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The Schmooze

Mel Brooks Gets Medal for Being ‘Hilarious’

Several prominent Jews received 2015 National Medals of Arts and Humanities from President Obama. Mel Brooks was honored for “a lifetime of making the world laugh” and Philip Glass “for his groundbreaking contribution to music and composition.” They both received National Medals of Arts. Terry Gross secured a National Medal of Humanities for “her artful probing of the human experience.”

When asked by NPR about the award, Gross said, “Life doesn’t come with inherent meaning — I mean, all life is meaningful, but you, as somebody living your life, you have to find the meaning.”

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