WHY JEWISH HUMOR COUNTS

Origins and History

Jennifer Caplan, Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Cincinnati and author of Funny, You Don’t Look Funny: Judaism and Humor from the Silent Generation to Millennials—uses the phrase "Why Jewish Humor Counts" (often titled Why Jewish Humor Counts: American Jews, Humor, and Seeing the Bright Side in Statistics) to examine how American Jewish engagement is measured.

Key Concepts in Caplan’s Work:

Humor as an Indicator of Life: Caplan argues that humor serves as a vital, undercounted cultural touchstone. Sparked partly by the 2013 Pew Research Center survey of American Jews—which found that a sense of humor is viewed as just as essential to being Jewish as caring about Israel—she looks at comedy to show that American Jewish identity is actually vibrant, evolving, and robust.

You can learn more about her work through lectures hosted by institutions like Temple Chai or explore her book Funny, You Don't Look Funny.

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