Quentin Tarantino opens up about learning Hebrew, his life in Tel Aviv and being an ‘abba’

Quentin Tarantino and Daniella Pick attend the “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood” premiere in London, July 30, 2019. Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images

By Gabe Friedman June 24, 2021

(JTA) — Yes, Quentin Tarantino is learning Hebrew — at the same speed as his toddler.

The famed non-Jewish American director, who has been married to Israeli singer and actress Daniella Pick since 2018, opened up Tuesday night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” about his new life in Israel, which included a longer-than-expected stint in Tel Aviv during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The idea was that we would spend three to four months in Tel Aviv, three to four months in Los Angeles, and then COVID hit,” he told the late-night host. “So three to four months became nine, 12 months.”

Tarantino added that he has learned several words in Hebrew, but not enough to hold a conversation. He watches baby shows in Hebrew with his son, especially one he compared to a “Hebrew version of ‘Sesame Street,’” through which he’s broadening his Hebrew vocabulary.

Kimmel asked how his 15-month-old son, Leo (not named for a certain famous actor), was doing, and Tarantino said he can only say one word: “abba,” Hebrew for “dad.”

“And a third of the time he means me,” Tarantino quipped.

Watch the full clip here:

The post Quentin Tarantino opens up about learning Hebrew, his life in Tel Aviv and being an ‘abba’ appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO