Do you ever feel left out during the holiday season because you don’t celebrate Christmas? Why not cure this alienation with comedy? This was precisely the thought that sparked Kosher Jokes for the Halaladays, a comedy show intended as a Christmas present, if you will, for Jews and Muslims. Featuring five of Canada’s top Jewish and Muslim comics (Joey Elias, Eman, Jeff Schouela, Ali Hassan, and Dan Laxer), the show is a satire of Jewish and Muslim culture and their collective holiday season neglect. As comedian and co-producer Jeff Schouela puts it, “Why should the Christmas people get to have all the fun?”
The idea for the show came from Schouela’s co-producer and fellow comedian, Eman, a Muslim. “Growing up with a Jewish best friend, we got a whole lot of attention. Muslims and Jews get along in Montreal, and I wanted to shed light on that,” Eman says. Schouela is less enthusiastic toward Christmas. “Not only do I feel left out, but it feels so lonely at that time,” he says. “I feel like this show can get people together [to] laugh off their loneliness.”
While the show is centred on this “ethnic outsiders” idea, the jokes themselves appeal to everyone. “Anyone who’s not circumcised is more than welcome to come, and should,” says Schouela.
However, this is a comedy show rooted in ethnic stereotypes. “The jokes cater to everyone. Our goal as comics is to appeal to a wide spectrum of audiences. I do however have a love for stereotypes and find them hilarious, so I play with that a little bit,” Eman explains. Schouela notes that it’s not an easy task to take something controversial and make it into something people can laugh at, but that’s both the job and gift of comedians. “Deep down, we all feel the same way about a lot of things. And when a line is crossed, it’s the comedian’s job to put an interesting twist on whatever it is, so everyone can laugh awkwardly together,” he says.
After a successful Montreal show last year, Schouela and Eman are bringing the show to Toronto and Ottawa to help more lonely folks during this time, ironically, by encouraging them to laugh at themselves.
Traditionally, Schouela and Eman have spent their Christmas holiday in different ways. Schouela says strip clubs become quite festive on Christmas Eve while Eman sheds a light on some of the economic benefits of not exchanging gifts and saving money.
If you can identify with either of these two, or if you’re used to spending Christmas in some other ridiculous way, then Kosher Jokes is for you.
Kosher Jokes for the Halaladays will be at the Gesu Theatre on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50.
