This thread has probably been done to death before, but I'm a newbie.
Frank Costanza is Catholic. No question. He gets the Knights of Columbus Hall reserved for Kramer's hosting the Jewish Singles function. His surname is Italian. He has cousins in Italy (the Maestro has a photo of Frank's cousin Carlo). These are indigenously Italian names, and Italians with such names are largely Catholic. Jews of Italy, like of any other country, do not have indigenous names, but Jewish names (ie, a Jewish man in Italy is more likely to have the name Mordechai Ginsberg than Giancarlo Mantovani). Frank is not Jewish, he's Catholic. No argument.
Estelle, on the other hand - who knows. She cooks Kasha, the house smells like Kasha, she won't drive in a German-made car, she plays Mah-Jongg with her girlfriends, Estelle is not an uncommon Jewish name for a woman her age, .... The list goes on. The writers teasingly are suggesting, but not explicitly indicating that Estelle is Jewish.
The show never specifically addresses her or George's religious background. It is made more vague by their celebrating Festivus. Of course both parents react with shock at George's conversion to Latvian Orthodox. Never is there anything explicit to suggest Estelle or George's religion.
My guess is this is one of those points that the writers want the audience to discuss and debate at the water cooler/coffee machine, and in this august newsgroup, and keep vague intentionally.
Thoughts? Comments?
Dimi