Jewish American actor and comedian Bob Saget died this weekend at the age of 65. He was best known for his role as “America’s dad” (Danny Tanner) in Full House, host of America’s Funniest Home Videos and as the voice of older Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother.
Apparently, one thing fans don’t know about Saget is that the beloved actor was Jewish.
On our Instagram post about Saget’s death, some of the most popular comments had to do with his Jewish identity.
“He was Jewish????” one user wrote.
@jewishunpacked “If you could be anything are you happy you’re Jewish?” Remembering Bob Saget. #tv #hollywood ♬ original sound – Unpacked
In honor of Saget, here are some of his best Jewish moments:
Saget was born to a Jewish family in Philly
Saget was born in Philadelphia on May 17, 1956 to a Jewish parents Benjamin and Rosalyn (Dolly).
In the forward to “Becoming Jewish” Saget wrote:
I have many fond memories of growing up Jewish. My Bube’s gefilte fish, my Bube’s chicken soup, my Bube’s mandel bread. My Bube. My father’s mother. She raised six children basically by herself. During rough financial times she would have an extra twenty people over and add breadcrumbs to whatever was being served—to feed everyone. That’s what being Jewish meant to me growing up. About being generous of heart. About our family. Yes, food was important, but it was the cultural spirit that drew me in and kept me engaged.
His love for comedy started in Hebrew school
In a 2014 interview with the Atlanta Jewish Times, Saget said he was heavily influenced by his Jewish upbringing.
In fact, he discovered his gift for comedy in an unlikely place: Temple Israel in Norfolk, Virginia. He used comedy as a way to cope with Hebrew school.
“A lot of it was rebellion.” Saget said. “In my Hebrew school training I would spend more time trying to impress the girls in the class. I remember the Rabbi taking me up to his office and saying ‘Saget, you’re not an entertainer; you have to stop doing this.’ I couldn’t stop.”
Some of his biggest influences were Jewish
In the same interview, Saget said his three favorite Jewish comics were Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal and Don Rickles.
“Most of the people that I worshiped were Jewish people,” he added. “It’s funny I always say ‘worshipped’ people instead of worship. I should be worshiping in the eternal light but I worship Alan King.”
He faced antisemitism while growing up
“I grew up in a hard time. I grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, and there was a lot of, that was segregation and racism and I was a Jewish kid and people would throw rocks at my head and called me a Jew. So I had my own form of persecution,” he told Tip “T.I.” Harris on his podcast.
Originally Published Jan 10, 2022 08:29AM EST
