Debunking Viral Claim About the Talmud and Minors
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A look at five Jewish comedians whose unique voices helped shape a changing era in comedy. Each in their own unexpected, memorable way.
The early 2000s ushered in an era of downloading music, the advent of social media, and so much reality TV many thought the classically scripted sitcom might go the way of the dodo. All of this, filtered through a post-9/11 mentality, dramatically shifted the comedy landscape. But these Jewish comedians didn’t just survive, they thrived, each in their own distinct way.
Some leaned into cynicism, others embraced innovation, and a few stuck to their roots, only to find that the Internet had finally caught up with them.
Here’s a nostalgic trip through five Jewish comedy legends who found their voice during the start of the new millennium.
As far back as the late 80s, Mitch Hurwitz had been sharpening his chops on shows like The Golden Girls, The John Larroquette Show, and The Ellen Show. But in 2003, everything changed with Arrested Development. While it may not have reached Friends or Seinfeld levels of mass fame, it did something arguably more impressive: it reinvented how sitcoms could work.
Instead of aiming for the standard “six jokes a minute,” Arrested went for rapid-fire, layered comedy, jokes within jokes, foreshadowing that paid off seasons later, and absurd sight gags hiding in plain sight. It even mocked the “Next time on…” format by teasing hilariously fake future episodes.
Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Michael Cera all became household names, and although it was canceled abruptly midway through its third season, its resurrection on Netflix proved it had an iconic cultural status. Even if its revival never reached the heights of its previous iteration, it helped cement Netflix’s vision of making streaming television a game-changing factor in the industry. Its DNA is all over shows like Community, Rick and Morty, Modern Family, and The Good Place. While the Bluth family wasn’t technically Jewish, Hurwitz’s heritage showed up in winks and nods: like George Sr. converting in prison or a Chabad mitzvah tank running over an oversized cockroach mascot. Iconic.
At first glance, Sacha Baron Cohen might seem like he’s just playing into offensive stereotypes. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find he’s doing something much sharper, satire so committed it becomes performance art.
Channeling the legacy of boundary-pushers like Mel Brooks or the character of Archie Bunker, Cohen doesn’t make fun of the stereotype, but those who would ridicule the stereotype. By inventing a hybrid style: part character comedy, part documentary ambush, his characters are the bait. The real punchlines come from how people react to them, all unscripted and painfully real.
Without any scripts, Cohen relies on his improvisation to capture hilarious and cringe-filled moments. He started with Ali G, a thug-culture-obsessed poseur and idiot doing short but awkward interviews. Borat would catapult the comedian to world recognition. Fully committing to the character of an antisemitic reporter from Kazakhstan, Borat is a full-length feature with a complete character arc all made from real interviews.
What makes Cohen more than a character actor who happens to be funny is his commitment to putting himself out there without a script or a safety net. In doing so, he has produced some of the most sincere and transformative comedy in decades.
If you’ve seen Curb Your Enthusiasm, you’ve probably flinched (and laughed hysterically) at Susie Greene. Played by Susie Essman, the foul-mouth, screaming matriarch was a caricature of the Jewish mother, but the character’s power lies in how uncomfortably familiar she feels. That’s what made her iconic.
Essman cut her teeth in stand-up alongside Larry David back in the ‘80s, eventually landing guest spots, bit roles, and an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Then in 2000, David offered her the role that would define her career.
Her Jewish mother career isn’t limited to the bombastic foil for Larry David. On Broad City, she took her Jewish mother persona to absurd new heights as Bobbi Wexler, Ilana’s hilariously unfiltered mom.
Essman believes her keen comedic style comes from her eastern European Jewish background saying, “In Judaism, there’s something about questioning. To be a learned person, you’re studying the Talmud and the Torah. And you’re always questioning it. ...You’re supposed to constantly analyze and question. That tremendously lends itself to comedy, don’t you think?”
Couldn’t agree more.
Most people know Alex Borstein from her award-winning role as Susie Myerson from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but chances are you've heard her way before that. She's been everywhere. From voicing Lois Griffin in over 440 episodes of Family Guy to appearances on Drawn Together, Good Night, and Good Luck, Friends, and The Lizzie McGuire Movie. And while many famous comedians get their start on SNL, Bornstein was featured on its sketch comedy competitor, MadTV, for over a decade.
Before Maisel brought her mainstream acclaim (and a couple of Emmys), Borstein had already proven her chops across sketches, voice work, and drama. Her improvisational skill, mastery of impersonations, and broad range of character made her an essential fixture on The Family Guy.
Her connection to her Jewish identity runs deep. In a 2019 interview, she shared: “We do Shabbat every Friday night… My mom and grandmother are Holocaust survivors, so I feel a huge responsibility to carry that culture forward… I want to instill that in my kids.”
Funny, fierce, and meaningful, Borstein’s blend of heart and humor makes her unforgettable.
Paul Rudd might be the most lovable man in Hollywood. With over 139 acting credits since a 1991 Super Nintendo commercial (yes, really), he’s played everything from the best friend, to jerks, to total goofballs. Unlike many comedy stars, though, he never had one breakout role. For Rudd, it was slow and steady, and his charm did the rest.
Many of us became familiar with him from Clueless, then was cast in the cult classic Wet Hot American Summer. Rudd hit his stride with a recurring role in Friends, and memorable parts in Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up. Even when playing arrogant jerks, Rudd somehow makes them... lovable. His comedy comes off as effortless, personable, and relatable. It’s no wonder that when he finally got cast as the Marvel character Ant-Man in 2015, it was the one superhero who makes himself small.
He once joked he wasn’t “practicing Judaism… because he perfected it.”
Little known fact: before making it as an actor, Rudd worked as a bar mitzvah DJ.
To be a true comedian, you have to have funny material!
Not only were these 'comedians' not funny, they were disgusting and anti-semetic. I stopped watching halfway through. I love comedy, but today, with few exceptions, anything & everything is considered funny. It's not. You're pushing the envelope too far, Aish!
I was disgusted and embarrassed by many of these "comedians" portraying Jewish personas, especially Larry David. I am Not a New York Jew. The big mouths and low class was an insult to me. I stopped watching.
Larry David, while sometimes funny, was no more funny than Jerry Seinfeld. No wonder they united. They couldn’t lay a glove on Rodney Dangerfield or Mel Brooks.
You forgot about Lewis Black.
A Jew is still a Jew even if an atheist.