A lively journey through the evolution of Jewish comedy, From Sinai to Seinfeld: The Rise of Jewish Comedians in American Culture, will be presented Tuesday, March 3, 1:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County in Edison. The program will feature Larry Wolfert, an educator and lifelong comedy enthusiast who will explore how a community once seen as serious and solemn produced so many comedy legends. In fact, so much so that that by 1978, Time Magazine reported 80 percent of American stand-up comedians were Jewish.
Wolfert is also founder and head of the Folk Music Club of East Brunswick for more than 25 years and a member of the folk duo The End of the Line, which played local clubs in the eighties, and was the substitute DJ for WRSU’s Sunday folk show, Home Made Music for over 30 years. For the past several years he has been an instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Rutgers University at both the Highland Park and Freehold campuses, leading classes on folk music and comedy, including three courses on 20th century comedians.
Registration is required. Go to jccmc.org; call the JCC front desk, (732) 494-3232 or e-mail Liza Feldman at lfeldman@jccmc.org. Cost is $9 for members and $12 for guests.
Jeff Bukantz, a former eight-time US National Champion in Team Foil, will share his journey both as a champion in the sport and Jewish athlete, at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 8 at the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County in Freehold. Bukantz, represented the United States at the Pan American Games, World University Games, World Championships and 4 Maccabiot, where he won 11 medals, including individual gold in both foil and epee. He served as USA Fencing Team Captain/Head Coach at two Olympics, eight world championships, two Pan American Games and the 2005 World University Games. Bukantz was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2024. He remains a fencing play-by-play broadcaster and is president of Maccabi USA.
Cost is $10 for students under 18, $20 for museum members and $25 for non-members. To register go to jhmomc.org. For information contact Barry Haber at (732) 252-6990 or bhaber@jhmomc.org.
Celebrate Israel’s 78th birthday with PJ Library on Sunday, March 15, 1-3 p.m. in Marlboro. Exact location will be provided prior to the event after registration. Children attending the family-friendly program will be treated to “camel” races, music, Israeli dancing, bounce houses, a petting zoo, face painting, balloon animals, crafts, Israeli snacks and more. by PJ Library is run and funded by the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey. Through federation’s affiliation with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation 3,600 families with children ages six months to eight years in the federation’s catchment area receive free books and music each month celebrating Jewish holidays and themes and can attend various events where families with young children can get together.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, registration is free for those who register by 11:59 p.m. on March 1. Otherwise, registration is $5 per person with a maximum of $18 per family.
Contact Laura Safran at federation at lauras@jewishheartnj.org or (732) 588-1800 for more information or registration.
Those who want to taste and learn about kosher Israeli wine need to RSVP to the Marlboro Jewish Center by March 13. The Thursday, March 19 event will take place at 8 p.m. and feature “Israeli wine enthusiast” Steve Kerbel– also a Jewish educator from the Washington area—who will present the history, development and modern success of Israel’s ancient wine industry while taking participants on a virtual tour of Israel, exploring its geography and regaling them with stories about Israeli winemakers and their products. A sampling of wines as well as coffee, drinks and desserts will be served.
The cost is $36 per person. To register go to mjcnj.com/winetasting. For more information, call (732) 536-2300.
