EZZES FROM ESTIS: Jewish wit and German seriousness

A Jewish joke always takes at least two. It takes at least two because there is usually a dialogue. The dialogue usually exists within the joke. Outside of the joke, there is usually a monologue at the same moment because someone is telling the joke and the others are listening.

But this monologue is usually also a dialogue because there always has to be someone who knows how to tell the joke even better. This is a so-called alzwejßer, one who knows everything; But it’s not enough that he knows everything – he also knows better. And that is much worse than if he simply knew everything, because “knowing better” is perhaps not the opposite of “knowing”, but certainly not the opposite of this opposite either, i.e. the same as “knowing”. But what do I know!

In any case: Jewish jokes require at least two, because firstly, Jewish jokes are part of it and secondly, Jewish seriousness – and together these are certainly no less than at least two, if not almost more. Jewish humor is never possible without Jewish seriousness. So many deal with Jewish humor, but no one wants to deal with Jewish seriousness. Except for the Germans, for them it’s almost exactly the opposite, even if that could of course just be a joke.

But what is Jewish seriousness? And I don’t mean Ernst Bloch, for example. We already know what German seriousness is all about and where it leads, even if German seriousness is younger. Now we not only know what this is all about, but we even know better, which, as I said, is significantly worse, which is why we should perhaps ask ourselves again what German seriousness is all about. Does German seriousness have enough Jewish humor?

Even if this question were answered, the other would remain: What is Jewish seriousness? Jewish seriousness is what remains when the joke itself is removed from Jewish jokes. That’s like when you go out gefilte fish removes the fish: Without what remains, it is not a fish gefilte fishbut without fish it would be neither fisch still filtered.

Because Jewish seriousness can be had without Jewish humor, but then it is not Jewish seriousness, but simply seriousness. But Jewish humor cannot be had without Jewish seriousness; Jewish joke without Jewish seriousness is not Jewish joke, but Jewish joke. What is the difference between Jew joke and Jewish joke? That’s simple: it’s the crucial one.

The crucial joke is: One is two words, the other is just one. Two words are more than one: two words are two voices, two words are two meanings, two words are two lives, two words are two worlds, are two peoples, two words are two people. In the Jewish joke, two people laugh at themselves by laughing at the other; In a Jew joke, a person laughs for himself by laughing against another.

But sometimes a joke can be transformed by a miracle: a Jewish joke told by a Hasid suddenly becomes a Jewish joke. And a Jewish joke that Björn Höcke tells immediately becomes a Jewish joke.

That’s why many people ask: Can I tell Jewish jokes if I’m not a Jew but, for example, a German, especially given the history? The question is asked incorrectly. You have to ask: If I’m German, can I keep quiet about a Jewish joke, given the history?

On Wednesday, March 13th, our columnist can be seen in Berlin: “Cabaret Shabbat” with Alexander Estis and Alexander Paperny (Balalaika), 7:30 p.m., Theater im Palais