Like Silverman, I know that great performers of any religion can and have brilliantly played Jews, and it’s easier to pass as Jewish than, say, African American. Acting requires an empathetic leap of imagination. She delivered this sharp monologue with an ambivalence that also resonated with me. The superb indie comedy “ Shiva Baby” tackles explicitly Jewish themes, but the fact that the lead is played by a Catholic stand-up, Rachel Sennott, barely raised an eyebrow. Maisel or Ruth Bader Ginsburg, there is little blowback. But when gentiles are cast as Golda Meir or Mrs. Think of Scarlett Johansson being hired for an Asian role. We have never been more sensitive to issues of whitewashing, appropriation and representation. Take the increasingly politicized issue of casting, which has inspired considerable controversy. THERE’S BEEN GROWING PUSHBACK in the last year from some Jews about double standards in the cultural conversation. And that has made me look closer at the disturbing rise in antisemitism today, Jewish culture and identity, and the implications of what we find funny. And yet, as a critic engaging with a chaotic and constantly changing culture, in an online world that seems somehow both more outraged by and tolerant of hate speech, I am increasingly uncomfortable with this kind of condescension. Scolds from the Anti-Defamation League, alert to the damage done by every Jewish stereotype, will never end an ancient prejudice, but they could ruin a good time. Those hung up on the question of whether the latest news is good for the Jews always seemed not only hopelessly ineffective but also tedious. A resilient comic sensibility that finds joy in dark places is one of the greatest Jewish legacies - as is an ability to laugh at ourselves. I’ve been persuaded by that idea, and like many secular types, a Jewish sense of humor is more integral to my identity than any religious observance. Some artists argue that making light of prejudice, or turning purveyors of it into absurdities, robs hatred of power. Who would buy a ticket to a Broadway show and chuckle at the eternal damnation of Jewish people other than Jews? Of course it’s impossible to get inside the heads of theatergoers, but as a Jewish person, I recognized this laughter. I found it jarring because I thought I could. She was disturbed by it but couldn’t explain it. But in a radio interview, Sharon D Clarke, who played the title character, said that at the majority of shows, there was laughter. And that wasn’t the audience reaction every night. Nervous giggling in uncomfortable moments can be a coping mechanism. For while there was silence after Noah’s hateful outburst, what followed Caroline’s comment was something I did not expect: laughter. It’s always a charged moment, but there was something peculiarly unsettling about it the night I saw the recent Broadway revival. Noah says he hopes a bomb kills all Black people, and Caroline responds that all Jews will go to hell. In the climactic scene of the musical “ Caroline, or Change,” an 8-year-old Jewish boy, Noah, and his African American maid, Caroline, living in the Jim Crow South, get into a heated fight and end up trading ugly insults. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.
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