“Have you ever noticed how laid-back everything is in Israel? They don’t dress up for anything! It’s Shabbat? Okay, I’ll wear a belt. Rosh Hashana? Pants with a belt.”
Joel Chasnoff performed for a group of around 125 Penn students and staff this past Friday night, to an appreciative audience of primarily Orthodox and Conservative Jews who had just completed Friday night dinner at Hillel.
Chasnoff, who had an observant upbringing, threw in phrases of Hebrew, and delivered jokes about Israel and religion. He played to his audience, and they ate it up.
A Penn alum turned professional comedian, Chasnoff has performed in seven countries at some of the world’s premier comedy venues. According to his Website, though, it is in the Jewish world of comedy that his “Innovative experience-based, positive Jewish humor has garnered him a cult-like following among the People of the Book and widespread recognition in the Jewish press.”
After graduating, Chasnoff served in a combat unit in the Israel Defense Forces, and at the end of his service performed stand-up comedy for soldiers on bases throughout Israel. He now lives in New York City with his two identical twin girls, who scampered about during the performance and won the heart of many a Penn woman.
The students, somewhat jaded and reluctant to hear a comedian after an abysmal experience with one last year, expressed how much they enjoyed the performance.
“I’ve heard him before… He came to my camp, but he had some new ones tonight; he was really funny,” said Conservative Jewish Community co-chair Elliot Gordon.