Judaism is one of the three major monotheistic religions, along with Christianity and Islam, and the original organized religion of the Jewish people (as with Christianity, there are different if less numerous branches and movements). The sacred text the Torah was largely used to form the Old Testament of The Bible. The spiritual leader is the rabbi, which traditionally combined aspects of the priest with those of teacher and scholar. Holy days and events associated with Judaism include Hanukkah, seder (the Passover feast), and the bar mitzvah (coming of age for male children). The traditional male head covering is called a kippah in Hebrew but a yarmulke in Yiddish.
Judaism has figured in the Muppet world largely through the co-productions Rechov Sumsum and Shalom Sesame (Judah Maccabee has been depicted several times), but also in other ways.
References
- Several episodes of both versions of Shalom Sesame focus on holidays and traditions associated with Judaism, including Hanukkah, Purim, and more. Inserts from the second Shalom Sesame also focus more explicitly on the religious history and background.
- In The Muppet Movie, Professor Krassman refers to the headpiece of his machine as "the electronic yarmulke."
- Fozzie Bear, trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat, instead pulls a rabbi in episode 421 of The Muppet Show.
- Mr. Hooper and his brother Arnold share a family album of seder pictures in Sesame Street Episode 1404.
- The Dinosaurs episode "The Howling" uses the tradition of the Howling, the sacred ceremony which leads to a young dinosaur being declared a man and celebrated with receptions and mass invitations, as a stand-in for the bar mitzvah. Robbie neglects to study his eight track howling tapes, similar to the readings Jewish boys must memorize for their bar mitzvahs.
- Prairie Dawn lights a menorah with her mom and likes to play with a dreidel in the 1992 Sesame Street coloring book Holidays Around the World.
- Henny Drummschtick in Sesame Street Episode 3139 says he performs at bar mitzvahs.
- Herry Monster mentions the fact that the baby b he's looking after will grow up to start words like "bar mitzvah." (First: Episode 3681)
- In Muppets from Space, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem head to a bar mitzvah, wearing yarmulkes and other traditional Jewish clothing. Dr. Teeth himself says "Shalom."
- Baby Bear's family is revealed to be Jewish, and practicing Judaism, in Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!
- In a pair of scenes from A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, it is hinted that Zoot is Jewish. Zoot wishes Kermit a happy Hanukkah when he and the rest of the Electric Mayhem arrive at the Christmas party, and in another scene in the extended DVD version, Zoot lights a Menorah.
- Walter and Gary are wearing yarmulkes and prayer shawls in a family photo seen during the "Life's a Happy Song" sequence in The Muppets.
- Uncle Deadly says he hired Katy Perry to sing at his nephew's bar mitzvah in the presentation pilot for The Muppets.