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Would-Be Jews

Nominating Garry Trudeau

by
Marc Tracy
January 05, 2011
Mark Slackmeyer, who is Jewish.(Wikipedia)
Mark Slackmeyer, who is Jewish.(Wikipedia)

JTA Editor-in-Chief Ami Eden asks for a list of “Gentiles who really should be Jewish.” His two picks are Bob Costas and Donald Trump. Costas makes perfect sense—how is he not Jewish? (well, he’s of Greek descent, which is pretty close to the exception that proves the rule)—though frankly I’m glad not to have Trump on Team Tribe.

But since he asks for further suggestions, here’s one: Doonesbury writer Garry Trudeau. Witty, liberal, and zeitgeist-capturing, his field, comics, might be second only to musical theater in terms of creative media dominated by Jews. Alas, however, he is not a Jew. But he should be.

Any more suggestions?

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.