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Alison Brie on her very Jewish mother

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May 14, 2013

This week on his podcast, Jewish comedian Marc Maron chats with Alison Brie, who opens up about lots of stuff, including what it was like splitting her time between her divorced interfaith parents as a kid.

On weekends with her dad she’d go to Sunday school at his Christian-Hindu hybrid church, where the future “Mad Men” and “Community” actress did a lot of meditating and chanting about a “cloud-colored Christ.” (Her reenactment is worth the download).

Then she’d go back to her mom who, while completely secular, has a strong Jewish identity.

“My mother, God love her, is a very proud Jew and would always make sure we knew we were Jewish. I remember being 6 years old and her saying, you know you guys are Jewish. If Hitler came today he would take you,” she said in a way that sounded funny and not at all terrifying.

These days Brie and her sister, no longer up for double visits, make their parents come to one of their places for the holidays, where the girls eliminate tension by serving alcohol and pot brownies. Which, when you think about it, is a pretty amazing idea for any kind of Jewish family gathering.

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