Joyce Antler traces the evolution of the "Yiddishe Mama" as popularized by Sophie Tucker and Gertrude Berg's "Molly Goldberg," to the colossal, oversized "monster" mother mocked by Philip Roth, Woody Allen, and many others, through the present-day re-interpretation of the Jewish mother by leading feminist scholars and stand-up comedians.

Her daughter, comedian Lauren Antler, offers reflections on growing up with a Jewish feminist mother. "What to Wear When You're Fighting the Patriarchy: Lessons from the Daughter of a Jewish Feminist" is her tribute to an adolescence lived in very large glasses and a floor-length wool plaid skirt worn to her first school dance.

Join Joyce and her Lauren as they explore, debunk, and ultimately celebrate the "Jewish mother" in her many guises. The scholar-comedian combo has delighted audiences at museums, colleges, synagogues, Sisterhood meetings, Hillel chapters, and other venues.

Lauren and Joyce are available to bring their mother-daughter presentation to your community. For appearances, please contact Lauren.
 

About Lauren
Lauren graduated from Barnard College (where she went to "get away from feminism") and while there worked with the Columbia Varsity Show for four years, and founded the improv group Two Left Feet. After training with The Second City and the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York, Lauren joined ECNY nominated The Royal We, whose sketch comedy shows, "Does This War Make Me Look Fat?" and "Be All That You Can Buy," were performed in NY and all over the country. Most recently, she produced and co-wrote The Royal We TV Show pilot, produced with TVLAND.

After 13 years in New York, she moved back to Boston, to work for the Jewish Women's Archive where she is the Project Director for the Jewish Women's Archive's production arm, JWA Productions. Lauren travels with JWA's award-winning documentary film, Making Trouble, about three generations of funny Jewish Women.

And she lives five minutes from her mother, "across a very busy DANGEROUS street," according to Joyce.
 

Press and Interviews
Brandeis Justice - The Joke's on Us - March 4, 2008
Gothamist Interview - May 27, 2004
The Royal We

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS

Yiddish Book Center, Amherst, MA - June 8, 2008

PAST ENGAGEMENTS (selective list)

The Jewish Museum, New York, NY
Center for Jewish History, New York, NY
Temple Israel, Boston, MA
Temple Emmanuel, Newton, MA
Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Hadassah of Western Massachusetts
Congregation Rodeph Shalom, New York, NY
Catskills Institute Conference, Monticello, NY