PHOTO BY BONNIE SCHIFFMAN

Adam Sandler
brought you lyrics
like "Paul Newmans
halffewish/Goldie
Hawn's half, too/Put
them together/What
a fine lookin' Jew."
Now, he on tour
with a "Rated R"
show.

GARY GRAFF
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Adam Sandler's most recent album, What The Hell Happened To Me?, debuted at No. 22 on Billboard's 200 Top-Selling Albums chart.

SANDLER
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dd Adam Sandler to ols and there weren't any really ery-school teacher. "She's not a
the list of Jewish en- cool Chanukah songs to sing," fan of my records," says Sandler.
ertain
' ers who will per- says Sandler, who was born in `There's a lot of stunned silence
Brooklyn and raised in Man- — 'Huh? My baby's crazy!' But
orm on Friday night.
"Koufax called me and told me chester, N.H. "I remember we she's cool. She's going to come see
it was all right," says the 29-year- would watch TV, and when Paul me at Radio City (Music Hall). It
old actor/comedian, who actual- Newman would come on, my hasn't been her choice not to see
ly made his name post-Shabbat mom would say 'He's half Jew- me; I ask her not to come, 'cuz I
every week on NBC's "Saturday ish,' and that made me feel feel funny when she's there. But
proud. I'm glad (the song) got a Radio City she can deal with."
Night Live."
Truth is, Sandler has never nice response. It feels good."
Humor was a big part of the
But fans be forewarned; the Sandler household, where Adam,
quite aspired to the rabbinate.
Bar mitzvahed? Yes. Hebrew for-family-consumption nature the youngest, tried to get a rise
school? Sure — but he "didn't pay of "The Chanukah Song" is atyp- out of a father and older siblings
too close attention in there." That ical of what you'll find in San- whose senses of humor are a bit
doesn't mean he's given up, dler's music-and-standup live more dry.
show, or on his new album, What
though.
"I think rm the only one in the
"Every year, during Passover, the Hell Happened to Me?, which family who doesn't mind looking
I say '0.K, pay close attention, carries a Parental Advisory stick- goofy and silly," Sandler re-
man; this is your chance to learn er on its cover. Sandler more members. "I wouldn't go too far,
more about the holiday,' " San- than earns the cautionary note because I had a fear of my dad
dler says. "But I always have like with a series of songs and spo- getting mad at me. He was a fun
a 5-year-old kid sitting next to ken-word pieces that are laden guy, a loving guy, devotes his
me, and we start joking around." with obscenities and racist sub- whole life — still — to his fami-
But Sandler has made his in- ject matter. In other words, ly. But he's a big man — 6 foot 3
delible contribution to Jewish there's a bit more of a rogue at inches, 250 pounds — and there
culture, courtesy of "The work here than Opera Man or were limits. You didn't want to
Chanukah Song," a hilarious Canteen Boy would indicate.
cross the line," he says about his
But it's not something Sandler father, a retired electrical engi-
recitation of all things good about
that holiday and about being feels compelled to apologize for. neer.
The hard part, he says, is fac-
Jewish in general: "Every year,
Sandler learned to play guitar
you have all these Christmas car- ing his mother, a former nurs- and was in a few garage bands