‘Modern Family’ and ‘Happy Endings’ Hit the Bar Mitzvah Circuit Last Week

Not sure if it’s a coincidence or not, but last week two of TV’s best comedies – Modern Family and Happy Endings – both had storylines that revolved around bar mitzvahs, even though there was only one Jewish character on either of the shows.

Happy Endings had a plot where Max (who is actually Jewish, as is his portrayer Adam Pally) started a gig as a “bar mitzvah hype man,” getting the kids excited and ready to dance. His big move was when he spun like a human dreidel. He went into business with the non-Jewish Brad, telling everyone that Brad (who’s black) was Ethiopian. Their name (also the name of the episode) was “Boyz II Menorah,” and you should really watch this clip.

On Modern Family, Luke and Manny (who are both around the ages of bar mitzvah kids, although neither is Jewish) became bar mitzvah crashers. While at a hotel for the weekend, they realized there were multiple bar mitzvahs going on, and that all of them had free food and swag. By the end of the episode, Luke has started speaking Yiddish.