34 | APRIL 23 • 2020 

Arts&Life

celebrity jews

The FX drama/comedy series Better 
Things, now in its fourth season, 
has received many Emmy nom-
inations. I finally had the time to 
binge-watch it and you should, too. 
It’
s really good. 
 The four seasons mesh in logical 
plot arcs. Things is semi-autobi-
ographical. Pamela Adlon, 53, stars 
as Sam Fox, a Hollywood actress 
who works steadily, but never lands 
a big star role. Like Sam, Adlon has 
been acting in films and TV shows 
since she was 12. Like Sam, Adlon 
is the daughter of a long-deceased 
Jewish comedy writer. Like Sam, 
Adlon’
s mother is British. In real 
life, Adlon’
s mother converted to 
Judaism and, in a recent interview, 
Adlon said her mother doesn’
t like 
to be called a convert. She thinks of 
herself as just plain Jewish. 
 In Things, there are clues that 

Sam’
s mother, Phyllis, who was 
disowned by her family when she 
married a Jew, is also a convert. It 
is clear Phyllis is much more acer-
bic than Adlon’
s mother. Finally, like 
Sam, Adlon is the mother of three 
daughters, and, like Sam, she raised 
her daughters with little help from 
her ex-husband. 
Sam views herself and her 
daughters as Jewish. However, 
except for Sam often toasting 
“L’
Chaim,” there is little Jewish 
going on. (Adlon says she and her 
real-life daughters observe the High 
Holidays and Passover). The April 23 
episode, entitled “Batceñera,” may 

fill in many Jewish gaps.
 Sam’
s middle daughter, Frankie, 
is almost 15 years old. In a previous 
episode, Frankie told Sam that she 
wanted a quinceañera (a coming-
of-age celebration for 15-year-old 
Hispanic girls). Sam is not sold. She 
points out that Frankie isn’
t a Latina 
and that she could have a bat mitz-
vah at any age. “Batceñera” details 
are sparse, but Adlon promises the 
episode will be “very Jewish.” My 
guess it that Frankie has a combo 
bat mitzvah and quinceañera. (Many 
encore FX showings. All four sea-
sons on Hulu).
 The series finale of the reboot 

of Will and Grace will air on NBC on 
April 23 at 9 p.m. It will be preceded 
by a special, at 8:30 p.m., of clips of 
the series’
 most iconic and mem-
orable moments. The final episode 
finds Grace (Debra Messing, 51) 
about to give birth and Will about to 
leave New York City. 
Never Have I Ever is a 10-episode 
Netflix comedy (to be released April 
27) about Devi, a first-generation 
Indian American teen girl. It is 
inspired by the childhood of Indian 
American actress Mindy Kaling. 
Adam Shapiro, 40ish, appears in 
seven episodes as Mr. Shapiro, a 
schoolteacher. Shapiro has mostly 
been a stage actor. His wife, Katie 
Lowes, 38, had a starring role on 
Scandal (Quinn Perkins). Newcomer 
Jaren Lewison, 20, has a big sup-
porting role as Ben, a classmate 
of Devi. I know Lewison is Jewish 
because his bar mitzvah announce-
ment is on the website of his fami-
ly’
s Dallas synagogue. 

NATE BLOOM
COLUMNIST

PAMELA LITTKY

Pamela 
Adlon

STAYING CONNECTED
At this time of social distancing, 
the Jewish News will try to bring 
awareness to events/learning sit-
uations offered online by syna-
gogues, temples and community 
organizations.

ART ONLINE
Cranbrook Art Museum is available 
online. Explore most recent exhibitions 
with 3D tours, create art projects at 
home with your kids or browse selec-
tions of work from the Collections 
Wing. Check out cranbrookmuseum.
org.

ART FOR THE FAMILY
The BBAC is offering a children’
s art 
activity kit at bbartcenter.org/art-ac-
tivity-kit. For $15, the kit contains nine 
projects suitable for ages 5 and up, 
including project instructions and all 
materials (+mailing costs included). 
To order (limit two per household), 
call 248-644-0866, ext. 0, and leave 
a message with name and phone 
number. 

REMEMBRANCE DAY
APRIL 26
The Holocaust Memorial Center 
Zekelman Family Campus in 
Farmington Hills will host its annual 
community-wide Yom HaShoah com-
memoration online this year at 2 p.m. 
During the broadcast at holocaust 
center.org, board member Steven R. 
Weisberg will offer opening remarks. 
Rabbi Yonatan Dahlen and Hazzan 
David Propis of Shaarey Zedek will 
lead the commemoration. To learn 
more, call 248-553-2400.

TEEN QUEST
APRIL 12-29
4 pm EDT. IAC@Home, the Tzofim and 
BBYO are calling all Jewish and Israeli-
American teens 13-18 nationwide to 

participate. Free event in English. Go 
to Online Zoom Meeting CA. Register: 
iachome.org/teens.

PJ VIRTUAL LIBRARY
APRIL (DAILY)
11 a.m., 1 and 4 p.m. Sponsored by 
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit. Stories, crafts, tours and more. 
Visit facebook.com/PJLibrary.

BBYO CELEBRATES
APRIL 26
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, 
BBYO Michigan Region will honor its 
alumni with a one-day celebration 
hosted on its Facebook page — BBYO 
Michigan Region. For sponsorship, 
ad book and donation opportunities, 
visit bbyo.org/2020mievent or contact 

Jennifer Frank at jfrank@bbyo.org. 

ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN 
MEMORIAL DAY 
APRIL 27
Hosted by the New Israel Fund and 
others, the annual Israeli-Palestinian 
Memorial Day Ceremony will be held 

online at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Hear inspiring 
stories, share reflections and renew 
the call to end the conflict in a just 
and peaceful way. Sign up at secure.
nif.org.

VIRTUAL MEMORIAL PLAQUES
March of the Living is giving 
individuals around the world the 
opportunity to place a virtual memorial 
plaque against the backdrop of 
the infamous train tracks at the 
Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. As 
the 2020 March of the Living will not 
take place on Holocaust Remembrance 
Day due to the coronavirus pandemic, 
individuals can virtually participate in 
one of the most meaningful personal 
moments of the March by composing 
a personal message and placing it 
on a virtual plaque along the train 
tracks in Birkenau. Individual plaques 
and messages can be placed via a 
dedicated mini-site, nevermeansnever.
motl.org.

Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. 
Send items at least 14 days in advance to 
calendar@thejewishnews.com.

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