Can you believe it’s been seven years since the end of The Sarah Silverman Program? Well, your mourning period can officially end, because Sarah has another project in the works.

I Love You, America is going to be a half-hour comedy on Hulu (apparently after fierce competition to claim it), in partnership with Funny or Die. There’s no premiere date yet, though we know there are going to be at least ten episodes.

The concept seems a bit experimental; it’s explicitly experimental, which makes sense, given a lot of Silverman’s recent activism, both during the presidential campaign and on social media since.

The show is called I Love You, America because Silverman is going to be doing what Clinton-voters have been discussing since the election— were they stuck too much inside a bubble? So the comedian is on a mission to connect with Americans from different backgrounds (and statistically, you know, from you). The vehicle might be comedy, but the goal seems sincere, what show producers are calling “setting out to expose the fact that we are all the same.”

Silverman also has a stand-up special premiering on Netflix in May. Even though she had a life-threatening medical incident less than a year ago, Silverman is back in full swing.

Finally, you absolutely need to see her tweet about this new show and the Jewish press:

Oh, Jerusalem Post, you adorable sons of guns, that’s ok – show prob wont b ur cup o tea anyway it’s about self reflection connection & pic.twitter.com/PtwnBcQWEF

— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) March 29, 2017

Ouch. Well, Jewcy will watch you show, Sarah!

Image via Wikimedia

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Sarah Silverman announced yesterday on Facebook why she had been absent from the public eye for about a week. Suffering from a sore throat, she went to the doctor, and discovered she actually had a “freak” case of epiglottitis. (The life-threatening condition is rare, especially for adults, and even rarer for adult women. It’s a result of a bacterial infection.)

Silverman, 45, then spent five days in the ICU, including going through surgery in a semi-conscious state because of the risk of fully anesthetizing her. She wrote:

“I thanked everyone at the ICU for my life, went home, and then slowly as the opiates faded away, remembered the trauma of the surgery & spent the first two days home kind of free-falling from the meds / lack of meds and the paralyzing realization that nothing matters. Luckily that was followed by the motivating revelation that nothing matters.”

In her Facebook post, among those she thanks is her “real-life hero” Michael (presumably referring to her boyfriend, the actor Michael Sheen), and her “amazing Sissies (blood & otherwise),” which would include actor Laura Silverman and rabbi and feminist activist Susan Silverman.

Even in a life-threatening, traumatic situation, Sarah Silverman was still Sarah Silverman. She left us with this anecdote:

“Also, when I first woke up and the breathing tube came out, I still couldn’t talk and they gave me a board of letters to communicate. My loved ones stood there, so curious what was going to be the first thing I had to say. They followed my finger, rapt, as I pointed from letter to letter until I finally spelled out, ‘Did you see “Hello My Name is Doris.”‘”

Best wishes on a full recovery, Sarah!

Image credit: Wikimedia

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Is the Holocaust funny? That’s not a question asked too often in serious circles, but for comedians, especially Jewish comedians, it’s one of the most important things to know. The better or less outwardly problematic way to rephrase the question would be, “Is the Holocaust off-limits?” Documentarian Ferne Pearlstein addresses this very question in The Last Laugh, a feature-length documentary that had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last week.

Who better to answer this question than some of the most notable Jewish comedians? Mel Brooks is the obvious starting point, since he was making jokes about Hitler back in 1967 when he wrote and directed the equally infamous and hilarious The Producers, in which two producers set out to make a guaranteed flop entitled Springtime for Hitler. Nearly every part of that Oscar-winning film was objectionable to someone, but it was still a hit! Brooks, who is interviewed extensively throughout Pearlstein’s documentary, explains that he knew he could get away with jokes about the Inquisition in his classic “History of the World – Part 1” because so many centuries had passed, and, as the immortal phrase says, “Tragedy plus time equals comedy.” In 1967, the Holocaust was just over twenty years old, and for many, that was enough elapsed time for them to be able to laugh.

Humor can be a therapeutic, and one of the most stirring examples presented is when “Saturday Night Live” aired its season premiere three weeks after the September 11th, 2001 attacks, and gave New Yorkers and audiences everywhere the sign that is was okay to laugh again. It didn’t mean that everyone was ready, but it meant that life could go on, and for many, comedy is the best way to deal with upsetting situations. Some comedians, like Susie Essman, argue that certain topics, like child molestation, should always be taboo, while others say that if it’s funny enough anything goes. Gilbert Gottfried, who has gotten himself into trouble for some of his button-pushing routines over the years, is one such comedian who feels that little should hold him back if he can make a joke about it.

There are those who believe that being told that anything is off-limits, whatever it may be, is akin to censorship. Sarah Silverman is interviewed multiple times throughout the film and makes a strong case for being able to say what you want and to allow others to be offended if they so choose. She also addresses the question of making jokes meant for an intelligent audience, like when she refers to the “alleged” Holocaust as a nod to the absurdity of Holocaust denial. To her, it’s worth the risk of a few ignorant people taking her at her word if she thinks it’s a funny joke. A clip of Borat singing “Throw the Jew Down the Well” argues the same point since it explicitly shows said ignorant people celebrating a song whose very purpose is to mock them— even if they don’t get it.

Then there’s the question of whether only Jews can make jokes about the Holocaust. The reasoning for such a “decree” is that there is a value to having collectively experienced something personally, and when an outsider makes a joke looking in, it can be interpreted as laughing at rather than laughing with. A few non-Jewish comedians interviewed dispute this objection, and suggest that if a joke is funny, it’s worth telling. That seems to be the prevailing thought throughout the entire film — comedy is comedy and shouldn’t be held back just because someone is offended.

Does this movie provide an answer to the question it asks? Not just one, certainly. It’s agreed that Nazis are fair game – the villains can be mocked while their victims are in grayer territory. This documentary is funniest not when it showcases the jokes about the Holocaust told by its subjects, but rather when the comedians get to be themselves and talk about how they connect to their heritage. We’re used to hearing their routines, but this feels like a more honest and refreshing take on the nature of comedy, with a few Yiddish expressions and quips mixed in.

Image: Mel Brooks in The Last Laugh

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Yes, Silverman wants Bernie Sanders as the next POTUS, as she has already stated on the record, but yesterday’s video drew new attention to her stance. In it, she explains that while a former Hillary Clinton fan, she’s become excited by Sanders’ resistance of super PACS and Special Interest Groups. Silverman also says that panic over Bernie’s socialism is misplaced.

“Good lord, under President Sanders, don’t worry, you can still become a super-rich asshole,” she assures viewers in the video.

Still, the new statement is no “Million Dollar Schlep,” and Silverman makes no overt Jewish jokes, and no references to Bernie’s identity— an interesting oversight, given that in 2008, Silverman drummed up excitement for President Obama by noting that “Barack” means “lightning” in Hebrew.

In any case, now that Sarah has spoken, it’s only a matter of time before we hear from her again, like maybe more about voter ID laws.

In the meantime, you can watch the video below:

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In a new video for the Equal Payback Project, comedian and Ushpizienne Sarah Silverman highlights the egregious “pay gap” between men and women. In 2014—the era of Beyonce! Malala! Hillary!—women are paid 78 cents for every dollar that a man earns. The solution? Get a penis, natch! (Uh, this is probably NSFW?)

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Sukkot is probably my favorite Jewish holiday because we get to build a temporary structure, a sukkah, to live in—and decorate!—for a week. (More about why we do that here.) Traditionally, Jews adorn their Sukkot with posters of the ushpizin, the seven biblical “guests” who we invite to join us on each night of the festival. Not surprisingly, the ushpizin are all men: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David; the most revered dudes in the Torah. No ladies—until now.

Rather than invite seven biblical men to my sukkah, I decided I’d invite the Jewish female comedians and characters I’ve been most into this year, and throw together some posters to honor them.

I think the temporary/pop-up nature of Sukkot lends itself to a pop-culture influence, where the guests you welcome one year might not be the same ones you welcome the next. Last year I honored the cast of Girls. This year I’ve been pretty obsessed with Broad City, and continued to cultivate my enduring love for Lena Dunham, Sarah Silverman and others.

So without further ado, here are my ‘Ushpizienne: Class of 5775’: Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, Abbi Jacobson, Jenny Slate, Ilana Glazer, Sarah Silverman, and Yael Stone.

Don’t forget to ‘hack into booth city’:

And—why not—the cast of Girls, from last Sukkot:

Download large versions of all images for your sukkah (or permanent four-walled residence) here.

Ari Perlow is an antipodean Jewess who is obsessed with vegan analogues and digital media. She co-hosts the podcast Yeah Nah But and tweets at @ari_perlow.

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So, I could write a long, boring Emmy’s round-up, but there’s really only one thing you need to know about last night’s too-long, self-congratulatory Hollywood kiss-fest: Sarah Silverman got high.

OK, yes, she did win the award for Outstanding Variety Show for Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles—mazal tov, etc—but more importantly, she whipped out a vaporizer containing pot on the red carpet, rearranged her breasts in her dress in front of Giuliana Rancic (executing tasteful cleavage is hard, you guys), and accepted her Emmy award barefoot. You do you, Sarah. You do you.

(Image: Jason Merritt/Getty)

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Next week, Sarah Silverman could become Israel’s First (And Funniest) Aunt: her brother-in-law Yosef Abramowitz, a solar power entrepreneur and former journalist, is a candidate in the Israeli presidential election, scheduled to take place on June 10.

The Guardian reports that American-born Abramowitz “has some bold ideas for the presidency,” which include a vegetarian presidential residence, and an electric car powered by solar energy. His resume is impressive: a Wexner Fellowship, two hunger strikes (!), two Pulitzer Prize nominations, three Nobel Prize nominations, an environmentally-righteous tech/social-good start-up, and numerous “most influential” list entries. And, of course, he’s married into one of America’s most famous Jewish families: sister-in-law Sarah Silverman is one of the world’s most beloved/controversial comedians, and wife Susan Silverman is a crusading feminist rabbi. (The Times of Israel reports that he “dreams of having his wife officiate as a rabbi at the country’s first civil marriage and of creating a ‘President’s Talit,’ or prayer shawl, that would be given as a gift to every person who becomes president of a synagogue.”)

Abramowitz’s chances of winning are pretty slim—he made aliyah just eight years ago, and isn’t a household name in Israel the way, say, Dan Shechtman is. And yet, anything’s possible: the Israeli president is a figurehead with no executive power, so the election could yield a surprise result. Abramowitz is counting on the electorate’s political fatigue, hoping that a non-politician who represents “the spirit of vision and technology and Israeli entrepreneurship” will appeal more than a politican who’s been around for decades.

Well, behatzlacha. If he wins, we nominate Sarah Silverman for First Official Potty-Mouthed Comedian Aunt of Israel.

Update, June 6: Abramowitz is no longer in the running. Sorry, folks.

Related: Powerhouse Sisters: Sarah Silverman And Rabbi Susan Silverman

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On paper, Sarah Silverman and Susan Silverman could not be more different. One is a famously provocative comedian living in L.A., the other an activist rabbi living in Israel. (“I’m godless and she’s godfull,” is how Sarah succinctly and irreverently puts it.) But a profile in The Daily Beast reveals that the sisters share a political sensibility which runs in the Silverman family—one that has led Sarah, 43, to launch two Great Schlep campaigns, and Susan, 50, to become a prominent member of the Jewish feminist group, Women of the Wall:

“Our mom is a big brain—very passionate and opinionated,” says Sarah. “She always had buttons on her purse and her overalls (yes, overalls) that said stuff like ‘question authority’ and how the military should have a bake sale and schools should be funded, ‘We have met the enemy and they are US’—you know, that stuff.  And our Dad is also outspoken, very liberal, very funny.  He calls himself a reverse snob. He’ll heckle people: ‘Nice Rolex. That could probably feed a whole town in India—but good for you. I love my Timex—it was $35 and it can go underwater!'”

What’s really touching is how supportive and fond the sisters are of each other (there are four in total). Susan thinks of Sarah as someone who is “carrying on the prophetic tradition, of just pouring out truth and justice.” Sarah recalls that when Susan was in rabbinical school in New York City, “she never left her tiny apartment without a bag full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and dollar bills.”

These days, Susan is an advocate for religious pluralism and refugees’ rights in Israel. When she and her daughter Hallel were arrested last year for wearing tallits and reading Torah at the Western Wall (something only men are permitted to do at the sacred site), Sarah tweeted her support in here characteristically ribald language: “SO proud of my amazing sister @rabbisusan & niece @purplelettuce95 for their ballsout civil disobedience. Ur the tits!”

Apparently the youngest Silverman has been talking this way since she was very little. Once, when offered some brownies by their grandmother, four-year-old Sarah responded, “Shove them up your ass, Nana.” Susan says, “She didn’t know what she was saying, really. She just knew that it was crude and her adorableness saying it was going to be funny.”

Now that’s sisterly love.

Related: Sarah Silverman: Dolls With Ridiculous Bodies Teach Little Girls They “Don’t Deserve Love”
Sarah Silverman Talks Reproductive Rights With Jesus Christ

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