An Unforgettable Night of Jewish Humor at the 92nd Street Y

Yiddish novelist Isaac Bashevis Singer once told San Francisco-based NPR talk host Michael Krasny that “Jews suffer from every disease except amnesia.”

Four of The New Yorker’s leading writers, Calvin Trillin, Patricia Marx, Adam Gopnik and Jeffrey Toobin join in conversation with Krasny, author of the bestselling book, Let There Be Laughter: A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It All Means.

[bjrnmgranvang]

Some Jewish Russian refugees arrived at Ben-Gurion International, and a reporter asked them a few questions about what it was like in Russia, like how was the food, the housing, life in general. The Jew that was interviewd said, well you can't complain. Naturally, the reporter asked, so, why move to Israel? Because here you can complain.

[timhopkins]

My favorite Jewish joke was told by Woody Allen as he began his film Annie Hall. "Two Jewish women are dining for the first time at this resort in the Catskills. The women eat their meals and then one of the women says "the food here is terrible!" The other woman replies " and in such small portions!"

[tonygitts]

I'm not Jewish but thoroughly enjoyed the show and all the humor 😄 😀 would love to see and hear much more 😀 😄 😊



m not Jewish but thor

[nancya]

Some of my favorite people on a panel discussing a favorite topic. And yet, not great.

[cindygordon]

Love the dichotomy of inferiority yet we know we ‘re great! Watching this delightful, funny smart show I totally
embrace my Jewishness - Yiddish et al! Thank you-just superb! Another book sale!

[Dan_The_Dude]

My favourite Jewish joke:
A Hasidic man goes to his rabbi and says "Rabbi, you'll never believe what just happened to me; my son left home and became a Christian!" And the rabbi says "unbelievable! My son also left home and became a Christian!" So the man asks the rabbi "well, what should we do about it" and the rabbi says "we should pray to G-d and seek His guidance." And so they pray and G-d answers and say "you'll never believe what happened to me"

[VickyScher]

A young man decided to leave the Shtetl and go to New York. Leaving his Mother behind off he went. When he got there being on his own he would go and eat dinner every evening at the same diner and order the same menu of steak. Each day he would cut off the first bite and then devour the rest. The owner couldn’t make out this process, apologetically he went to the guy and asked him why he cuts off the first piece. His reply was “when I left my Mother she wished me all the Blessings, but if I eat Treif (non kosher) may you choke on the first bite so that piece put to the side.

[adamchurvis]

Greatest Jewish joke of all time (that not one Goy will ever understand, much less laugh at):
Skippy and Chip, two Gentile businessmen, meet for lunch. Skippy asks Chip, "How's business?" Chip says, "Great!"

[Traderjoe]

Some of the funniest parts of this is watching them try and contain their frustration at trying to get their jokes out before the other panelist can

[frisco]

How many Jewish grandmothers does it take to screw in a light bulb? None. I'll just sit in the dark.

[rareword]

The meeting could have started this way.
- The Jews developed a sense of humor because of their suffering.
- But other people have suffered too.
- Yes, that's true, but they didn't find it funny.

[jimenabronfman]

The Jewish Mother gives his son two shirts. The next day, the son puts on one of the shirts. The Jewish Mother cries: You didn't like the other shirt?

[rogermansour]

ARCHIE BUNKER EULEGY FOR STRETCH CUNNINGHAM. ON ALL IN THE FAMILY TOTALLY HILARIOUS.

[TheBuzzCatt]

Is this a jewish joke? A Rabbit, a Minister and a Priest walk into a bar. The Rabbit says, "I think I'm a misprint."

[Laudon]

Sylvia and Irving, Jewish couple from Queens, it’s their 49th anniversary. Irving plans a big evening, he buys tickets for great seats at the hottest Broadway show, makes reservations at a three Michelin Star restaurant, and even rents a limousine.

At the end of the night, in the limousine headed back over the 59th Street Bridge, Sylvia says “Irving, forty years we’ve been married now. After all this time, is there maybe something you’d want different or do different?”

Irving thinks for a while and says “Sylvia, you’re my wife, I love you, we’ve been married forty years, but sometimes, when we’re making love, I want you should moan a little.”

Sylvia thinks for a while and says “Irving, you’re my husband, I love you, we’ve been married forty years, for you I’ll moan.”

So later that night they’re making love and Sylvia says “Now Irving?” “Not yet Sylvia.” A little later “_Now_ Irving?’, “Not yet Sylvia, I’ll tell you when!”

A little later Irving shouts “Now Sylvia, now!” And Sylvia says puts a hand to her forehead and says the shopping I have to do!”

[robertreese]

Great comedy, love most of it just don’t understand the Yiddish words . Thanks for sharing the humor and yes it dose help to take away pain both physical and mental ‼️

[jacobs]

I’m not complaining but I do notice that it is just a natural phenomenon that the woman on stage has hard time getting a word in edge wise. But it’s ok because her suffering will be rewarded..🤣

[Albert-Plays-Roblox]

A joke that may not be Jewish, but i don’t think it would be offensive: a jewish family changes areas and the only school nearby is a catholic school, so their boy goes to the Catholic school. After a week, the boy comes home with a perfect A in his maths test, even though in his previous school he was not very strong in maths. His mom is amazed and asks him: “wow, how did you get this A in maths?” The boy answers: “well, as soon as you enter the school, you see this huge statue of a guy nailed on a plus sign, so I figured they take their maths extremely seriously’

[keineahnung]

Old Seymour is on his deathbed, almost gone, with a whisper he asks:
Rebecca are you here? Yes dear, right by your side
David are you here too? Yes dad, just at your left side
Sarah, are you also here? Yes father, I'm holding your hand.
To this he says, then who is minding the store?

[harryrobertson]

'Mom say's it's for the shiva' joke - I heard this as a Welsh joke (- scones/funeral tea) around 30 years ago.