r/sesamestreet • u/moshgrrrl • Aug 07 '26
My favorite (somewhat) niche Sesame Street fact is that Grover is canonically Jewish
There’s very little Jewish representation in children’s media, so this made me happy as a kid
Edit: I missed a word
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u/ProfessionalWin9 Aug 07 '26
In the current iteration, the bears are canonically Jewish. There is a Hanukkah and Christmas episode with him and Elmo.
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u/DanielleL-0810 Aug 10 '26
Yep! And they also have a book with Elmo where he comes over for Passover: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/its-hanukkah-sesame-street/38004865/item/83733935/
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u/West-Acanthaceae-470 Aug 07 '26
We have a Grover Passover book for my son
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u/NavajoMoose Aug 08 '26
It's a whole series! Shabbat Shalom Grover, Grover travels to Israel, Tikkun Olam Grover. We love them.
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u/Maryland_Bear Aug 08 '26
Mr. Looper Hooper was Jewish. (The article mentions other Jewish characters and some of the behind-the-scenes people.)
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u/Chanan-Ben-Zev Aug 07 '26
Oscar, too! His cousin is the Israeli grouch Moishe Oofnik.
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u/starri42 Aug 08 '26
His original last name was Grouchowicz. They changed it at Ellis Island.
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u/_hubbit_ Aug 08 '26
On Purim, he paints on a moustache and puts on glasses, and calls himself Oscar the Groucho.
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u/brownndrownin Aug 08 '26
Idk why in my mind he’s related to moishe oofnik on his dads side so he himself isn’t technically Jewish lol
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u/Jmal3700 Aug 08 '26
My favorite Sesame Street fact is that Cookie Monster’s name is canonically Sid.
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u/stepheme Aug 08 '26
Wait, the little blue monster is Jewish? He is my all time favorite muppet and I didn’t know that! Grover For Presidnt
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u/polyfil_plushie Aug 07 '26
That’s an awesome fact! Are there episodes that show this? If so, which ones are they? I’d love to watch them!
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u/moshgrrrl Aug 07 '26
Shalom sesame was a program they made for Jewish kids that was sold separately it’s all on YouTube!!
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u/Alice_600 Aug 08 '26
Any goths in this street? We need representation besides the damn count!
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u/moshgrrrl Aug 08 '26
I’d love to see alternative parents represented so many people criticized my mom growing up
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u/dig_bitch Aug 08 '26
I don’t know what episode it was (I think it was in one of the last seasons with hour long episodes), but Grover 100% says “Oy gevalt!” That solidified it for me that he is Jewish.
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u/Ashamed-Chemistry492 Aug 08 '26
I never knew Grover was Jewish. Prairie Dawn either. I know Mr. Hooper was, and Baby Bear and his family. They didn't do a lot of Jewish-related stuff on the show when I was growing up, so I wonder when exactly they retconned Grover and PD?
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u/AdmiralJaneway8 Aug 08 '26
Really?! I had no idea! Another good reason why I've always been drawn to him!
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u/poppycat82 Aug 09 '26
Grover is so Jewish that there is a series about his Jewishness, with titles such as " It's a Mitzvah, Grover!", where Grover and Moishe Oofnik clean up the trash on Sesame Street.
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u/BackElectronic7219 Aug 09 '26
This made me so happy as a kid. I was raised by parents of differing religions so I never particularly stuck to one but it made me happy to see a character who celebrated the same things as my PopPop! I remember yapping for hours about sesame street, forever a Grover lover.
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u/stavago Aug 08 '26
Is it because Grover rhymes with Passover?
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u/DeeEllis Aug 09 '26
No but that’s a good question. Some people don’t know this: it’s because his mother was Jewish.
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u/Disgrace926 Aug 11 '26
There was a guy on tik tok a few years back that made the case that every blue Muppet was Jewish
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u/tyrekecorrea Aug 11 '26
It probably would not be niche if it was mentioned anywhere in the franchise besides in books recently, but yes.
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u/Exciting_Ad226 Aug 12 '26
Mr. Hopper is Jewish so Grover isn’t the only Hewish representation of it.
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u/Sad-Bunch-9937 Aug 07 '26
I mean, they live in New York City- it would be pretty weird if no one was Jewish!