As you gather around the TV after a night of latkes and dreidels, why not turn to a Hanukkah movie for some family fun? It's that time of year after all.
Movies:
1. The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch (2018) is an adaptation of a Swiss film that follows a nice Orthodox man as he attempts to find love and falls for a girl his mother would never approve of.
2. An American Pickle (2020) stars Seth Rogan as both Ben and Herschel Greenbaum in a cross-generation tale of family, love, and tradition.
3. Eight Crazy Nights (2002) is an animated movie actually inspired by Adam Sandler's "The Chanukkah Song." Fun fact: this movie was Sandler's first foray into voice acting.
4. Meet The Fockers (2004) is a classic comedy starring Ben Stiller as Greg Focker. Greg introduces his fiancé's family (The Byrnes) to his parents, and yup, humor ensues.
5. And Little Fockers (2010) is a feel-good comedy about Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and his attempts to win over his hard-headed father-in-law (Robert Di Nero).
6. Menashe (2017) follows a Hassidic Jewish man as he tries to keep custody of his son following the death of his wife. The movie is in Yiddish so turn on subtitles if you wish.
TV Shows:
7. Classic Friends episode "The One with the Holiday Armadillo" (Season 7, Episode 10) centers around Ross as he teaches his son Ben about Hanukkah.
8. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend "My Mom, Greg’s Mom, and Josh’s Sweet Dance Moves" is the 8th episode in Season 1. It shows Rebecca (Rachel Bloom) frantically preparing for Hanukkah as her mom is set to arrive.
9. On Seinfeld, "The Strike" (Season 9, Episode 10) partially takes place at a Hanukkah party. When Elaine gives her phone number to a man, she runs into a bit of trouble.
10. Season 4, Episode 13 of Schitt's Creek, titled "Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose" is set at a Christmas party but as Johnny aptly reminds his kids, "Somebody needs to find a menorah." So, representation!
11. My Unorthodox Life (2021) is a captivating reality show on Netflix that follows the life of Julia Haart, an ex-Orthodox member and current fashion-mogul.
12. Season 6, Episode 10 of Frasier, titled "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz," centers around Frasier as he gets set up on a blind date with a Jewish woman.
13. Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (2019) is Jenny Slate at her funniest. The Netflix special shows Slates standup set and more as the Jewish comedian takes viewers on a journey through her childhood.
14. Somehow Glee makes it onto this list! Season 4, Episode 10 titled "Glee, Actually" shows Noah Puckerman getting a star of David tattoo with his brother and features a Hanukkah song, too.
15. Season 5, Episode 8 of Big Mouth takes viewers on a wild ride featuring multiple vignettes, with puppet shows from The Hormone Monster, and an alternative universe where Andrew isn't Jewish! "A Very Big Mouth Christmas" is a must-see.
16. Jerry Before Seinfeld is a great comedy special by Jerry Seinfeld. The 2017 set is from his performance at Comedy Strip Live and is laugh-out-loud funny.
17. Season 1, Episode 9 of New Girl, "The 23rd," is an all-around amazing episode especially because it features the now infamous Schmidt line, "Judaism, son."
18. Marc Maron: End Times Fun (2020) is a great pandemic-centric comedy set that touches on celebrity, religion, politics, and more.
19. 2020's Dash & Lily's third episode features a Hanukkah show in the basement of a bakery. While the limited series revolves around Christmas, this small glimpse into a fun Jewish celebration is much appreciated.
20. Joe Mande's Award-Winning Comedy Special follows the stand-up comedian as he performs a set that covers everything from Jewish summer camp to Shark Tank and more.
What are your favorite Hanukkah movies and TV shows?