History Main / AmbiguouslyJewish

* Hal "Otacon" Emmerich from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' is from a family [[AllThereInTheManual the Official Mission Handbook]] refers to as Jewish, has a German grandfather who had to flee the Nazis, and displays some knowledge of Yiddish in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4''. However, Otacon himself is certainly not practicing.

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': Muscle Man's actual last name ("Sorenstein") and his dreidel-emblazoned sweater in the Christmas special are enough to make one wonder.

* The narrator of the Creator/WeirdAlYankovic AntiChristmasSong "The Night Santa Went Crazy" mentions "good gentile girls and good gentile boys".

* Egon Spengler and Janine Melnitz of ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}'' have very Jewish-sounding names, but their ethnicities have never been mentioned. Creator/HaroldRamis, a Jew, jokes about his hair in the film being a "Jewfro." In case you wonder, Oswald Spengler, the philosopher who inspired Egon's surname, was a gentile. Both the first name and the last name are German, the former a form of Eckhard ("sword-strong"), the latter a southern German term for tin-smith or plumber.

* The main character of ''Film/{{Amen}}'', [[ThoseWackyNazis SS Lieutenant Kurt Gerstein]] suspects that his housekeeper Mrs. Hinze may be Jewish, but keeps quiet about it (as he's not anti-Jewish and is actually a good man working to expose the Holocaust). Also, [[GoodShepherd Father Ricardo Fontana]], who is portrayed by half-Jewish Mathieu Kassovitz, is implied to be from a family of converts.

* The unnamed narrator of ''Literature/BeautifulLosers''. F. discusses forming him into the "New Jew", but he's not given any other Jewish features.

* {{Golem}}s in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', which are based on Jewish folktales. Some golems have stereotypically Hebrew-sounding names, and they all occasionally celebrate "holy days" where they do no work. Their "parent religion", the last human beings with the ability to make Golems, are variably described as "Cenotian" or "Cenobites" and are described in a way suggesting Jewishness. Also, the nation of Istanzia, in the ''Compleat Discworld Atlas'', is written in a way that suggests something ''UsefulNotes/{{Israel}}-like is going on. The only Istanzian to appear in the canon so far, Sergeant Simony of the Omnian Army, is described in terms making him sound like a Haggunah sabra fighter seeking independence for his country.
*** [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarf culture]] is also very heavily inspired by Judaism with a few bits of Celtic and Scandanavian folklore mixed in: It started out as a low-key AffectionateParody of Tolkien's dwarves all speaking a ConLang based on Hebrew but then expanded into a lot of detailed worldbuilding, and a cultural schism that's explicitly based on the Orthodox/Reform Judaism divide drives a story arc that spans ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'' and ''Literature/{{Thud}}''.

* ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'': In the episode "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?", Sabrina visits a [[BarefootSage Wise Warlock]] to ask him for advice. The Warlock's appearance and mannerisms are reminiscent of [[MagicalJew a Jewish rabbi]] or an [[JewsLoveToArgue argumentative]] AlterKocker, and a Klezmer melody plays in the background while he talks to Sabrine.

* ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'': In the episode "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?", Sabrina visits a [[MagicalJew Wise Warlock]] to ask him for advice. The Warlock's appearance and mannerisms are reminiscent of a Jewish rabbi or an [[JewsLoveToArgue argumentative]] AlterKocker, and a Klezmer melody plays in the background while he talks to Sabrine.

* ''WebVideo/HelluvaBoss'': Moxxie uses some Yiddish words and phrases (most notably saying "Oy gevalt" during his musical hallucination in "Truth Seekers") and is shown to be less physically capable than many other imp characters, which may be derived from the stereotype of Jews not being athletic. While his father Crimson does force him into [[AmbiguouslyChristian a very Catholic-looking wedding]] in "Exes and Oohs" (complete with a [[SharkMan shark demon]] in a mitre presiding), this doesn't necessarily rule it out, especially considering his parents come from very different backgrounds. What makes this a rather weird example is that Moxxie is a variety of demon that was never human.

In addition, such a character would often demonstrate "stereotypically Jewish" appearance and personality traits: those include being a BrainyBrunette, [[{{Bookworm}} a love for books and the written word in general]], and [[JewishSmartass a sarcastic wit]] often accompanied by [[SelfDeprecation self-irony]]. In the past, Ambiguously Jewish characters were often depicted as [[GreedyJew greedy and cunning]], but due to the decidedly antisemitic nature of the stereotype, today's writers either ignore or at least [[AllJewsAreCheapskates downplay it]].

** Creator/ElliotSMaggin [[http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/LexLuthor.html stated]] that he saw Lex Luthor as Jewish, and has the character use some YiddishAsASecondLanguage in his novel ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton''. It should be noted that A) this was [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Luthor, who was ''not'' a CorruptCorporateExecutive whose primary trait is greed, B) Maggin is Jewish, and C) Maggin is very, ''very'' fond of Luthor.

* From ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}},'' Dan Dreiberg (Nite Owl), Jonathan Osterman (Dr. Manhattan), and Rorschach, son of Sylvia Glick, and Sally Jupiter (the original Silk Spectre), who changed her last name to hide Polish ancestry (although with a name like Juspeczyk a Catholic background might be more plausible). Given Creator/AlanMoore's interest in the history of the comic-book medium and the history of superheroes, it is not hard to imagine that he might have made many of his superheroes ambiguously Jewish as a deliberate allusion to the ethnic background of so many of the creators of the superhero-comic form.

** Iago the parrot is voiced by Jewish comedian Gilbert Gottfried and therefore has a strong New York accent. He even uses the word "kvetching" in a bonus feature, while excusing the word as "[[SpaceJews a bird expression]]."

* Screenwriter Daniel Waters gave Max Shreck, the CorruptCorporateExecutive and tertiary villain of ''Film/BatmanReturns'', some Ambiguously Jewish characteristics (most notably [[YiddishAsASecondLanguage a few Yiddish expressions]] [[AllThereInTheScript slipped into the script]], including ''goniffs'' ("thieves"), although these were dropped in the actual film. Max's portrayer, Creator/ChristopherWalken, based his characterization of Max on Meyer Wolfsheim, the Jewish gangster in ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby'', even asking director Creator/TimBurton for a pair of cuff links made from human molars, just like Wolfsheim wears.

* Some have interpreted Black Michael of ''Literature/ThePrisonerOfZenda'' as being Jewish/having a Jewish mother. In the novel, Black Michael cannot legitimately take the throne because he's the product of a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morganatic_marriage Morganatic marriage]], but adaptations have presented him as a BastardBastard and placed more emphasis on a lack of royal ancestry on his mother's side, leading to the assumption that she must have been of a different religion than that of Ruritania's Catholic monarchy, and the further assumption that this meant she was Jewish. Besides all of the assumptions this requires, it seems unlikely, since if he was intended as Jewish, the book would have called attention to it, and Black Michael is supposed to be [[VillainWithGoodPublicity beloved]] by the religious, Slavic peasants of Ruritania, a somewhat unlikely feat if he was Jewish.

* George and the rest of the Costanza family on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''. On the one hand, they have an Italian last name (though it could be [[AllJewsAreAshkenazi Sephardic]]), Frank is allegedly a member of the Knights of Columbus [[note]]a fraternal order whose membership is limited to practicing Catholics[[/note]], and why would they need Festivus as a Christmas alternative if they could have just celebrated Hanukkah instead? Frank also sold statues of Jesus to Koreans. On the other hand, they are all played by Jewish actors and George is the avatar of co-creator Creator/LarryDavid, who is also Jewish. Jason Alexander said he wasn't sure what ethnicity George was meant to have until Estelle Harris was cast as his mother, saying [[JewishMother "She can't be anything but Jewish."]] Wikipedia says that they are a Jewish-Italian mixed marriage, but this is clearly just a {{retcon}}, as David admitted that they didn't really think about any of this, just choosing names that they liked for the characters and casting the best actors and actresses available. And Jerry Stiller, who portrayed Frank, once remarked: "I think we're a Jewish family living under the Witness Protection Program as Italians." George himself expresses a respect for the faith of Elaine's born-again Christian boyfriend Puddy ("You don't hear much about God anymore"), but doesn't believe in God himself... except "[[CosmicPlaything for the bad things]]."
* Paul Buchman and his relatives on ''Series/MadAboutYou''. Casting Creator/MelBrooks as Paul's Uncle Phil was a heck of a clue, though. There was even ambiguity for Jamie Buchman. The closing tag to one episode showed her telling Paul that she had relatives in Israel. When he looks doubtful, she says "Don't assume." Helen Hunt is actually one-quarter Jewish.

* Though it's never mentioned, both Niles and Daphne's failed spouses on ''Series/{{Frasier}}'', Mel and Donnie, who play a large role in season 7, appear to be Jewish. Both are played by Jewish actors who have a stereotypically Jewish "look" (the actor who played Donnie, Saul Rubinek, has played Henry Kissinger in the past) Mel's last name is "Karnofsky," and both have high-paying, elite jobs often stereotyped with Jews (surgeon and lawyer). Since the Cranes are portrayed as quite irreligious, and since the show has come under fire for its lack of cast diversity, it's possible the ambiguity was an intentional effort to add some non-consequential multiculturalism.

** Some fans believe Sam to be a self-hating, secular, or non-Kosher Jew, as evidenced by her entry on its [[WMG/{{iCarly}} WMG subpage.]] Although Puckett isn't a Jewish surname (it's French), one can't ignore her near fetishistic obsession with ham and bacon, her usage of Jewish phrases such as "Oy!", has what appears to be a cutout of the Star of David in her locker, frequently mentions Judaism and implied that she had a Bat Mitzvah in one episode. Probably because show creator Creator/DanSchneider is Jewish and his shows do mention it often. The episode "[=iSam=]'s Mother" eventually jossed it by having Sam outright say that she isn't Jewish (which is repeated again in "[=iBust=] A Thief").

** Also Count Von Count... no one really knows why someone would make a ''vampire'' seem Jewish, but they did. When the Count performs the song "Hands" on a ''Sesame Street'' children's record, the music in the background sounds like something right out of ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof''. "The Song of the Count" also has a distinct klezmer style to it. It's because most Count's songs are based on csárdás, a traditional Hungarian dance that is usually associated with the Balkans, in the way of Transylvania, in the way of vampires. Count himself also has a rather thick {{Uberwald}}ian accent and a bit of comedic aristocratic manners. Still, another song he once sang was a parody of "The Monster Mash" called "The Cookie Monster [[YiddishAsASecondLanguage Nosh."]]

* Not because of stereotypes, but the [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Hoenn]] region of the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games has a number of legendary Pokémon (which are, for the most part, an indication of the regions's mythology) which are based around Jewish mythology. Kyogre and Groudon, which are based on the Leviathan and Behemoth, respectively, as well as the Regi trio, based on golems, lead one to believe that the denizens of the region practice a rough equivalent of Judaism. This might make Rayquaza the Ziz.

* In ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'', either Church or Tex is probably Jewish considering their funeral. [[spoiler: Of course, since they're both AI, it probably isn't all that important to them]].

* Dr. Zoidberg from '' WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. He's got YiddishAsASecondLanguage, his mother pushed him to be a doctor while he wanted to be a comedian, he's got the '-berg' in his name...though on the other hand, [[SpaceJews he's an alien lobster-man]]. All of his fellow Decapodians are the same way; WordOfGod said at one point that they all converted to a form of Reform Judaism after making first contact with Earth.

** ComicBook/HarleyQuinn, the [[ComicBook/TheJoker Joker's]] moll, always seemed vaguely Jewish with her quirky personality and [[CuteButCacophonic "fingernails-on-a-chalkboard" screechy voice]]. Then the beans were spilled in ''ComicBook/HarleyAndIvy'' when Harley was asked why she liked Christmas trees so much if she was Jewish. Later in that same story, Harley shouted "Happy Hanukkah, chump!" when attacking Batman. It was eventually revealed in the comics that Harley is half-Jewish and half-Catholic, but whether this is the case for the original show is unclear.
** The Joker himself spouts the odd Yiddish phrase, but this is probably either by association with Harley or due to his background in show business - or maybe, once again, it's just a result of BigApplesauce.

** The Pines family. Mabel uses the phrase "Mazel tov!" in one episode, Grunkle Stan acts like a typical [[AllJewsAreCheapskates cheapskate]], and their surname ([[WriteWhoYouKnow like the creator, Alex Hirsch's]]) is of Ashkenazic Jewish origin. Hirsch [[https://31.media.tumblr.com/3b25ef523ae8d77f7df25993283b9c9c/tumblr_inline_nh0s0ltaTL1qm9usw.png stated]] that the Pines weren't confirmed to be Jewish or not, nor likely will be. "A Tale of Two Stans" shows Stan's family has a [[http://36.media.tumblr.com/8c2c8d72557a7ee2f313264f7c572c65/tumblr_nrig1fXC6S1qjcd3co3_1280.png mezuzah]] on their door so it might not be ambiguous anymore. Despite Hirsch's statement that the Pines aren't canonically Jewish, Journal 3 mentions [[https://67.media.tumblr.com/16512e3d1ce6bb806df07fbb46b386e8/tumblr_oaxzl5mzIh1tqbpdto1_500.jpg Stan's Bar Mitvah]]. Later on, Alex Hirsch replied that [[https://twitter.com/_AlexHirsch/status/758547032554344448 Pines are ethnically Jewish, not religiously.]]

* Both Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale from ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'' have a tendency to use Yiddish words and phrases. Boris in particular has referred to Rocky as a "nebbish" a few times ("Nebbish" being a Yiddish word meaning "simpleton".)

* Many have interpreted Ebeneezer Scrooge from ''Literature/{{A Christmas Carol}}'' as an anti-Semitic caricature, being that he's an exceptionally stingy moneylender with a Hebrew name. However, the whole point of the story is getting Scrooge to appreciate Christmas, something he has resisted due to his past and personality rather than any religious opposition, and which his family is described as having celebrated when he was a child. Hebrew names were also not uncommon among Gentiles during Dickens' time, and the inspiration was a tombstone of one "Ebenezer Scroggie" that Dickens saw as a child, not an attempt to make the character sound Jewish. Nevertheless, several adaptations have run with this, including ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'', which explicitly makes Scrooge a moneylender (a traditionally Jewish profession in past centuries) rather than a generic financier or merchant.

Note that having YiddishAsASecondLanguage is a clue but is not conclusive. As Creator/LennyBruce said, all New Yorkers are at least a little Jewish. Having a "Jewish" name ending in -berg, -stein or the like is also evidence but not proof. Most of these names are actually just common German names that many Ashkenazi Jews took when required to adopt some type of surname. Authentically Hebrew names will often begin with "Bar" or "Ben," so they're a good tip-off. Being named "Cohen" or "Cahn" makes it nearly certain. For Sephardic Jews, a common name is "Garcia", but it's also a common Hispanic name that by itself doesn't prove anything.

* Shilo Norman was shown consulting a rabbi in the 2006 Creator/GrantMorrison-written ''[[ComicBook/SevenSoldiers Mister Miracle]]'' miniseries. This background makes him virtually the only comic superhero who is [[TwoferTokenMinority both]] black and Jewish. It might also be noted that Norman has escaped death after dying, much like [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} another Jewish celebrity]].

* Both Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale from ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle'' have a tendency to use Yiddish words and phrases. Boris is particular has referred to Rocky as a "nebbish" a few times ("Nebbish" being a Yiddish word meaning "simpleton".)

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMagicSchoolBus'': Ms. Frizzle is never said to be Jewish, but her frizzy red hair and aquiline nose have led to Jewish fans claiming her as one of their own, especially because the show's canonically Jewish character, Arnold, has the same hair texture and color.

* The two backpackers in ''Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon'' have Jewish names and come from New York. A nurse says that she thinks one of them is Jewish because he's circumcised, but another nurse counters that lots of gentiles are circumcised these days. It's never confirmed one way or the other. David's nightmare, in which Nazi soldiers with pig's heads slaughter his family, is also suggestive - the three menorahs over the fireplace would appear to be conclusive. WordOfGod from the film's Jewish director in the DVD commentary for this scene suggests this scene was based on his own childhood nightmares, and confirms that David is intended to be Jewish.

* ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'': Ashur comes from Syria, which had a sizeable Jewish population at the time of the series. Ashur fulfills many stereotypes of the GreedyJew, being a duplicitous money-grubber who is physically inferior to the other gladiators. He also uses the biblical metaphor "forbidden fruit" in a pre-Christian setting, though this could simply be artistic license by the writers.

* Ben Grimm, the Thing in the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'', was created by Jews, has a Jewish name (Benjamin Jacob), resembles the {{golem}} legend, [[DependingOnTheWriter sometimes]] has YiddishAsASecondLanguage, and grew up in a Yancy Street neighborhood resembling New York's Lower East Side. Grimm was finally confirmed as Jewish in 2002, 41 years after his first appearance. This ended with an immortal "You don't ''look'' Jewish..." That story explains that he'd been hiding as many signs of his Jewishness as he could ever since the accident, due to his monstrous form, not wanting his monstrousness to be Antisemitism fuel.
* The character of ''Comicbook/MoonKnight'', aka Marc Spector, was [[{{retcon}} retroactively]] made Jewish several years after his debut when his creators were informed that 'Spector' was a Jewish name. They originally chose it because [[{{Tuckerization}} it was a friend's name they thought would fit the character]].
* Franchise/{{Superman}}, prior to the Byrne reboot in 1986 (which got rid of some of these elements), is a classic example: his origin story is a modern take on Moses (his people faced terrible destruction, and his parents cast him adrift hoping to spare him; Kandor represents the people he came back to save and take to the promised land); his cultural heritage, which he took great pride in, was a distinctly non-Christian monotheism with an emphasis on intellectual achievement; and his Kryptonian name, "Kal-El," has an ending meaning "God," common in Jewish names such as Nathaniel and Israel (In fact, in Hebrew, "Kal-El" could translate as either "All [that is under] God," as in, "One Nation, Under God," the American Way; or "The Voice of God," as in, Prophecy, Truth, and Justice). Superman was created by two Jews, Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, in the late 1930s, and given a name which is a rough translation of the German word "{{Ubermensch}}." The Nazis were fond of this concept, as well; a black-haired Ubermensch who fights for "truth, justice, and the American way" might well have been a TakeThat, or at least some catharsis, for the creators. In one [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] [[{{Elseworld}} what-if]] story, Supes even delivered a "distinctly non-Aryan sock to the jaw for you, [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Adolf]]!" (Compare and contrast to ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, the [[{{irony}} blonde, blue-eyed]] Nazi's worst nightmare.)
* Creator/ElliotSMaggin [[http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/LexLuthor.html stated]] that he saw ComicBook/LexLuthor as Jewish, and has the character use some YiddishAsASecondLanguage in his novel ''Literature/LastSonOfKrypton''. It should be noted that A) this was [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Luthor, who was ''not'' a CorruptCorporateExecutive whose primary trait is greed, B) Maggin is Jewish, and C) Maggin is very, ''very'' fond of Luthor.
* Some suspect ''[[ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' is Jewish, mostly because he has YiddishAsASecondLanguage and dated Kitty Pryde, Marvel's Jewish poster girl. He's modeled after Creator/StanLee, who is Jewish, but it might just be the BigApplesauce effect. This has also been suspected of the mainstream Spider-Man, with fans and some writers have pointed out that Peter Parker is very much driven by (presumably Jewish) guilt and that Aunt May very much conforms to the Jewish Mom stereotype. (And, as more than one wise guy has pointed out, his name ends in "-man".) However, perhaps under the influence of some Catholic editors, Aunt May's maiden name was revealed as [[{{Oireland}} Reilly]], Peter's mother was named as Mary Parker, née Fitzpatrick, and one (Catholic) Marvel editor declared that Peter's compulsive guilt is typically Catholic.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'' BigBad ComicBook/{{Magneto}} (real name Max Eisenhardt but known by an assumed name of Erik Lehnsherr) has occasionally had his ancestry cast in doubt like this. It's a well-established part of his backstory that he was in a Nazi concentration camp, but other groups were placed in those as well. Briefly, Marvel implied he was Romani or just avoided mention of his ethnicity for a while out of fear of being called anti-Semitic (having him be a Roma was apparently completely okay), but it was eventually confirmed that he's Jewish. On a similar note, he is also the grandfather of Wiccan.

* Katherine Kane, ComicBook/{{Batwoman}}, is explicitly Jewish (and therefore not this trope) in both her 21st Century incarnation and in ''ComicBook/DCComicsBombshells''. Because of this, an argument can be made that Franchise/{{Batman}} is ambiguously Jewish, as Kate's (also Jewish) father Jacob Kane was Martha Wayne's brother, making Bruce himself Jewish under Jewish law, even if there is no indication that he is practicing.

* DC Comics' Ragman, Rory Regan, was often thought to be Jewish by fans during the comic's original run in the 1970ies - his status as the son of an impoverished immigrant who worked collecting old fabric, ownership of a pawn shop in a very Lower East Side-like neighborhood of Gotham and ambiguous appearance sealed the deal. The second run as a NinetiesAntiHero not only canonized his Jewishness, but made it central to the character.

* Many have interpreted Ebeneezer Scrooge from ''Literature/{{A Christmas Carol}}'' as an anti-Semitic caricature, being that he's an exceptionally stingy moneylender with a Hebrew name. However, the whole point of the story is getting Scrooge to appreciate Christmas, something he has resisted due to his past and personality rather than any religious opposition, and which his family is described as having celebrated when he was a child. Hebrew names were also not uncommon among Gentiles during Dickens' time, and the inspiration was a tombstone that Dickens saw as a child, not an attempt to make the character sound Jewish. Nevertheless, several adaptations have run with this, including ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol''.

* A couple of the ''Film/CarryOn'' characters could've been Jewish. Some of the jokes in the dialogue are based on Cockney East End London [[note]]The East-End of London at the [[TheFifties time]] [[TheSixties of the]] [[TheSeventies films]] had large Jewish communities[[/note]] and used many Yiddish plays on words. Characters themselves sometimes showed a couple of Jewish stereotypes: in ''Film/CarryOnMatron'', Creator/KennethWilliams played worrying hypochondriac Sir Bernard Cutting who was nicknamed "the old Rabbi" by Dr. Prodd, whereas in ''Film/CarryOnCamping'', Creator/SidJames (Sid Boggle) and Creator/BernardBresslaw (Bernie Lugg) - who were both Jewish in real life - were dating Creator/JoanSims (Joan Fussey) and Creator/DilysLaye (Anthea Meeks) - the former having a [[JewishMother moaning mother]] (portrayed by the Jewish actress Amelia Bayntun) - and the two women constantly [[JewishComplaining moaned]] about their boyfriends' foolish antics throughout the movie, leading into loads of [[JewsLoveToArgue arguments]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'':

* Miriam Mendelsohn from ''WesternAnimation/{{Turning Red}}'' could possibly be this, due to her curly hair and distinctly Hebrew first name (as well as her Polish/German Jewish surname).

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': Worf's foster parents Sergey and Helena Rozhenko in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E2Family Family]]" seem to be this, given how they worry and care so much about Worf similar to how Jewish parents would. Makes you wonder if Worf went to Synagogue with his parents and foster brother Nikolai and had a Bar Mitzvah while growing up on Earth. WordOfGod according to ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion'' states that production staff were worried that Worf's parents might come across as comically "Jewish", but Michael Pillar stated that the finished episode seemed to have the right balance in place for those characters. Also noteworthy is that the actor playing Worf's father didn't even bother hiding his Yiddish accent.