Celebrating a Century of Laughter

Have you ever wondered why Jews are so funny? Or what constitutes Jewish humor?

If you could use a few laughs right now, consider spending three Monday afternoons exploring “Jewish Screen Comedy,” one of the many exciting classes being offered by Exchange: A Hub for Learning, the wildly successful adult education program at the Boulder JCC.

Join me April 13, 20 and 27 from 1-3 pm for a romp through a century of laughter, with lots of clips to illustrate the rich history of Jewish humor – from silent films to the early talkies, from Yiddish film and the Yiddish theater to vaudeville, from the Catskills to TV variety shows, from radio to TV sitcoms (yes, a Jewish woman invented the sitcom!), from Mad Magazine to the Golden Age of Jewish screen comedy, concluding with a survey of today’s premier purveyors of shtick, black comedy, and witty dramas.

Here’s an abbreviated list of funny people who we will discuss:

Woody Allen, Judd Apatow, Noah Baumbach, Gertrude Berg, Milton Berle, Albert Brooks, Mel Brooks, George Burns, Sid Caeser, The Coen Brothers, Sasha Baron Cohen, Billy Crystal, George Cukor, Larry David, Jerry Lewis, Ernst Lubitsch, The Marx Brothers, Paul Mazursky, Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Molly Picon, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Seth Rogen, Josh and Benny Safdie, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Peter Sellers, Neil Simon, Ben Stiller, Billy Wilder, Gene Wilder, and Zucker, Zucker and Abrahams.

Come prepared to laugh – and get lots of recommendation of movies to watch at home – as we celebrate the Jewish comedy geniuses who have left an indelible mark on American cinema.

Register here for Jewish Screen Comedy: Celebrating a Century of Laughter.