Can Jokes Heal?

My thoughts on why comedy matters...or does it?

The first time I did stand up comedy was at an open mic night that was not focused on comedy. At all. The vibe was heavy. There was a lot of spoken word poetry about the morbid state of the world.

I was already nervous about trying out a new material. Now I was extra nervous. Would anyone laugh? Would the audience boo me off stage for my borderline inappropriate jokes about being a new Jewish mom?

Even as the emcee called my name and I stepped on stage, I was considering bailing…but when I made my first joke and the audience laughed, I felt immense relief. I thought being on stage by myself would be lonely, but I wasn’t alone. The audience was right there with me.

After my set, I made eye contact with a fellow performer who had shared a heartbreaking original song about children in Gaza. She walked towards me, her brow furrowed. I worried that something I had said had offended her. She said to me: “Thank you for making us laugh. We needed it.”

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about why laughter, why comedy? Why am I drawn to it? What need does it fill? I don’t have all the answers. But here are my current musings.

1. Humor is an ancient Jewish coping skill

There is something deeply Jewish about using humor to process life’s challenges; what some call “laughter through tears,” or in Yiddish a bitterer gelekhter.

In fact, my first comedy writing gig was at my synagogue circa 2014.