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10 Notable Jewish Comedians

Many of the most famous and influential comedians of the past century have been Jewish. Jewish humor, with its self-deprecating tones and insight into immigrant family life, resonates with wide audiences.

Notable Jewish comedians include Mel Brooks, director and star of laugh-out-loud films like Blazing Saddles; Joan Rivers, with her biting observational humor about gender and society; Jerry Seinfeld, creator and star of the wildly popular show About Nothing; and Sarah Silverman, whose edgy stand-up pushes boundaries; among other. Together, these and others have shaped comedy for generations.

1. Jerry Seinfeld

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Jerry Seinfeld is one of the most famous and successful American Jewish comedians. As co-creator and star of the iconic sitcom Seinfeld, which ran from 1989-1998, Seinfeld played a fictionalized version of himself – a stand-up comedian navigating single life in New York City.

His observational style of comedy focused on the minutia of daily living. Both on and off screen, Seinfeld shaped modern situational comedy while remaining proudly Jewish. His impact on American Jewish representation in mainstream media continues today.

2. Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman is a stand-up comedian who is known for her often vulgar, politically incorrect, dark humor.  She starred in Saturday Night Live television comedy among others. As an American Jewish comedian, Silverman taps heavily into her Jewish cultural background and identity for comedic material.

Topics like racism, sexism, and religion are common fodder for her act. Though sometimes controversial, her unapologetic, taboo-breaking brand of humor has made her highly influential in comedy. Silverman has also starred in comedy shows like 鈥�The Sarah Silverman Program鈥� while also acting in films and TV. 

3. Larry David

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Larry David is an iconic Jewish-American comedian best known as the co-creator of Seinfeld, one of the most popular sitcoms in TV history together with Jerry Seinfeld.

Much of his comedy explores and satirizes Jewish culture and archetypes, as exemplified by his curmudgeonly persona on Curb Your Enthusiasm which draws heavily on his own Jewish upbringing and sensibilities. Through his unapologetically Jewish brand of humor, Larry David has become an iconic figure of Jewish representation in comedy.  

4. Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks is responsible for some of the funniest films of the late 20th century. As writer and director of movies like The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein, Brooks relished poking fun at establishment targets using slapstick absurdity.

His irreverent spoof comedy style, often drawing on Jewish culture and his own World War II experiences, has made Brooks one of America鈥檚 most beloved satirists. Jokes layered with Yiddishisms along with resonant themes of persecution and exclusion make Brooks鈥檚 legacy as a comedic voice profoundly Jewish. His impact on subversive, taboo-busting Jewish humor remains incalculable.

5. Woody Allen

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Woody Allen is one of the most acclaimed American comedy filmmakers. Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, much of Allen’s comedy draws on his Jewish upbringing and sensibilities such as Bananas in 1971, Sleeper in 1973, and Love and Death in 1975 among others.

Allen has directed over 50 films exploring themes of relationships, sexuality, and existential anxiety. Though controversial in his personal life, his films have greatly influenced American comedy with their wit, insight, and New York Jewish perspective.

6. Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers was a groundbreaking female stand-up comedian known for her brash, no-holds-barred style. Joan Molinsky was born to Russian Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn in 1933. Rivers drew heavily on her Jewish identity and upbringing in her comedy routines.

Breaking into the male-dominated world of 1950s stand-up, Rivers helped pave the way for future generations of female comics. She remained active until she died in 2014 at  81 years. Rivers’ six-decade career as a stand-up, actress, writer, and red-carpet icon cemented her legacy as a comedy pioneer and “the mother of us all” in the eyes of many female comics.

7. Jackie Mason

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 Jackie Mason brought his Jewish upbringing and life experiences to pioneering observational comedy focusing on politics, religion, and social issues. He was born in Wisconsin to Orthodox immigrant parents.

The comedian became hugely popular in the 1960s through film, theater, and TV appearances, including The Stoolie, The Jerk, and History of the World, Part I. Mason used a thick Jewish accent and mannerisms to humorously illustrate the immigrant experience. Though sometimes controversial, Mason molded modern stand-up with cultural commentary fueled by his Jewish background.

8. Henry Winkler

Though best known as “The Fonz” in the Happy Days television series, Henry Winkler’s comedy career spans over five decades in TV, film, and children’s entertainment. He was born in New York City in 1945 to Jewish parents who emigrated from Germany.

Winkler carved a niche playing lively, optimistic characters like Fonzie, whose cool confidence and thumbs-up gestures became cultural icons. Starring in comedy films like The Waterboy and comedic TV series like Arrested Development, Winkler’s charisma and humor also shines through in over a dozen humorous children’s books he’s authored. With his amiable, uplifting comedy style, Winkler has earned intergenerational popularity.

9. Gilda Radner

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Gilda was the original cast member of NBC鈥檚 Saturday Night Live and was one of the most beloved comedians of the 1970s.  She was born in Detroit to Jewish parents. Radner鈥檚 flair for character comedy delivered uproarious sketches like Roseanne Roseannadanna and Baba Wawa.

She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 41, and Radner鈥檚 experience became an inspiration for cancer detection. Though her brilliant SNL career was cut short by her death in 1989, her iconic wit and innovation left a lasting mark on sketch comedy.

10. Bette Midler

Bette Midler is an iconic Jewish-American singer, actress, and comedian born in Honolulu in 1945 to a seamstress mother and house painter father who were Jewish emigrants from New Jersey. Midler got her start performing in gay bathhouses with outrageous camp comedy characters like “The Divine Miss M,” eventually landing Broadway roles like Fiddler on the Roof鈥檚 Tzeitel.

Midler’s over-the-top humor shined through in films like Ruthless People and The First Wives Club. During her over 50-year career, funny lady Midler has shown that laughter and chutzpah go hand-in-hand as she charmingly wisecracks her way across genres and generations, solidifying her status as a beloved multi-talented treasure.