Question for Friends fans

MiracleMama

Thu, Oct 03 2013, 10:06 pm

sequoia wrote:

fmt4 wrote:

And they also say that Rachel green is jewish, actually on both sides. I'm not sure why that isn't as emphasized. If you remember, Rachel once referred to her grandmother as Bubby.

In that case, why does Rachel herself say she is not Jewish, in the one where Phoebe is writing a holiday song about everyone?

Phoebe: Rachel, spin your dreidel!
Rachel: Pheebs, I'm not Jewish.
Phoebe: So? Ross doesn't really hang his tree with floss, but he doesn't complain.

No, Rachel tells her that dreidel doesn't rhyme with Rachel.

sequoia

Thu, Oct 03 2013, 10:57 pm

MiracleMama wrote:

sequoia wrote:

fmt4 wrote:

And they also say that Rachel green is jewish, actually on both sides. I'm not sure why that isn't as emphasized. If you remember, Rachel once referred to her grandmother as Bubby.

No, Rachel tells her that dreidel doesn't rhyme with Rachel.

Whoops, you're right, I was mistaken. It's Chandler who says he's not Jewish.

Mama Bear

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 12:28 am

Ross and Monica didnt even have a rabbi officiating at their weddings. There was nothing remotely Jewish about them at all - I can barely even remember good Jewish jokes.

On a related note, I'm not sure if Max (Adam Pally )on Happy Endings was a Jewish character, but the real life Adam ismarried into an orthodox family (I think he's kinda orthodox too) so the Jewish jokes rolled off his tongue effortlessly. He even had a tattoo on his chest - Asher, his real name.

esther09

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 6:24 am

Mama Bear wrote:

Ross and Monica didnt even have a rabbi officiating at their weddings. There was nothing remotely Jewish about them at all - I can barely even remember good Jewish jokes.

They had the holiday armadillo (sp?) episode where Ross wants to show his son about Chanukah. That was pretty Jewish - most totally assimilated Jews (what was it in the survey, one third? shock

) apparently have x-mas trees.

To answer the OP -- growing up in a family kind of like Ross and Monica, there's a kind of "New York Jewish" - if you read the Pew survey, there are Jews who say "being funny" and "eating Jewish food" are what make you Jewish. I bet those are New York Jews. Seriously. I have relatives that are exactly like this - everything is pretty traditional in terms of "remembering where you came from" (I.e., the holiday armadillo episode, remembering the Holocaust, basically just identifying as Jeiwsh) and enjoying a good comedian and some lox and shmear. But in terms of marrying out... could take it or leave it. As long as it's for love Rolling Eyes

To each their own, just wanted to add my own analysis of the fake TV characters Very Happy

ETA: It would have been WAY more realistic had they had distant relatives from Monsey boycotting their wedding or least showing some sort of disapproval. But on second thought, I'm glad they didn't include that in an episode. LOL

Last edited by esther09 on Fri, Oct 04 2013, 6:28 am; edited 1 time in total

chanchy123

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 6:45 am

I haven't read any other posts, but Mrs. Geller herself wasn't Jewish only the father was. So halachicly, both Ross and Monica are not Jewish, and I doubt an intermarried couple would care very much about the intermarriage of their chidren. Also, if you notice, besides the Monica have a good Chanuka line, ther is no reference to Monice as being Jewish, only Ross is referred to as Jewish (I guess because David Schwimmer is Jewish and Courtny Cox isnt).
Rachel refers to her Bubby once, she was engaged to a Barry who was a dentist and had a nose job, I guess shes supposed to allude to a certain JAP type without being too specific.