Bostonist Interview: Comedian Jamie Sneider and Her "Year of the Jewish Woman" Calendar

Comedian Jamie Sneider grew up in Boston Metro-West before heading to NYU, improv, and comedy writing. She recently relocated to Los Angeles, from where she writes her Reluctantly Moving to LA blog. We talked to Sneider and told her about our ice storms and she remarked that at least LA "has amazingly consistent warm weather, it's weird" but that she hears about the New England weather from her family every time she calls home. Speaking of our recent weather, she would not have been able to shoot a single scene from her 2009 "Year of the Jewish Woman" calendar in the kind of cold and wind that knocked out power for hundred of thousands.

"Year of the Jewish Woman" features Sneider in various states of Kosherly-draped deshabille; one month with bagels, one with challah, another with kugel, and another wearing nothing but Black & White cookies—think Perrey Reeves (Mrs. Ari from "Entourage"), but with more curves and a sense of humor. Wholesome good humor is what this calendar is all about, and while it might be NSFW it's less risque than any issue of Maxim.

Here's what Sneider had to say to us about the calendar that is for anyone that wants to celebrate their Judaism or for anyone who want to celebrate someone celebrating their Judaism:

Bostonist: The calendar looks like it was a lot of fun to do, how did you come up with some of these ideas?

Jamie Sneider: I hope that the playfulness and the joy I had making the calendar come through. There was an element of fun and fantasy to the calendar. I have Jewish girlfriends who have said in the past, "I always wanted to be a Jewish majorette" and so I did it—I didn't want there to be any boundaries.

Bostonist: Did you grow up in a very religious household?

Jamie Sneider: I grew up in a very Reform and Judeo-Christian setting, very mixed, and my parents weren't very religious, so I was never fully aware of my Jewish identity until I moved elsewhere. I live in an Orthodox part of LA right now, and the people who live here are very aware that they are part of this religious community. So when I thought of doing this calendar it was all about rediscovering this part of myself, and yes, there's a lot of humor there, but I learned a lot in doing the calendar—every month contains a glossary of Jewish terms, food, explanations of holidays; and this was the part that took the longest in finishing the calendar. It was like going to Hebrew school! But hopefully the other material will balance out the education.

[To get a closer look at a gift perfect for Hanukhah, Christmas, Kwanza, and the Solstice, check out Jamie Sneider and her "Year of the Jewish Woman" Calendar]