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Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy on Hanukkah Traditions
The setup
The premise
Here’s the bit.
Seth Meyers welcomes Jacob (Vanessa Bayer), his podiatrist's son and a recent bar mitzvah boy, to explain Hanukkah traditions. Jacob hands over athlete's-foot ointment from his dad, then reads a rigid prepared speech even as Seth keeps telling him they can just talk like buddies. His tour of dreidel, the menorah and holiday gifts wanders into family stories, from a cousin's peanut allergy to a brother grounded for eight days and a long list of thank-yous, and keeps arriving at the verdict that none of it beats his Xbox 360. Thanking Seth, who is soon leaving the show, Jacob grows teary; Seth reassures him he can still talk to co-anchor Cecily Strong, though the shy boy can barely face her.
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Highly quotable.
There's gambling, high stakes, a spinning top, pretty fun. But it ain't no Xbox 360.
My family used to play for peanut shells until my cousin Jeremy got an allergy and we had to go to the emergency room.
Even after I leave, you can still talk to Cecily.
A little extra
Notes from the archive.
This was Jacob's sixth of ten appearances listed by SNL Archives (2011 to 2017). It aired during Seth Meyers' final season at the Weekend Update desk, which he shared with Cecily Strong; Meyers left SNL early in 2014 to host Late Night.
Script
Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.
- 00:00
Seth Meyers
This week marked the end of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. Here to explain some Hanukkah traditions is my podiatrist son and recent bar mitzvah boy, Jacob.
- 00:13
Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy
Yes, Seth. My dad said to give you this ointment for your athlete's foot.
- 00:17
Seth Meyers
Okay, well, thank you Jacob. So did you have a good Hanukkah this year?
- 00:22
Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah has many traditions. One of the oldest is playing the game of dreidel. There's gambling, high stakes, a spinning top, pretty fun. But it ain't no Xbox 360.
- 00:47
Seth Meyers
Jacob, once again, you don't have to come out here and make a rehearsed speech like at your bar mitzvah. We can just talk like buddies.
- 00:53
Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy
Each Each player spins the dreidel to win money, chocolate gelt, or sometimes raisins. My family used to play for peanut shells until my cousin Jeremy got an allergy and we had to go to the emergency room. room
- 01:11
Seth Meyers
oh that sounds scary
- 01:12
Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy
wasn't it very scary
- 01:14
Seth Meyers
was he okay jeremy was he okay your cousin jeremy
- 01:22
Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy
each night of hanukkah we light the menorah to remember the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days which is how long my brother ethan was grounded for calling his social studies teacher a fascist. Seriously, But seriously, Ethan, even though you threw my tevas into the pool at Boca Raton, you'll always be my cool older brother. but But it ain't no Xbox 360!
- 02:01
Seth Meyers
So you really love Xbox, huh Jacob? You know, because it's funny, I have an Xbox too.
- 02:06
Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy
Then
- 02:07
part.
- 02:10
Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy
there's my favorite Hanukkah tradition, the presents, which which reminds me, I I want want to thank everyone for the beautiful and generous Hanukkah gifts. My Uncle Morris for the lift tickets to Shigalowf. My neighbors, the Paglios, for the signed Yankees baseball cards. My Bubby for making the best potato latkes in the world, even though my mother says it's getting to be too much work for her.
- 02:43
Seth Meyers
Very nice. Very nice of her.
- 02:46
Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy
and I'd like to thank you too Seth because I'm sure that you're very busy and I don't know that I'll see you for a little while
- 02:55
Seth Meyers
Jacob are you crying okay even after I leave you can still talk to Cecily he's a little he's a little scared of girls BARBITSA VOLDEGUEV, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING ON.
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One more couldn’t hurt.
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