In the 1970s, Time Magazine estimated that Jewish people made up a mere 3% of people in America, yet about 80% of professional American comedians are Jewish.
With the vast majority of comedians being Jewish, Jews have a powerful voice in the comedy world. What’s the hidden secret to the success of Jewish comedy? Antisemitism.
Jewish comedy dates back to the “Borscht Belt” of the early 1900s. The “Borscht Belt,” or “Jewish Alps,” was a series of resorts found in the Catskills, where many Jewish immigrants vacationed during their summers. Its name, “Borscht Belt,” similar to the Bible Belt, alludes to a Ukrainian soup that is popular throughout Eastern Europe, where many Ashkenazi Jews originate from. During the 1920s and 1930s, many resorts and hotels across America refused service to Jewish families. The resorts in the Catskills did the opposite, inviting Jews with open arms, providing them with kosher options and freedom to observe their own religion. As more Jewish people came to the Catskills’ resorts, Jewish comedians saw an opportunity to jumpstart their careers. Mel Brooks, Jerry Stiller, Woody Allen, and Lenny Bruce are a few among the Jewish comedians who took the opportunity of a Jewish audience in upstate New York, leading to their eventual fame. A similar theme among the successful comedians’ comedy routines were punchlines based on Jewish stereotypes.
For centuries, Jewish people have been burdened by stereotypes relating to their features, occupations, and overall behavior. To cope with rises in antisemitism throughout the country, comedy surrounding these offensive remarks helped put a positive spin on negative stereotypes. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, explained that “Jewish humor was a defense mechanism: a form of sublimated aggression that lets victims of persecution safely cope with their condition.” For as long as they’ve been around, Jewish people have been faced with violence and aggression from people across the world, increasing the amount of coping needed.
Joseph Telushkin, an American Rabbi, claimed “…that there are certain ‘Jewish sensibilities’ that create Jewish humor, including anxieties over antisemitism or money, family pressures, or assimilation.” Similar to what Freud argued, Rabbi Telushkin believed that Jewish humor has much to do with built-up oppression. The circumstances that Jews have been presented with contribute to why Jewish comedy is so unique.
Marginalized groups across the world utilize this coping mechanism as well. Jewish actress and comedian Sarah Silverman added, “Jews, Black people – any people who are hated or who have suffered, either as individuals or as a people – use humor. It is a survival skill.”
Jackie Mason, an icon of Jewish humor, made his way from being a Rabbi, to one of the most well-known Jewish comedians. His routines frequently poked fun at American Jewish culture. A common joke he used would stem from the idea that Jews constantly complain about minor details. For example, one quip he shared was about how Jews spend so much time at diners and restaurants being picky, “kvetching” about where they eat, that non-Jews have already finished eating by the time the Jews sit down. Similarly, Jewish and Israeli stand-up comedian Modi Rosenfeld made a similar joke about Ashkenazi Jews constantly whining about their rabbis. “Ashkenazi? ‘What a schmuck. What a putz…He’s just a rabbi! And you should know, I’m more of a Rabbi than he’ll ever be.’” Both Mason and Rosenfeld’s jokes relate to the stereotype that Jews, specifically Ashkenazi, are constantly complaining and can find something wrong in any situation. These comedians were able to put a fun spin on what is typically a harmful stereotype while catering to people of all religions. Since these comedians are Jewish themselves, few bat an eyelash towards any antisemitic rhetoric they use in their comedy routines.
Though many popular Jewish comedians have painted an image of themselves based on using ethnic and religious self-deprecating humor, there are others who think this form of comedy is harmful. Gary Gulman, a Jewish comedian, shared with Vulture Magazine, “I hope I’m not overstating it, but I really believe that comedians have a great deal of power and influence — especially the super-famous ones — because you can let the audience off the hook. If I go on there and I say, ‘Yes, we’re cheap and we’re money-oriented and we’re weak and soft,’ I feel like the audiences are going to say, ‘See? See?’ At worst, it’s damaging to the discourse. So I’m very careful not to let the audience off the hook by playing into these stereotypes. It’s dangerous.”
Someone who arguably took Jewish humor a step too far was Dave Chappelle. Chappelle, a Muslim stand-up comedian and actor, recently came under fire for his controversial monologue on Saturday Night Live. As Chappelle began his monologue, he read off of a prepared note, “I denounce antisemitism in all its forms, and I stand with my friends in the Jewish community.” This comment was directly targeted towards popular music artist Kanye West, or Ye, who, at the time of Chappelle’s SNL appearance, was repeatedly seen in the news making antisemitic remarks towards Jewish people through social media. Moments later, Chappelle said, “You know the rules of perception. If they’re Black, then it’s a gang. If they’re Italian, it’s a mob. If they’re Jewish, it’s a coincidence and you should never speak about it.” He later added, “I’ve been to Hollywood and this is what I saw … it’s a lot of Jews.” Many within the Jewish community were angered by his monologue, and thought that he had no place to make these comments since Chappelle is not Jewish. After his SNL feature, the Jerusalem Post posted on X, formerly Twitter, “American comedian Dave Chappelle said during his SNL monologue that he ‘denounces antisemitism in all its forms’… before promptly engaging in antisemitic tropes.” One of the antisemitic tropes Chappelle explicitly referenced is that Jewish people run Hollywood and show business. Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, responded to Chappelle’s comments on X, writing, “Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?”
These critiques are particularly relevant now, with antisemitism on the rise. According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have exceeded 3,000 since October 2023, an increase of roughly 360% compared to last year. As hate towards the Jewish people has been reinforced across the country, some can’t help but wonder whether self-deprecating humor from Jewish comedians will do more harm than good.
As comedian Jacob Scheer said, “I find it ironic that at a time where more Jewish comedians feel comfortable expressing their Judaism (i.e. wearing a yarmulke, making Jewish-oriented content) and not hiding it (by changing their name for example), we also see an up-swelling of outright antisemitism. I don’t think — and hope — those two things are not related, but I find it really interesting and sad.”
Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, explained that “Jewish humor was a defense mechanism: a form of sublimated aggression that lets victims of persecution safely cope with their condition.”