Outing Jon Stewart [Leibowitz]
Posted by anastasia on 07-27-2009
As I mentioned in my post about “Prom Night In Mississippi,” and as long-time Ypulse readers know, I grew up in Nashville, TN. My family is Jewish, and throughout my adolescence, this is something I experienced with a mixture of pride and occasional internalized anti-semitism. While Nashville had a reformed temple, a conservative synagogue and an orthodox “Shule,” it also had a church on just about every corner. Apart from my well meaning Christian elementary school friends who openly worried about my soul since the Jews did kill Christ or the occasional slur about how cheap us Jews were, I didn’t experience a lot of blatant anti-semitism. What I did experience was a hesitation to advertise that part of my identity and feeling especially self conscious if it came up in non-Jewish company.
I remember talking to someone later on about wanting to be a writer and the idea of “pen names.” We decided my “pen name” should be Anastasia Good vs. Anastasia Goodstein. Obviously I never went through with it, but the intention was to hack off that “embarrassing” stein from the end. A visit to Auschwitz in college pretty much vanquished any lingering feelings of internalized anti-semitism, and I’ve been “out” and proud of my Jewish heritage ever since.
I’m sharing this personal story as a prelude to a Slate column pleading with Jon Stewart (America’s “most trusted” newsman), to change his name back to Jon Leibowitz. I never knew Stewart was a Leibowitz, and as the Slate article points out, he has always been very open about his Jewish identity despite his choice of an assimilated “stage name.” Just as Meredith recently wrote about the power of the first Jewish “American Girl” doll for tweens, I actually believe that someone as influential as Jon Stewart could have an impact on Jewish Millennials who may be loyal viewers of his show — not so much the young religious Jews who openly go to services on campus or are involved in Jewish organizations, but perhaps those who grew up playing down that part of their identity, trying to fit in and always feeling a little self conscious about being a “stein” or a “baum” or a “witz.” The young Jews who might flinch a little bit at first upon seeing “The Daily Show with Jon Leibowitz,” but for whom that reflex will eventually be replaced with a sense of pride.
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Categorized under: TV
July 27th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Good for you Anastasia for keeping your authentic name! I was raised Catholic yet all of my life I knew I had a Jewish background but because of marriage “outside the religion” it was a secret. I found my Jewish family two years ago and like you, I am so proud of my heritage — it completes who I am.
July 27th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
as someone who lives in nashville now, but grew up in jersey.. you were either Jewish or Catholic, and not protestant which is the world i find myself in now (btw, i’m methodist).. so its a bit odd not celebrating Jewish holidays or even having mention of it.
i never knew stewart was a leibowitz and i’m sure its more of the stage name change that so many have done than a ‘leaving behind’ of his family heritage.. he’s certainly not ashamed of his Jewish roots as i see
July 27th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Having a “Jewish name” doesn’t make you Jewish, especially in 2009 with so much intermarriage. As for name changes, 50% of all actors back in the old days of Hollywood changes their names (and most of them weren’t Jewish). Most name-changers today aren’t Jewish, either. And “Leibowitz” is a Germanic name. There’s nothing “authentically” Jewish about it, unlike names like Cohen, Levy, etc. Leave the German names to the Germans.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Has it occurred to anyone that the reason for the name change may have more to do with a strained relationship with his estranged father, who moved out on his family when he was ten years old? And besides, he’s already legally changed his name to Stewart, so there’s no going back.
July 28th, 2009 at 8:40 am
I am writing a book about the history of the Jews of Nashville. I would love to talk with you more about your post about Nashville.
Jean Roseman
July 29th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
victor the crab is right. Google around a bit.
July 27th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Victor the Crab is right. Plus, he also mentioned that Leibowitz was too hard to pronounce and remember when he was doing stand-up comedy, so one night he just called himself Jon Stuart (Stuart being his middle name) and it stuck. Not totally sure why he changed the spelling – probably to make it simpler.