Jewish vs. Goyish — Holiday Edition
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Anna Goldenberg November 26, 2013
Some jokes just never get old.
Take the famous routine by the Jewish comedian Lenny Bruce (1925 – 1966), for example, in which he explains the differences between Jewish and Goyish:
“Eddie Cantor is Goyish… Ray Charles is very Jewish… The Army is Goyish, the Navy is Goyish, the Marine corps is Goyish. The Air Force is Jewish.”
The half-century old satire has since been copied and reinterpreted countless times. Just in time for Hanukkah dinner recitals, Oakland-based comedian Josh Healey’s latest skit “Jewish vs. Goyish! (the remix)” is now available on YouTube, produced by Dan Wolf for 3200Stories, the digital outlet of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
“Following every rule in the Old Testament is Goyish. Loving thy neighbor is Goyish. Getting thy neighbor a good deal at the car dealership is Jewish.”
What else is Jewish? Find out:
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
