That’s Chutzpah: Fan Scores Meeting with Sarah Silverman in Israel

Image by Courtesy of Molly Livingstone

By Renee Ghert-Zand June 27, 2011

These days, all you need is a little chutzpah and some social networking to make your dreams come true. At least, that is all American-Israeli Molly Livingstone needed to achieve her goal of meeting Sarah Silverman on the comedienne’s first trip to Israel.

The 28-year-old Los Angeles native, who lives in Jerusalem and does improvisational and sketch comedy with the HaHafuch troupe, has long admired Silverman. “I’ve been a fan of Sarah Silverman since I first found out about her. She’s a successful Jewish-American woman comedian and, and that’s something special. I am fascinated by her. She pushes all the buttons and is a very smart person,” Livingstone said.

So, Livingstone wrote a post on her blog, The Big Felafel, titled “Be My BFF Campaign: Sarah Silverman Be My Friend,” in which she comically declared her admiration for Silverman and listed several compelling reasons why the performer should agree to meet her. First on the list: “We are both Jewish (I only use this as a reason, because people think when they are setting people up, as long as they have one thing in common, like age, race or religion, that they must be perfect for each other…just trying to cover my bases. And this is kind of like the perfect shidduch).”

Livingstone, whose day job is in social media and public relations for Hebrew University, posted the link to her blog on Facebook on June 12, and a few re-posts and tweets later, it reached Silverman’s sister Susan, who is a Reform Rabbi and mother of five who with her husband, Yosef Abramowitz, made aliyah to Israel several years ago.

“People must have convinced Susan that I am okay, that I’m not some dangerous stalker,” Livingstone assumes, because Susan invited Livingstone, her husband and 9-month-old son to meet Silverman at a barbeque at her Jerusalem home on June 23. Livingstone was in the midst of long hours of work because of the President’s Conference, as well as in the throes of moving apartments, but she was determined to accept the invitation.

Silverman greeted Livingstone with “‘Oh, Molly!’ as though she knew me,” the blogger recounted. “She was so warm and welcoming, such a down-to-earth person.” Livingstone noted that Silverman, who was enjoying spending time with her nieces and nephews, was “very childproofed that night. She wasn’t her vulgar self.”

Livingstone presented Silverman with two gifts: a challah cover and a pair of “turquoise, typically Israeli, very fashionably wrong Aladdin pants from Bazaar Strauss (the Israeli equivalent of Target).” Apparently, the comedienne loved these pants with the droopy crotch, but was confused as to how to put them on and how high to pull them up.

Livingstone assured her that she’d figure it out once she tried them on, and suggested that she wear this ridiculous article of clothing “if for any reason you aren’t feeling funny.” But knowing Sarah Silverman (and now in person), Livingstone says she can’t imagine that happening.

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