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jewish comedians
In this January 4, 2015 file photo Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
January 30, 2020, 10:04 pm
Comedy club drops comedian Ari Shaffir after comment about Kobe Bryant
Jewish comedian lambasted for celebrating a ‘great day’ after the basketball star and his 13-year-old daughter died in a helicopter crash
By JTA
Dan Palladino and Amy Sherman-Palladino are the husband and wife team behind "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." (Steve Zak Photography/Getty Images/Amazon Prime via JTA)
January 9, 2020, 3:29 am
The minds behind Mrs. Maisel on how they aim to represent Jews on screen
Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino, the married couple behind the show, explore comedy’s Jewish roots, stereotypes, Jewish mothers and Lenny Bruce
By Emily Burack
Mel Brooks on 'Mel Brooks Unwrapped': 'It is kind of a walk through my life, a memoir. Some of it is funny and some of it is moving and touching.' (HBO via JTA)
December 17, 2019, 5:13 am
Mel Brooks gets serious in HBO special — but there’s plenty of shtick, too
‘It is kind of a walk through my life,’ the 93-year-old says of ‘Mel Brooks Unwrapped,’ an introspective look at a nearly 60-year career from the Catskills to Hollywood
By Curt Schleier
Tiffany Haddish in her 2019 Netflix comedy special, 'Black Mitzvah.' (Courtesy Netflix)
November 27, 2019, 3:57 pm
Tiffany Haddish says ‘She ready’ for onscreen Netflix bat mitzvah
African-American Jewish comedian/actress celebrates her ‘Black Mitzvah’ at 40, in a program streaming from December 3. But while it may be funny, the occasion is no joke for her
By Jordan Hoffman
Jenny Slate in 'Stage Fright.' (Screenshot from Netflix/via JTA)
November 3, 2019, 1:59 am
‘Stage Fright’ is an intimate, extremely Jewish portrait of Jenny Slate
The comedian’s latest Netflix special isn’t just the answer to every appreciator of Jew jokes — it’s an expression of vulnerability in an increasingly curated public sphere
By Emily Burack
(Collage by Kveller via JTA)
October 28, 2019, 4:37 am
Even prior to ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ Jews have long played Nazis onscreen
Jewish-Polynesian director Taika Waititi’s latest film has stirred controversy for its humorous portrayal of Hitler, but lampooning the 20th century’s greatest villain is tradition
By Lior Zaltzman
Sarah Silverman at a photo op for Hulu's "I Love You America" at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, Oct. 11, 2017. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images via JTA)
October 15, 2019, 7:33 pm
Sarah Silverman films late-night pilot series for HBO
Jewish comedian says show will feature commentary ‘on the mishigas of the week’ and that no topic is ‘off the table’
By Marcy Oster
Josh Gondelman's new book is 'Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results.' (Mindy Tucker/via JTA)
October 7, 2019, 4:09 am
Josh Gondelman is the nicest guy in comedy
The comedian’s book, ‘Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results,’ out this past Tuesday, draws on Judaism to illustrate the contrast between ‘niceness’ and ‘goodness’
By Emily Burack
Chloe Fineman is one of the newest members of "SNL." (Chloe Fineman/Instagram via JTA)
September 13, 2019, 1:04 am
SNL adds Jewish comedian Chloe Fineman for upcoming season
The comic is one of three new faces on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ including the show’s first Asian-American cast member
By Emily Burack
Andy Kindler has frequently referenced the Holocaust in his comedy. (Courtesy of Just for Laughs/via JTA)
August 10, 2019, 4:46 am
Jewish comic Andy Kindler says Donald Trump is the joke that keeps on giving
‘Comedy in the Reagan era pales in comparison,’ the ombudsman of stand-up tells peers at Just for Laughs in Montreal, calling the president’s ‘racism’ an inspiration for humorists
By Steve North
Comedian Elon Gold talks at John Jay College in New York, February 26, 2017. He has incorporated Jew-hatred into his comedy sets for years. (Shahar Azran/Getty Images/via JTA)
July 27, 2019, 6:17 am
Jewish comedians aim to deflate modern anti-Semitism with laughs
‘The only way we can fight them is by mocking them and exposing the ignorance of their bigotry,’ said Elon Gold ahead of the July 22 Just for Laughs festival in Montreal
By Steve North
Netflix's Historical Roasts host Jeff Ross wore a yellow armband with a Star of David on it in an episode about Anne Frank, May 27, 2019. (YouTube screenshot)
June 13, 2019, 11:40 am
Jewish comedian Jeff Ross defends Netflix roast of Anne Frank
‘You can’t take back the lives lost, but by making Hitler and the Nazis a joke, I think that’s a victory,’ comic says day before what would have been famed diarist’s 90th birthday
By Josefin Dolsten
Rachel Wenitsky is the Jewish queen of satire. (Alma/via JTA)
May 28, 2019, 4:18 pm
Rachel Wenitsky is the Jewish queen of satire
The writer, actress, and podcaster talks about her inspiration, how Judaism has influenced her comedy, and that time she made her bat mitzvah Torah reading into a pop diva concert
By Arielle Kaplan
Collage of Ester Steinberg. (Alma via JTA)
April 26, 2019, 11:11 pm
Ester Steinberg’s ‘Hebrew School Dropout’ is the comedy album of our dreams
Stand-up’s new release fluctuates between sex jokes and bits about weed, but during the 50 minutes of comedic gold, one theme remains the same — her Jewish identity
By Arielle Kaplan
Venezuelan-American comedian, writer, and actress Joanna Hausmann during an interview in Central Park in New York on April 17, 2019 (Don Emmert / AFP)
April 22, 2019, 1:34 pm
Venezuelan comic of Jewish descent pokes fun at stereotypes
Red-haired tornado of energy Joanna Hausmann likes to explore how puzzled Americans are when she says she’s Latina
By Laura BONILLA
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