| Joel Chasnoff | |
|---|---|
 Joel Chasnoff at theImprov Olympic, 2009 | |
| Birth name | Joel Chasnoff |
| Born | (1973-12-15)December 15, 1973 (age 51) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Medium | stand-up, television, film |
| Nationality | American, Israeli |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania |
| Years active | 1997 - present |
| Subject(s) | Jewish culture,pop culture,family |
| Website | www.JoelChasnoff.com |
Joel Chasnoff (Hebrew:יואל שהאסנופ; born December 15, 1973)[1] is an American-Israeli stand-up comedian and writer with stage and screen credits in eight countries, and author of the comic memoirThe 188th Crybaby Brigade, about his year as a tank soldier in theIsraeli Army.[2]
Joel Chasnoff grew up inEvanston, Illinois, a suburb ofChicago, in aConservative Jewish household with his parents and two younger brothers. His mother converted toJudaism before marrying his father.[3][2] He attended Solomon Schechter Day School, where he describes himself as the smallest boy in his class and relied on humor to stand out.[4][5][6][7]
His second-grade teacher, who was a native of Israel, helped inspire his connection to Israel.[8] 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.[8][9] He was impressed by Israeli soldiers when he visited, and said he felt guilty about not doing something to help defend the country himself.[10]
Chasnoff attended theUniversity of Pennsylvania, studying mathematics and psychology. While at university, he was a member of theMask and Wig club. His first professional acting job was as an entertainer atPhiladelphia Phillies home games from 1995 to 1996. He also gave a standup performance atHillel on campus, taped the show, and sent it to other Hillel locations.[7]
After graduating university and a half-hearted attempt at a stand-up career inNew York City, Chasnoff immigrated to Israel and enlisted in theIsrael Defense Forces at age 24.[9] From 1997 to 1998 he served as a tank gunner in the188th Armored Brigade in southLebanon.[4][5][10]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 againstHezbollah.[2][8][11][12] During one such operation, Chasnoff wreaked havoc when he refused to fire on a pair of enemy combatants in an Open Fire Zone.
During his time of service Chasnoff attempted to marry his Israeli girlfriend, only to discover that he was not consideredhalakhically Jewish by the officialRabbinate of Israel and was thus unable to marry in the Jewish state.[13][14]
After being discharged from the IDF, Chasnoff returned to the United States to pursue his comedy career, first at theImprov Olympic in Chicago and eventually in New York City. In 2016, he returned to Israel with his family. He has stage and screen credits in ten countries, including the U.S., Israel, Canada, Australia, the U.K., Switzerland, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.[15][16] He's been the warm-up act forJon Stewart andLewis Black ofThe Daily Show, and went on aUSO Comedy Tour of the Far East entertainingAmerican Marines. He has performed at more than 1,000 comedy clubs, colleges, festivals, and Jewish events across North America, Israel, and Europe.[17]
His comedy, both stand-up and written, relies on non-degrading observations about the details of American life and his Jewish upbringing.[6]
On February 9, 2010Simon & Schuster published Chasnoff's comedic memoir about his experiences in the IDF.[18] In August 2010 it climbed to #3 on theDenver Post bestseller list.
Chasnoff lives inRa'anana,Israel with his wife, a native-born Israeli, and their children.[19]