Bernie Sanders Will Never Not Be Jewish

The media continues to lament the lack of diversity in the primary race, ignoring the fact that Sanders is Jewish American

Bernie Sanders lights a Menorah in Des Moines, Iowa. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Of all the words that have been spoken and the ink that’s been spilled over Bernie Sanders’ Jewishness, nothing quite encapsulates his identity like a Saturday Night Live skit from 2016. In it, Sanders plays an immigrant aboard a ship to America; Larry David (whose own impersonation of Sanders has drawn plenty of praise) plays another, wealthier passenger.

“Who are you?” asks David’s character.

“I am Bernie Sanderswitzky,” Sanders replies. “But we’re gonna change it when we get to America, so it doesn’t sound quite so Jewish.”

“Yeah, that’ll trick them,” David says coyly.

The joke is clear: No matter how much distance he can try to put between himself and his Jewish heritage, Sanders’ voice and mannerisms immediately reveal his identity. So why do so many on the left continue to either discount or ignore it?

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