Jewish vs. Goyish — Holiday Edition

By Anna Goldenberg November 26, 2013

Some jokes just never get old.

Take the famous routine by the Jewish comedian Lenny Bruce (1925 – 1966), for example, in which he explains the differences between Jewish and Goyish:

“Eddie Cantor is Goyish… Ray Charles is very Jewish… The Army is Goyish, the Navy is Goyish, the Marine corps is Goyish. The Air Force is Jewish.”

The half-century old satire has since been copied and reinterpreted countless times. Just in time for Hanukkah dinner recitals, Oakland-based comedian Josh Healey’s latest skit “Jewish vs. Goyish! (the remix)” is now available on YouTube, produced by Dan Wolf for 3200Stories, the digital outlet of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.

“Following every rule in the Old Testament is Goyish. Loving thy neighbor is Goyish. Getting thy neighbor a good deal at the car dealership is Jewish.”

What else is Jewish? Find out:

Anna Goldenberg was the Forward’s culture fellow.

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