Modern-day Jewish Entertainment

Jackie Mason graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the City College of New York. He was ordained a rabbi at 25 (mainly because his three brothers, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been rabbis) in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. However, when aged 28, he resigned to become a comedian. He had a long and illustrious career, remaining active until his death in 2021, aged 93

To have ‘chutzpah’ means you have cheekily overstepped the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, but not necessarily with malice. For example, asking a supermarket checkout assistant to pack your shopping when you clearly should do it yourself is said to be, or having ‘chutzpah’

Bob Dylan has been a very influential figure in popular music and culture for more than 60 years. It is said that his highest-regarded period was the 1960s, when he was both a commentator through his music and somewhat of a reluctant figurehead for the social unrest at the time. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and received many awards over the years. In May 2012, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama

Despite his Jewish-sounding name, it is an urban myth that “Weird Al'' Yankovic is Jewish. His father is of Yugoslavian descent and his mother of Italian descent, neither of whom were Jewish

Sky is owned (with financial backing) by the Murdoch Family, which also owns Twentieth Century Fox, News International (Times, Sunday Times and Sun) and the New York Post. Unlike the Murdochs, the Grade family does not own any media outlets, and have only been involved with terrestrial media

Between 1911 and 1928, Al Jolson had more than 80 hit records, nine sell-out Winter Garden shows in a row and 16 national and international tours. He was the first star to entertain American troops overseas during World War II following the attack on Pearl harbour. It is said he was a ‘rock star’ long before rock music was invented. Early in his career, he performed in blackface makeup which had been a theatrical convention since the mid-19th century

It has always been said, especially in America, that Jewish people have been able to access the imagination of others through entertainment because they have been good at being outsiders wanting to be accepted, and what better way than to bring joy and laughter to others

He was an Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, then part of Bohemia, (Austrian Empire). His family later moved to Iglau (now Jihlava) which is now in the Czech Republic, where he grew up and began composing

This 1993 film of Spielberg’s marked the crucial turning point in his career - the moment when he simultaneously embraced seriousness and Jewishness, as a Jewish man, in his work

The Marx Brothers were, unlike many who incorporate the collective term “family” in their name, a genuine family comedy act, hailing from New York City. They enjoyed much success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and for almost 50 years in motion pictures, from 1905 to 1949. Five of the thirteen films the Marx Brothers made were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) as being among the top 100 comedy films ever made, two of them (Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera) appearing in the top twelve. The brothers were also included in American Film Institute's “100 Years...100 Stars” list of the most significant screen legends as the only performers to be inducted collectively. There were actually five brothers, but one, Gummo, did not appear in any films, and Zeppo only played non-comedic roles