A Little Holiday Something for Jews and 'Psycho-Semitics' Alike

Ever seen a Jewish act or heard a piece of music that tries to be funny but ends up being offensive?

I have never been offended by another Jewish comic. Except for Jackie Mason. Just because I don't find him funny. He doesn't have jokes. He just has an accent.

Inspirations?

I'm a huge Mel Brooks fan. Going to see "The Producers" was an incredibly liberating experience because I was in a large theater full of not just New Yorkers but tourists who were laughing at Holocaust jokes. And I thought, "Wow, you can do just about any joke you want if you do it right."

This whole hip, self-aware, self-effacing Jewish music thing started with Adam Sandler and has been building since. Where do you place yourself in this genre, which has become quite substantial?

Right at the top. If not the George Washington of it, then the Thomas Jefferson. It has been a generational thing. I know that I'm a part of that and have helped create a forum where Jews who felt similarly adrift have been able to create their own definition of Judaism.

Yiddish words and phrases: a rhyming challenge or a rhyming godsend?

Let's just say a godsend. Anything that gives you more language to play with in a song is fantastic. There are times when you just can't pass up the opportunity to rhyme "tuchis" and "Sukkos."