history and as a Fulbright scholar she did considerable post-grad
work in the same field; Jay Katsir, 35, Stephen Colbert. Katsir, the
son of an Israeli father, is a Princeton grad. He attended Young
Judaea camps and spent a year in Israel on a Young Judaea Year
Course after graduating from high school; Sarah Schneider, 33.
Schneider, one of four SNL co-head writers, tweeted this in 2010:
“The Jewish equivalent of finding out Santa’s not real is learning
that Fiddler has a sad ending.” By the way, Seth Meyers’ isn’t Jewish
(his paternal grandpa was). However, in 2013 he married attorney
Alexi Ashe, 34, in a Jewish ceremony.

THE EMMYS FOR BEST SERIES in various categories goes to

the series’ producers, of whom there are many. Best Comedy
Series: Steven Levitan, 55, co-creator, Modern Family and John
Altschuler/Dave Krinsky, both 54, co-creators, with Mike Judge,
of Silicon Valley; Best Drama Series: Peter
Morgan, 54, The Crown (which he wrote)
and Dan Fogelman, 38, This is Us; Best
Limited Series: Jaffee Cohen, co-creator, Personally, I hope that Liev Schreiber
Feud: Bette and Joan and Richard Price, wins. It’s possible in that there is no clear
favorite in his category. He should have
co-creator, The Night Of and Noah
been nominated before this — Ray Dono-
Pink, 35ish, co-creator, Genius. Pink is
van is now in its fifth season. Schreiber
a Canadian Jew from Nova Scotia; Best
was raised by his Jewish mother and
Variety Sketch Series: Billy Eichner,
grandfather (his father isn’t Jewish) on
37, creator and star of Billy on the Street,
New York's Lower East Side, where he
Jeremy Konner, co-creator, Drunk
History, Carrie Brownstein, 42, co-cre-
absorbed Jewish culture. He has come
ator and co-star of Portlandia and Lorne to identify strongly as Jewish in his adult
Michaels, 72, creator of Saturday Night
years, even though his youthful exposure
Live. Best TV Movie: Barry Levinson, 75, to religious Judaism was limited to at-
Wizard of Lies. Levinson, the film’s direc- tending a Pesach seder with his Reform,
tor, is nominated as the film’s producer.
socialist grandfather. His career is
marked by Jewish film projects (including
It seems to be a record year
Everything is Illuminated and Defiance);
for nominations for NON-JEWISH
he’s visited Israel with his two sons; and
THESPIANS PLAYING REAL-LIFE JEWS.
he’s acted as a spokesman for the Jewish
Robert DeNiro, who played Bernie
National Fund.
Madoff in Wizard of Lies, vies with
Geoffrey Rush, who played Albert
People ask me: Evan Rachel Wood —
Einstein in Genius, for the Lead Actor
Jewish? Well, every time she is in a movie
Emmy in a Limited Series. Stanley
or award-nominated I am a bit torn about
Tucci, who played Jack L. Warner (of
listing her. She was born in North Carolina
Warner Bros. fame) in Feud is nomi-
to parents both involved in the local the-
nated for Supporting Actor, Limited
ater community. Her mother converted to
Series; and Michelle Pfeiffer, who played
Judaism, but it’s unclear if it was before
Ruth Madoff opposite DeNiro, is up for
Rachel’s birth (her father isn’t Jewish).
Supporting Actress, Limited Series. Rush
In 1996, when she was 9, her parents
has already won an Oscar for playing a
split up and she moved to Los Angeles
Jew (pianist David Helfgott, now 70, in
with her mother. In 2003, when she was
Shine) and an Emmy for playing the late
16, she referred to herself as “Jewish.”
actor Peter Sellers (whose mother was
More recently, she has taken the standard
Jewish).
celebrity line — “I’m spiritual” — when
asked about religion.
IN THE CREATIVE EMMYS CORNER:
Hank Azaria, 53, Guest Actor, Drama,
The Emmys aren’t as international as
Ray Donovan. (Ben Mendelsohn, a nomi-
the
Oscars, but there’s still some diversity
nee in this category, has the same Jewish
in
the
nominees. Noah Pink and Lorne
ancestry story as Seth Meyers); the late
Michaels are from Canada (Michaels
Carrie Fisher, Guest Actress, Comedy,
was actually born on an Israeli kibbutz,
Catastrophe; Sarah Silverman, 46, Best
but his parents moved to Canada when
Variety Special, A Speck of Dust; Mindy
Sterling, 64, best known for playing Frau he was an infant.) Peter Morgan (The
Farbissina in the Austin Powers movies,
Crown) is a Brit. Tracee Ellis Ross and
is nominated for Best Actress in Short
Ezra Edelman are Americans of inter-
Form Shows (one a web series); Fisher
racial background. •
Stevens, 53, Best Director, Non-Fiction
Program (aka, a documentary), Bright
Lights Starring Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. He competes
in this category with Ezra Edelman, 43, O.J.: Made in America.
Besides his acting nomination, Liev Schreiber is twice-nominat-
ed for his narration of two different documentaries. •

The Art of
Containment

Vessels from the
Sidney Swidler Collection

9.16.17 – 3.18.18

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BONUS NOTES

Judi Tavill, American, b. 1968, Carved Sculptural Vessel, 2012,
Wheel thrown and hand carved stoneware, 9 1/4 x 5 inches.
Promised gift of Sidney Swidler.

Flint Institute of Arts

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September 14 • 2017

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