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Yisrael Campbell (born Christopher Campbell) is a Philadelphia-born Israeli comedian.

Biography

Campbell, who is of Irish and Italian descent, grew up Catholic in a Philadelphia suburb. One of his aunts is a Catholic nun. A typical Campbell joke is that his aunt is a nun, "which of course makes Jesus my uncle, allowing for easier parking in Jerusalem." Campbell converted to Judaism with a Reform rabbi, and says that a "spiritual hunger" led him to have a second conversion with a Conservative rabbi. On a four-month visit to Israel in 2000 he decided to have a third conversion and live as an Orthodox Jew.

Campbell and his wife Avital, an Orthodox rabbi, have four children, including twins, and live in Jerusalem.

Campbell and his wife both went to the school, The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.

The Guardian wrote that "As far as we know, Lenny Bruce never had sex with an Orthodox Jew, but if he had – he would have produced Yisrael Campbell."

In 2006 Campbell appeared with the Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour.

Campbell is the subject of a 2008 documentary film, Circumcise Me.

References

1. Gold, Daniel M. (November 25, 2009). "How Yisrael Campbell Became Jewish, Again and Again". The New York Times.
2. "Article Does Its Best to Pigeonhole the Orthodox Community". Jewish Exponent. March 25, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
3. "JPost". Fr.jpost.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
4. BWW News Desk (November 16, 2009). "Judy Gold to Join CIRCUMCISE ME's Yisrael Campbell for Talkback Series "FINAL CUT" 11/19". Broadway World. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
5. ^ So this Catholic goes to Israel... and other jokes from the Holy Land, The Globe and Mail, Michael Posner, May 5, 2008
6. "Wildly Emotional – In a very quiet way," The Guardian, December 17, 2007.

External links

• yisraelcampbell.com
• https://www.pardes.org.il/

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