The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

"Funny Was a Way of Survival": Understanding Jewish Comedy

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Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist and writer, shares his thoughts on why there are so many Jewish comedians and how humor is both a shield and a weapon.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Jules Feiffer.

This excerpt is in English.

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This interview is part of the Yiddish and the Arts: musicians, actors, and artists series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

Beyond the New Deal Democrats: Leftist Politics in New York City

1 min 57 sec

"They Invented the America They Wanted to be a Part Of": Jewish Assimilation in the Early 20th Century

2 min 37 sec

"A Personal Offense": A Mother Comes to Terms With the Great Depression

2 min

Remembering an "Education By Way of the Library"

1 min 20 sec

“The Only Funny Guy Around Was Me”: Jules Feiffer on Finding His Jewish Community

2 min 14 sec

From Fan to Groupie: Getting Hired By Will Eisner

3 min 23 sec

"It Was a Dream Come True": Working and Learning alongside Will Eisner

3 min 49 sec

Transforming Rage Into Art: Lessons From the Army

4 min 11 sec

"My Job Was Uncovering Cover Stories": A Jewish Cartoonist Searches for Truth

3 min 37 sec

Improvisation Across Genres: Jules Feiffer on His Creative Process

2 min 7 sec

"Now I'm As Good As You Are": Jules Feiffer On Fame

1 min 39 sec

“The Storytelling, the Attitude, the Give and Take”: The Influence of Yiddish Theater on American Culture

2 min 54 sec

"I Was a Victim of the Lesson Plan": Learning Resistance in School

3 min 24 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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