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The Schmooze

5 Most Memorable Jewish Moments at the Oscars — Ever!

Remember when Adrian Brody laid a big smooch on Halle Berry after winning best actor for “The Pianist”? Or Barbra Streisand, clad in a black see-through number, looked lovingly down at her Oscar and said, “Hello gorgeous”?

Well, we certainly do.

We culled through many, many YouTube clips to track down the five most memorable Jewish moments at the Oscars — some great, some weird and some a little uncomfortable. From John Travolta inexplicably twisting Idina Menzel’s name into Adele Dazeem (it’s ok, she got her revenge) to all nine times Billy Crystal hosted, there was quite a lot to chose from.

And then there were the honorable mentions that didn’t make it in. James Franco deadpanning his hosting duties to the point that some questioned his sobriety. Vanessa Redgrave referring to “zionist hoodlums” in her acceptance speech for the film “Julia” and Steven Spielberg winning Best Director for “Schindler’s List.”

Here’s hoping for some more bizarre, hilarious and entertaining moments for when we settle in to watch the Oscars this Sunday. Or at the very least, as Billy Crystal quipped during one of his hosting stints, “Nothing takes the sting out of tough economic times like watching a bunch of millionaires giving golden statues to each other.”

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