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Martha Stewart and the Case of the WASPy Matzah

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Poor Martha Stewart. A few years ago she wasn’t invited to a Passover seder. Never one to miss an opportunity to participate in a lavish meal, Stewart—though not a Jew herself—wanted to keep the tradition alive. So she took the next logical step and invited comedian Joan Rivers onto her show to make chocolate-covered matzah.

In the segment, Rivers pities Stewart and invites her to her annual fancy seder. Then the two of them get to work on what Rivers calls “WASPy matzah.” Stewart tries to stay on task, while Rivers riffs on everything from matzah (she says it reminds her of her chest, “flat, and brown spots,”), to the three major Jewish celebrations: Hanukkah, Passover, and the Saks sale.

The famously uptight Stewart is rattled and amused by Rivers’ antics, and unsuccessfully tries to convince Rivers that the chocolate-covered matzah she made doesn’t look like it came from “the idiot sister.” At the very least, Rivers and Stewart’s matzah-decorating makes for a refreshing and hilarious break from your own seder preparations.

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