“What’s So Funny, Habibi?”: The Healing Powers of Comedy

Are Jewish jokes funny? Other ethnic/religious jokes? What about blonde jokes? If you have a tough time answering or are becoming more uncomfortable with each question, you’re not alone. Comedy and perceptions of humor are more complicated than you think, dependent on who’s telling the joke, who’s listening, cultural norms, and more. Jewish humor is a big part of our history and identity and the jokes we tell say a lot about our narrative and values.

In this new and interactive workshop designed for high school and college students, the audience will view classic Israeli comedy clips addressing some truly unfunny topics such as war and conflict. While dissecting what’s funny and why, they’ll debate whether any topics should be off limits in comedy. If you ever wanted to give comedy a try, this is your chance as participants will create and present their own humorous dialogue, sharing their perspectives on different Jewish topics for their peers.

After the comedy showcase, the group will enjoy selections from Benji’s standup and hear his personal story of how he turned his summer camp and Young Judaea experience into a full-time career of Jewish humor and education.