Comedians Benji Lovitt and Joel Chasnoff, a dynamic duo of American-born olim (immigrants) with a knack for explaining tough topics with a touch of humor, have a new book out together.
Israel 201, their first formal collaboration, is an often hilarious tribute to the country’s 75 years of existence, aiming to educate both Zionists and people without any knowledge of Israel, about the beauty and absurdity that accompanies daily life here. This includes explanations of terms such as freier (sucker), and why its application on the streets leads to a high rate of car accidents in the country.
More serious chapters include one on Yom Hazikaron, Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel’s Wars and Victims of Terrorism. They both said writing it was emotional, “when I knew I was Israeli… you feel the history of the country on your shoulders,” Chasnoff said.
This back and forth between humor and sternness is explained by Chasnoff as, “one of our big goals – to be funny at the right time, but serious when it needs to be.”
“One of our big goals – to be funny at the right time, but serious when it needs to be.”
Joel Chasnoff
The two moved to Israel at different times. Lovitt landed in the Holy Land 16 years ago and has not looked back. Chasnoff came here after college to enroll in the army, and afterward spent 20 years in the US – he moved back six and a half years ago.
Both standup comedians on the local Anglo-Israeli circuit, they met around 20 years ago, and roughly five years ago embarked on the journey of writing the book.
It was Chasnoff’s fourth book, and when he had the idea of writing a book for Israel’s 75th birthday to “explore aspects not talked about often,” he saw Lovitt as the perfect person to write it with as both have a deep love for the country.
Lovitt explains the term “201” as moving from an emphasis of “having to know so much… especially for the next generation, we know how many people come here and fall in love with the country for the people, the language and the food. But what about the day to day?”
They see their three audiences as: “those who have been to Israel or made aliyah – the camp of ‘I know the country but want to learn more’; those who have tasted Israel on Birthright or another trip and want more; and those who know nothing at all – maybe they see the country in the news often, usually with negative headlines – and we can show them a side of Israel that is not talked about much.”
A book with a method based on an idea: What is Israel's real character?
THEIR METHOD is based on the idea, as explained by Chasnoff, that “if you really want to know a person, knowing their birthday and parents’ names won’t cut it… you get to know them by what they do in their free time and their hobbies – dates and borders are important, but they tell you nothing. We are talking about the real character of the country.”
Asked about how comedy plays a role in this process, Lovitt said “it impacts your outlook on life. I tell every new immigrant that you need to have a sense of humor to survive… and we had fun writing the book – our sense of humor and ability to not take things too seriously allows us to write things about cats and basketball.”
Chasnoff expounded, saying “comedy in general is rooted in the struggle between conflict and absurdity – and this country is full of it. Just for a new immigrant to navigate health insurance and bus schedules… even sabras (native Israelis) dealing with things like being in high school one week and the military the next. This is the essence of comedy.”
Accompanying their book is a tour which starts in March called “Israel 75 Live.” It is a series of comedy, cooking and general workshops aiming to reach people across the spectrum to bring the real side of Israel to the world. Running until June and with a second leg planned after the holidays, they will be visiting synagogues in the US and Canada, hoping to “give people who visit a deeper appreciation of the country.”
As Lovitt says about the tour, “just like with the book, we are not giving a lecture on Iran. We are helping them understand the country.”
Asked about the most unique chapters, Chasnoff points to the Yom Hazikaron chapter, while Lovitt says the one about the Israeli psyche during times of war, and how they cope with the conflict.
Their book is available now at Steimatzky and Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel, some Barnes and Noble stores in the US, and on Amazon. You can learn more about the book and their tour at https://www.israel201.com