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A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

Jewish Humor

A photo of Mel Brooks taken for Mademoiselle Magazine while Brooks was filming “History of the World: Part I” in 1980-81.

5 questions for Mel Brooks about ‘The History of the World Part II’

By Curt Schleier, The ForwardPublished February 27, 2023

There’s a surprise in the credits for Mel Brooks’ The History of the World Part II. Ike Barinholz, Nick Kroll and Wanda Sykes are among the credited writers. The 2,000-year-old man is not. Go figure. On the face of it, you’d think the 2,000-year-old...

‘Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me’

The real story behind Sammy Davis Jr.’s conversion to Judaism

By Beth Harpaz, The ForwardPublished February 23, 2023

Sammy Davis Jr. was a short and skinny Black man with one eye. His wife was white, his mother was Puerto Rican and he was a convert to Judaism. In the crass and racist world of mid-20th century comedy, he was a walking punchline, even in his own routines. “When...

A caricature of Richard Belzer and his dog from "Even More Old Jewish Comedians," by Drew Friedman. (Courtesy Drew Friedman/Fantagraphics Books, Inc.)

Richard Belzer was a Jewish comedian. Why didn’t his obituaries say so?

Eddy Portnoy, JTAPublished February 23, 2023

(JTA) — Ever hear Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” sung in Yiddish dialect? It used to be a regular bit performed by comedian and actor Richard Belzer, who died this week at 78. He also used to do a routine about Bob Dylan’s bar mitzvah in...

Marc Maron in From Bleak to Dark. Courtesy of HBO

You want it darker? Marc Maron’s game.

By PJ Grisar, The ForwardPublished February 21, 2023

Marc Maron knows there’s one topic he just can’t leave alone.  “I don’t know why — every show, there’s part of me that just wants to keep poking the Jew thing,” the stand-up comic says in his new HBO special, From Bleak to Dark....

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

Richard Belzer, comedian and Jewish TV cop for all seasons, dies at 78

By PJ Grisar, The ForwardPublished February 19, 2023

Richard Belzer, the stand-up comedian who left an indelible mark on television in the character of Det. John Munch, a tough and versatile Jewish cop, has died at the age of 78. His death was first reported on social media by his friend, the actor...

Larry David attends a bat mitzvah in a season 6 episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” (HBO)

No joke, the entire history of Jewish comedy is in this one book

Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTAPublished February 19, 2023

(JTA) — In the 2020 comedy “Shiva Baby,” a 20-something young woman shows up at a house of Jewish mourners and gently offers her condolences. When she finds her mother in the kitchen, they chat about the funeral and the rugelach before the daughter...

Jun 11, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Josh Gad presents at the 71st TONY Awards at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Actor Josh Gad shares personal story of grandfather’s Holocaust survival

Jewish News Service, Special To The Jewish LightPublished February 13, 2023

(JNS) Los Angeles-based nonprofit, If You Heard What I Heard, is proud to announce the release of Josh Gad’s interview as part of its digital storytelling collection to preserve Holocaust memory and make it relatable for today. Gad’s interview is...

The Judaism consultant for Netflix’s ‘You People’ talks about that Yom Kippur scene

The Judaism consultant for Netflix’s ‘You People’ talks about that Yom Kippur scene

Esther D. Kustanowitz and Erin Ben-Moche, Special To The Jewish LightPublished February 10, 2023

This article first appeared in J. The Jewish News of Northern California One of the first scenes of “You People,” the controversial new Netflix rom-com about a white Jewish-Black Muslim couple, takes place during Yom Kippur services. In the scene,...

Image courtesy of JaimeGeller.com

25 things you didn’t know about Jaime Geller

Jordan Palmer and Jaime GellerPublished February 9, 2023

Jamie Geller influences millions every day. Known as the “Jewish Rachael Ray” (The New York Times), and the “Queen of Kosher” (CBS) 7-time best-selling author Jamie Geller is the Founder and CEO of Kosher Network international (KNi), the #1...

Family and friends say the funniest things

Family and friends say the funniest things

Amy Fenster, Special To The Jewish LightPublished February 9, 2023

You darling readers have given me some wonderful feedback on this column, and I appreciate it. I especially love when you think I’m funny. Actually, I think my friends are way funnier than me. So I thought I’d share a couple of their stories to prove...

Here are the teams competing in the Third Annual Fabulous Feud Live

Here are the teams competing in the Third Annual Fabulous Feud Live

Published February 8, 2023

J Associates will hold its third annual Fabulous Feud Live fundraiser on Saturday, March 4 at the Pageant. In the same spirit as the popular television game show “Family Feud,” Fabulous Feud Live features families from the community who will team...

Alicia Silverstone, reprising the role of Cher Horowitz in an ad for Rakuten. by Youtube screenshot

Do Paul Rudd and Alicia Silverstone’s Super Bowl ads hold the key to eternal youth?

PJ Grisar, The ForwardPublished February 7, 2023

Super Bowl commercials can range from aspirational to flavor-blasted. There are usually chest-thumping displays of patriotism, weepy spots involving Clydesdales and audience-submitted Doritos short films. But could they also hold a clue to eternal youth? Two...

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