Now that the month of back-to-back Jewish holidays has finally come to a close, it’s time to catch up on life and…on all of the season premieres I missed these past few weeks! First up was “Modern Family,” which just began its seventh season.
My husband and I watched as Dylan, a character who often serves as comedic relief in the show, enters the scene with his latest business idea: V-neck t-shirts spelling out words that include the letter “V.” Cute. Catchy. But I’m not sure this will sell.
READ: Jewish Celeb & Mom Bethenny Frankel Dating Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet
I am blown away by the next scene, however, so much so that we have to pause the show. The famous Phil Dunphy is rocking an “Oy Vey” V-neck! (Full disclosure: I created a line of adhesive bandages which say “Oy Vey” on them so I’m partial to Oy Vey anywhere, especially on Phil Dunphy.)
For the next several minutes of the show viewers are given a roller coaster of Yiddishisms. When Phil’s wife Claire asks, “Honey can you at least take that t-shirt off?” Phil, a bag of bagels in hand (of course!), responds, “They loved it at the deli. They were kvelling!” (Shout-out to Kveller!) A few moments later Phil tells another character on the show that he’s done a “real mitzvah.”
READ: The Yiddish Word that Helps Me Be a Loving Parent
And so concludes the Yiddishkeyt moment on “Modern Family.” The t-shirt remained well into the episode. I’m game to buy one, are you?
Considering that 75 years ago, most of the world’s Jewry spoke Yiddish as their primary or only language, I’ll take a little extra mamaloshen (mother-tongue) wherever I can—”Modern Family” included.
