Shari Lewis

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Dinah Shore at the Miami Book Fair International, 1990

Moments in History: Jewish Entertainers of Television

Jewesses With Attitude

Earlier this month we promised more from our new series Moments In History, which commemorates game changing Jewish women in entertainment.  Our last entry took a look at women on the silver screen—today we’ll explore memorable moments from the lives of four very different Jewish stars of the smaller screen.

Remembering Shari Lewis

Leah Berkenwald

Today in 1998, children's television favorite Shari Lewis, a puppeteer who created the characters Lamb Chop and Charlie Horse, passed away at the age of 64 from cancer. Shari Lewis' tv shows including Shari-Land, The Shari Show, Lamb Chop's Play-Along and The Charlie Horse Music Pizza pioneered the use of participation in educational children's tv programming.

Topics: Television, Children

Puppeteer and TV star Shari Lewis dies

August 2, 1998

Born in New York City on January 17, 1934, Shari Lewis was attracted to music and performance from a young age.

Television in the United States

Jewish women have had a long-standing, complex, often fraught relation to American television. They have had to battle a male-dominated production system and sexist stereotypes, but also have seen significant advances, in front of and behind the screen, resulting from the cable and streaming revolutions and third-wave feminist activism.  

Shari Lewis

Shari Lewis won twelve Emmy awards for her children’s programming, which featured puppets on variety shows and children’s shows. She had several TV shows, including the Shari Lewis Show and Lamb Chop’s Play-Along, and earned some of the industry’s highest honors, including a Peabody Award.

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