This program is virtual only, register for the Zoom link at cbict.org. FilmShul presents “Super FunnyJewish Men”: Quick with one-liners! Precise with physical comedy! Able to tell hilarious stories in a single routine! Look! Up on the stage! It’s a funny Jewish man! Actually, there have been a lot of them out there making us laugh over the years, spanning the decades from vaudeville, radio, the Borscht Belt and nightclubs through TV, records, movies and beyond. Meet the greatest and latest in the business, including Jack Benny, George Burns, Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, Don Rickles, Jack E. Leonard, Rodney Dangerfield, Lenny Bruce, Mel & Woody and such contemporary voices as Albert Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Gilbert Gottfried, Jon Stewart, Sacha Baron Cohen and, yes, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. All are pioneers, all are distinctive, and all are seriously funny.
FilmShul is an informative, engaging and fun presentation on Hollywood and the Jewish American Experience, curated by noted film historians Irv Slifkin and Laurence Lerman and specifically designed for Zoom interactivity. FilmShul also focuses on the history and role of Jews in the entertainment industries, which they have been involved with since the earliest days. The Jewish people were trailblazers in all mediums--vaudeville, theater,radio, movies and television--and their stamp has remained indelible throughout the decades. The role of FilmShul is to reflect on and relate to the American Jewish experience so audiences will be informed and entertained, and recognize the valuable contributions made by entertainment innovators of the Jewish faith.