A lifelong fan of comedy, Carmiya Weinraub was inspired to take her spot on the stage after workshopping with a fellow Modern Orthodox female comedian.
In December 2019, Weinraub set a goal for herself to take the stage twice while she was 40 years old. She fulfilled that goal a month later.
The mom of five founded Interfaith Comedy after two years of performing. The unique approach brings together comedians from different religious backgrounds for 90-minute shows. Weinraub was one of two comedians honored with the Rev. Clark Lobenstine Interfaith Bridge Builders’ Award by the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington on June 8.
She is also on the pastoral care team for Charles E. Smith Life Communities, a local retirement community.
Weinraub lives in Rockville, where she belongs to Kehilat Pardes – The Rock Creek Synagogue.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
I grew up going to a synagogue in Alexandria, Virginia: Agudas Achim Congregation. We went almost every Shabbat morning. I would say the biggest influences on my life as a Jew were Camp Ramah in New England, [United Synagogue Youth] and a particular family I met who moved into our synagogue when I was 9. He was the Gesher Jewish Day School principal at the time and she was the Hebrew school director of our synagogue. Their oldest kid was my age and I spent a lot of time with him and with their family. I remember, at the age of 9, spending Shabbat afternoon at their home and thinking to myself, “I want to do this when I have a family of my own.”
How did you get into comedy?
I always liked watching standup and would quote comedians as a teenager with my friends. I became a comedian because there’s another woman in my synagogue who is also a Modern Orthodox female comedian, Anna Tirat-Gefen. She was auditioning for something in 2019 and I said I would be happy to listen to her audition and give her any feedback because I had experience writing and editing in workshops and a minor in English. I listened to her set, offered a few suggestions and immediately began thinking that I could probably do the same thing. [I thought,] ‘I could probably do that. I should start writing down things too.’ But I was afraid. I think a lot of people give up when they start something new because they can’t be great.
What prompted you to found Interfaith Comedy?
I had been performing for two years already and happened to be on a lineup with a woman named Yasmin Elhady. She is an outwardly Muslim woman — has a hijab and dresses modestly. She got on stage and immediately addressed a stereotype you might have about her, which delighted me so much. I was so struck by how bold and unafraid she seemed and in listening to her, I had the thought, “My Jews need to see her.”
A month later, I was on a different lineup at a different show with a different Muslim performer, Shahryar. When I watched him, I thought, “I wonder if my rabbi would let me do an interfaith comedy show.” I texted Rabbi Uri [Topolosky], and he wrote back, “Yes.” I talked to him about it and invited a range of performers to that first show, which was Jan. 1, 2022, and since then, the [show] on June 8 will be our 26th.
How do you feel about being recognized by the Interfaith Council of Greater Washington?
I changed the direction of my career to facilitate making this show happen, to really build momentum to bring [Interfaith Comedy] to many places and grow the number of performers on it and grow the number of places we can go.
Comedy isn’t the most reliable and lucrative of careers and it is really gratifying to have some outside agency tell me what I’m doing is important. I’m honored and feel like the work is being validated. I know that watching someone different than me made my prejudices melt, so I believe that that can happen with other people, which is why I started this show. It feels like a stamp of approval from an outside agency that works specifically with the interfaith cause.
Tell me about your role on the pastoral care team at Charles E. Smith Life Communities.
I have a background in social work with aging and gerontology, which was my profession before this. And for ages I used to lead a booming Tot Shabbat service in Riverdale, New York. I combined the skills — [now], I am a song leader and spiritual advisor who works on the pastoral care team. I offer spiritual visits, lead classes, sing Hebrew songs and tefillah with residents and patients and provide one-on-one visits. I’ve always felt it’s very easy to connect to older adults.
What do you want your kids to know as they grow up?
My husband and I have always talked about how we want our children to grow up to be good people, and that means honest, curious, nonjudgmental and kind.
