Of Passovers and Pandemics

Jewish people are famous for their sense of humor. From George Burns to Jon Stewart, Joan Rivers to Sarah Silverman, Mel Brooks to Seth Rogen, we have inherited a legacy of funny Jews saying funny things…often about being Jewish.

For some Jewish comics—indeed for many Jews, period—comedy is often a way to first process, and then celebrate, that which makes us different. Even when times are tough, there's always a Jew somewhere with a joke that will help you put everything in perspective.

This year, 2020, as we celebrate a Passover that's very different from the ones we're used to, in the face of a frightening pandmic that is reshaping the way we interact with one another, it feels difficult to keep a good sense of humor, to tell jokes, to make one another laugh. But if laughter is indeed the best medicine (and if there's one profession more popular for Jews than comedy, it's medicine), there isn't a better time for a dose.


haggadah Section: Introduction