Jewish Jokes: Tickling Funny Bones or Crossing Antisemitism?

How to Spot an Offensive Jewish Joke

Then, it's a whole other story to tell a bad Jewish joke that can hurt a large select group of people. Antisemitism has existed since Jewish people faced persecution in Czarist Russia, ongoing trauma in the Middle East, an entire generation murdered during the Holocaust, and the threat of assimilation worldwide. A cruel joke could be told with the intention of humor, but it's always important to be careful because just one joke told to the masses has the influence to promote antisemitism whether you mean to or not. It can make people think it's okay to be offensive towards a specific group of people as long as you add "I'm just joking!" at the end.

According to "​​The Greatest Jewish Joke Ever" in the Jewish Journal, rabbinical literature actually opposes the comedy that incorporates "leitzanut" (mockery) in ethical guidebooks. As previously stated, there are already a number of offensive Jewish jokes that may have to do with negative stereotypes placed on our people such as being obsessed with money, our traditions, our perceived influence and power, and jabs at our nose shapes. There are also antisemitic events that are probably held as a humorous joke but are far from it like this parade in Aalst, Belgium that has antisemitic caricatures on their floats like Rabbis with big fake noses standing next to fake bars of gold.

Even non-Jewish stand-up comics tend to go too far with their jokes about Judaism or even the Holocaust like when Jimmy Carr said "There is safety in numbers. Tell that to 6 million Jews." It's really not their place to make light of one of the darkest moments of Jewish history. On the other hand, mockery can be used as a weapon against people who mistreat them. The Jewish Journal article says that married couple Celine and Maximilien were Holocaust survivors who revisited the concentration camps in the 1980s. Celine tells the person at the ticket counter, "Last time I was here, I got in for free." This was a joke she told as a form of self-healing and is one of the few people in the rightful position to tell this joke since she lived through the Holocaust. Anyone else really doesn't have a say.