Back in the 1990s, on some episodes of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, Leno would sometimes tell a joke that would fall flat. He would recover by quipping, “sorry, none of my Jewish writers are here today.”
So as we get ready for 5783, here are some television moments worth rewatching to get into the High Holy Days mindset.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Season 5, Episode 1: “The Larry David Sandwich”
Available on HBO Max
The Yom Kippur moment occurs when Larry is outside of his synagogue and approaches a High Holidays ticket scalper.
“The cantor will be practically spitting all over you,” the ticket scalper said to Larry David, making his pitch to sell the tickets.
Although the best parts of the episode have to do with Larry David getting a sandwich named after him at a fictional restaurant called Leo’s Deli (filmed at the now-closed Mort’s Palisades Deli.) David is repulsed by the contents of the sandwich: onions, capers, white fish, sable and cream cheese.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Season 2, Episode 7: “Look, She Made a Hat”
Available on Amazon Prime Video
One of the best exchanges in this episode occurs between Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s father Abe (played by Tony Shalhoub), her ex-husband Joel (played by Michael Zegen) and Joel’s father Moishe (played by Kevin Pollack). After Midge appeases her hungry son with chocolate as they all attempt to atone …
Moishe Maisel: “That’s his third candybar in case you weren’t counting.”
Joel Maisel: “He’s four. A four-year-old shouldn’t have to fast. Not ‘till he’s bar mitzvahed.”
Moishe Maisel: “When I was a boy, I fasted. You know why I fasted? Because we had NOTHING! Every day was Yom Kippur!”
Abe Weissman: “Moishe, please I’m atoning.” He continues under his breath, “…for the things I’d like to do to that man, I apologize.”
“Entourage,”
Season 3, Episode 17*, “The Return of the King”
Available on HBO Max
*This was episode 5 in the third season which was broken into two parts. On some platforms, it is listed as episode 17, others as episode 5.
This episode of “Entourage” shows Ari Gold (played by Jeremy Piven) having to resist the temptation to do business on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. On the way into shul, Gold, his wife Melissa (played by Perrey Reeves) and daughter Sarah (played by Cassidy Sage Lehrman).
Melissa: “Sarah, we fast and make other important sacrifices today to show God we’re sorry for our sins.”
Sarah: “Daddy ate a breath mint.”
Melissa: “What?”
Ari: “Now you’re gonna have to atone for ratting Daddy out, baby. What? You think God wants my breath to smell?
In the lobby of the shul, Gold then has a business dispute with acquaintance NIcky Rubenstein (played by Adam Goldberg). In front of both families, Gold says that will not be using the phone on that day. Gold then, walks a few steps away with his family, turns around, and flashes his cell phone to Nicky, who smiles and nods.
“The West Wing”
Season 3, Episode 4*: “On The Day Before”
Available on HBO Max
*Since the season premiere was a two-part episode, some platforms credit this as either episode four or five of the season.
Near the end of the episode, it is revealed that a Palestinian suicide bomber killed Israelis in a terrorist act the day before Yom Kippur.
Press Secretary C.J. Cregg (played by Allison Janey) says at a press conference that the President urges both Palestinian and Israeli leadership to abide by a ceasefire.
In the Oval Office with his senior staff, President Jeb Bartlet (portrayed by Martin Sheen) holds a meeting to discuss how to handle his public response.
In a dialogue with Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (played by Bradley Whitford) and Communications Director Toby Ziegler (played by Richard Schiff), Bartlet takes a long pause before giving his staff some perspective:
President Jeb Bartlet: “On Yom Kippur, you ask for forgiveness for sins against God. But on the day before Yom Kippur you ask forgiveness for sins against people. Did you know that?”
Toby Ziegler: “Yeah it’s called…I can’t remember.”
Josh Lyman: “Erev.”
Toby Ziegler: “Erev Yom Kippur.”
President Jeb Bartlet: “You can’t ask forgiveness of God until you ask forgiveness of people the day before.
Yeah I’m gonna do this alone. Goodnight everybody.”
The President then places a call to (presumably) the family of one of the murdered Israelis.
“Transparent,”
Season 2, Episode 7, “The Book of Life”
Available on Amazon Prime
This episode is heavily focused on the High Holy Days, from the character Maura Pfefferman (played by Jeffrey Tambor) performing the ritual of Tashlich, to the family (who is not very religious) breaking the fast together following Yom Kippur services.
Ari Pfefferman (played by Gaby Hoffmann) speaks to the table of family members about the questioning of her own Jewishness. But in the end, Ari says, “So take a bagel, hold it aloft and… does anybody know the blessing?”
Ari then says a cringeworthy “Happy Yom Kippur,” before being corrected with a “Good Yontif” as the episode comes to an end.
“The Simpsons”
Season 5, Episode 19: “Sweet Seymour Skinner’s Baadasssss Song”
Available on Disney+
While the plot of this episode is not of importance for this article, one particular quote may ring of a familiar situation that Jews may have experienced while excusing themselves from work or school to observe the holiest day of the year.
The Principal of Springfield Elementary School, Seymour Skinner (voiced by Harry Shearer), admits a grave error while on the phone with the superintendent.
“I know Weinstein’s parents were upset, superintendent, but I was sure it was a phony excuse. I mean, It sounds so made-up. ‘Yom Kip-Pur?’”
The name “Weinstein” could be a nod to longtime “Simpsons” scribe and one of the writers of the episode, Josh Weinstein.
Lou Stone Borenstein, Jeff Hysen, Dylan Hysen and Greg Prince helped contribute to this article.
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