David Letterman’s Top 10 Jewish Moments

Image by Getty Images

By Lior Zaltzman May 19, 2015

After over three decades of making us laugh, David Letterman’s last show is upon us.

We know that Letterman will always be the best at top 10 lists, but here is our humble Top 10 best Jewish guests on Letterman, through the years:

10) Number ten is an actual Top 10 Letterman list! Featuring our favorite Jewish diva, Idina Menzel:

9) Adam Sandler reminds us of his glory days with this (funny and crude) musical tribute to Letterman:

8) Now, Amy Schumer hasn’t had the opportunity to be on Letterman many times, but the last time he showed her knowing it would his last interview with her, Letterman dared her to do something embarrassing. Let’s just say, she made him blush:

7) Howard Stern, in his first Letterman appearance, on how people like to photograph Jews as devils:

6) Jerry Seinfeld was also a frequent guest on Letterman. Here he is replicating his first time. No, not that first time, his first time doing late night stand-up on Letterman, over two decades later:

5) Bette Middler was a frequent Letterman guest and often came to the show dressed up as one of her myriad of Broadway character. In 1984, the year of her fortieth birthday, she filmed the following, incredibly Jewish and hilarious short movie for a Letterman thanksgiving special: Angst on a Shoestring:

4) Joan Rivers – the last time Joan Rivers was on Letterman, he ended up walking out on her. Left alone on stage, Joan did what she did best – she cracked us all up by continuing to interview herself:

3) Harvey Pekar, the writer and medical clerk who created the comics series, American Splendor, frequented the show for while. He was abrasive, impatient and wonderfully entertaining… And a constant kvetcher.

2) Speaking of kvetching, remember that time Barbara Streisand came on the show just to tell Letterman to stop kvetching already?!

1) Whether or not Andy Kaufman is dead or not – it’s hard to forget his ongoing ‘feud’ with wrestler Jerry “The King” Lawler which culminated in live, on-air fight on Letterman in 1982.

BONUS: Last night’s penultimate show included Bill Murray jumping from a cake and this rare and flawless Bob Dylan performance:

We’ll miss you, Dave!

Did we miss something? What was your favorite Jewish moment on Letterman? Let us know in the comments.

Lior Zaltzman was the Forward’s Digital Fellow. Follow her on twitter @liorca.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO