This really is a laughing matter
Free online webinar serves up a deep dive into the history of Jewish comedy.
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
In a gravelly voice, a man faces the camera and tells the audience: “Two old Jews on the Titanic. One starts sobbing. The other say, what are you crying for? It’s not YOUR boat”.
Welcome to “Is Anything Okay?”, a series of riotous, free, online webinars from YIVO, the New York-based Institute for Jewish Research, exploring the history of Jews and comedy in America.
Launching on March 21 and running for seven weeks, the comedy masterclasses dig deep into the essence of the Jewish funnyman —and woman. On board will be 12 comedians, five film-makers and producers, 20 academics and writers, each uncovering a different aspect of what has shaped comedy in America.
YIVO has come up with hundreds of unique archival objects which will be included in the sessions, from vintage joke books, early comedy records, film, radio, and television clips, photographs, and posters. Drew Friedman, known as the Vermeer of the Borscht Belt, proudly displaying his collection, says it’s his “Jewseum”.
Among those paying tribute to the roots of kosher comedy will be the Black stand-up W. Kamau Bell, Lewis Black (well-known as a serial ranter about history, politics and religion), stand-up comic, and writer Judy Gold, presenter of a podcast called “Kill Me Now”, Israeli-born comedian Modi Rosenfeld, actor Paul Reiser, and the Yiddish specialist Michael Wex, author of, among other things, the definitive handbook, Born to Kvetch.
The presenters say that Jewish comedy has echoes of “survival because of living on your wits”, and examine how “complaining becomes an art form”. One comedian, asking what were taboo subjects, speculates as to whether “they were cracking jokes at the Pyramids”. Certainly, if you want to add to your store of terrible simcha jokes, this is the place to be.
You can sign up now at: https://yivo.org/Comedy
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
