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ST. ELSEWHERE/NBC/1982-88
*(Howie Mandel/costar) Dr. Wayne Fiscus, a Jewish emergency medicine specialist
with a penchant for practical jokes. His parents introduced later in the series
were played by Bill Dana and Lainie Kazan. Kazan was portrayed as a doting
("Have some chicken soup...It couldn't hurt") Jewish mother who only wanted the
best for her baby boy.
SECOND CHANCE/FOX/1987-88
**(Joseph Maher) St. Peter, the biblical heavenly gatekeeper who sent a deceased
man named Charles Russell (he died in 2011) back to Earth in the year 1987 to
earn a second chance so he could enter into paradise.
SEINFELD/NBC/1990-98
*(Jerry Seinfeld) Jeerome 'Jerry' Seinfeld, a bachelor Jewish-American standup
comedian who lives in New York City apartment and interactes with his friends,
and neighbors including Julia Louis-Dreyfus as his gentile ex-girlfriend Elaine
Benes; Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer; Jason Alexander as his neurotic, loser
friend George Castanza; Estelle Harris and Jerry Stiller as George's parents;
Magda Harout as Jerry's aunt, Stella; Ellen Gerstein as Jerry's cousin, Carol;
and Phil Bruns/Barney Martin and Liz Sheridan as Jerry's parents who lived in
Florida. Although Jerry and his relatives are Jewish, all of Jerry’s friends,
Elaine, Kramer and George are not defined as such. George’s mother and father
are seemingly Jewish but George’s father has a membership with the Knights of
Columbus, a Catholic organization. The script makes certain reference to Elaine
and Kramer as being not Jewish as Kramer plans a singles function with authentic
ethnic food. When Elaine is asked to attend she replies” Well, I’m not Jewish!”
To which Kramer replies, “Neither am I.” Several of the program’s storylines
offended members of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League, including ones with a
rabbi character with a nasal pitch who divulges other people’s personal
information; and the episode in which Kramer declares the Jewish “brith milah”
(a.k.a. bris) ceremony inhuman and rescues a baby from the mohel’s knife.
Another mentioned by never seen character on the series was Kramer's friend
Lomez, an Orthodox Jew. He organizes the Jewish singles night which Kramer
attended. Lomez also trade some steaks for stereo speakers and he sold Kramer
his hot tub.
SEVENTH HEAVEN/WB/1996-2007
**(Sarah Danielle Madison) Sarah Glass, Jewish teenager who lives with her
parents. Sarah is in love with Matt Camden, the son of a local Protestant
minister. She plans to get married to Matt (they first secretly eloped and later
get married in a ceremony) and go to medical school with him in medical school
in New York at Columbia University. Although in love, both Sarah and Matt's
parents have doubts that the interfaith relationship will work. Will Matt
convert? Sarah's father, Richard Glass (Richard Lewis) is a Rabbi. He leans
toward the Reform side of the religion. But the rabbi's wife, Rosina (Laraine
Newman) still follows a kosher tradition. On holidays like Shabbat, the Rabbi
dramatically begins to tell the story about how his immigrant grandfather came
from Kiev to the US, but then finally confesses that his grandfather was born on
Coney Island. Sarah married Matt in a formal ceremony on May 13, 2002. The joint
ceremony was conducted by both Rabbi Glass and Reverend Camden.
704 HAUSER/CBS/1994
*(Maura Tierney/costar) Cherlyn Markowitz, a Jewish girl who dated an
ultra-conservative black man living in Queens.
THE SIMPSONS/FOX/1989+
**(Voice of Dan Castellaneta) Krusty the Klown, an illiterate, rowdy
green-haired clown of Jewish heritage who lives in the town of Springfield, USA
and stars on the local kid’s program “The Krusty the Klown Show.” Krusty's TV
show assistants included Side-Show Mel, Corporal Punishment, Tina the Ballerina,
his backup band Krusty and the Ktums and Krusty's faithful secretary, Miss Penny
Candy. The "Krusty the Klown" program featured ax-throwing stunts and cartoons
like "Itchy and Scratchy" (a bloodier version of "Tom and Jerry"). In one
cartoon, Itchy ran over Scratchy with farm harvesting equipment. and then played
ball with the his decapitated head. Despite, the gore, kids loved Krusty. His
most devoted fan is bratty little Bart Simpson (Krusty No. 16302). Krusty is so
popular that Izzy's Deli, a local eatery, honored Krusty with his own sandwich
that consisted of "ham, sausage, bacon with a smidge of mayo on white bread."
Krusty's entrepreneurial spirit once inspired a creation of a kids summer camp.
Upon arriving at "Camp Krusty," Lisa Simpson wrote a letter home to her parents.
It read: "Dear Mom, I no longer fear Hell for I've been to Camp Krusty...Save
us. Save us now!" Krusty the Klown got his start in showbiz in the 1960s when he
appeared on PULVER LAWN PRODUCTS PRESENTS THE CLOWNS OF TOMORROW. During a 1991
episode Krusty's real name was revealed as Herschel Krustofsky, and that he was
born to Jewish parents on the “lower east side” of Springfield. His father,
Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky (voice of Jackie Mason) disapproved of his son aspiring
to be a clown. In a parody right out of The Jazz Singer (1927), Krusty told his
father "I wanna make people laugh." Unfortunately, his father responded "Selzer
is for drinking, pies is for eating." When the Rabbi discovered his son
performing at a Rabbi Convention in the Catskill Mountains, (twisting balloons
into images of the Star of David and Menoras), he refused to ever speak with his
son again. However, with the assistance of Bart and Lisa Simpson, their
twenty-five years of silence ended and the two were happily reunited thanks to a
quote from Sammy Davis Jr. - “A Jewish entertainer, like your son,“ Bart says.
SINGER & SON/NBC/1990
*(Harold Gould) Nathan Singer, a Jewish New York deli owner who took as
partners, the sons of his black housekeeper, to carry on his name and business.
SISTERS/NBC/1991-96
**(Robert Klein) Al Barkowitz, aka "Big Al," a boisterous Jewish-American
discount store magnate from Winnetka, Illinois who married talk show hostess,
Alex Reed. He later sent to prison for tax violations, became mayor and then was
diagnosed with terminal cancer. Ed Marinaro also appeared as Mitch Margolis, a
Jewish fish store merchant who was the husband at separate times to both Teddy
and Frankie Reed.
SKAG/NBC/1980
*(Piper Laurie/costar) Jo Skagska, a Jewish-American wife of a Serbian Orthodox
Catholic steel worker living in the City of Pittsburgh with her newly adopted
family. Jo was his second wife and 12 years his junior.
SOMETHING SO RIGHT/NBC/ABC/1996-98
**(Barry Jenner) Sheldon Kramer, a Jewish-American lawyer formerly married to a
Christian woman. When Sheldon feared that his daughter, Sarah was growing apart
from him and possibly being too influenced by her new Christian stepfather
(Jack) he funded the Sheldon Kramer Youth Center and started his own basketball
team (the Bethel Beth Ariel Tigers), so his daughter could play basketball for
his Temple rather than for her new father's Christian church league, (the
Raptors). Not wanting to hurt either of her father's, Sarah secretly took part
in both teams practices to make everyone happy, and, consequently, ran herself
ragged. The pressure to choose, made Sarah decide not to play on either team.
For his interference Sheldon was called "Schmageggie" (that's Jewish for
"Schmuck"). Sheldon decided to let his daughter play with the Raptors and had to
console himself with the fact that he was sleeping with Jack's ex-wife. He also
donated funds to Jack's church for "The Sheldon Kramer Catholic Youth Center."
SOUTH PARK/COM/1997+
*(Cartoon character ) Kyle Broslofski, (voice of Matthew Stonea) a
short-tempered Jewish-American 8-year-old boy who lives in the fictional town of
South Park, Colorado. Kyle hangs out with a group of three kids - Stan Marsh,
Kenny McCormick and Eric Cartman whom Kyle is constantly insulting. Kyle weighs
68 pounds, is 4’ 6” in height, was born on May 26th and has a pet elephant who
nobody seems to like. His family members include his father, Gerald Broslofski,
mother, Shelia and brother, Ike. His Grandma is dead. Kyle’s favorite game is
“kick the baby,” the baby, of course, is Kyle’s brother, Ike.
SPORTS NIGHT/ABC/1998-2000
*(Josh Charles/costar) Dan Rydell, anchor on the Pittsburgh-based CSC
(Continental Sports Channel) sports cable network show “Sports Night.” Other
Jewish coworkers include Joshua Malina as Jeremy Goodwin, the show’s research
analyst; and Greg Baker as Elliot, a technician. On the episode “April is the
Cruelest Month” the Jewish crew members invite Jews and Gentiles to the
celebration of the Seder pageant. The festivities included a play entitled “The
Last Temptation of Moses.” Jeremy’s non-Jewish (Catholic) ex-girlfriend earned
the role of the “evil Pharaoh.”
STATE OF GRACE/ABF/2001-2002
*(Ali Shakat/costar) Hannah Rayburn, a shy 12-year-old Jewish-American girl
whose family moves from Illinois to North Carolina in the year 1965. Hannah soon
befriends a spirited youth named Grace McKee as both of them attend, The Pines,
an elite Catholic School in town. Frances McDormand provides the off-screen
narration as a 47-year old Hannah Rayburn reminisces about her childhood (a kind
of Jewish “Wonder Years”). Hannah's family consists of Dinah Manoff as Evelyn
Rayburn, Hannah's overprotective mother; Michael Mantell as David Rayburn, the
loving father, a self-made furniture manufacturer who moved his family to North
Carolina to open up his own factory [Born in Lodz, Poland, David is a Holocaust
survivor who lost many of his beloved family members during the war]; Jason
Blicker as Uncle Heschie, a confirmed bachelor in his late 20s, and Erica Yohn
as Grandma Ida, old-fashioned Jewish "bubbah" with a Yiddish accent. The series
was co-produced by Hollis Rich and Brenda Lilly. Rich grew up Jewish in the
Midwest and the Valley, the daughter of a Polish Holocaust survivor who owned a
furniture store. Lilly grew up Catholic in Asheville, N.C., where she attended
an exclusive Catholic school called The Pines. Rich and Lilly were the only
women writers on the short-lived ABC Family Channel drama..
SUDDENLY SUSAN/NBC/1996-99
**(Kathy Griffin/costar) Vicki Groener, a red-headed lifestyle reporter for a
trendy San Francisco magazine called "The Gate." Vicki's mother, Edie (played by
Joan Rivers) lived in a mobile home. Vicki's boyfriend Ben Rubenstein, a rabbi,
was introduced in episode No. 32. On episode No. 35 "The Big Shalom" Vicki goes
with Ben to Israel to live in a Kibbutz for a year. On episode No. 37 "Car
Trouble" Vicki returns unexpectedly from Israel without Ben. Ben later returns
to American and marries Vicki on episodes No. 47 & 48 "Oh How They Danced."
According to a NBC spokeswoman, although the Vicki character may seem to be
Jewish, her religious identity hasn’t been defined. Kathy Griffin is Catholic.
TAXI/ABC/NBC/1978-83
*(Judd Hirsch) Alex Reiger, a Jewish-American a career cabbie who drove
full-time for the Sunshine Cab Company in New York City.
THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN/NBC/1996-2001
*(John Lithgow/costar) Dick Solomon, the head of the Solomon family, works
incognito as a physics professor at Pendelton University in the town of
Rutherford, Ohio. His family members are Kristen Johnson as Sally, French
Stewart as Harry, and Joseph-Gordon-Levitt as Tommy. They are in reality, aliens
from outer space who live on Earth to observe its people. They got their last
name by taking the name “Solomon” off the side of a truck. They had evaluated
being Italian or African-American but chose a Jewish identity without realizing
the significance of the choice. It wasn‘t until later that they discovered their
“Jewishness” when their colorful landlord Mrs. Dubcek (she was Czech/Romanian)
pointed out that their name was obviously Jewish. This observation gave the
Solomon’s a comforting feeling knowing that they were part of an identifiable
culture and were in someway starting to fit in with the earthlings. When Sally
reports she met a nice guy, the first thing out of Harry’s mouth was “Is he
Jewish?“
THIRTYSOMETHING/ABC/1987-91
*(Ken Olin/costar) Michael Steadman, a Jewish-American Yuppie who was a partner
in a Philadelphia ad agency. His cousin Melissa (Melanie Mayron), with whom he
grew up, was a photographer who took assignments from his firm and often hung
around his house. Michael's wife, Hope (Mel Harris) was a gentile. On the 1987
Christmas episode, the script dealt with the stress encountered when Michael and
Hope had to choose between a Christmas tree and a menorah. Their religious
convictions, however were summarized in the dialog: "You haven't set foot in a
church since I've known you...And you haven't set foot in a Temple."
TRACY TAKES ON.../HBO/1996
*(Tracey Ullman) Fern Rosenthal, a Jewish lady from Boca Raton (formerly Long
Island N.Y.) who lived with her retired pharmacist husband, Harry-and one of
many characters created by white British comedian and impressionist Tracey
Ullman.
THE TRIALS OF ROSIE O'NEILL/CBS/1990-91
**(Ron Rifkin) Ben Meyer, a Jewish-American attorney who supervised a group of
lawyers at the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office. He was very religious
and wore a yarmulke (skullcap) to work. He once said: "According to the Talmud,
you have to look at compassion in the right hand and justice in the left and
just maintain a sense of balance...that's what I try to do every day."
21 JUMP STREET/FOX/SYN/1987-91
**(Peter DeLuise) Doug Penhall, a young police officer assigned to an elite
squad of baby-faced cops who posed as high school students to infiltrate/battle
juvenile crime. He once commented that his father was Catholic and his mother
was Jewish. That entitled him to "celebrate both guilt and hell."
UNDER SUSPICION/CBS/1994-95
*(Seymour Cassel/costar) Mickey Schwartz, Captain of detectives for the Seattle
Police Department. "As a Jew" Schwartz once said "I'm an Old Testament kind of
guy. I reserve sympathy for the victim."
WELCOME BACK, KOTTER/ABC/1975-79
**(Robert Hegyes) Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein, a curly-haired
Jewish-Puerto Rican teenage member of a rowdy gang of students (known as the
Sweathogs) who attended an inner-city high school in New York City.
WEST WING/NBC/1999-2006
*(Richard Shiff/costar) Toby Ziegler, Jewish-American Director of Communications
for the White House. Toby writes the President’s important speeches and works
closely with the Press Secretary in developing the overall message of the
Bartlet Administration. His ethnic background was firmly established while Toby
was mending fences with members of a Christian political group at odds with the
White House, and a woman in the group castigates another White House aide for
his “New York sense of humor...they think they’re so mush smarter.” Responding
to the insensitive remark, Ziegler snaps “She meant Jewish. When she asked ‘New
York sense of humor,’ she talking about you and me.”
WILL & GRACE/NBC/1998-2006
*(Debra Messing/costar) Grace Adler, an interior designer. She is single, Jewish
and semi-neurotic and lives in Apartment 9A 155 Riverside Drive New York, NY in
Manhattan. Grace attended Columbia University in 1985 where she first met and
dated Will Truman [until he revealed he was gay]. After a year, they reconciled
and have been together as friends ever since. Grace’s parents lives in
Schenectady, New York. Her mother is outrageously theatrical and younger sister
Joyce is just hostile. Before moving to Apt. 9A, Grace lived across the hall in
9C with Will Truman [now a lawyer]. Will says Grace’s apartment always smells
like asparagus and shoes. Grace later moved back into Will’s apartment and let
their friend Jack McFarland stay in 9A [rent free] until the lease was up. In
the Spring of 2002, Grace contemplated having a child with her friend Will. On
the same day Grace was traveling to the clinic to get inseminated with Will's
sperm, she was knocked down in the park. Coming to her rescue was a handsome man
on a horse who turned out to be handsome, Jewish (with a southern accent) and a
Doctor. Grace quickly dropped the baby idea with Will and married Dr. Leo Markus
(Harry Connick, Jr.) on November 21, 2002.
WORKING/NBC/1997-99
*(Fred Savage) Matt Peyser, newly graduated Jewish-American business executive
who attempts to climb the corporate ladder at Upton/Webber, a bizarre
multinational corporation. Matt’s character is honest, hard-working but often
naive to the cruelties and unfairness of corporate culture. His parents are Sam
and Judy. They enjoy spending Jewish holidays at a clothing optional resort,
much to Matt’s chagrin.
THE X-FILES/FOX/1993-2002
*(David Duchovny/costar) Fox “Spooky” Mulder, an Oxford-educated psychologist
who believed his sister Samantha Ann [born Jan. 22, 1964] had been abducted by
aliens on Nov. 27, 1973. Fox joined the FBI to investigate cases of the
paranormal (“X-Files”). Fox, unfortunately discovered that his father William
“Bill” Mulder participated in a covert operation that involved world domination
by alien creatures. He was assassinated on April 14, 1995 by a Russian agent
name Alex Krycek who took orders from a shadowy organization known as the
Syndicate. Mulder’s mother, Teena had also been an unwitting participant in her
husband’s activities and tried to protect Fox from the harsh realities of his
father‘s dealings. She had a stroke but recovered. According to a number of fan
sources Mulder is described as being Jewish. Although Mulder is not directly
referred to as Jewish in the series, a number of outside and inside indications
point to his heritage. Outside the series on page 142 of the Official Guide to
the X-Files [sanctioned by Chris Carter, the series creator] actor David
Duchovny who plays Mulder on the series stated ”he will consider Mulder Jewish
until told otherwise.” Inside the series there are inferences to Mulder’s Jewish
background. In episode “Kaddish” a Neo-Nazi looks at Mulder and says “You’re
working for them! You look like one of them, anyway!!” [David Duchovny is in
fact Jewish]. And although Fox Mulder can’t read Hebrew, he does understand
enough spoken Hebrew to explain to his Catholic partner, Dana Scully that the
character Ariel is saying goodbye to Isaac when she recites Kaddish over the
remains of the Golem [a legendary Medieval statue that came to life to protect
Jews from harm]. Mulder’s apparent non-practicing status as Jew would explain
why he entered the Orthodox synagogue without a yarmulke. Other hints at
Mulder’s Jewishness can seen in episodes “Anasazi,” “Paperclip,” and “731,”
[references to the Holocaust and corpses in box cars]. It is also believed that
Mulder is Jewish on his mother’s side because his father worked for the US
government and collaborated with the Nazi’s during WWII. Fox’s vital statistics:
Eye color: Green (Hazel); Weight: 170 pounds; Heights: 6 ft.; Hair color: Brown;
Date of birth: October 11, 1960 or October 13th 1961; Birthplace: Chilmark,
Massachusetts; Marital status: Single; Social Security: 123-32-1321; and Blood
Type: O Negative. Fox’s known used aliases: F. M. Luder (wrote article in Omni
about the Gulf Breeze sighting); George Hale (used to contact Scully, when
separated from her); Reynard Muldrake (a book character based on Mulder); Marty
Mulder (contacting a blood bank); and Mr. Kaplan. (motel undercover name).
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