jewish comedians

Sacha Baron Cohen in the trailer to the Borat sequel. The trailer was released by Amazon on October 1, 2020. (Amazon Studios)

October 25, 2020, 3:49 pm

Borat 2’s Jewish gags run the gamut from anti-Semitic to very nice

Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Subsequent Moviefilm’ doesn’t just mock age-old stereotypes; it also tackles Holocaust denial and the hate that now pervades social media

By Gabe Friedman

A still of Sacha Baron Cohen from 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.' (Courtesy Amazon)

October 21, 2020, 7:07 pm

‘Borat 2’: Original’s insanity and anti-Semitism, multiplied by a factor of 2020

In the long-awaited sequel starring Sacha Baron Cohen, out Oct. 23 on Amazon, the undercover comedian exposes real-life Jew-haters, creepy conservative fathers — and Rudy Giuliani

By Jordan Hoffman

Seth Rogen in 'An American Pickle.' (Courtesy HBO)

August 4, 2020, 4:43 pm

‘An American Pickle’ is half-sour, still charming bite of Jewish magical realism

Streaming August 6 on HBO Max, Seth Rogen’s new caper features a surprisingly powerful performance by the comedian/producer. With significant shortcomings, it still has moments

By Jordan Hoffman

Jerry Seinfeld in his new Netflix special, '23 Hours to Kill.' (Screenshot)

May 8, 2020, 5:32 am

Say what you want, in ’23 Hours to Kill’ Seinfeld really commits to a joke

While not reinventing the wheel, the comedy special is as polished and entertaining as one would expect — and even more genuine

By Yaakov Schwartz

Noam Shuster-Eliassi with corona couture. (Courtesy/ Instagram)

May 6, 2020, 11:10 pm

LISTEN: Israeli comic with COVID-19 does sick comedy for captive hotel audience

Harvard fellowship cut short, one-woman show postponed, and stricken with virus, Noam Shuster-Eliassi finds plenty to laugh about with diverse crowd of fellow patients in Jerusalem

By Rich Tenorio

March 24, 2020, 3:32 am

Heard the one about Hitler killing another Jew? My kid told it during quarantine

LISTEN: Only in Israel can a coronavirus patient with a wicked sense of humor become a celeb. Funnymen Jonathan Barak, Asaf Beiser, Benji Lovitt and Yisrael Campbell explain why

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

Ben Schwartz arrives at the LA Premiere of 'Sonic The Hedgehog' at the Paramount Studios on Saturday, January 25, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/ Invision/AP)

February 29, 2020, 3:57 am

‘Sonic: The Hedgehog’ actor Ben Schwartz is still a neurotic Jew from Riverdale

Despite Hollywood success and new friendship with Billy Crystal formed on the set of indie flick ‘Standing Up, Falling Down,’ funnyman admits he still worries about his next gig

By Curt Schleier

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

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