Topic: Ethnic background of The Three Stooges

[bubbadersh]

Is it true that The Three Stooges were Jews?

Is it true that The Three Stooges were Levites?

Is it true that The Three Stooges shorts were full of Yiddish expressions?

[ProfessorStooge]

Larry, the Howard brothers and Joe Besser were all Jewish. Curly-Joe was of French-Canadian and English ancestry, making him the only Stooge that was not Jewish. The Stooges did use Yiddish in their films. There were 26 films that contained Yiddish. Here is the complete list:

Plane Nuts
Pop Goes the Easel
Pardon My Scotch
Half Shot Shooters
A Pain in the Pullman
Whoops, I’m an Indian!
Slippery Silks
Wee Wee Monsieur
Mutts to You
Calling All Curs
You Nazty Spy!
I’ll Never Heil Again
Gents Without Cents
Rockin’ in the Rockies
G.I. Wanna Home
Three Little Pirates
Hokus Pokus
Fling in the Ring
Hot Ice
Blunder Boys
Space Ship Sappy
Guns A Poppin!
Outer Space Jitters
Pies and Guys
Sweet and Hot
Have Rocket – Will Travel 
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.

[bubbadersh]

Thank you very much for your reply.

I heard that the Howard brothers were all Levites. Can you verify if this is true?

[garystooge]

I heard that the Howard brothers were all Levites. Can you verify if this is true?

Yes, The Howards were Levites.  If you can read Hebrew, you can tell this from Curly's gravestone:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=511

[bubbadersh]

How about Larry Fine? Was he a Kohen (Hebrew for priest)? The family names Finestein and Fine are  sometimes associated with Kohens.

By the way, it says here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curly_Howard
According to the Hebrew inscription on Curly's gravestone, his full hebrew name was  "Yehudah Lev son of Shelomo Natan the Levite".

[jrvass]

 

Not being Jewish... can you clue me in on what you are asking/talking about? Curious. That's all.

James

[bubbadersh]

In ancient Israel of  biblical times there were twelve tribes. One of the tribes was called Levi and the male descendants of that tribe were called Levites. Judaism also has a hereditary priesthood whose members are the male descendants of the biblical Aaron, the brother of the biblical Moses.  The rest of the Jews are known as Israelites.

In ancient times there was a Holy Temple in Jerusalem where they would offer sacrifices to God.  Only the Priests were allowed to offer the Temple sacrifices. The Levites were the assistants to the Priests.

In Hebrew, a Jewish Priest is known as a Kohen and a Levite is known as a Levi . The status of Kohen (Priest) and the status of  Levi (Levite) is passed down only from father to son. There are some family names that are typically associated with priestly families (such as Kohen, Cahn, or Katz). There are some family names that are typically associated with Levite families (such as Levin or Levine).

Jewish families have traditionally kept track of their Kohen, Levite, or Israelite status even though in modern times there is little religious significance to that status.

For more information, here are some links to Kohen, Levite, and Israelite.

[JazzBill]

[youtube=425,350]KASYjduQHNU[/youtube]
This guy's singing about the Israelites.

[jrvass]

Jazzbill,

In the great tradition of Godzilla... that clip doesn't pass the "smell test"



Bubbadersh,

Thank you for the explanation. In the area where I grew up in Metro Detroit (Birmingham, for those familiar with the area.) there was a large farm owned by Justin Bradway in the 1800's. In his will, he bequeathed (sp?) the land to his heirs and the city. To the city went the school that he built. It was stipulated that it could only be used as a school or as city offices. Otherwise the building and land reverted back to his heirs. That was my elementary school.

The other stipulation was that Jewish people had to live on the far corner of the farm on streets called Stuyvesant, Ardmoor, etc. Blacks? No way! They could work there, and that was it.

I had friends in school by the name of Katz, Tyner, and Aronoff (sounds like a law firm!  ), among others like Fishman and some others that will eventually bubble to the top of my mind after 40+ years.

One of my earliest memories was driving to church at Christmas, through the neighborhood. All of a sudden, there are no more x-mas lights on the houses and I ask why. My older brother says "This is Hanukkah Heights!"

BTW. This was no Warsaw "ghetto"! They had indoor swimming pools, in their homes! I had a plastic wading pool! 

The nicest and smartest women I ever worked with has the married name of Slatkin. Her husband is a developer and his relatives are Chevrolet dealers in metro Detroit.

Despite all that forced segregation of my youth, I lived with a black guy from Detroit in college, Norman. A 1/2 year in the dorms, and several years in various off-campus housing. I once asked him that if he was choking, how would I know? Since he couldn't turn red in the face... He said he would start slapping me silly. He never choked. Even after using up all the plates and eating off of pot lids!

Lord love him. Even though he sent me the notice of the chili recall for botulism 20 minutes after I ate 2 coney dogs a couple days ago! 

I'll check out your links. Thanks!

James

[jrvass]

Holy cats! I used to be Jewish!

I was once a Rastafarian!

Hey Mon! 

There is a time and a place for everything,
and that is called college!

James

Getting a Rasta-mon vibration!