Jarrad Saffren and Zoe Bell | WJW Staff

Remember Jewish comedy? It’s still a thing, and it’s thriving, even in this era of war, antisemitism and security concerns.

And it’s especially thriving in the form of Alex Edelman, the stand-up star perhaps best known for his show, “Just For Us,” about secretly attending a white nationalist gathering. That landed on Broadway, and later HBO Max, winning first a Tony Award and then an Emmy. They were just the latest honors in what is fast becoming a decorated career for the Boston native, who was raised in a Modern Orthodox family and attended the Maimonides School.

On May 31, Edelman will bring his sharp brand of Jewish comedy to Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Potomac. He is the headliner for the synagogue’s 2026 annual fundraiser, which begins at 6:30 p.m.

“He’s so bright and clever, and his humor really transcends the different ages in our community,” Lesley Levin, B’nai Tzedek’s director of programming and engagement, said of Edelman.

Expected to house 330 attendees, including the shul community and past clergy members, the comedy night will honor B’nai Tzedek’s Caryn and Gary Silverman. Caryn Silverman, the outgoing synagogue president, is the only two-term president in B’nai Tzedek history. She led the congregation during the pandemic, then again for the past two years as the community navigated a senior rabbi search, according to Levin.

Caryn Silverman has personally been inspired by Edelman.

“During COVID, Caryn saw how Alex used humor to bring people together during the ‘Saturday Night Seder’ program and he lifted spirits during an incredibly difficult time,” Levin said. “And that really mirrored the way she approached her leadership at [B’nai Tzedek] in creating connections.”

Edelman was the head writer of the celebrity-studded “Saturday Night Seder.”

“Alex has a way of making people laugh while also making them feel connected, and I think that combination is very powerful,” Caryn Silverman wrote in a statement to Washington Jewish Week. “Throughout my presidency at Congregation B’nai Tzedek, I’ve tried to help foster some of that same sense of connection and joy.”

She described the upcoming comedy night as “more than a fundraiser or an evening of entertainment.”

“It’s really a celebration of community,” Silverman said. “There’s something very Jewish about gathering together to laugh.”

Levin said she’s glad for the opportunity to bring Edelman’s Jewish communal dedication to B’nai Tzedek for a night.

Born in 1989, Edelman’s debut show, “Millennial,” won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer, the first show by an American to do so since 1997. He followed that up with “Everything Handed to You” and “Just For Us.”

He’s known for exploring Jewish identity, family and contemporary politics, specifically his own place as a New York-based Jewish comedian in a polarized political climate. His catchphrase, “Can you believe it?” is often a method for deflecting the ensuing awkwardness that comes with politics, cancel culture or antisemitism.

Edelman started attending and participating in open mics when he was 15, and while studying in yeshiva for a year in Israel, he helped launch Jerusalem’s first comedy club, Off the Wall Comedy. His debut show won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer in 2014, and his touring career started shortly after that.

B’nai Tzedek members are fans of Edelman or have at least heard of him, according to Levin. The congregation’s B’nai Boomers — a social club for retirees and empty nesters — saw “Just For Us” at Woolly Mammoth Theatre a few years before it landed on Broadway.

“Everybody loved it all around,” Levin said. “His show is so intelligent, and it really transcends what people see in a typical Jewish comedian.”

She spoke to Edelman’s natural narrative storytelling ability, diverting from the traditional setup-then-punchline joke structure.

“The excitement is definitely there,” Levin said. “We are sold out, it’s a week away, and people are really truly pumped to see him.”

The last comedian to perform at B’nai Tzedek was actor and stand-up comedian Kevin Pollak, perhaps best known for his role as Moishe in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” the hit series that doubled as the theme of the April 2022 fundraiser. “That was also a well-attended event,” Levin said.

This year, the staff at B’nai Tzedek plan to decorate the sanctuary to resemble a comedy club for Edelman’s performance.

“It’ll feel like everyone’s in the Comedy Cellar in New York,” Levin said.

jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com
zbell@midatlanticmedia.com