Noam
Coming up, on Wondering Jews…
Mijal
I’m very, very curious about you performing in front of Mamdani
Olga
I said I’m a Syrian Jew, so at least I know mamdani likes half of me.
Mijal
I think that’s pretty good.
Mijal
Hi everyone. Welcome to Wondering Jews. We’re here continuing our conversations in New York City talking about identity being true to ourselves. And we’re super excited to have actress and comedian Olga Namer. welcome.
Olga
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Mijal
So, Olga, I know you’re going to tell us all about your work as a standup, but tell us a little bit about your your upbringing. You’ve had an upbringing that’s a little bit not so typical for someone who’s doing comedy. Oh, yeah.
Olga
I was like, and yes, I was. I’m a Syrian Jew. I guess, and I grew up somewhat religious. I went to yeshiva.
Mijal
You you went to a yeshiva with my husband. I’m just putting it out here.
Olga
Right. That’s I was like, yes, I want to teach you with her husband. What class was he? And I don’t know.
Mijal
Were you with him throughout?
Olga
I don’t know, I switched around classes. I was like, I’m saying, yeshiva, Flatbush.
Mijal
Proud graduates. Did you go to the ten year reunion they had? Because I accompanied them to that one.
Noam
Do you think you graduated high school or is that like a secret?
Olga
Oh, I don’t.
Noam
You know.
Olga
It’s a secret now. I didn’t even think of that. But now I’m not going to say. Yeah, I graduated when her husband graduated.
Mijal
So riddle. Which actually done.
Mijal
Okay. So. So you want to. Flatbush grew up in the Sephardic Syrian kind of universe?
Olga
Yes, yes. And I don’t know why is it. Yeah. I guess it’s different for comedians because I was like, it’s not it’s not a different upbringing for a lot of Jews. Or is it? Would you say it’s different?
Mijal
I think that it’s pretty unique. As someone who studied the Syrian community. Yeah, it’s a pretty unique upbringing compared to like, other Ashkenazi or even other Sephardic communities.
Olga
Really.
Mijal
You don’t you haven’t experienced that.
Olga
I don’t know, I think everybody has their own, their own. Like like if I go to someone who’s Ashkenazi, they have their own things that are different.
Mijal
I think the tight knit ness, oh, that and the way that everyone lives, like in one neighborhood with people whose grandparents lived in the same neighborhood. Yeah, that’s pretty unique.
Olga
Oh, but what about. Yeah. That’s true. That’s right. Yeah. Because like I always say, I guess my sister’s kids like. Or they’re like, they already know where they’re going to go to school. And like, my brother just had a baby and she’s.
Mijal
Mabruk.
Olga
Thank you. And the second.
Noam
Half translate that. That means mazel tov. Yes. Which means congrats.
Olga
Yes. So thank you. Exactly. So already she signed up the baby for camp. Right.
Mijal
Like it’s intense.
Olga
She’s on a wait list. You can come.
Mijal
David. Yes, yes.
Olga
I’m like. What? Like the baby. She said I signed her up when I was. They don’t I don’t know, she’s like right in the hospital. Like, let’s put her. She gave birth and she’s like, put her on the waitlist. Yeah, exactly.
Mijal
It’s a thing.
Noam
It’s a thing.
Mijal
It’s not just there’s more than one camp, but there is not that many slots. So everybody wants to get in from the beginning. So people sign up really early. There’s like a lot of.
Noam
Like, pressure.
Mijal
It’s big I don’t know.
Noam
Are we giving them a lot of pressure?
Olga
I mean.
Mijal
I don’t know if they need our press with the waitlist from the hospital room now, but no.
Olga
One’s gonna know the tricks.
Mijal
But. So you grew up in this very tight knit community where everyone’s. A lot of people are following a certain path that was laid out for them.
Olga
Yeah. Yes, yes. Maybe it changed a little or. You don’t think so?
Noam
Wait, wait. Go tell Mijal’s academic year. But you’re the. You’re you. You lived it in a certain way, or you live in a certain way. Yeah. Do you agree with me?
Olga
Like, no, I do, I do, but I feel like now it’s a little different. Like, I, I feel like with social media, I changed.
Noam
Syrian community. Yeah. Like.
Olga
People are more, you know, I guess.
Noam
What was it and what did it change to?
Olga
So I was just talking about this in my cousin. So in my, in my grade, I guess all the girls, a lot of them were married by 20, like really 20 I think if that. And that was late.
Mijal
So that’s definitely not the case today.
Olga
Today it changed.
Mijal
People get married later, they go to college. They do all kinds of things.
Olga
I feel like social media, first of all, I feel like it gives. They could see what’s going on outside more because it used to be very I didn’t know, I didn’t, we weren’t seeing anybody like it was just everyone in my like, school. I didn’t know what was going on in the outside world, really, as much as.
Noam
Even though you’re like, because a modern Orthodox world, are you still it was still like, I.
Olga
I guess like I went to. Yeah. Because you went you go to camp, you go to I went to the center on Sundays, the community center.
Mijal
It’s actually around the corner from where I live right now. No, no. In Brooklyn, it’s like literally around the corner.
Noam
From you call it the center. You went to the center.
Mijal
The sad called the center. Yeah. Yeah.
Noam
Okay.
Olga
And then we went to. Yeah. I mean, I didn’t have cable, I have.
Noam
I have cable growing up to do you know. Wow. That’s very unique. That’s not a cable. That is. Yeah. It’s not having cable. I was the only kid in my school.
Mijal
Oh, your family was, like, very religious. No cable?
Olga
No, I think they were cheap.
Mijal
Oh, no.
Olga
In the summer we had cable.
Mijal
So in the summer they paid summer.
Olga
We got to, like, watch and like, I got to watch like MTV, like the music. I used to love the.
Noam
The music videos.
Olga
On it. Yeah. That and then. So yeah, it’s like, where would I be seeing these? This. I went to the city with my parents maybe, I don’t know one. Not a lot. So where would I be seeing it.
Mijal
Right.
Olga
And make sense.
Mijal
Yeah. And in some way like in your in your standup routines, you speak about like can I call it like a traumatizing early marriage that kind of like change or can I say that how should I call it trauma? Well, tell us about it. Okay.
Olga
No, I just got married very young, which was not. It was that wasn’t. That was normal.
Mijal
You were 17.
Olga
Yeah, well, really 18, I was 18.
Noam
So you were just.
Olga
17 in my act. Because it’s funnier. But,
Noam
I graduated high school or.
Olga
No, I graduated high school. I met him when I was in high school. But the problem was, is that he was so much older than me and he wasn’t religious. My dad didn’t like that.
Noam
He was.
Olga
18 years older.
Noam
That’s a lot older.
Olga
That’s. That’s why my joke’s like: “I was 17. He was 18… years older than me.” Yeah. So I say that,
Noam
That’s pretty wild.
Olga
Yeah. But when I got married, like one of my best friends at the same, she was getting married three days later. My other friend was getting married a month later. Like, it was very, like, in the norm, I guess maybe it was like a little early, but not really like when I. When I was in high school, there was a girl who got engaged and like, that was a thing because she had an engagement party.
Olga
She didn’t invite everyone to it. And the principles were like.
Noam
Principles.
Olga
Are not invite. Now they have a rule. You can’t wear an engagement party, an engagement ring to school.
Mijal
Yeah. But it’s.
Noam
I have a joke about this. I don’t, it’s, from your father. Its first comes to engage. Yes, yes. Then comes to the marriage ring. Then comes the suffering.
Mijal
Yes.
Olga
The wedding ring.
Noam
Oh, I got it wrong. See, that’s why I don’t tell jokes.
Olga
No, no no, no. But he did tell me that.
Mijal
Yes, I got it, I got it. I mean.
Noam
The engagement ring, the wider ring of the suffering. Yeah. You should never talk about.
Mijal
Yeah.
Olga
It’s not that. It’s okay. It’s not that I did it yesterday. They didn’t like it.
Noam
Oh, you. You tried that one out.
Olga
Yeah. I was trying to fill time because I had to do a long time on stage and I’m like, all right, let me. They wrote older Jews. I’m like, maybe they like this.
Mijal
I think, were they Syrian Jews.
Olga
With dirty jokes? And I’m like, let me tell you this one. Right? And yeah, they were well.
Mijal
I.
Noam
Know it’s Catskills.
Mijal
Yeah. I don’t know, maybe she found like.
Noam
A.
Mijal
No, they’re in new Jersey.
Olga
They’re in deal, you know.
Mijal
Or is this about me? About you? Deal is wonderful. It’s the best place in the world.
Olga
Really?
Mijal
No, the deal is a good place. It’s just hard to, like, commute to the city if you’re working. Woman. Oh, yeah.
Olga
But I know. Well.
Mijal
It’s a big community. Yes. Doesn’t mean I want to drive my car from the. But but but enough about me, Olga. Know so, so. And then like you’re now ex-husband.
Mijal
Is that what kind of like, puts you in a path that is a little bit different than the rest of the community?
Olga
I think? No, I think just getting divorced because it made me see things differently.
Mijal
What do you mean?
Olga
Maybe I was brought up, like, to live or be a certain thing and then, like, blue, like, things didn’t go the way that I thought, and it kind of like blue, like, not everything was like. And this is going to be like this, and that’s going to be like that.
Olga
And it just changed course. So then it was like more like, well, I don’t want to just be someone’s wife, like, I want to do something else type of thing, I don’t know.
Mijal
Did that feel for you like you had to then like like you grew up in this community, this family, and then you had to, like, make a choice. Do I want to stay or do I want to become something else?
Olga
No, no, no, it was never like that. I thought I would just get married again, but I didn’t really like anybody. And I think because I was like I did because I was with my ex and I mean, I like I obviously loved him, I married him, but then it was like it was more I didn’t want to live a life that I could just see everything that’s happening.
Olga
Does that make sense? And if I was like, even though we did, things did happen. I still felt like I wanted more. I didn’t know what I wanted, but I didn’t want to be just like living this, the just the life that was like, set. Out to do.
Mijal
You know, this?
Olga
You know, I had to.
Mijal
There’s a woman. I don’t know if you ever met her called Diane. She grew up in the community. Eventually she became a rabbi, and she wrote this essay about the moment in which she had to decide if she wanted to do this or not, until her parents. And she’s. Sitting by. Yeah. And she’s sitting at this, like, restaurant with them.
Mijal
And the words that she uses is like, I had this script in front of me, and I have to, like, decide right now my tearing the script apart and trying something that hasn’t been kind of laid out.
Noam
What I’m trying to figure out from Olga is, what’s the script that was being torn in becoming a stand up comedian? Is it because it’s so different from how?
Olga
No, I don’t know how I did that. I never want it to be standing up. I just wanted to act.
Noam
Were you the funny kid growing up? Always.
Olga
Well, my cousin last week told me I’m not funny at all. She’s like, nobody would say that. Funny. That’s what she’s like. But I was like, I don’t know, like, I mean, in the yearbook, everyone wrote to me. It was just so weird. I did a podcast. This guy is like, “you have to bring in your yearbook and read the letters that people wrote you.”
Olga
Everybody wrote: Oh, you’re so funny. Keep doing what you do. I forgot, I forgot that I was funny, like, or I’m not funny. I forgot that I was like, because I wouldn’t. I don’t know if I’m funny now, but I wouldn’t. I forgot that I was that person. And then kind of when I got married and then divorced, like I lost myself for, for a little bit and then, I don’t know, I did stand up and it’s like I came back to what I was and like, you realize.
Olga
Yeah.
Mijal
So, you know, we have this we’re talking here about, like you, your life. We’re thinking about identity. Yeah. How do you think about what it means to stay true to yourself while navigating different worlds and, like, torn scripts and new opportunities?
Olga
And that is a very good question. I don’t know, that’s the thing. I think I do it like, I guess it’s really one thing at a time, right? Like every situation or thing at a time. And it’s like, I feel like. And maybe in the beginning with stand up, a lot of it was like, well, first I had like a certain certain jokes that I wanted to say.
Olga
Then when I was doing more different rooms, I guess I went a little bit like I was just like, oh. I’ll be dirty.
Noam
You do this voice. What’s that voice? I don’t know, it’s.
Mijal
It’s like an extreme version of Brooklyn. Syrian.
Olga
Is that what it is? Yeah. It is. Yeah. Because everybody thinks I like oh, you do that on. I’m like, no, I don’t know.
Mijal
I think it’s like really leaning into the Brooklyn Syrian thing.
Noam
But you do okay.
Olga
Is that what I’m doing when I think that like, I. Just oh, probably I was like, maybe like this voice of, like, annoying or like. Yeah, like, I don’t know why I do that. There’s something it comes out for some reason. It’s more like, you have my father. Like, if I’m imitating someone, maybe I have. I do, I don’t know, I don’t know why I do that, but it randomly come out.
Noam
It goes in.
Olga
Your head.
Mijal
So your alter ego maybe.
Olga
So I was just like. So then I was doing other rooms and was like. So then I started just, I guess I was writing just for like, oh, well, if people like because I don’t the things I say on stage, like, let’s say they’re dirty, it’s like like very like dirty humor or whatever. It’s very I’m like kind of removed from him, just like, oh, but it gets a laugh like that.
Olga
Like, I want to say that because that I don’t think. I mean, if I thought about myself like when I was in high school or elementary school like that, I was going to be on stage talking about like, you know, I say blowjobs. I’d be like, what the hell are you talking about?
Noam
Talking about sexual things is you’re like, what? How did that happen?
Olga
Yeah, I think it was like, so. So I remember just like growing up, like, obviously I was like, I was very I am like, I’m not the things that I say on stage, but I remember that people were so just mean and like judgmental, like, oh, this if a girl like, made out with someone like, she’s a whore, you know, and then it ruins the person’s reputation and then they can’t get married and it just becomes like a whole thing.
Olga
And it’s like I always thought, like the double standard, isn’t it? I was just like. So then I thought, like, well, what if I just. It kind of like, well, you’re they never called me over. But I know people that they do. It’s like, what if I just like everybody? Like everyone makes out with people like the girls talking about the other girl.
Olga
They do the same thing. So I was like, what if I just, like, take the taboo out of it in a way? Does that make sense? And then it was just funny to I mean, people liked it. I didn’t know it was something, but I was like, oh, it’s I guess they’re laughing. And then so that was like shocking.
Olga
Also, posting it online was very hard for me because in the show it like disappears online. It’s like yeah. But then so so that was like a whole because you guys could about like how do I stay true to myself. So like maybe with that I’d go I’d go against what I would like, what I was raised raised with, but with other things I’d say just, I don’t know.
Olga
I would never talk bad about Jews for a laugh, you know what I’m saying?
Noam
That’s. So you’re willing to go raunchy for the laugh, but you’re not willing to hate on Jews for a laugh?
Olga
Never.
Mijal
Right.
Olga
And that’s, I think, like, what’s good for what I think is more like the right or wrong or. You know what I mean?
Mijal
Yeah. And, you know, I think when I first heard about you was there was like an episode that happened in which you were invited as one of the comedians at City Winery for like a pre Passover.
Olga
Thing with Mamdani?.
Mijal
And Mamdani, who was an anti. Who’s an anti-Zionist mayor was there. And I think what I’m just going to what you’re saying right now, I won’t make fun of Jews for that, for a laugh. And I think you, if I understood you, write you a little bit made fun of him.
Olga
Yeah, right.
Mijal
What was your. Because you’re a Zionist, you identify as someone who’s Zionist and you’re hearing this.
Noam
Like.
Olga
I don’t, I don’t know, I might I’m okay. So this is what.
Mijal
I thought. That’s what you told us.
Noam
No, no, no.
Olga
I think, by the way, I really I discovered something just I think that people don’t even like the definition. Like when they say genocide. This generation, they don’t know the definition of words. You know what I mean? So, like when they hear Zionists, they think it’s like, oh, they want to like people. They call them. They say, I want to kill babies.
Olga
I’m not. First of all, I can’t even wake up for 1030. Podcast. I’m not here killing babies. Like I’m just. You know what I mean? I’m not, but they don’t know. So do I believe Israel should defend itself and has the right to exist? Yes.
Noam
Is that your.
Mijal
Supposed to my. It’s like no, I’m wanted. No no no. So so tell us about that appearance.
Noam
I want to stay on this for a second. So you’re saying you identify as a Zionist? No, you don’t.
Olga
Say that.
Noam
Don’t say that.
Olga
I mean, yes, but I don’t want I.
Noam
Like, don’t say things that.
Olga
Meaning to you to like, say.
Noam
I’m saying to me. Meaning you can’t say you identify as a Zionist because I.
Olga
Know already people know. I mean, I’ve done events for Israel, but I’m just saying it’s not like in this like world that like if, like I did a show the other day and the guys, like, you’re Jewish, like, screened in the I was.
Mijal
Like in the show.
Olga
Yeah. And he goes, as long as you’re not one of the bad buttons. I’m like, what’s a bad one? He’s like a Zionist and that. But then I was like, why? Why is that bad? Whatever. And then he’s like, because they think they’re better than everybody and they don’t have to do follow rules and do that. And I was like, no, I think they just don’t want to die.
Olga
Like I was like, we just don’t want to die. But then I continued my jokes and he like, he loved my stuff. And then I was like, I’m by the way, I am a Zionist.
Noam
So why don’t you wait till the end to say that you are you identify as a.
Olga
Because I wanted him to like, let me laugh and then be like, I like her and then be like, oh shit.
Noam
No, I have to deal with my.
Olga
Dad, I like her.
Olga
But meaning, like, if I go out, whatever. The world’s crazy. Don’t you think.
Noam
The world’s crazy?
Olga
Yeah. If you go out and you’re like, I’m a Zionist, they don’t hear it as what is it says? They hear as like, oh, she wants to kill this. And like their definition of it, it’s not.
Noam
So that’s that’s very hard when language is can’t communicate.
Olga
Like, they don’t I don’t even know what would they call a real genocide? What would they I don’t know,
Mijal
Olga I’m just so curious. Sorry. I just I’m very, very curious about you performing in front of Mamdani and deciding to say the things you said. Yeah, yeah. Bring us.
Olga
To talk about. What did you say? So I just said, well, were you.
Mijal
Nervous differently than usual?
Olga
Yeah, I was nervous. Well, the thing is, is that he asked me the got the owner, and he’s like. And Modi’s doing it. And I was like, all right, Modi’s doing.
Mijal
It right, right. Like, right.
Olga
Like why not? Okay, how bad could it be? And then I thought of it more like an opportunity. Like to say things like, make like jokes. Like the best way to like for me to communicate certain things is like, through humor. So, like, you could get away with saying certain things if it’s funny, right, type of thing. So.
Olga
And then so I was planning on my, the thing that I had to do was the ten plagues. So I obviously was going to do that. But then in the beginning I was like, I’m going to roast him a little bit.
Mijal
And Modi stepped out. Also, Modi.
Olga
Said, I’m not doing it. And then the rabbi who who’s Modi’s friend called me before and was like, oh, Modi dropped out and he’s like, you should drop out. And I was like, I’m not going to drop out. Like, I like I already said, I’m doing it, you know? So I did it and I was like, he left, mamdani
Mijal
He left or he left, left, left, left. Yeah. He left before your.
Olga
I was the template because I was at the end. He left I.
Mijal
Yeah.
Olga
He left a little early.
Noam
That’s not cool.
Olga
Wow. But his whole team was there. So I did like my first joke. I said no, I said I’m a Syrian Jew, so at least I know mamdani likes half of me.
00:27:23:13 – 00:27:25:04
Mijal
I think that’s pretty good.
Olga
And then I said, he’s I said he’s here. Oh, he was here because he like because he knows everyone a lot. Everyone here like, leans to the left or. Oh, he knows that at a seat or you lean to the left because he’s like left. What else I say, I forgot what other things I said. Oh, oh.
Olga
He calls like an exodus of Jews to move to Florida. Like I.
Mijal
Like, like like, no.
Noam
Let me. I live in South Florida. Yeah.
Olga
Oh, okay. So I, I did things like that, which was fine, I don’t know, what’s the what were you what did you want to know.
Mijal
About it. No, I think no, I think it’s really I think it’s really interesting to have to decide. Do I, you know, do I perform? How do I perform? What do I say? And you said like. Yeah. And like you’re using comedy to say. Yeah.
Olga
I mean, I don’t know, why wouldn’t I mean, why wouldn’t I perform?
Mijal
I’m not judging.
Olga
No, I’m saying.
Mijal
I’m more like, I want it to be there.
Olga
Why would I like I understand. First of all, I felt bad because some people there, they they bought tickets expecting Modi. Right. And then they got mamdani and they think he was going to be there and people.
Mijal
Were right. It was a last minute addition. Yeah, yeah. And no, but there’s something about this world that we have to right now performing public. Right, right.
Olga
But it’s also let’s say he didn’t go. That’s also people would be like and he didn’t go like what what.
Mijal
It’s like a lose lose.
Olga
That I really care about him. But what is the right thing for him to do, would you say.
Mijal
Right.
Olga
I don’t know.
Mijal
Oh I have a lot of forts there. But that’s not a.
Olga
Saying with.
Mijal
Like, stop hating. No, stop being obsessed with israel. That’s it.
Olga
Right. But let’s say he didn’t go to the Seder. What do you think? What do you think? Because they invited him. And every year the mayor goes. So let’s say he didn’t go. What would that be like?
Mijal
Right? No, I understand what you’re saying.
Noam
I would love to say that early, though.
Olga
He did leave early. I don’t know when he left, exactly, by the way, but he did leave and he was there early. But I got there late when they wanted me.
Mijal
Safari declined.
Olga
Right.
Noam
And you.
Olga
Got there and I was.
Noam
Like, so it’s not just our podcast, I.
Olga
Oh, well, no, I got there late on purpose because I didn’t want to be hanging out there. Right. You know what I mean?
Mijal
Right. You know, I found it really interesting. Like like you, you really straddle a bunch of different worlds in an interesting way. I also learned that you are like, you know, you you are observant. You have some relationship with some rabbis. I think you told your producer story about a rabbi who was telling you something recently about being connected.
Mijal
Do you know what I’m talking about?
Olga
Did I talk about with the observant thing that my rabbi there was a my rabbi? This me? I guess my father is rabbi. I don’t know if this is what I was talking about.
Mijal
Is it your rabbi, though?
Olga
He was a rabbi when I was growing up. Like I went to his classes when I was young, like, a lot. And then. And my, you know, my father, you know, loves him. And yeah, he’s like a he has other rabbis, but he’s one of the rabbis. Okay. And he told me that it was weird. He’s like he said something.
Olga
It was really nice. My father’s friend wrote like some book and like, like a Tanakh, not a Tanakh.
Mijal
Something about the Hebrew Bible.
Olga
I don’t even something about it. I don’t know what he wrote I should know about.
Mijal
Oh, this is Ronny Benin. Yes. Okay. All right. Okay.
Olga
So when did that thing.
Noam
She’s talking? She didn’t.
Mijal
Say anything because she just published a new book, interpretation on the Bible. He’s wonderful. But.
Noam
Yeah, I got this book.
Mijal
I’ll get you a copy Noam.
Noam
Thank you.
Olga
So he like he said, I can’t. I was so weird. I wasn’t supposed to be in deal. I happened to be in deal, and my sister’s like, come to the thing. I didn’t even know about it. But then I went. I went last minute. And then they honored my dad, which was they said something nice about him, whatever.
Olga
That was nice. So then after the rabbi at the end of it, he, like, wanted to talk to me and I was like, okay. So I smoked him and he said the nicest thing, which I was shocked. He’s like, he said something about like my like gave me a compliment about doing comedy. And he was saying, how, how would I do is just, you know, he’s very impressed and it’s nice and everything.
Olga
And he’s like, even like, I guess the dirty joke, like basically he knows what I put out there. And he’s like, told me the story about a guy he, he went to. He walked into Red lobster and the rabbi saw him and he’s like, oh, maybe, maybe he just needs to use the bathroom. And then then he goes and he sees him sitting at a table and he’s like, oh, maybe he just wanted to get like, water or like a cup of tea.
Olga
And then he’s like. And then he ordered a lobster. And the rabbi was like, oh my God. And then he’s eating the lobster. And so the rabbi, like, goes up to him. He’s like, oh, I told him, the next I saw you, I saw you going to a lobster. And then I saw you sit and eat the lobster.
Olga
And then the guys like, oh, so this is all under rabbi supervision. And he’s like, I guess. Yes. And then he’s like, that’s what he’s like. So you have I’m supervising what you’re like, meaning he gave me a stamp of approval to like because he’s like, what you do is like very important. And I was like, he’s like, you’re very funny.
Olga
It’s very he’s like, it’s not easy to do that. I guess from where he’s like from where you come from. And I was like, yeah.
Olga
I get whatever he’s like because he said, I’m funny. I was like, no, I get it from my dad. And he goes, no, your dad could never be funny like that. I was like, that was funny to me, but he was just me.
Mijal
I love that story.
Olga
That just makes me. It was very nice.
Mijal
I think it’s powerful.
Olga
That.
Mijal
I think it’s, I don’t know, I think like we all have different stories. Sometimes when you veer off the script, you feel like you had to leave a lot of people behind or change too much. And when you have somebody from that world kind of saying, like, I still love you, I still see you, I found that really important for me.
Olga
I think it’s like it nice that I think if you do like. Yeah. Because everyone’s kind of different. So like, like, like a lot of people who do leave, like they get like I don’t they either leave everything behind and it’s like, not everything. It doesn’t have to be like that, right? You know what I mean?
Mijal
So I know a lot of your comedies about relationships. We want to. Would it be okay if we ask you some questions as if, like, you’re like a columnist giving relationship advice. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So there’ll be like, quickfire kind of questions. You start.
Noam
Yeah. Okay, fine. Here we go. Dear Olga, where’s your name from, by the way?
Olga
My grandma. Come on. No.
Mijal
I’m Syrian.
Noam
With a Syrian name.
Olga
I guess. I know she pronounces it Olga.
Noam
Oh, Olga. Yeah. Here I go. I love my boyfriend, but his mom is way too involved in our relationship. She’s constantly asking us when we’re getting married and having kids and having kids. What do I do?
Olga
Well.
Olga
It depends how long they’re going out for, right? Because if it’s like a year. Those are good questions. Like when are you getting married? Right. No. And it depends how old.
Noam
I’m getting.
Olga
So I don’t know, like I would ignore it. It’s not that if he’s a perfect guy and you like him and the mom’s annoying. Whatever.
Mijal
All right, let me ask another question about a perfect guy. They don’t exist, by the way. Just kidding. They’re all gone. My boyfriend is a ten, but he loves Jewish voice for peace. I’m a Zionist. What do I do?
Olga
That’s not a ten.
Mijal
That’s not okay.
Olga
Okay, I would not. I asked my dad. I was like, would you rather me bring home a non-Jew who’s like, loves Israel and such a and, you know, loves Jews or someone who, who’s Jewish and hates Israel. And he’s like, don’t ask me such questions.
Mijal
I wouldn’t mature that.
Noam
All right, my turn, my friend. All right. Dear Olga, I’m a very observant Jew. My my girlfriend. Not so much. Is the relationship doomed, or can we meet in the middle?
Olga
I think it’s good. I think it’s important to meet in the middle.
Noam
My mom says hot and cold makes lukewarm.
Olga
Yeah. That’s good that you and your mom, my dad and your mom would get along.
Noam
My mom’s married.
Olga
My dad, too. But, you know, I just said, get along.
Mijal
You get along. No.
Olga
That’s true.
Noam
Friends.
Olga
Yeah.
Noam
Took a sip of her a drink.
Olga
Sometimes it’s like.
Mijal
All right. Dear Olga. My partner spends hours and hours playing video games. How do I get him off the couch?
Olga
Well, are they married?
Mijal
Sure.
Noam
I never thought that censor.
Olga
Yeah, I guess you have to, I guess. Yeah, I don’t know, I would, I would, like, manipulate him to hang out with me. Okay. Like, be fun and let them not want to play the game. But also. Yeah. It depends. I did date one time. This guy was a gamer. That’s what they call themselves. And that is just annoying, like I.
Mijal
So you’re like, don’t date someone who’s.
Olga
They’re obsessed, right? I thought it was like a stage, but then it wasn’t.
Noam
So we used to just called people that were gamers, guys who played video games.
Mijal
Now this is like really intense.
Noam
Like, it’s like they gave a name.
Mijal
To it. No, no. You have guys who play video games, then you have gamers. Yeah.
Olga
They’re obsessed. Right. Like beyond.
Noam
Well, you dated.
Mijal
So you’re like, don’t date.
Olga
111. Like, I didn’t shower all week. Oh, my new game came out. He’s like, I’m just gonna let you know you’re not going to hear from me. I’ve been waiting for this. I thought he’s like, kidding. Like I’m like, what? And then I was like, this can’t be true.
Noam
Not a ten.
Olga
It was true. I mean, that’s a problem. Yeah. But also, I mean, you would hope that eventually life. I don’t know, they they grow up and they don’t want to play the game anymore. I don’t.
Mijal
Know.
Olga
I don’t know because that’s like a that’s like you’re dating a boy. No. Or to men do that. I don’t think men sit there and play games. Do that.
Mijal
I like this.
Olga
I don’t.
Noam
I don’t speak for every man. That sounds like, like I don’t think that that’s a, but I don’t think it’s a healthy way to live life, to spend all your days playing video games. Is that judgmental? Maybe.
Mijal
But I think we’re cool being judgmental.
Noam
On that. I think you should do other things besides play video games.
Mijal
Yeah.
Olga
I don’t judge.
Noam
But you just don’t.
Olga
You’re like, no, I just don’t. Yeah, it’s not like if they’re going to spend weekends. It depends. I guess you have to make a schedule. Be like, look, you could play your games, but sometimes. Could we hang out?
Mijal
Oh, that’s that’s Olga. Relationship advice. Olga, if if any of our listeners watchers want to follow you. How should they follow you?
Olga
My, I guess I have Instagram, it’s all old. And then Namer enemy are on Instagram.
Mijal
And they can get tickets to your shows there. See about it. Things like that.
Olga
Soon.
Mijal
Soon?
Olga
Yes. There should be like soon it will be set up that they’ll be tickets to shows, so I think. Be good. Thank you.
Mijal
Thanks so much for.
Olga
Joining us.
Noam
Writing your own script.
Olga
Script? Yes. Oh yes. Yes. I also have to write an actual script. But yes, I will write my own script.
Noam
Okay, great.
Olga
Thank you. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.