with Al Kustanowitz
LECTURES, COURSES, and COMEDY HOURS –
Book now for dates in 2024 and 2025
Live in Person or Live Streaming on Zoom
Featured Video
Choose from Al's 25 Jewish Humor Programs
Al’s programs and lectures on Jewish humor are designed to bring lots of laughs and smiles to audiences around the world. In the basic one hour talk, Al focuses on the evolution of Jewish humor and offers a theory as to how and when it originated and presents a “tasting menu” with 20 video clips from all of his programs.
Of course, it all began with Jewish jokes, and we all know that there is no such thing as a new Jewish joke.
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So the lecture begins with a brief introduction and the telling of a few oldie but goodie Jewish jokes. You can see a portion of Al’s opening monologue on this home page and by clicking the VIDEOS tab above.
​But then the real fun begins when Al projects about 20 video clips from the Internet, showing how Jewish humor is a whole lot more than Catskills comedy. It comes from the realization that we are a very funny people, doing funny things, and having funny things done to us, whether planned or not.
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There are 25 one-hour lectures to choose from:
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1. The World of Jewish Humor
2. Israel is a Funny Country
3, 4, 5: Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places (and Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places) – Parts 1, 2, and 3
6. Klezmer Komedy and Yiddishe Nachas
7. The Borscht Belt: Cradle of Jewish Humor
8. A Nosh-talgic Look at Jewish Food: Gefilte Fish, Lox, Pickles, Seltzer, Matzo, Knishes, and Schmaltz
9. Jewish Musical Mystery Tour
10. 70 Years in the Promised Land
11, 12, 13: The Great Jewish Comedians – Parts 1, 2, and 3
14, 15: The Great Jewish Entertainers - Parts 1 and 2
16. Best Passover Humor on the Internet
17. Best Chanukah Humor on the Internet
18. Purim Parody, Satire, and Spoofs
19. Jewish Holiday Hilarity
20. Best Jewish Moments in Movies and Television
21. Unsung Songwriters of the Great American Songbook
22. Flash Mobs Around the World: Street Theater for the Internet Age
23. Yiddish: Its Survival in American Humor and Pop Culture
24. Saturday Night Live: The Funny Years (1975-1980)
25. Saturday Night Live: 50 Years Through a Jewish Lens
TO BOOK A PROGRAM OR LECTURE CONTACT Al at akustan@gmail.com or 201-390-7535.
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