the "elaine is jewish" debate

Got to get this off my chest. What were all those people last year thinking when they were claiming that Elaine was jewish? I mean the debate was effectively settled by "the Fatigues". But in the flea episode, Elaine crosses hjerself before entering Jerry's toxic apartment. In "the Nipple", Elaine states that she sent Christmas cards to a priest and a nun. What were they thinking? In the words of Jackie Chiles, it was ridulous, preposterous, oumtrageous!

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If anything, Elane is probably catholic.

In "The Fatigues", she even tells Kramer that she isn't Jewish.

Even is she was Jewish, what the hell is wrong with that?

Plus, in the airplane episode, she didn't know what kosher food was. And in the Bris episode she acknowledged that she knew what a mohel was as only a non-Jew could have - you know, a sort of "I know that even though I'm not ....." attitude.

And don't forget, there was a whole episode about "shiksappeal".

P. F. Wilson wrote in message ... Got to get this off my chest. What were all those people last year thinking when they were claiming that Elaine was jewish? I mean the debate was effectively settled by "the Fatigues". But in the flea episode, Elaine crosses hjerself before entering Jerry's toxic apartment. In "the Nipple", Elaine states that she sent Christmas cards to a priest and a nun. What were they thinking? In the words of Jackie Chiles, it was ridulous, preposterous, oumtrageous!

never thought she was jewish....not that there's anything wrong with that.....

the episode when george and jerry are meeting elaine's father for dinner and elaine is late (great episode) the actor lawrence tierny played her dad...definitely a non-jewish persona if there ever was one.

on the other hand george acts jewish, but isn't...could never figure that out

Elaine is not Jewish. Godammit, there should be no debate about this. The Washington Post this week ran an article about how Larry David worked names of his real-life frat brothers from the University of Maryland and other people he knew into episodes. Those people are virtually all Jewish.

He unquestionably chose to make Elaine's home town Towson MD because that is a classic GOYISCHE suburb.

Please don't waste any more time on this. You're embarassing yourselves.

Bob Wells (goyische name, 100% Jewish)

Bob Wells wrote in message ...

What I've always wondered about, in the episode (I think this is the title) The Chinese Woman, Jerry tells Elaine that Donna Changsteen (sounds Jewish) is not Chinese, but she is in fact just like you [Elaine]. Then in a more recent episode (regarding shicksappeal) Elaine has shicksappeal, and now she appears as if she's not Jewish . . . well I guess we'll just have to chalk it up to those inconsistencies that the writers don't really care about . . .

James Chacko wrote:

I think all Jerry meant was that Donna was 'non-Asian', 'just like you'. It was her 'race' not her religion that Jerry was interested in.

In article , [email] says...

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In one episode, I think it was the one where Elaine became jealous of George's engagement, Elaine specifically told a Rabbi "I'm not of your faith..."

OahuSteve wrote in message ...

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I believe I read somewhere that his father is gentile and his mother is Jewish.

Another thing, of course is that in New York it can be six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Last night I was thinking of other famous Italian-Jewish duos, so why not the Costanzas? Danny DiVito and Rhea Perman could give the Costanzas a run for their money, Mel Brooks can yell with the best 'em but Ann Bancroft seems too refined, and how about Mr. and Mrs. John Gotti?

I contributed to that debate and pointed out that although there wasn't the same amount of evidence of Elaine being Jewish as there was for George being Jewish the clues were non-the-less there. later on I also pointed out that unlike George the writers kept on planting clues even after a formal denial was made. For instance that baby shower in which all of Elaine's friends had Jewish features & Jewish vocal intonations. Yes, Elaine was a fictional character but the fictional character or it's creators was teasing us with clues that were planted then revoked.

I've heard of guilt by association but Jewish by association? Oy, such a world. Insofar as Jews are stereotyped as suffering from guilt, I suppose there's a certain commutative logic to this.

The only hint that Elaine is Jewish, TIKO, was when Jerry found out that Donna Chang was really named Changstein and was from Long Island. When he told Elaine she wasn't Asian she asked "well what is she?(pp)" and he replied disparagingly "she's like you". Other than that she's crossed herself many times, refused a kosher meal because she isn't Jewish, and suffered from shiksappeal.

The topic of the characters' Jewishness is interesting because there are these hints. George seems to be a sort of stealth Jew. I think that the reason for this is that, early in the show's development, Brandon Tartikoff criticised the show for being too Jewish for "crossover" America. So the response was to make the Jewishness covert but the show was, boy I hate saying "was", clearly informed by Jewishness as is most American comedy.

In early episodes George sounded more "Jewish" than in later episodes

David A. Tharp wrote in article ...

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eleine is not jewish, remember when she was kissed by a jewsish boy at his bar mitzva? she said she wasnt jewish there

On 17 May 1998, Johnny Letterman wrote:

Elaine was NOT Jewish. In one episode she makes the sign of a cross, and in another she has Schiksa appeal. A Jewish person can not be a Schiksa. George is half Jewish. His mother is Jewish. In one of the last episodes she wears a Chai pendant. Most non-Jews do not wear this. Dave

D PITCHON wrote:

Elaine - makes the sign in two episodes: - The Manuscript and The Betrayal

               does not know what a Kosher meal is on the Airplane
               tells a rabbi 'I am not of your faith'
               tells Kramer 'she is not Jewish [The Fatigues]

Estelle    tells Frank - he sold those 'religious CHUCHKAS' in The Finale
              I don't know too many, other than a Jewish woman, that would
use that phrase.
              She cooks Kasha, won't buy a German car,

Frank    We are sure he is from Italy but may have been of a Jewish family
that escaped the holocaust.  He sold
             religious items to rev. Moon and belonged to Knights of
Columbus (but maybe he was passin' for business
              reasons)

These are all pretty goood clues of the characters' religions.

But isn't a silly debate fun?