Yisrael Campbell

Yisrael Campbell (born Christopher Campbell) is a Philadelphia-born Israeli comedian.[1][2][3][4]

Campbell, who is of Irish and Italian descent, grew up Catholic in a Philadelphia suburb.[5] One of his aunts is a Catholic nun. A typical Campbell joke is that his aunt is a nun, "which of course makes Jesus my uncle, allowing for easier parking in Jerusalem." Campbell converted to Judaism with a Reform rabbi, and says that a "spiritual hunger" led him to have a second conversion with a Conservative rabbi. On a four-month visit to Israel in 2000 he decided to have a third conversion and live as an Orthodox Jew.[6]

Campbell and his wife Avital, a Talmud teacher, have four children, including twins, and live in Jerusalem.[6]

The Guardian wrote that "As far as we know, Lenny Bruce never had sex with an Orthodox Jew, but if he had – he would have produced Yisrael Campbell."[7]

In 2006 Campbell appeared with the Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour.

Campbell is the subject of a 2008 documentary film, Circumcise Me.

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ ".". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ "United Kingdom > National". Epoch Times. February 6, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  4. ↑ "JPost". Fr.jpost.com. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ BWW News Desk (November 16, 2009). "Judy Gold to Join CIRCUMCISE ME's Yisrael Campbell for Talkback Series "FINAL CUT" 11/19". Broadway World. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 So this Catholic goes to Israel... and other jokes from the Holy Land, The Globe and Mail, Michael Posner, May 5, 2008
  7. ↑ "Wildly Emotional – In a very quiet way," The Guardian, December 17, 2007.

External links