created the role,  Zero Mostel ) and as a 'folk singer.'

Folk singer.  No mention was made of what sort of folk singer. It didn't mention that he specialized Jewish folk song  bringing it to the public, or his support in preserving Easten European Jewish culture, and the Yiddish Language. 

The closest NPR came to hinting that Bikel might have a Jewish connection was that his family fled Vienna to the Palenstine Mandate.  All NPR chose to say was that Bikel's family fled.

I am curious why it was so hard for NPR to say the word Jew, or even Jewish?