Michael Che wasn’t lying when he said that the woman he introduced as “Rabbi Jill” on this week’s Saturday Night Live is a real Rabbi.
In what’s become a tradition on SNL’s Weekend Update, Colin Jost and Michael Che participated in a “Joke Swap” for the show’s Season 49 finale, where the two comics read distasteful jokes the other has written for them, sight unseen. As part of the duo’s last Joke Swap in December 2023, Che brought out a woman he introduced as a civil rights leader before having Jost read a series of racist jokes. That woman, it turned out, was an actress.
Che admitted as much at the top of this week’s new Joke Swap. “Before we start, last time we did this I hired an actress to pretend to be a civil rights hero, and that was low. So, to make it up to you, this time I invited an actual practicing Rabbi. Please welcome Rabbi Jill.”
Rabbi Jill proceeded to sit next to Jost and look on disapprovingly as he read the jokes Che had written for him, including one where he called Duke University pro-Palestinian protestors walking out on Jerry Seinfeld’s commencement address “disgraceful,” before adding “during these difficult times, it’s important to support our Jewish friends. That’s why the only chant you’ll hear from me is ‘Free Weinstein.’”
While it’s true that Rabbi Jill Hausman is a real practicing Rabbi, what Che failed to mention is that she also has a background in classical singing and acting. Appropriately enough, she’s served as both Rabbi and Cantor at The Actors’ Temple in New York City for the last 19 years.
And yes, for hardcore SNL fans, she’s available for weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs, where perhaps you can convince her to look on disapprovingly as you tell some distasteful jokes of your own.
amazing she us an ordained rabbi!