The contribution of funny Jewish American ladies to American culture could fill a thousand articles. Watch Goldie Hawn on an old “Laugh-In” episode or Madeleine Kahn’s scene-stealing Lili von Schtupp in “Blazing Saddles.” Pull up Gilda Radner’s “Baba Wawa” on a “Saturday Night Live” compilation. Catch Joan Rivers in anything from a mid-1960s “Tonight Show” appearance to a current airing of “Fashion Police” on E! Listen to a podcast starring Ronna & Beverly, the outspoken fiftysomething Jewish Bostonians played by comedians Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo, or discover a new talent like New York-based Emily Heller, who performs stand-up across the country. The list goes on in Yael Kohen’s 2012 book “We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy,” a collection of oral histories from female comic performers, television executives, talent scouts and writers, including anecdotes on the rampant sexism running through the industry.
ADVERTISEMENT: Come explore the blessings and challenges of freedom at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. NMAJH.org
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
