And as a person who is also in the writer's room, just a part of the show on screen, I'm curious what kind of pressure or excitement? What are the feelings when you're entering into a project like this that is so closely connected to the office?

For me, externally, I picked it because of the sort of...

I wanted to work on this show because they had done such a terrific job educating their writers and performers.

Like Greg and Komen both have really great histories working with people that left the employ a more fulsome artist than they entered the employ.

And so I mean, I'll talk about the I'm not dodging the question.

I'll answer the like, I'll answer the actual, like pressure question in a second.

But the reason I took the gig was because of what writers and performers in the office had gone through, which is this sort of like grad school where they also got to be on television.

But Barack Obama talked to you about watching Just For Us, and he said something really funny about it, if you don't mind repeating the thing that he told you.

was the Kelsey Grammer.

Ty Burrell, Josh Gad.

And by the way, my college roommate was in a Steve Levitan show called Oliver Bean.

Oh, yeah.

My college roommate, Grant Rosenmeier, was Oliver Bean in Oliver Bean.

Wow.

And this is how young I was.

What is your next show about, do you know?

Sure.

And he was...

And John is pretty soft-spoken.

Like, I would say it's almost his defining quality.

Even the few times I've seen John Henry mad, he's been soft-spoken.

But apparently he shouted at Charles, we have to fucking fix this.

We have to fix this.

for a

[laughs]

All right.

I'll have a little more.

By the way, it's so funny 'cause sometimes people talk about, like, this is my really hot take, which is that, like, uh, the right way to get money is to write it.

And anyone who ever makes money writing or acting, I'm always like, "Yeah, that's, that's how you're supposed to do it." You know, I have such a weird disdain for, like, different types of money.

I'm like, "Petrochemicals? No way." But if someone's like, "Oh, I was on, uh, I was on Freydher for a long time," I'm like, "You-"

Yeah

... about character development, and concision, and the jokes that shouldn't go into a show.

kind of question?

It's the best.

It's the best.

First of all, what I think of it as, I don't know that I've ever answered that question this way, but, like- It's, it's a, it's a learning experience.

Like, I get a chance to be with all these great comedians and some of the greatest comedy writers who've ever lived.

Like Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, my two bosses, are amazing, you know? And like, I work on the show as a writer/performer, and like some of the greatest writer/performers ever have come through the office in Greg's, you know, Greg the writer's room.

And so it's definitely, like, a huge part of my personhood, and definitely a huge part of my, uh, you know, comedy education.

[laughs]

[laughs]

But w- you know, it actually created a conversation.

'Cause airports, you learn, uh, people are different people in airports.

Like extroverts become introverts, introverts become...

Because fuck it, you're never gonna see them again.

And so we're meeting a lot of these pr- you know, pretty vanilla single servings, but like, um-We're sitting there, and then all of a sudden this round of applause starts rippling through the terminal.

And I look up, and it's a platoon of soldiers marching in formation down the middle of the terminal.

Yeah.

I think so too.

But......

in that doubt, that's where there's comedy.

In not being sure, that's where there's comedy.

In not being able to talk about it, that's where there's comedy.

And to be like, I'm cl- like there's a joke that I'm working on now, that I've never like discussed before because it's still like sort of under r- r- like...

But it's about a, uh, a person who is Black, Jewish, and trans, who's, you know, arrested for putting up pro-Hamas posters, and I talk about that, but like I also try to be like, "Well, what's the other side of that?" So there, so there's that.

I don't want to get wrong with Clooney about your guest.

Mm-hmm.

There, we live in a new incredible Jewish moment.

(clapping) Mm-hmm.

Obviously, there are challenges.

Obviously, obviously this is an embattled community.

Obvi- it's always been an embattled community.

Li- like, and obviously there are intense geopolitical conflicts that we're concerned with.

Mm-hmm.

Woo-hoo!

Hi, handsome gang.

Um, my name is Alex Edelman.

And I'm a comedian.

And my question is, is there, like, a person from your childhood that was, like, in your community, was, like, this sort of eccentric adult, and you sort of loved them or had a strong feeling about them?

Yeah, let's do it.

In my community there's a woman named Sharon, and she, uh, had a pet parrot named Snooks who loved to curse.

And he then, with some, uh, prompting went into, "Okay, let's go through the Chagim, the festivals, which one is Jewish, which ones are not Jewish?" With, to my mind anyway, some very surprising results.

There are a couple of non-Jewish holidays.

First of all, I hate to say this, but Yom- Yom Kippur is not Jewish (laughs).

Yom Kippur, it's this nakedly aspirational concept that you're gonna get forgiveness from your family and friends, that a chapter is closed.

Jews never close the chapter.

Jews are s- constantly scribbling in the book of life asking for more stuff.

Rosh Hashanah is the most Jewish holiday, and Yom Kippur is the least Jewish.

I think we're... (laughs) I think-

I think so too.

But-...

in that doubt, that's where there's comedy.

In not being sure, that's where there's comedy.

In not being able to talk about it, that's where there's comedy.

And to be like, I'm clout...

Like, there's a joke that I'm working on now, that I've never like discussed before, 'cause it's still like sort of under or or like...

Yeah.

I'm curious why.

Because Norman Lear, who I completely worshiped, liked to say that "I'm just another version of you." And Norman created all these shows like All in the Family, but he also did, like, Sanford and Sons and Maude and, um, Mary Hartman and Mary Hartman.

And a bunch of shows where it wasn't just about Norman Lear.

These shows were...

They were fully inhabited with this, um, humanity.

And one of my professors at college, Nathan Englander, likes to say that when people are told, "Write what you know," sometimes they go, "Oh, if I'm a farmer, I should write about being a farmer.

If I'm from a poor background, I should write about being from that specific poor background." But what he means is: if you know shame, write shame.

Or is it more relevant?

... American Jews. (laughs) You haven't been watching television for a while, even before the elections, I get it. Um, but I was wondering for you how that changed, how it changed you, how it changed your humor, even in a way how it changed the show. I mean, what happened since to you?

Hmm, that's a good question. I mean, look, good comedy, I believe that good comedy should be conversant with the time that it's in, but not beholden to it, because it's one person's individual experience. So, I addressed it at the top of the show, um, I had a line addressing it, um, but the line also let people know that I wasn't gonna talk about it. And by the way, I've gotten pretty angry notes from people who went, "How could you not have like adjusted your special to release it in a different time?" It's inappropriate to release it in a time of such, of such, you know, division and hatred. Someone said, "How could you center a Jewish story in a, during a, you know, Palestinian genocide," things like that, people expressing their opinions on the piece itself. I did all sorts of math on it, but ultimately, I think that would have required its own show, uh, you know, to actually change the, the piece itself. Um, I do think that all good personal comedy can be sort of a prism through which you see the world. Yeah, something dealing with Jewish identity during a time post-October 7th was weird and difficult and taxing and I'm very wary of people who claim fear when it's not theirs to have. But, you know, doing that show in October of 2023 was, was pretty... I felt nervous. I felt nervous walking into the theater, I felt nervous on stage and then I'd try to put it out of my mind and during the Q&A some lady raised her hand and went, "What if someone kills you?" And I was like, "Well, I don't think that's very likely to happen." It's not, wasn't likely to happen. Someone sent me like a death threat on Instagram, they were like, "I'm gonna come to San Francisco on October 27th and, you know, behead you in front of your Zionist buddies." And I was like, "Well, the show is October 26th and October 28th, so you're gonna have to pick."

No, but it, but you've, we've delivered it. Um, no, here's the thing I was gonna ask you about, which is, flowing out the thing about how you identify now, which is, I heard you saying somewhere that you were... And I think, you know, that's interesting as well, whether you've moved. Something of an antisemitism minimalist, which I think is a brilliant description. And I think I'm, you know, I would have some common ground with that, meaning you're not somebody who wants to make victimhood central to Jewish identity and, in fact, you're a bit worried by the fact that a lot of people do make victimhood central to Jewish identity. But I sensed in the way you talked about it where I read you that you were having, there was some sort of movement on that. And given what you were saying about what you saw as a young child in Israel, you've seen some stuff, I don't know where, just where are you on that before we get to the quickfire round that I think we, is looming?

It's a good question. I mean, what I s- meant by antisemitism minimalist is, I always thought what does identity look like without victimhood? Right? What does your identity as a Jew look like if you're not concerned as much with the persecution of the outside world? And I also think it's an aspirational thing, right? We should aspire to, um... My favorite jokes address, you know, actual issues that concern things that Jews are really concerned with. Right? Like that joke I just told, that offensive joke about, you know, uh, is it... The joke is, has to do with like rising rates of intermarriage, you would argue that it highlights something important, right? And like, you know, is the most important thing to the exclusion of all else Jewish victimhood? Is that the thing that we should be constantly discussing and concerning ourselves with? And, and also the oppressor/oppressee binary. Situating Jews somewhere on this axis has been really difficult and confusing for not just Jews, but almost every antisemite and philosemite, uh, in society writ large. And I think at best it's boring and at worst it's dangerous. So I'm really concerned with this. Um, and also it's not our lens. It's like a very Westernized colonialist lens that is like very new and very weird and doesn't jibe well with our worldview and prevents good works and good deeds, in my opinion. With that said, in Israel it's impossible to divorce from this, no matter how much, you know, antisemites or Jews or philosemites would like to, Israel is a big part of this. Uh, and now it's impossible to divorce the two. So that's why I'm wavering on it. Jonathan, I'm gra- I'm currently grappling with whether or not... 'Cause there's certainly antisemitism on campuses. I, I will go to any campus. Like I perform at campuses whenever I'm offered the chance. I speak at campuses whenever I'm offered the chance. I, I like doing it 'cause I like to hear directly from these, you know, these younger people about their experiences. I hosted a Radio 4 show about young people for a long time. I think it's a really difficult and under-discussed time in, in people's lives. Uh, and so on campus, there's certainly antisemitism and even someone like me who's been denying it for a long time can't, can't help but see that for what it is. And again, not to be like, on the other hand four or five times, but on the other hand, it's way better than it would have been 60, 50 years ago. You know, I had a relative, I won't say who they are because I don't, it's not my story to tell, but they were rejected from Duke Medical School because Duke had a quota for how many Jews they were willing to admit. And this is in like the '80s.