The date was August 12, 2022. I was in line at Protzel’s Deli when the mother of an old friend came up behind me and said, “Jordy, why do you publish a ‘Jewish Joke of the Week’ in the Morning Light?” She said it upset her because she believed that in publishing Jewish humor, I was perpetuating Jewish stereotypes and tropes. I did my best to explain my belief that as Jews, we love to laugh and love to laugh at ourselves. I also explained that we laugh at the very things we as Jews identify as being Jewish.

My answer seemed to satisfy my old friend’s mother for a moment. Then, she said, “I just don’t understand Jewish humor sometimes.” That got me thinking, How does one understand Jewish humor? Why do we think of Jews as funny? Should I have ordered the Schlepper instead of Ronny’s Special?’

Clearly, I was dealing with a lot of big picture questions I was not equipped to answer. If only I could find someone who could explain Jewish humor.

Explaining Jewish humor

On March 21, 2024, YIVO is launching an online course that explains Jewish humor like never before. The title of the course even incorporates a joke I once used:

“What did the waiter say to the Jewish mothers sitting in a restaurant? ‘Hello, is anything OK?’”

You can learn more about the course here, but for now:

Your Jewish Joke Of The Week

A priest, a minster, and a rabbit walk into a bar. The rabbit says, “I think I’m a typo.”

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 6, 2020