48 | NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 J
N
ISRAELI COMEDY SERIES,
SILVERMAN HOSTS, TWO
DOCUMENTARIES
Bros is an eight-episode,
comedic Israeli series
that premieres on Netflix
on Nov. 9. This Hebrew
language series was
co-created by Guy Amir,
46, and Hanan Savyon, 47,
and they are Bros co-stars.
The Jerusalem Post recently
called the duo the “kings
of Israeli comedy.” They
co-wrote and co-starred-in
the hit TV series Asfur and
the hit movies, Maktub and
Forgiveness.
Basic plot: Pini and
Nisso (Savyon and Amir),
inseparable childhood
friends, are co-owners of
a Jerusalem bar. They are
diehard fans of soccer team
Beitar Jerusalem. Their
friendship is tested when
their lives take unexpected
turns, their bar faces
closure, and their favorite
team is set to play the
most important match in its
history.
Sadly, I didn’t know last
week that Sarah Silverman,
52, was set to be the guest
host of The Daily Show on
Comedy Central (now
streaming on Paramount+)
from Nov. 6-11. However, no
doubt you’ll be able to catch
the Nov.6-8 episodes “on
demand” and long excerpts
will probably be on YouTube.
Two weeks ago, I had a
column item about a pro-Is-
rael statement that was
signed by many famous
actors and comedians. The
signatories included Laura
Silverman, 57, who is a
comedian, like Sarah, her
sister. I wondered if Sarah
had a “different view” of
the current “Hamas war.”
However, not long after that
column was written, I found
out it is very likely that some
glitch explains why Sarah
was not a signer. While no
fan of Israel’s prime minister,
Sarah has issued tweets
and done podcasts that
make it clear she has taken
a strong, pro-Israel stance.
She’s broken former ties to
domestic leftists who are
now acting as Hamas apol-
ogists.
Jon Stewart, who became
famous as the host of The
Daily Show, is well-known
for his activism on behalf
of 9/11 first responders and
armed service veterans
who have suffered from the
effects of toxic substances
they encountered while
doing their jobs. So, it’s not
a surprise that Stewart is
the host of a PBS Veterans
Day special. Entitled Salute
to the Service, this PBS
program premieres on
Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. (check
local listings for encore
showings).
I didn’t know that Stewart,
60, was a competent
drummer until I saw a clip
from the special. His drums
backed up the United States
Army Field Band. Other clips
featured active servicemen
who rapped and several
active servicewomen
who sang a song about a
servicewoman killed in the
line of duty.
Gumbo Coalition is a doc-
umentary that premiered on
HBO/Max on Nov. 6. It fol-
lows Mark Morial, an African
American leader, and Janet
Murguara, a Latino lead-
er, as they try to forge a
“minority alliance” to deter
the Trump administration.
The filmmaker is Barbara
Kopple, 77, a two-time Oscar
winner who is almost leg-
endary in her field.
Another documenta-
ry, Albert Brooks: Defending
My Life, premieres on HBO/
Max on Nov. 11. The subject,
of course, is the famous
comedian and filmmak-
er Albert Brooks, 76. The
film was directed by Rob
Reiner, 76. Reiner and
Brooks have been each oth-
er’s best friends since their
early adulthood (Brooks’
best friend in high school
was Richard Dreyfuss, also
76).
The film will follow his
very early work; his stand-
up years, his short films
for SNL, and his seven
original motion pictures,
including Defending Your
Life, Modern Romance, Lost
in America and Mother.
Quite a few Jewish
celebs appear: Larry
David, James L. Brooks,
Judd Apatow, Alana Haim
and Jonah Hill.
Over the years, I’ve men-
tally stored away a number
of Brooks “factoids.” I hope
they are covered in the doc-
umentary: (1) Albert Brooks
was born Albert Einstein.
His father, comedian Harry
Einstein, clearly had a weird
sense of humor to name
his son “Albert.” You might
know that the late comedi-
an Bob Einstein (aka Super
Dave Osborne) was Albert’s
brother; (2) Harry Einstein
died “with his boots on.”
He was stricken with a fatal
heart attack right after doing
his funny “spiel” before a
Friars’ Club meeting; (3)
Years ago, I exchanged
some emails with Tiffany
Shlain, 53, Brooks’ sister-in-
law. She is a filmmaker and
active in the San Francisco-
area Jewish community.
This exchange made me
curious about Kimberly
Shlain Brooks, now 50.
She’s a distinguished
painter and sculptor. She
met Albert when he was in
the Bay Area making his
film Mother. His marriage to
Kimberly was his first. The
couple were married (1997)
in Congregation Sherith
Israel (San Francisco).
This shul was founded
just months after the 1849
Gold Rush began; and (4)
Kimberly and Albert have
two children. Obviously, they
have a big age gap. But, as
they say, they are “still going
strong” 26 years after their
wedding.
CELEBRITY NEWS
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
ARTS&LIFE
TIMES OF ISRAEL/WILLY SANJUAN/INVISION/AP
Sarah Silverman
IMDB
Jon Stewart
ALBERT BROOKS WEBSITE
Albert Brooks