The son of East European Jewish immigrants, Jack Benny—né Benjamin Kubelsky—began his career as a vaudevillian and went on to be a pioneer of the radio situation comedy, crafting in his eponymous show a model that remains with us on television today. Reviewing a recent biography of the comedian, Terry Teachout explains the tightrope he walked with regard to his Jewish identity:
More about: American Jewry, Anti-Semitism, Arts & Culture, Comedy, Jewish humor