Fans debate Elaine's ethnic background, speculating her surname Benes is Czech while discussing whether ethnicity and religion distinctions apply to the characters and the actress.
Well, I can't be certain, but I think that the name "Benes" is of Czech origin (um, in real life that is). What this means for Elaine's religious affiliation, I can't say.
As far as George is concerned, my money is on a Jewish mom and an Italian dad. Having both types of blood in me, I can confirm the potential for either to contribute to George's neuroses. Frankly, especially in New York, it's often difficult to tell the difference.
In article [email], [email] (JOHN HLINKO) writes:
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It really kind of irks me when people say this kind of thing. His dad is probably Jewish too AND Italian. The two are not exclusive. Being Jewish is a religion not a ethnicity. Since you're Jewish (or have Jewish ancestry), I'm surpised that you made this blunder. The things we tend to associate with being Jewish in this country stem from the fact that the majority of Jewish Immigrants to America came from Germany and that part of Europe (e.g. I was born to parents of Russian and German heritage who happend to be Jewish, also). There was this little thing called the Holocaust that occured because an insane person got his country [laws and military] to classify Jewish people as a race.
This post is not meant as a flame, I just wanted to set the clear any misconceptions.
In [email] (Mike Margolis) writes:
However, the Jews of Europe mostly came from the middle east via the Diaspora, didn't they? As well, I know that many Jews consider Judaism an ethnicity as well as a religion. Dave
In [email] (JOHN HLINKO) writes:
I always guessed she was Polish or Irish Catholic. Julia Louis-Dreyfus herself is Jewish. What ethnicity is Andy Benes, not that that means anything? Dave