A Purim Episode with Rob Kutner On Where Comedy and Judaism Overlap [REBROADCAST]

Rob Kutner is an Emmy, Peabody, Grammy, and TCA-winning writer for late-night TV including The Daily Show and TBS’ Conan. He is the author of the humor books including Apocalypse How (Running Press, 2008) and the kids’ comedy-horror graphic novel Snot Goblins and Other Tasteless Tales (First Second, 2023). He has written material for the Oscars, Emmys, and two White  House Correspondents Dinners, and was named a “SuperJew” by Time Out New York. He is also the host of the new Mama’s Boys: a podcast on what it means to be a Jewish man today.

Rob Kutner’s irreverent book on Jewish history, The Jews: 5000 Years and Counting covers every major moment in Jewish history from Adam and Eve to Tuesday’s rerun of Seinfeld. This book will make you laugh, it might inadvertently make you learn, and it might just be a balm for our times that you didn’t know you needed.

In our conversation, Rob will tell us about how going to a Christian school reinforced his own Judaism, how he made sure that the diversity of stories were included in his Jewish history, and his story about ordering a lulav and etrog to the Daily Show office.

Rob Kutner’s Five Books:

1. The Big Book of Jewish Humor by Moshe Waldoks and William Novak

2. As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg

3. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

4. Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

5. The Jews by Rob Kutner

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Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen

Produced by Odelia Rubin

Editorial and website support from Amelia Merrill

Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions

Art by Elad Lifshitz of  Dov Abramson Studio