Chosen Comedy Festival

At Birthright Israel BEYOND, we believe laughter is a universal language that brings people together and transcends boundaries. That’s why we’ve partnered with The Chosen Comedy Festival to help give our Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni the opportunity to share the stage with famous Jewish comedians like Elon Gold, Jessica Kirson, and, yes, even Triumph the Insult Dog. 

An earlier blog post covered the origins of “Jewish” comedy, and shared last year’s Birthright Israel BEYOND Chosen Comedy winner—Abby Feldman (and her hilarious stand-up). Now, as we gear up for this year’s Chosen Comedy Festival (The Pre-Show is August 6, 2023; Chosen Comedy Festival is August 8, 2023—both at the Coney Island Amphitheater in Brooklyn, New York!), we want to introduce three more Taglit-Birthright Israel alumni that participated in last year’s festival.

Eric Asker

Eric Asker, a Taglit-Birthright Israel alum from 2015, made his mark at the Chosen Comedy Festival, initially discovering the festival through another comic’s story on Instagram. With a successful career that includes performing at renowned venues like The Comedy Store in New York City and winning the Comedy Central show “Roast Battle,” The Chosen Comedy Festival was the first time he traveled out of state to perform. 

“It was the first time I traveled to a festival; the whole thing was bigger and better than other comedy festivals I’m aware of.”

Asker’s comedic repertoire includes a joke that highlights his unique perspective as a straight, white, Jewish male. With ease, he delivers the line, “I’m a straight, white, Jewish male…which is so close to being a straight, white Christian. Like, I missed it by a nose. Is that good?” 

As a Jewish comedian, Asker believes in the importance of representation and creating opportunities for comedians from diverse backgrounds. “It was nice to get together and show how much diversity is in the Jewish comedy scene.”

Beyond his stand-up career, Asker also hosts a podcast called “The 69th Amendment”, described on Spotify as “The Only Podcast Hosted by Scott Hall and Eric Asker” (which really just means he and co-host Scott Hall provide their hilarious takes and observations about a variety of topics). 

One of the standout aspects of the Chosen Comedy Festival, according to Asker, was the immense support it offered to participating comedians, allowing him to thrive and be part of something truly fantastic; “The Chosen Comedy Festival was very supportive of the comedians who participated…and that just felt fantastic to do and be there and be a part of (the whole thing).” 

Seth Davis

Seth Davis, a Taglit-Birthright Israel alum from 2006, discovered the Chosen Comedy Festival through a friend who shared a Facebook post from Birthright Israel BEYOND. With his exceptional ability to mimic cartoon and Muppet voices, Seth was quickly chosen to perform on stage. 

Comedy has always been a part of Davis’ life, thanks to his father and his knack for entertaining his former classmates. From middle school to present day, Davis’ gift for impressions has continually brought laughter to those around him. 

Reflecting, Davis said, “The whole experience for me was really exciting because one, I’m a comedian, and I got to perform at the Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard, which is this incredible milestone in my own small comedy career, and then two, I got to perform for Jewish people, which are my people. Plus, all the other comedians on stage were Jewish too. So like…I had an instant connection to a lot of them.”

He said the experience made him reflect on his own Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, “I remember going on my Birthright Israel trip and thinking, oh, I never thought that would lead to anything in comedy, but here it is.” 

As an advocate for Jewish identity and representation, Davis emphasized the importance of standing up for oneself, particularly in times when Jewish people are being targeted. Comedy, according to Davis, plays a vital role in Jewish culture, “I think what makes the Chosen Comedy Festival unique is that it’s a celebration of Jewish life and also a celebration of Jewish humor. I think humor is something that’s very ingrained in Jewish culture.”

Looking ahead, Davis has an array of exciting projects and shows on the horizon. Currently, he is producing a monthly comedy show called “Laughs on a Hot 10 Roof” near Northwestern University; he also plans to continue writing scripts, performing stand-up, and collaborating with other creatives amidst his current two secret projects. Beyond the stage, Seth also enjoys creating social content, and exploring avenues for acting, writing, and voiceover work.

You can catch Seth at one of his upcoming comedy shows in Chicago at The Second City and The Comedy Vault.

Cody Pomeranz

Cody Pomeranz, a Taglit-Birthright Israel alum from 2014 began his journey in comedy in 6th grade when he was inspired by his two older brothers’ stand-up performances. During a middle school talent show, Pomeranz’s five-minute set brought serious laughs—even from his childhood bully. Hailing from Washington, D.C., where he entertained audiences for nearly a decade, this Taglit-Birthright Israel alum made his way to Los Angeles, where he continues to captivate audiences.

Pomeranz submitted his audition to the Chosen Comedy Festival after a friend sent him an Instagram post about comedy opportunities. 

“The idea of getting on stage at Laugh Factory was just the coolest thing in the world to me.” Pomeranz described seeing his name in lights above the Laugh Factory marquee as “One of the coolest moments of my life.” 

And performing for a Jewish audience and with other Jewish comedians made an impact on Pomeranz. “It was just cool to perform for a mostly Jewish audience…When you laugh together, you just become closer with people, and I think comedy brings people together. The same reason it’s important to Jewish culture. I think it’s healing.”  

In his quest to inspire and mobilize others, Pomeranz envisions organizing comedy dinners back in his home, Washington, D.C., explaining that comedy should play a more significant role in politics because of its immense potential to engage and provoke meaningful discourse.

You can catch Pomeranz at The Comedy Store’s open mic nights, back at the Laugh Factory, and at the Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica. 

Help decide this year’s line-up!

Our Birthright Israel BEYOND alumni community is chock-full of talent, and we had a ton of talented comedians submit their reels to try and win a spot in the The Chosen Comedy Festival. 

We’ve narrowed these funny alumni down to the top 10, and we need your help in selecting the top 3 comedians!

Watch their comedy reels and cast your vote today! 

Voting ends Thursday, August 2023 at midnight. 

If you’re around on August 6, don’t forget to check out our Chosen Comedy Festival pre-show (exclusive to Taglit-Birthright Israel alum)! 

And for double the comedy, be sure to buy your tickets for the August 8 Chosen Comedy Festival before they run out! 

The show will be at the Coney Island Amphitheater, and it’s sure to be a must-see event!

More details and the lineup: https://www.standupny.com/chosencomedyfest/