Is all humor Jewish? - book review

• Author: HANNAH GAL
• Published date: 05 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

"I don't know what it is," David replied, "I know that there's a lot of Jews in comedy, there's a lot of complaining and being dealt a bad hand – it's Tevye isn't it? The weight of the world on your shoulders."

David's choice of Shalom Aleichem's famous protagonist is spot on – Fiddler's battered hero has become synonymous with the chosen people's persecution and punishing trials. Jaded Tevye's famous question to God, "once in a while, can't you choose someone else?" embodies not just Jews' need to bemoan their misfortune but also, their unique ability to find humor in their unforgiving plight.

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David's assertion that there are "a lot of Jews in comedy" is also on the mark – in fact, in 1978, Time magazine has estimated that around 80% of professional American comics were Jewish. Comedic icons Sid Caesar, Jack Benny and The Marx Brothers laid the cornerstone of American light entertainment, followed by the likes of Woody Allen, Jackie Mason and Phil Silvers, all the way to Shandling, Seinfeld, Jon Stewart and the politically incorrect Borat.

In celebration of Jews' unparalleled contribution to American, and consequently, world culture, Reel Art Press has released The Small Book of Jewish Comedians by Bobby Slayton and Tony Nourmand. Introduced by stand-up comedian Slayton, it includes stylish portraits of the famous humorists and some of the finest and funniest jokes ever delivered.

Published in conjunction with the exhibition of Jewish Comedians at La Térmica Cultural Center in Málaga, Spain in November 2021, it features comedians who perfected their craft in vaudeville, Las Vegas, film, television and the Borscht Belt – often referred to as the Jewish Alps – in New York's Catskill Mountains.

The long list of comedians' names includes the stars and writers of the most popular film, theater and TV shows ever aired. It starts with Alan King, Albert Brooks and Andy Kaufman, and continues with Bill Maher, Billy Crystal, Carl Reiner, Danny Kaye and Don Rickles, all the way to Shandling, Mason, Seinfeld and Sacha Baron Cohen. Other notable names include Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, Lenny Bruce, George Burns, Rodney Dangerfield, Larry David, Roseanne Barr, Jerry Lewis, Joan Rivers and Neil Simon among many others.

Next to every comedian is a selection of their humorous gems, some of which have become as famous as...