“The Anatomy of a Jewish Joke You’ve Heard Before, But Never Like This”
Is this joke a compliment, a backhanded compliment, or code for something else? What is the point of the joke and how does its meaning change depending on who is telling it? What does the joke say about us as Jews, and how did artificially linking it to an ancient midrash give it legitimacy? Even when we laugh at ourselves, some Jewish jokes are no laughing matter. Join Rabbi Birnholz to hear the history of this twisted tale.