I understood why all the comedians in the Catskills were Jewish. But why were there so many Jewish comedians on The Ed Sullivan Show in an America where Jews were barred from so many fields? And. in this anti-semitic atmosphere. why was Milton Berle named the most popular personality on television in 1950 when the new medium was still in its infancy ?

In the twentieth century, Jews made up only 3 percent of the American population and 80 percent of the professional comedians. Searching for a way to deal with daily anxieties of the modern age, America turned to the Jews, the masters of making the best of adversity. They were still able to laugh at themselves after all they had been through. American anti-semites would laugh at their jokes, and hate them simultaneously.

This lecture surveys the greats of Jewish comedy and contains many videoclips, photos, and a generous helping of their jokes. At the end of the lecture "kibbitzers" in the audience are encouraged to tell their best jokes.