JN Entertainment

Publicists for the show hemmed and
awed when asked about the characters'
2ligious identities, but a not-so-scientific
urvey of old episodes revealed that Cosmo
;Tamer, Elaine Benes and George Costan-
a are definitely not Jewish.
In one episode, Michael Richards as
Cramer (the real Kramer upon whom the
haracter is based is Jewish and an old
Leighbor of "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry
)avid) plans a Jewish singles function with
iuthentic ethnic foods. He wants Jerry and
ilaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to attend, and
rilaine says, "Well, I'm not Jewish!" To
vhich Kramer replies, "Neither am I."
In the same show, Kramer holds the func-
ion at the Knights of Columbus Hall, cour-
esy of George's dad's membership. Knights
& Columbus is a Catholic organization.
The spokeswoman for Jason Alexander,
vho plays George, says the Jewish actor
does not know the religious background of
ieorge Costanza, [and] has no comment
'bout it."
But Estelle Harris, who is Jewish in real
ife and plays Mrs. Costanza to the Jew-

ish Jerry Stiller's Mr. Costanza, told the 8
Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, "When I
first came on board, I wondered the same 8
thing. I asked Larry David, 'Well, is she Jew- 2
ish or not' "
David, the real-life role model for the
character of George, answered the question
with a question. "What do you care?"
"I said that I needed to know for motiva-
tion," said Harris, who never got a defini-
tive answer. "I saw where Larry was right," Y_
she said. "This way, without identifying,
everyone can relate to the woman."
Meanwhile, Judaism, like most ethnici-
ties and religions that "Seinfeld" has touched
upon, has been the focus of what some might
deem insensitive poking. Several episodes
have inspired phone calls to the Anti-
Defamation League, including one about a
rabbi, another dealing with kashrut and an-
other about a brit milah.
In the rabbi episode, a black hat-black
suit rabbi, who speaks in a nasal pitch, di-
vulges confidential information on public
TV. The kosher episode features Kramer
sneaking lobster into an omelette for Jer-

Richard Belzer, left, as Detective John Munch on NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street," revealed his
Jewish roots in an episode titled "Kaddish."

Brian Austin Green, as David Silver on Fox's
"Beverly Hills 90210," is romantically linked with
Donna Martin (Tori Spelling), a Catholic. David
identifies as Jewish, with a Jewish father and non-
Jewish mother, and thinks Donna's parents
disapprove of their relationship because of the
couple's religious differences.

Ty's girlfriend, who keeps kosher.
In the bris episode, Kramer tries to "save"
the baby from the mohel's knife, saying the
practice is inhuman. In the end, the baby's
parents name Kramer as the child's god-
parent —because of the concern he exhibits
about the baby's welfare.
At the time of the rabbi episode, Lori
Jonas, a publicity agent for the show, said
it was all in good fun. Besides, Jerry Sein-
feld is Jewish (so the show can't be anti-Se-
mitic).
In addition to the assimilated, "maybe-
Jewish" characters on the Peacock network,
one has been clearly defined as Jewish —
though perhaps out of touch with his reli-
gion. The name doesn't sound Jewish, but
NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street's" De-
tective John Munch (Richard Belzer) is Jew-
ish, both on the show, which is set in
Baltimore, and off.
One episode, called "Kaddish," involves
the murder of a Jewish woman, Helen
Rosenthal, with whom Munch grew up. The
murder takes him back to his hometown of
Pikesville, a heavily Jewish suburb of Bal-
timore.
"Kaddish" begins with words from the
Hebrew prayer for mourning.
The daughter of the murdered Helen tells
the coroner that her mother's body must be
buried by morning, according to Jewish law.
The coroner already knows, saying she's a
knowledgeable "shiksa."
Throughout the episode, Munch's non-
Jewish partner asks questions about Jew-
ish observance: "What is shiva?" "There's
no wake?" "You can't leave the house?"
"What's a shiksa?"
Finally, Munch replies, "Boy, you sure do
live in an Irish cocoon, don't you?"
Munch and Helen's daughter discuss
Jewish observance. Through flashbacks, we
see Helen and her Protestant husband di-
vorce. Helen then moves with her daugh-
ter into her mother's home and starts going
to synagogue.
"My mom said she liked the ritual, rou-
tine," the daughter says.
She asks Munch if he's religious; he says
no, the extent of it is "I don't like to work on
Saturdays."
At the shiva house, the mirrors are cov-
ered, and people sit on crates, not chairs.
Munch stops his partner from eating before
minyan.

Fran Drescher as Fran Fine in CBS's "The Nanny,"
where Judaism is treated "lightly and in good
taste."

The daughter asks Munch to help make
the minyan. He declines, saying, "I don't re-
member the Kaddish." She tells him, "It's
like riding a bike."
At the end of the episode, he opens a sid-
dur, next to his high school yearbook. The
daughter lights a yahrtzeit candle. Munch
dons a kippah and goes to the shiva house
for minyan.
Finally, NBC makes a real leap of faith
with its hit show, "Third Rock from the
Sun," which is about a family of aliens who
come to Earth to learn about humans.
In one episode, the teen-ager (Tommy
Solomon) comes home from school and asks
about the family's ethnicity. Not having one,
the family embarks upon a search.
Ultimately, the family decides de facto
that it is Jewish. The landlady says, "My
third husband was the same as you people."
"What do you mean?" they ask.
"You know, Jewish," she replies, thus
making their decision.
While the credits are rolling, the family
is shown talking, slipping in Yiddish phras-
es and discussing whether the man the girl
character is dating is Jewish.

of all Jewish characters on TV are
of the maybe yes, maybe no, vari-
ety. There are at least two char-
acters which CBS clearly states
are Jewish.
Adam Arkin plays "Chicago Hope's"
Aaron Shutt—Jewish on screen and off, a
publicist confirms.
Then, there's The Nanny, which a publi-
cist claims to be "embracing of Judaism,"
albeit in a stereotypical fashion.
A CBS spokeswoman says Fran Fine,
Fran Drescher's nasally character on The
Nanny, is a positive portrayal — and real-
istic, since the character is based on Dresch-
er's off-the-wall Jewish persona.
On the show, Jewish identity is "used for
humor and stereotypical comments about
food and clothing and whining," the spokes-
woman says. Judaism is "treated lightly
and in good taste."
Some examples: Fran's mother buys a

JEWISH page 87