Language in “History of the World Part II”

Jewish Language on TV Summer Event Series

Sun, Aug 13, 2023

6 P.M. ET

ZOOM

THANKS TO ALL WHO JOINED US!

This event was not recorded.

Building on the widespread popularity of Mel Brooks’ 1981 “History of the World Part I,” Hulu’s “History of the World Part II” brings a comedic lens to world events. From Noah’s Ark to Freud, from Kublai Khan to Jews in Space, Jewish moments abound. How does the series incorporate Yiddish and other languages? How does this language mixing fit into the history of American comedy? This panel convenes scholars to answer these questions and more.

Moderator:

Sarah Bunin Benor, Jewish Language Project

Panelists:

Jennifer Caplan, author of Funny, You Don’t Look Funny: Judaism and Humor from the Silent Generation to Millennials

Jeremy Dauber, author of Mel Brooks: Disobedient Jew and Jewish Comedy: A Serious History

Rebecca Margolis, author of ייִדיש לעבט Yiddish Lives On: Journeys of Language Revitalization

Jewish Language on TV Summer Event Series

Jewish representation in film, on television, and on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu may be at an all-time high.

We see Hasidim in Antwerp, Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem, and Jews of multiple backgrounds and religiosities throughout the United States.

What role does language play in this portrayal? How do these shows mix Hebrew, Yiddish, English, and other languages to represent diverse Jewish communities? The HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project is pleased to present a series of four online events about Jews on TV.

This event is presented by the HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project, co-sponsored in part by the Forward.