Did you hear the one about the orthodox Jew, reform Jew and liberal Jew who walked into a bar? Sadly bars aren’t an option just yet, but at the very least you know the conversation will be anything but dull.
It started, like most projects do, with a casual chat. Picture the scene, two award-winning Jewish comedians (Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon) commiserating from their respective kitchens about how their careers had come to a screeching halt because someone far away ate a non-kosher flying mouse. The world of comedy needed to adapt, it would be survival of the fittest. Or for the less sporty Jewish comics (so, all of them) survival of the fastest broadband.
We’ve worked together as comedians for a few years, on joint projects and as a supportive presence while working independently. Lockdown seemed the perfect opportunity to develop something new.
So, “Jew Talkin’ To Me?” was born. Like your grandmother’s fluffiest kneidlach, the idea grew apace, taking advantage of Philip’s experience as host of festival cult hit “Jew-O-Rama” and Rachel’s as the only practising orthodox Jewish woman on the UK’s professional comedy circuit. Both have theatre backgrounds, Philip’s also worked on screen and Rachel has produced literary and arts festivals. Rachel was a Bnei Akiva stalwart, Philip an RSY macher, so they know how to create engaging content.
Things escalated after Rachel met producer Russell Balkind (The Mash Report,8 Out Of 10 Cats) at a socially distanced morale boosting event in her street. The idea piqued his interest and he joined our team. The three of us have a huge network of fascinating and entertaining contacts from across the Jewish spectrum who rarely talk about their ethnicity in this way, in the context of foods, feuds, and 21st century moods.
We’re so excited to finally be able to unveil “Jew Talkin’ To Me?” to you, our audience. There’s something for everyone, you don’t have to be Jewish - though if you’re reading this in the JC you probably are!
We’ll bring you household names and backstage stars, writers, comedians, journalists, actors, sharing aspects of life that make them laugh or infuriated, and how much Jewishness plays a part. Recorded under lockdown conditions it’s delightfully imperfect, while some guests are using super-high-spec equipment others are balancing their phone on top of their last three loo rolls, praying their kids don’t walk in. This is the charm of the show, it’s a celebration of what can be achieved with the least equipment during challenging circumstances. And what could be more Jewish than that?
"Jew Talkin' To Me?" releases new episodes on Fridays, for more info visit www.jewtalkintome.com or find us on social media @JewTalkin
