2013 Oscars Recap: The Best Jewish Moments

The 85th Annual Oscars, hosted by Seth MacFarlane, aired on Sunday evening. As always, Hollywood's most anticipated night was filled with hundreds of emotion-fueled moments: some hilarious, some tear-jerking, some offensive, and some that will be talked about for years to come.

Check out our list of the best Jewish moments of the evening:

Barbra Streisand sings a Marvin Hamlisch tribute

The final individual showcased in the Oscar "In Memoriam" tribute was legendary composer and conductor, Marvin Hamlisch. The late music-man’s very first job in show business was a rehearsal pianist for the musical "Funny Girl", starring Barbra Streisand. That said, it was only fitting that “Babs” graced the telecast after a 36-year hiatus, performing Hamlisch’s 1973 Oscar winning song, “The Way We Were”, from the film of the same name, which she starred in opposite Mr. Robert Redford. Apropos of the performance, leave it to Streisand to pack’em in.

William Shatner warns Seth MacFarlane from the future

The consensus amongst the “chattering class” of the twitterverse, seems to be that William Shatner (a.k.a. Captain Kirk) saved a decidedly dull opening bit with his usual irreverence. The premise was Shatner as Captain Kirk from the 22^nd century, warning Seth MacFarlane with prescience that folks wouldn’t take kindly to his hosting abilities, attempting to save him from himself.

Joseph Gordon Levitt & Daniel Radcliffe sing and dance

During the aforementioned William Shatner/Seth MacFarlane opening bit, Shatner (or Captain Kirk) suggests that the host “do a little soft-shoe”. Cue Joseph Gordon Levitt and Daniel Radcliffe joining MacFarlane for a dance number that would have made Gene Kelly proud. Who said they were just pretty faces?

Daniel Day-Lewis wins Best Actor, Makes Oscar History

The 55-yeal old Englishman is now the first actor to be awarded an Oscar not once, not twice, but thrice, for his portrayal of “The Great Emancipator” in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.

“I really don't know how any of this happened. I do know I've received much more than my fair share of good fortune in my life," Day-Lewis said during his refreshingly droll acceptance speech.

Seth Rogen is hosting?

Seth MacFarlane. Seth Rogen. Both have the same first name; both are comedians. It’s completely understandable how the chattering class could confuse the two, and presume that Seth Rogen was hosting the big show. The best part of it was that Rogen egged on fans, taking to Twitter and tweeting that he was "so psyched" apropos of his hosting duties.

Ted is Jewish?

Mark Wahlberg appeared alongside Ted (the eponymous CGI character in the 2012 film) that was vocalized by none other than Seth MacFarlane. The bit involved Ted and Mark Wahlberg talking about being Jewish in Hollywood, and how that generates more employment. Ted says his real name is Theodore Shapiro, then states "You have Berg in your name, are you Jewish?"When Wahlberg responded "No, I'm Catholic," Ted said "Wrong answer."

The bear also claimed he’d receive a private plane at “the next secret synagogue meeting.”

Harvey Weinstein arranges Michelle Obama appearance

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night, was First Lady Michelle Obama assisting Jack Nicholson to present the Best Picture Oscar (via satellite from the White House), and announced 'Argo' as winner. Evidently, Harvey Weinstein’s daughter, Lily, was the first to suggest having the First Lady as a presenter. She mentioned it to Pop, who in turn suggested the idea to Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who thought it was a fantastic idea. The plan was apparently kept very hush-hush, with only a handful of individuals privy to the plan.

“The Academy Awards approached the First Lady about being a part of the ceremony. As a movie lover, she was honored to present the award and celebrate the artists who inspire us all — especially our young people — with their passion, skill and imagination,” the Obama staff announced in a statement after the Academy Awards telecast.