What are the Jewish references in "Severance"?
There are more than you think!
Well, it’s over. The “Severance” finale aired last night (wasn’t it incredible?!) and despite our pleas to Kier Ben Stiller, we did not get a Jewish storyline on the show.
But here’s the thing: finding the Jewish angle in pop culture is kind of our job. So buckle up, because we’ve extracted every Jewish moment, theme and reference in the first two seasons of “Severance” — no matter how far fetched — for our lovely Jewish TV Clubbers.1
Spoilers ahead for the first two seasons of “Severance:”
In the very first episode, when Mark S. is facilitating Helly’s training, he is told that if she “becomes agitated and demands to leave,” he can’t let her until she asks three times. Someone who wants to convert to Judaism must be turned away three times by a rabbi before they are allowed to convert. Does this mean anything?! Who knows! (Thank you to Instagram commenter Catherine Phillips for the tip!)
As we know, Milchick has an extensive vocabulary. In the fifth episode of season two, he uses the word “tumult” — which immediately reminded us of this interview where Ben Stiller tells Mayim Bialik that “tumult” is his favorite Yiddish word. The only problem? It’s not actually a Yiddish word (our guess is that Stiller was confusing it with “tummul”). Still, we have to wonder if a) Ben’s love of the word influenced the script, and b) we were the only people on Earth to have made that connection.
Speaking of Milchick: Milchik, michig or milkhik in Yiddish refers to dairy-based foods, which of course, according to kosher law, need to be kept separated from meat. Really makes you think 🤔
In season two, episode six (“Attila”), Burt’s husband Fields says that Burt decided to get severed after their pastor says that an innie can go to heaven even if an outie doesn’t. While discussing this on the official “Severance” podcast with Christopher Walken, Ben Stiller ties the idea to Yom Kippur.
Walken: To be able to start over again is marvelous. And to forgive yourself.Stiller: Yeah. That’s — my dad always used to like Yom Kippur in the Jewish religion because you go there and you atone for your sins and you start fresh.
Here’s a ranking of all 11 Jewish characters John Turturo (Irving) has ever played.
Both my husband and
noted that the song played by the Choreography and Merriment marching band in the finale sounded like a popular melody for “Oseh Shalom.” A little digging reveals that the song was probably the “Kier, Chosen One Kier” hymn — which, throughout the series, more than one Jewish “Severance” fan on Reddit has commented sounds like the Jewish prayer. If you want to listen, here’s a video of Cobel singing it (specifically when she says “brings the bounty to the plain, through the torment through the rain, progress knowledge, show no fear.”) I went full Reddit theorist and found a few other instances where you can hear the resemblance: while Cobel/Solveig is humming the song to Devon and Ricken’s baby in season one, episode six at around 29 minutes, and in the Ortbo episode (season two, episode four, around six minutes and 30 seconds) just before the video from Milchick starts. Composer Teddy Shapiro says the reference for the song is from a lullaby from the movie “Night of the Hunter” but Teddy — we want to talk!!In this piece for Hey Alma, our colleague Evelyn Frick wondered whether Jewish innies were offered kosher food. We don’t have the answer, but after hearing Ben Stiller say on the official “Severance” podcast that Bell Works, the complex in New Jersey that serves as the filming location for Lumon, is a mixed-use complex frequented by Orthodox Jews, I looked into the retail locations and there is a Miznon Kosher on the campus.
The very apropos lyrics of "The Windmills of Your Mind" which plays at the end of that final episode, and was made legendary in the movie "The Thomas Crown Affair," were written, and translated by Jewish lyricists. The original lyrics in French are by Eddy Marnay, born Edmond Bacri, a French Algerian Jew. They were translated into English by Emmy, Oscar and Grammy winners Alan and Marylin Bergman, who frequently collaborated with Quincy Jones. And of course, the version featured in the show is sang by Mel Tormé, who once recalled that his Jewish father had the pure voice of a cantor. We'd like to think of this song as a cantorial "see you later" from the show.
Samantha (@korendawg) left this perfect comment on our Instagram: “All of ‘Severance’ is Jewish because it’s examining existence. In this essay, I will…” We would gladly read that essay.
As we now know very well, “Severance” has a thing with goats — and so does Judaism. Lior gets into it further on Kveller!
There was at least one very good “Severance” Purim costume!
We’ll just leave you with this photo, via @seinpop on Instagram:
By the way, where did we land on calling each other Couch Potato Pancakes?
I think the point of having no overt Jewish characters/storytelling is intentional. The 'mysterious and important' part of Severance is what we don't see or hear. Like an iceBERG (Milchick's office painting). It is the granddaddy of all the little easter eggs laid by the entirety of those in front and behind the camera. IMO they've been laying them, both in and out of the show. Before and after each season. That will probably a big reveal either end of next season or the final finale.
I’m convinced that Emile the goat is a reference to Emilé Zola!