This Monday in the DeBartolo Hall auditorium, Dr. Jarrod Tanny, Block Distinguished Professor of Jewish History at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, gave a guest lecture titled, “Jewish Humor and Christianity.”  Using clips from Curb Your Enthusiasm and History of the World, Part 1, Dr. Tanny presented his thought-provoking analysis on how Jews use comedy to confront their often confusing place within mostly Christian cultures.

With all the important discussions in Jewish Studies about the history and contemporary proliferation of anti-Semitism, as well as the politics of the conflicts in the Middle East, it is also important not to ignore the joyful aspects of Jewish cultural life, such as comedy.

The YSU Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies is committed to devoting programming on Jewish religion and culture. For that reason, we were very happy to have welcomed a scholar with expertise on Jewish humor. Dr. Tanny is the author of several academic works on the subject, most recently as the co-editor of Wit Happens: Global Jewish Humor (Wayne State University Press, 2026).