Standing up for Jews, one gag at a time

Mel Brooks once famously said, ‘Humour is just another defence against the universe’. It seems fitting, then, that days after the legendary satirist turned 100, a stellar line-up of comedians came together to put his observation into practice – this time, however, the target was very specific.

The Stand-Up For Jews! comedy night on Tuesday in London’s Leicester Square Theatre, organised by Comedy Unleashed, deployed humour as a defence against the tidal wave of anti-Semitism that has swept over Britain in recent years. And it proved devastatingly effective: the evening was imbued with the same resilient, irreverent spirit that has carried Brooks throughout his remarkable career.

Josh Howie shone as compere. Drawing on his wealth of experience as a stand-up and host of Free Speech Nation on GB News, he effortlessly peppered the evening with off-the-cuff barbs at an audience that was more than happy to be on the receiving end.

The comedians had clearly read the brief. Adam Bloom brought a wonderfully anarchic energy to the stage, delivering punchlines on everything from OCD to his pent-up sex drive. His gag about ripping open a bag of satsumas as though they were fishnet stockings had the crowd howling.

Lee Hurst and Simon Evans were also on top form, poking fun at everything from Keir Starmer to Jewish identity and Islam.

It was Al Murray who stole the show. Drenching the front row as he staggered around the stage with his pint, the Pub Landlord brought the house down with his bombastic performance. His comic timing and improvisational skills were as sharp as ever, and the crowd seemed delighted to be heckled by his pint-wielding patriotism and cries of ‘Banter!’

Howie paid a touching tribute to Murray shortly after he left the stage, reminding the audience that the comedian has long been a staunch ally of Britain’s Jewish community.

During his closing remarks, the GB News host also reiterated that all profits from the evening would go towards supporting Jewish volunteer organisations in London, as well as anti-racism campaigns Stop The Hate and Our Fight.

The commitment shared by everyone in the room to stand up for Jews at a time when anti-Semitism is rife in Britain was palpable. It could be heard in the laughter and the rapturous applause that followed every act. It could be felt in the animated chatter at the bar during the interval and in the pub afterwards.

The speed with which the event sold out also serves as a powerful rebuke to those who seek to make Jews feel unwelcome.

Above all else, Stand-Up For Jews! was a joyous ode to the freedom to offend and be offended – the bedrock of any free and pluralistic society. It’s also what distinguishes Tel Aviv from Tehran.

Adam Chapman is a senior TV producer and journalist at Outpost.

Footage from Stand-Up For Jews! will soon be available on the Comedy Unleashed YouTube channel. Visit the Comedy Unleashed website to find out more and for news about the next Stand-Up For Jews! event here.