Joel Chasnoff is not your grandfather’s Jewish comedian. Joel is clever. Hip. Daring and edgy, yet 100% clean. From his stint on the Solomon Schechter basketball team to his tour of duty in the Israeli Army, nothing escapes Joel’s sharp wit. Audiences across the spectrum of knowledge and observance find Joel’s humor uplifting, powerful, and hilarious. Joel performs in North America, Europe, and Israel, including the Montreal Comedy Festival, Israeli late-night TV, multiple appearances on NPR and PBS…plus, more than 1,000 Jewish events, and counting. In 2010, Simon and Schuster published The 188th Crybaby Brigade, Joel’s comedic memoir about his service in the Israeli Army. Kirkus Reviews called Crybaby Brigade, “Horrifyingly hilarious.” The film is currently in production at Paramount. In 2013, Joel co-authored the cookbook Balaboosta with Israeli chef and Chopped! Champion Einat Admony. Joel also writes extensively about the plight of IDF Lone Soldiers, including highly-acclaimed editorials in the Washington Post and Jewish Week. His writing has been featured in the Forward, The Big Book of Jewish Humor—25th Anniversary Edition, and The Idiot’s Guide to Jokes. A portion of proceeds from Joel’s comedy and book sales is donated to his foundation, Project Elijah. In its first venture, Project Elijah sent 100 low-income New York City schoolchildren to the circus.
