7 Memorable Oscars Jewish Moments That Will Have You Talking

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By Maia Efrem February 28, 2016

Hollywood’s biggest night tackled its controversial lack of African American nominees head on with a monologue from Chris Rock that brought the house down at the Kodak Theater and had Twitter buzzing all night long.

And with Jewish presenters and winners bringing the laughter, and the tears, there were plenty of memorable Jewish moments to talk about.

1) I Love You in Hebrew!

Accepting the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Big Short,” Charles Randolph thanked his wife in Hebrew with a sweet “Ani ohev otach, Mili” (I love you, Mili). His wife, actress Mili Avital, starred in “Chatufim,” the Israeli show “Homeland” is based on.

2) Sarah Silverman’s Yiddish:

Funny girl Sarah Silverman really let ex-lover James Bond have it for all the “meshugas” and never calling her back. She also gave the censors a run for their money.

3) Jack Black History Month:

With Rock’s jab after jab at #OscarsSoWhite, Angela Bassett paid homage to, who else? Jack Black in honor of Black History Month.

4) Amy Gets the Gold:

After a marathon of wins, the Amy Winehouse documentary “Amy” took home the Oscar for Best Documentary.

5) “Son of Saul” Wins Through Wagner:

The Hungarian Holocaust film “Son of Saul” took home the award for Best Foreign Feature.

As director Laszlo Nemes walked off the stage after his acceptance speech, the Oscars orchestra began playing Wagner before swiftly switching to the “Indiana Jones” theme music. But Twitter noticed, and no one was amused.

6) Emmanuel Lubezki Wins Again:

Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki won his third consecutive Oscar for “The Revenant.” He has also won for “Gravity” and “Birdman.”

7) Ali G Makes a Comeback

Maia Efrem is the former research editor and assistant to the editor and was also responsible for the Forward’s annual Salary Survey. Previously she served as the editor of Blognik Beat, a blog written by students who emigrated from or have ties to the Former Soviet Union. Maia is a graduate of Hunter College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

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