Comedian Richard Lewis died last week at the age of 76. Lewis’s comedy grew from his Jewish upbringing and identity, as he noted, “It’s so much funnier being a Jew than anything else. If we don’t find humor then we’re in deep trouble.” He was known for a self-deprecating style of comedy, as seen in many appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and other late night shows, as well as sitcoms and movies, most recently as a recurring character (playing himself) on Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. He and David were born 3 days apart in the same hospital, and later attended the same summer camp, where they hated each other, only becoming best friends early in their professional lives. According to Lewis, what significant event in his life involved his father?

Richard Lewis (cropped) by Joeyjojo86 is licensed under  CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED via Wikimedia Commons

A. Lewis noted that his father “was so well loved as the cantor at our synagogue that the congregation wouldn’t let me sing at my own bar mitzvah.”

B. Lewis noted that his father “was such a successful caterer that he was booked on my bar mitzvah, and I had my party on a Tuesday.”

C. Lewis noted that his father “was so well known as a local mohel that he used to show me off in his ads as a sample of his work.”

D. Lewis noted that his father “was so well recognized as a member of the local Lubavitcher community that he insisted that I always wear black clothes.”

E. Lewis noted that his father “dropped in on Larry’s bris, which was in the hospital right after I was born. He told Larry’s father that the lox they served was ‘Prett-ay, Prett-ay, Prett-ay Good.’ ”

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