Jewish vs. Goyish — Holiday Edition
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:
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30