100 Years of Jewish Comedy
Join us for the new Laugh and Learn series
100 YEARS OF JEWISH HUMOR, COMEDY & SATIRE
Grab a bowl of popcorn, and sit back to watch and discuss films and comedy shows featuring the iconic Jewish comedians who helped to define our culture and our “laughscape.”
Instructor Ran Keren is an agronomist turned sociologist who was drawn to the study of comedy, leading him to research political comedy and satire for his PhD dissertation. He published articles on television comedy, satire, and political cartoons, and currently teaches at Alexander College.
There are many ways to connect to Jewish culture, identity, and history; for Ran, it’s humor, as when we share a laugh, we share a world.
Bring your lunch and your sense of humor. We’ll provide the popcorn.
In the Aceman Lounge.
Free for members. Non-members: $5.00 at the door.
Mondays 11:00am – 12:30pm
October 19 – From Radio to the Small Screen and the Birth of the Sitcom
Before television, radio was big, and no one in radio was bigger than Jack Benny. We will watch some of Benny’s work, his adaptation to television, and how he integrated Jewish themes and humor into his show. We also watch and discuss The Goldbergs, another radio show adapted to TV and considered to be an early template for sitcom.
Other lectures in the series
- November 9 – Cinema Comics
- November 23 – The Small Screen
- December 7 – Stand-up Comedy
- December 14 – Political Comedy and Satire