Literature Program and Jewish Studies Program Present
Jewish Humor from
Tevye the Dairyman to Lenny Bruce
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Olin Humanities, Room 102
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Ken Frieden, B. G. Rudolph Professor of Judaic Studies, Syracuse University
This talk follows Jewish humor from Sholem Aleichem’s monologues to American Jewish fiction and standup comedy. At the core of this story is an oral-style voice that began in Yiddish and moved to American writing in works by authors like Yezierska, Rosten, Paley, and Roth. Echoes of Yiddish continue as a prominent part of Jewish humor in performances by Lenny Bruce and in current television series. The evening will feature film clips and live performance.Ken Frieden, the B. G. Rudolph Professor of Judaic Studies at Syracuse University, published Travels in Translation: Sea Tales at the Source of Jewish Fiction in 2016. Prior books include Classic Yiddish Fiction (1995) and anthologies of Yiddish literature in translation, such as Tales of Mendele the Book Peddler (1996) and Classic Yiddish Stories (2004). At Syracuse University Press, Frieden edits the series Judaic Traditions in Literature, Music, and Art.
For more information, call 845-758-7543, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm EDT/GMT-4
Location: Olin Humanities, Room 102