Borders moment no. 323

YADDA from page 73

of how Jewish culture and American
openness gave birth to a new style of
entertainment.

Between travel and
local interest
is a place called Nirvana.

Jewish Comedic Tradition

Jewish comedians in every generation
have drawn on their tradition in order to
express their deepest feelings about
American culture
whether in vaude-
ville, radio, movies, television or standup.
The book contains excerpts from rou-
tines by George Burns and Gracie Allen;
George Jessel's conversations with his
mother; some of the Marx Brothers'
zany lines; Gertrude Berg's "Molly" con-
versing with her husband; some Henny
Youngman one-liners; Jackie Mason's
Jew-compared-to-gentile routines, and
more.
Epstein tells how the real-life Jack
Benny joined his Orthodox father in the
synagogue on the High Holidays, appar-
ently got bored — and walked out in
the middle of services. His father later
hit him in the face with a prayer book.
Brian Gari, Eddie Cantor's grandson,
describes how the courageous Cantor's
radio program was canceled in the
1930s. He was out of work for a year
after he blasted the infamous Royal
Oak radio priest Father Coughlin for
his anti-Semitism and "playing footsie
with the Nazis."
Cantor's pal, Jack Benny, personally
intervened to get him back on the air.
A book about comedians is not all
happy, Epstein said. "Prejudice and dis-
crimination have persistently haunted
the Jewish smile (hence the book's
name). I tell how comedians of the 20th
century did — and did not — respond
to the rise of Nazism, and how they
dealt with anti-Semitism at home."
Epstein, married with four children,
never performed comedy himself but
uses humor to stimulate his students,
blending jokes into serious material.
Why do Jews make such great come-
dians anyway?
"Throughout history, our people have
been oppressed and have suffered, and
often have been exposed to potential
danger," Epstein replies. "So we laugh
and make others laugh as an escape.
"And, let's face it ... like Seinfeld,
we're just plain funny people."

❑

Jerry Seinfeld performs 7 p.m.
Friday and 7 and 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 5-6, at the Fox
Theatre in Detroit. All three
shows are sold out. In the event
another show is added after press
time, ticket prices are 547-577,
and may be purchased at the Fox,
or by phone through
Ticketmaster, (248) 433-1515.

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