Does anyone know a good Jewish joke?
By Molly Ritvo
Campbell hits his comedic stride after conversions
Upon hearing comedian Yisrael Campbell’s story, one might recall a Seinfeld episode that has Jerry wondering aloud if a friend has converted to Judaism "purely for the jokes." But for Campbell, his conversion to Judaism has offered him much more than just a new set of punch lines.
The former Catholic boy from Philadelphia is now a modern Orthodox Jew living in Jerusalem and performing "spiritual standup" routines. Campbell, who says he has found his home in Judaism, will be performing his latest work, "It’s Not in Heaven," at the Maimonides School on Jan. 26 and at Kehillath Israel on Jan. 27.
"Judaism called me," said Campbell, now a triple convert, who traveled from Reform to Conservative and finally to Orthodoxy. "It drew me closer to God and allowed me to develop as a comedian."
Campbell was born Chris Campbell to an Italian-Irish Catholic family and battled alcohol and drug problems in his teens. He said his life was quickly spiraling out of control as he pursued acting with little success in Los Angeles.
"I was Catholic enough to know I was going to hell," Campbell, 44, said. To get his life on track, Campbell entered a rehab program in his early 20s. And on the path to sobriety, Campbell was advised to look for spiritual assistance. After reading Leon Uris’ "Exodus," Campbell decided to start a new life in the Jewish state.
"I was called," he said. "I just knew I had to go to Israel."
Yet his pilgrimage to the Middle East was not an easy one. When Campbell told his priest of his intention to move to Israel, he was met with discouragement.
"He asked me what a nice Catholic boy is doing moving to the Jewish homeland. Because he was in a position of authority, I thought he must have known something I didn’t," Campbell said. "I listened to him, but I was still very much fascinated with the Jewish people."
As Campbell’s interest in Judaism grew, he moved from Los Angeles to New York City to try his hand at comedy. After several solo gigs at "sketchy clubs," Campbell pursued commercial and film work and even performed with Kathy Griffin and Jeanine Garafalo.
"I had recovered from my substance abuse, was finding work, but I was still looking for something deeper," Campbell said. On a mission to live a "life with meaning," Campbell enrolled in a crash course in Judaism at a local reform synagogue.
"That did it," he said. "I was officially in love with Judaism and decided to do a Reform conversion."
But once he was a Reform Jew, Campbell said he still wasn’t completely satisfied. He took the next plunge about two years later, in the late 1990s, and converted to Conservative Judaism, which led him to participate in a mikveh immersion and a hatafat dam drit, a ceremonial circumcision. Campbell also decided to study Hebrew in Israel for a few months at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies.
At Pardes, Campbell embarked on his last and final conversion from Conservative Judaism to Orthodoxy. And his brief trip to Israel soon turned into a much longer one.
After a third circumcision, an adult bar mitzvah, a commitment to make aliyah, and a formal first name change, Campbell said that the real test in proving his devotion to Judaism came when he turned work down on Shabbat.
"My agent thought it was cute when I started wearing a kippah, but not so cute when I started turning down jobs on Shabbat," he said.
Campbell’s current performance, "It’s Not in Heaven," is a monologue he wrote in which explores his conversions, his circumcisions, the different denominations within Judaism, Israeli society, and of course, Jewish women.
"Those wrists and ankles of Jewish women in the street are something else," Campbell said. And his one-man show, "You Can Never Be Too Jewish," is set to open Off-Broadway in New York City this year.
Campbell also tours with the Palestinian-Israeli Comedy Tour, a group of comedians bringing awareness to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Laughs aside, Campbell said that his journey has led him to look critically at Judaism and the conflict in the Middle East.
"Comedy was just part of my journey," he said. "I think my path to Judaism allows me to be loving and critical of all the movements."
He added: "My message really comes from the Torah and is about how we interact with each other, which is something we can all do better when we are laughing."
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