Joel Chasnoff

Last updated
Joel Chasnoff
JChasnoff.png
Joel Chasnoff at the Improv Olympic, 2009
Birth nameJoel Chasnoff
Born (1973-12-15) December 15, 1973 (age 49)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Medium stand-up, television, film
NationalityAmerican, Israeli
Education University of Pennsylvania
Years active1997 - present
Subject(s) Jewish culture, pop culture, family
Website www.JoelChasnoff.com

Joel Chasnoff (born December 15, 1973) is an American-Israeli stand-up comedian and writer with stage and screen credits in eight countries, and author of the comic memoir The 188th Crybaby Brigade, about his year as a tank soldier in the Israeli Army. [1]

Contents

Early life

Joel Chasnoff grew up in Chicago, Illinois, in a Conservative Jewish household with his parents and two younger brothers. [1] He attended Solomon Schechter Day School, where he describes himself as the smallest boy in his class and relied on humor to stand out. [2] [3] [4]

His second-grade teacher, who was a native of Israel, helped inspire his connection to Israel. [5] As a teen he traveled to Israel several times, including at age 13 with his family. He returned for a second trip at age 17, and later co-led a six-week Jewish teen tour to Poland and Israel. [5] [6] He was impressed by Israeli soldiers when he visited, and said he felt guilty about not doing something to help defend the country himself. [7]

Israeli Defense Forces

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, and a half-hearted attempt at a stand-up career in New York City, Chasnoff immigrated to Israel and enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces at age 24. [6] From 1997 to 1998 he served as a tank gunner in the 188th Armored Brigade in south Lebanon. [2] [3] [7] His unit was responsible for defending Israel's north, including the Golan Heights and the Syrian border. His service included two months of Basic Training, two months of Tank School, three months of Advanced Warfare Training, followed by a tour of duty in South Lebanon, where he participated in operations against Hezbollah. [1] [5] [8] [9] During one such operation, Chasnoff wreaked havoc when he refused to fire on a pair of enemy combatants in an Open Fire Zone. After an investigation, it was determined that the combatants were actually Dutch United Nations soldiers who had wandered into the Open Fire Zone by accident, and Chasnoff was exonerated of charges of disobedience.[ citation needed ]

During his time of service Chasnoff attempted to marry his Israeli girlfriend, only to discover that he was not considered halakhically Jewish by the official Rabbinate of Israel and was thus unable to marry in the Jewish state. [10] [11]

Comedy

Chasnoff continued to pursue comedy after leaving the IDF, first at the Improv Olympic in Chicago and eventually in New York. He now has stage and screen credits in eight countries, including the U.S., Israel, Canada, England, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, and Singapore. [12] He's been the warm-up act for Jon Stewart and Lewis Black of The Daily Show, and went on a USO Comedy Tour of the Far East entertaining American Marines. He has performed at more than 1,000 comedy clubs, colleges, festivals, and Jewish events across North America, Israel, and Europe. [13] His comedy, both stand-up and written, relies on non-degrading observations about the details of American life and his Jewish upbringing. [4]

The 188th Crybaby Brigade

On February 9, 2010 Simon & Schuster published Chasnoff's comedic memoir about his experiences in the IDF. [14] In August 2010 it climbed to #3 on the Denver Post bestseller list.

Personal life

Chasnoff lives in Ra'anana, Israel with his wife, a native-born Israeli, and their children. [15]

Publishing History

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merkava</span> Israeli main battle tank

The Merkava is a series of main battle tanks used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the backbone of the IDF's Armored Corps. Current iterations of this tank are considered broadly equivalent to the capabilities of the M1 Abrams, Leopard 2 and the Challenger 2. This vehicle also shares the same powerplant as a number of other well known tank platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">188th Armored Brigade</span> Unit of the Israel Defense Forces

The 188th "Barak" (Lightning) Armored Brigade is an Israeli armored brigade, subordinate to Israel's Northern Regional Command. The emblem of the Barak Armored Brigade is a red-bordered rhombus bearing a sword against a blue and white background depicting the Haifa coastline. The brigade has a long history beginning before the foundation of the State of Israel.

The history of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intertwines in its early stages with history of the Haganah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular Resistance Committees</span> Coalition of Palestinian groups

The Popular Resistance Committees is a coalition of a number of armed Palestinian groups opposed to what they regard as the conciliatory approach of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah towards Israel. The PRC is especially active in the Gaza Strip, through its military wing, the Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades. The PRC has planned and executed a number of varied operations, but specializes in planting roadside bombs and vehicle explosive charges - directed against military and civilian convoys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">401st Brigade</span> Unit of the Israel Defense Forces

The 401st "Iron Tracks" Brigade is an Armored Brigade in the 162nd Division of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Since August 2016, it has been commanded by Colonel Ohad Nagma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armored Corps (Israel)</span> Corps of the Israel Defense Forces

The Israeli Armored Corps is a corps of the Israel Defense Forces that, since 1998, has been subordinate to GOC Army Headquarters. The Armored Corps is the principal maneuvering corps, and primarily bases its strength on Main Battle Tanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gadi Eizenkot</span> Israeli general (born 1960)

Gadi Eisenkot or Eizenkot is an Israeli general who was the 21st Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 16 February 2015 until 15 January 2019. He is the originator of the so-called Dahiya doctrine, which endorses the use of "disproportionate force" and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in areas where attacks against Israel originate from. He serves as a minister without portfolio in the thirty-seventh government of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eldad Regev</span> Israeli soldier whose abduction sparked the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

Eldad Regev was an Israeli soldier abducted by Hezbollah fighters along with Ehud Goldwasser on 12 July 2006 in Israel near the Lebanese border, sparking the 2006 Lebanon War. His rank was Sergeant First Class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Bint Jbeil</span> Key engagement in the 2006 Lebanon War

The Battle of Bint Jbeil was one of the main battles of the 2006 Lebanon War. Bint Jbeil is a major town of some 20,000 inhabitants in Southern Lebanon. Although Brig.-Gen. Gal Hirsch announced on 25 July that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had "complete control" of Bint Jbeil, this statement was later discredited. In spite of three sustained attempts by the IDF to conquer the town, it remained in the hands of Hezbollah until the end of the war. The town was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the war, with both sides taking heavy losses. Three senior Israeli officers, including Major Roi Klein, were killed in the battle. Hezbollah similarly lost several commanders, most notably Khalid Bazzi, commander of the Bint Jbeil area.

The Battle of Maroun al-Ras was a battle of the 2006 Lebanon War that took place in Maroun ar-Ras, a small village in southern Lebanon on the border with Israel, and Jall ad-Dayr, a nearby Hizbullah stronghold. This battle was the first serious ground battle in the 2006 Lebanon war. It was fought to a large extent by elite forces on both sides and would have huge consequences for the future of the war. Although Israeli forces captured most of the town, they did not fully secure it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Hezbollah cross-border raid</span> Attack in the 2006 Lebanon War

The 2006 Hezbollah cross-border raid was a cross-border attack carried out by Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants on an Israeli military patrol on 12 July 2006 on Israeli territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Lebanon War</span> Armed conflict primarily between Israel and Hezbollah

The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War, was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Golan Heights. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The conflict started on 12 July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon. Due to unprecedented Iranian military support to Hezbollah before and during the war, some consider it the first round of the Iran–Israel proxy conflict, rather than a continuation of the Arab–Israeli conflict.

The Battle of Ayta ash-Sha'b took place during the 2006 Lebanon War, when the Israel Defense Forces and the Islamic Resistance, the armed wing of Hezbollah, fought a 33 days battle for the town of Ayta ash-Sha'b and the neighboring villages of Ramiya, al-Qawzah and Dibil in southern Lebanon. The initial phase of the battle consisted of two and a half weeks of intense bombardment by air and artillery, followed by more than two weeks of intensive fighting in and around the town. The IDF deployed five brigades against an Hizbullah force consisting of litte more than half a company. Still the IDF failed to capture the town and suffered relatively heavy casualties in the process.

The Operation Change of Direction 11 was the final offensive operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the 2006 Lebanon War that began on August 11, 2006, and ended three days later when the ceasefire came into effect. It involved a tripling of Israeli forces inside Lebanon and aimed at encircling Hizbullah forces in south Lebanon. The plan was to advance westwards along the Litani River from the Galilee Panhandle, combined with helicopter landings behind enemy lines, intended to be the largest in IDF history, and simultaneous advances northwards in the central sector and along the Mediterranean coast. The plan was to follow up the offensive by several weeks of mopping-up operations in the surrounded territories, eliminating Hizbullah infrastructure, especially in the launching areas of Katyusha rockets.

Operation "Determined Path" was a military operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces, starting June 22, 2002, following Operation "Defensive Shield", with the goal of reaching some of the unreached objectives set forth for Defensive Shield, especially in the northern West Bank.

Michael Levin was an American-Israeli soldier in the Paratroopers Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who was killed in action in the Second Lebanon War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannibal Directive</span> Controversial Israeli military protocol

The Hannibal Directive is a controversial procedure used by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers by enemy forces. The directive was revoked in 2016, to be replaced by a new directive of unknown content. It was introduced in 1986, after a number of abductions of IDF soldiers in Lebanon and subsequent controversial prisoner exchanges. The full text of the directive was not published, and until 2003, Israeli military censorship forbade any discussion of the subject in the press. The directive has been changed several times. At one time, the formulation was that "the kidnapping must be stopped by all means, even at the price of striking and harming our own forces."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 2015 Shebaa Farms incident</span>

As a response to an Israeli attack against a military convoy comprising Hezbollah and Iranian officers on January 18, 2015 at Quneitra in southern Syria, the Lebanese Hezbollah group launched an ambush on January 28 against an Israeli military convoy in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, firing anti-tank missiles against two Israeli Humvees patrolling the border, destroying the two Humvees and killing 2 and wounding 7 Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli military. The number of Israeli casualties was 15 according to a report by Al Mayadeen television station. A Spanish UN peacekeeper was also killed by Israeli fire during consequent fire exchanges in the area, with Israel firing artillery and Hezbollah responding by mortar shells. The conflict ended later the same day after UNIFIL mediation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli Ground Forces</span> Land service branch of the Israel Defense Forces

The Israeli Ground Forces are the ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The commander is the General Officer Commanding with the rank of Major General, the Mazi, subordinate to the Chief of General Staff.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Comedian Joel Chasnoff Joins the IDF". Chicago Public Radio. 2010-07-23. Archived from the original on 2010-08-09. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  2. 1 2 Horn, Jordana (January 27, 2010). "A Funny Guy Fights Hezbollah". The Jewish Daily. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  3. 1 2 Connelly, Sherryl (February 20, 2010). "From stand-up to stand-offs: Comic Joel Chasnoff draws on Israeli army experience for new book". NY Daily News . Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  4. 1 2 Elliot Bryan, Erin (February 17, 2010). "Jews bring the funny". The American Jewish World. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  5. 1 2 3 Sher, Cindy (2010-01-26). "A not-so-tough Jewish Chicago comedian joins the IDF". Oy!Chicago. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  6. 1 2 Watzman, Haim (2010-06-11). "Crybaby Soldier". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  7. 1 2 Anderson, Gary (May 26, 2010). "BOOK REVIEW: What he saw in the Israeli army". The Washington Times . Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  8. ↑ Chasnoff, Joel (March 30, 2010). "Joel Chasnoff: Peace: Take it Personally". The Huffington Post . Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  9. ↑ Torok, Ryan (March 19, 2010). "Comic Joel Chasnoff discusses his new memoir, "The 188h Crybaby Brigade"". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  10. ↑ Wildman, Sarah (2010-07-17). "Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Reject the Diaspora, Threatening to Split World Jewry". Politics Daily . Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  11. ↑ Chasnoff, Joel (February 8, 2010). "Joel Chasnoff: Judging a Book by its Cover". Jewish Books. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  12. ↑ "Comedian Joel Chasnoff to kick off URI Hillel's grand opening celebrations, March 5". University of Rhode Island. February 16, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  13. ↑ Chasnoff, Joel (April 14, 2010). "Loving Israel is in the details". Jewish & Israel News. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  14. ↑ "What's with these people?". University of Pennsylvania. 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  15. ↑ Comedian Joel Chasnoff on His Yom Kippur ‘Corona Confession’
  16. ↑ "Joel Chasnoff's Books". Simon & Schuster . Retrieved 2010-07-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.