Editing Jerry Seinfeld (section)

== Early life and education ==
Jerome Allen Seinfeld was born on April 29, 1954,<ref name=tvg>{{cite magazine | url= https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jerry-seinfeld/bio/156837 |title=Jerry Seinfeld |magazine= [[TV Guide]] |access-date= November 20, 2014 |archive-date= June 21, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130621051434/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jerry-seinfeld/bio/156837}}</ref><!--birth date appears in archived version only--> to a Jewish family in [[Brooklyn]], New York City.<ref name="NYTmagazine">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/magazine/jerry-seinfeld-intends-to-die-standing-up.html |title=Jerry Seinfeld Intends to Die Standing Up |first=Jonah |last=Weiner |date=December 20, 2012 |magazine=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121141135/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/magazine/jerry-seinfeld-intends-to-die-standing-up.html |archive-date=January 21, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> His father, Kalmen Seinfeld,<ref>{{cite news|url= https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/seinfelds-back-story-about-something/|title= Seinfeld's Back Story, About Something|newspaper=The New York Times |first=Alison Leigh|last=Cown|date=April 23, 2009|access-date=July 29, 2017 |archive-date= July 29, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170729172522/https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/seinfelds-back-story-about-something/|url-status=live}}</ref> a sign painter, was from Hungary and collected jokes that he heard while serving in [[World War&nbsp;II]].<ref name="NYTmagazine" /> His mother, Betty (née Hosni)<ref>She also used the last name Hesney, per Cowan, ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Seinfeld: The Making of an American Icon |first=Jerry |last=Oppenheimer |publisher=Harper |year=2002 |isbn=978-0060188726 |page=14 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/seinfeldmakingof00oppe_0}}</ref> and her parents, Selim and Salha Hosni,<ref name="backstory">{{cite news|url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/seinfelds-back-story-about-something/|title=Seinfeld's Back Story, About Something|newspaper=The New York Times|first=Alison Leigh|last=Cowan|date=April 23, 2009|quote=Kalmen Seinfeld died in 1985 in Florida.... The death certificate noted that he worked in the sign business and was survived by his wife, the former Betty Hesney.|access-date=June 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617123103/http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/seinfelds-back-story-about-something/|archive-date=June 17, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> were [[Syrian Jews]] from [[Aleppo]]. Their nationality was stated as Turkish when they immigrated in 1917, as Syria was under the [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/nyregion/24records.html |work=The New York Times |title=The Paper Trail of Jerry Seinfeld Leads Back to Ellis Island and Beyond |date=April 24, 2009 |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131091438/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/nyregion/24records.html |archive-date=January 31, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Cowan |first=Alison Leigh |title=Seinfeld's Back Story, About Something |url=https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/seinfelds-back-story-about-something/ |website=City Room |access-date=May 28, 2020 |date=April 23, 2009 |archive-date=July 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729172522/https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/seinfelds-back-story-about-something/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Seinfeld has an older sister, Carolyn.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jerry Seinfeld Has Daddy Issues|url=https://www.vulture.com/2007/09/jerry_seinfeld_has_daddy_issue.html|access-date=February 15, 2022|website=Vulture|date=September 27, 2007|archive-date=May 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512022740/https://www.vulture.com/2007/09/jerry_seinfeld_has_daddy_issue.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Salha's mother, Garez Dayan, Seinfeld's great-grandmother, was a member of the Dayan rabbinic family, who claim ancestry back to the [[Middle Ages|Medieval]] [[Exilarch]]s, and from the Exilarchs back to the Biblical [[David|King David]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=March 5, 2014|title=King David's Genes|url=https://momentmag.com/king-davids-genes-2/|access-date=December 30, 2021|website=Moment Magazine|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126022142/https://momentmag.com/king-davids-genes-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> Seinfeld's second cousin is [[alternative metal]] musician and actor [[Evan Seinfeld]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.teethofthedivine.com/featured/interview-with-evan-seinfeld/4/|title=Interview with Evan Seinfeld " Teeth of the Divine|website=www.teethofthedivine.com|date=April 26, 2010 |access-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629050159/https://www.teethofthedivine.com/featured/interview-with-evan-seinfeld/4/|archive-date=June 29, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Seinfeld grew up in [[Massapequa, New York|Massapequa]], in the [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]] of [[Long Island]] and attended [[Massapequa High School]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Kornfeld |first=Michael |url=https://www.nytimes.com/specials/seinfeld/sein89.html |title=A Single Comedian Is Returning to His Roots |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 23, 1989 |access-date=March 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308194547/http://www.nytimes.com/specials/seinfeld/sein89.html |archive-date=March 8, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kellerman |first=Vivien <!--as spelled, with e, not a--> |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/28/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-of-living-in-massapequa-park-li-fine-schools-famous-alumni.html |title=If You're Thinking of Living In/Massapequa Park, L.I.;Fine Schools, Famous Alumni |work=The New York Times |date=July 28, 1996 |access-date=November 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129155808/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/28/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-of-living-in-massapequa-park-li-fine-schools-famous-alumni.html |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> At 16, he spent time [[Kibbutz volunteer|volunteering]] in [[Kibbutz]] [[Sa'ar]] in Israel.<ref name="haaretz">{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/927462.html|title=American Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld in Israel to promote new movie|agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=[[Haaretz]]|access-date=May 10, 2009 |archive-date=February 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215185638/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/927462.html }}</ref> He attended the [[State University of New York at Oswego]], and transferred after his second year to [[Queens College, City University of New York|Queens College]] of the [[City University of New York]] in [[Flushing, Queens|Flushing]], from which he graduated in 1976 with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in communications and theater.<ref>{{cite news |first=Geoff |last=Herbert |date=July 20, 2013 |url=https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2013/07/jerry_seinfeld_syracuse_landmark_suny_oswego.html |title=Jerry Seinfeld talks SUNY Oswego, Pop-Tarts, marriage, more during Syracuse performance |newspaper=The Post-Standard |location=Syracuse, New York |access-date=February 7, 2017 |archive-date=February 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170207005809/http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/07/jerry_seinfeld_syracuse_landmark_suny_oswego.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=biography.com>{{cite web |url=http://www.biography.com/people/jerry-seinfeld-9542107 |title=Jerry Seinfeld Biography" Film Actor, Screenwriter, Television Actor, Comedian, Television Producer (1954–) |publisher=[[Biography.com]] ([[FYI (TV network)|FYI]] / [[A&E Networks]]) |access-date= February 7, 2017 |archive-date=January 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105123011/http://www.biography.com/people/jerry-seinfeld-9542107#synopsis|url-status=live}}</ref>