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Adam Sandler and Howard Stern Talk Jewish Shop

Chai necklaces, post-bar mitzvah knife fights, and BDS

by
Jonathan Zalman
December 22, 2015
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Jackie and Adam Sandler attend the premiere of Netflix's 'The Ridiculous 6' in Universal City, California, November 30, 2015. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Jackie and Adam Sandler attend the premiere of Netflix's 'The Ridiculous 6' in Universal City, California, November 30, 2015. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

I imagine most of what you’ll read about Adam Sandler’s first interview on Howard Stern’s radio show last week, during which he promoted his new Netflix film, The Ridiculous 6, has been about Sandler’s cus-laden riff against BDS supporter Roger Waters. “I know people say shit about Israel and they fucking won’t play [there],” said Sandler. “And when you go off on Roger Waters, I love that you do that. I’m disgusted that they single out Israel… All these fucking nice Israeli people getting a “fuck you” from Roger Waters.”

But there were other interesting nuggets from their interview, which The Howard Stern Show laid out quite nicely. Here’s a crib sheet.

Sandler’s parents taught him to defend against anti-Semitism
“When you hear an anti-Semitic thing, the move is to punch somebody,” said Sandler, who mentioned that he’d hear “pick up a penny kinda shit” growing up.

“The last fight I got in I was 18…I had just come from a bar mitzvah with my parents out on [Long] Island.”

Sandler on how Jewish he considers himself to be, and where that chai necklace he owns must be
“I’m not crazy religious…but I’m proud of being a Jew and that’s what I am.”
“My chai is in the third drawer under the T-shirts.”

Recently, Sandler, who continues to rock, released new lyrics to his everlasting Hanukkah song.

Jonathan Zalman is a writer and teacher based in Brooklyn.