PHOTO: In this undated photograph, Comedian Dotan Malach performs under the stage name Erik Angel at a Comedy for Peace show. Comedy for Peace, founded by Malach, will put on a pair of shows in Portland on Nov. 17. (Courtesy Comedy for Peace)
By ROCKNE ROLL
The Jewish Review
We could all use a reason to laugh.
A list of the reasons could go on endlessly, but the above statement rings truer in this time than for most of recent memory.
Thankfully, such an opportunity to have a laugh – and experience Jewish community – is coming to Portland very soon.
Comedy for Peace, the brainchild of Dotan Malach, will perform a pair of shows Sunday, Nov. 17, at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center in Portland at 3 pm and 7 pm. Hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the shows serve as a fundraiser for the Federation’s annual campaign.
“These two shows will give our community the space to be together and be inspired through laughter, witnessing diverse communities of comedians on stage ‘making a difference’ through comedy while making an impact of their own with support of our community’s needs and giving to our 2025 Campaign for Community Needs,” Federation Chief Development Officer Wendy Kahn said.
Malach was raised in Israel and pursued a career in music before shifting to comedy, initially under the stage name Erik Angel.
“All my life people told me that I should do comedy. I used to tell funny stories between my songs,” he said.
As an Israeli Jew, Malach had limited exposure to Israel’s non-Jewish population early in life. His travels for music and comedy changed that.
The meetings were very friendly, very. We were very curious about each other, and I felt that one day I want to do something artistic about it,” Malach recalled. “When I arrived in New York and became part of the comedy scene here, I met very talented Muslim comedians and Arab Christian comedians. They loved the idea.”
Comedy for Peace’s first show was in 2019 in New York and was an instant success.
Laura Jeser, the Federation’s Associate Campaign and Engagement Officer and a former comedian, can see why.
“I think the Comedy for Peace comedians aren’t just funny; they’re cultural ambassadors,” she said. “They’ve mastered the art of breaking down barriers and bringing people together through the universal language of humor. They take these complex, sensitive topics and turn them into hilarious, relatable experiences for everyone in the audience, proving that laughter truly is the best medicine.”
Comedy for Peace’s tagline is “no politics, just laughs.” While some of the material certainly comes from parts of the world in crisis, the point is to bring people together – all people.
“The idea of Comedy for Peace is not to be a political show or Israel/Palestine show. It’s about being together, about different communities under one roof,” Malach said.
A recent addition to Comedy for Peace’s shows has been a Q-and-A period after each performance.
“We still get people that never asked a Muslim a question, never met one, or vice versa with a Jewish guy, especially from Israel,” Malach said. “I really love those shows that, at the end, some of the audience stay to speak with us, to take pictures and also to speak with each other.”
“We often don’t know people different from us, with varying opinions, backgrounds, or beliefs. Many listen, read, and speak to those who reinforce our viewpoints,” Kahn said. “As American Jews, we are living in the most polarized time of our lifetimes. Comedy for Peace is a meaningful project that shows the power of laughter to rise above suffering, conflict, and not knowing who our neighbors are.”
There are few better ways of expressing shared humanity than laughter – and those, at the end of the day, are the whole point.
“The people that are really involved,” Malach said of the many conflicts around the globe, including in Israel and the surrounding region, “most of them just want to live and to find a peaceful way. Politics, religion and all kind of financial interests come in between, but we just want to live.”
The quest for common ground – and a break from the challenges of life in 2024 – were major motivating factors for the Federation to invite Comedy for Peace to Portland as part of the group’s West Coast tour.
“Comedy and tragedy are intertwined, painting a fuller picture of the human condition. We knew that Comedy for Peace was the right for the Greater Portland Jewish community – post-election and post-10/7 commemoration. We need to look forward; this project demonstrates a hopeful way to do just that,” Kahn said.
More information is available online at jewishportland.org/community-calendar/comedy-for-peace-a-time-to-be-together.
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