What's So Funny About Antisemitism? With Raanan Hershberg
5/13/202646 min
America has enjoyed a golden age of Jewish comedy: Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, and Amy Schumer are just some of the luminaries that have graced our stages and televisions. But with antisemitism on the rise and Israel becoming more divisive than ever, can Jewish comedians still thrive? For our second episode honoring Jewish American Heritage Month, Noam is in conversation with Raanan Hershberg, a brilliant comedian who tackles questions of identity and ideology in his latest special, Morbidly Jewish. With Noam, Raanan opens up about his childhood as a Conservative Jew in Kentucky, his concerns about antisemitism masquerading as anti-zionism, and why the Old Testament might explain Jewish humor. Be sure to check out Raanan's latest special, Morbidly Jewish, here: https://youtu.be/2Kc6151SE1U?si=KCetUPtHiGtJUWsgFor more on Raanan, visit https://www.raananhershberg.com/ Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on YouTube.
This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4 For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsNoam Weissman· Host0:00
If you've ever wondered what Jewish identity actually looks like across history, across culture, and ideas, there's a book series you should know about, and it's one of my favorite in the entire world, like ever. Jewish Lives is a prize-winning series of biographies from Yale University Press, created in partnership with the Leon D. Black Foundation. Each book takes a single Jewish figure, from writers and thinkers to artists, leaders, and visionaries, and uses their life to explore the many dimensions of the Jewish experience. These aren't dry histories. I can't stop reading them. Like, I really can't. I love them. Jewish Lives pairs leading scholars and writers with compelling subjects to tell stories that are deeply informed, readable, and surprisingly human, spanning antiquity to the present. If you're looking to better understand Judaism, Jewish culture, the Jewish story, and what it has meant to live a Jewish life in different times and places, Jewish Lives is a powerful place to start. Go to jewishlives.org and use the coupon code JLIFE to get a discount. [upbeat music] Welcome to Wandering Jews with Michal and Noam. This podcast is our way of trying to unpack those big questions about Israel, about Judaism, and about the Jewish experience. Today, I have the great fortune to have sitting next to me Raanan Hershberg.
Raanan Hershberg· Guest1:25
Good to be here.
Noam Weissman· Host1:26
What's up, Raanan?
Raanan Hershberg· Guest1:27
I thought you were gonna... I was thinking you were gonna pronounce my name more