Funny, You Don’t Look Funny: The Generation(s) of Jewish Humor

Fans of Jewish humor will not want to miss this conversation with Dr. Jennifer Caplan, author of the recent ‘Funny, You Don’t Look Funny: Judaism and Humor from the Silent Generation to Millennials’. Dr. Caplan’s talk is especially relevant to the theme ‘L’Dor V’Dor: From Generation to Generation’ as she looks at the changing relationship of four post-World War generations of Jewish humour to North American Jewish life. As Caplan observes “Jews have always turned and continue to turn to humour as a cultural touchstone and a way to make meaning.” Her talk will range from the Silent Generation, who demonstrated a post-Holocaust defensiveness of Jews as people, but also a deep mistrust of organized religion and religious institutions through to Generation X, for whom Jews are fair game but ritual Judaism is worthy of protection, and onward to Millennials for whom nothing is off limits.