n ertamment

SEIN-ing Off

Nu, so are they Jewish, or aren't they? A last word from some of your
favorite "Seinfeld" characters.

MICHAEL ELKIN
Special to The Jewish News

T

V's "Seinfeld" has offered
multiple signs that the char-
acters are Jewish — the per-
vasive smell of kasha in
Frank and Estelle's apartment, the
Costanzas' rye-bread rip-off, Jerry's
mention of Jerusalem in the "Yadda
Yadda Yadda" episode. Certainly the
mohel episode was a tip-off that these
neurotic New Yorkers knew from rites
and wrongs.
But then we discovered that Frank
Costanza's relatives were Sicilian,
George had converted to Greek
Orthodox, Jerry had the most non-
Jewish looking parents in the history
of TV folks — even if they did live in
Florida, Elaine was astounded every
time a new Jewish-sounding word was
spoken (not that often) and Kramer
was, well, Kramer.
Yet, Kramer's character is based on
a Jewish New Yorker, Kenny Kramer;
Seinfeld is, in reality, Jewish; Elaine's
dancing fool of a friend is based on
Jerry's old girlfriend, Carol Leifer, who
is Jewish; and Jason Alexander, Jerry
Stiller and Estelle Harris, as the cheap ,
troika of Manhattan Misfits, are also
Jewish — off the set.
"Why? Why?" Stiller parrots back
when asked why the Costanzas seem
so Jewish but are ,identified as any-
thing but.
"This," he says conspiratorially and
comically, "is a Jewish family in the
Witness Protection Program."
Well, that's one answer.
It still works for Stiller: "Every time
I play a role, it's a Jewish character,
because I'm Jewish."
Like 'TV father, like TV son•right?
"George is Jewish," exclaims
Alexander.
Why?
"Because I'm Jewish!"

We'll miss the gang: Kramer (Michael
Richards), George (Jason Alexander),
Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Jerry
(Jerry Seinfeld).

5/8
1998

,00

But what about all the inconsisten-
cies?
"Look, it's the best you could hope
for," Alexander says of George's per-
plexing pedigree.
"It's not so much he's a byproduct
of a mixed marriage as of a mixed-up
marriage."
There's no mixing up Harris as any-
thing but a Jewish mom. During a
recent party in Hollywood, her son
was with her, and she glowed whenev-
er he asked her a question or went to
get her something to eat.

, But would Estelle Costanza know
the difference between pasta and
prokes?
"When I first came on board, I
asked [series co-creator] Larry David,
Well, is she Jewish or not?"'
"What do you care?" David
answered.
"I said that I needed to know for
motivation."
But Harris. understood: "I saw
where Larry was right. This way, with-
out identifying, everyone can relate to
the woman."

Seinfeld provided his own Sein-lan-
guage: shtick, mannerisms. (Not that
there's anything wrong with that.)
Who was his inspiration on the
show?
"I think of me and George as Bud
[Abbott] and Lou [Costello]," he says.
"There are similarities there."
In reality — and in fiction — "I'm
just playing myself on the show and
trying not to screw it up."
Which does not mean taking the
tried-and-true path. If there is one thing
"Seinfeld" has not been, it's formulaic.

would compare writing `Seinfeld' to writing the
Talmud — a dark Talmud. You have a lot of brilliant
minds examining a thought or ethical question from
every possible angle."

— Former "Seinfeld" writer Larry Charles