From 1989 through 2002 there was an unprecedented surge in American sitcoms featuring explicitly Jewish lead characters, thirty-two compared to seven in the previous forty years. Several of these--Mad About You, The Nanny, and Friends--were among the most popular and influential of all shows over this period; one program--Seinfeld--has been singled out as the "defining" series of the nineties. In addition, scriptwriters...