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About Us

The Jewish Fathers Comedy Tour:

What's all that about?

 

Everyone knows about Jewish Mothers.

What about Jewish Fathers?

 

The Jewish Fathers Comedy Tour is a stand-up comedy show that takes a hilarious and insightful look at what it means to be a Jewish father in the 21st Century. 

 

Finding humor in our struggles to  carry on the traditions that give our lives meaning...as we adapt to an ever-changing modern world. (What could be more Jewish than that!?)

Biographies of The Jewish Fathers

 

BOB ALPER

 

There’s a reason why XM and Sirius satellite radio play Rabbi Bob Alper’s bits several times daily, often sandwiched between Bob Newhart and Bill Cosby: Bob’s unique background…he’s an ordained rabbi who served congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary…prepared him well for a twenty-year comedy career with wonderfully unique material presented in a way that’s intelligent, sophisticated, and 100% clean.

 

Audiences adore him, from an SRO crowd at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival to a standing ovation before 2,700 people at New York’s famed Chautauqua Institution. He’s even appeared at The Hollywood IMPROV.

 

Bob performs all across North America and England, at corporate events, theatres, non-profits, conventions, private parties, churches, and, naturally, synagogues. And he’s done over 100 shows with his Arab and Muslim comedy partners, at a variety of venues, but primarily colleges and universities.

 

Bob’s 90-minute stand-up act is fast-paced, with impeccable timing and material that’s definitely sharp yet gentle and un-hurtful. In addition, he offers an informative, hilarious event called “The Spirituality of Laughter,” which is particularly appropriate for religious organizations, civic groups, school and hospital in-services, etc.

 

The rabbi-comedian draws tremendous media attention, and, among others, has been seen on Good Morning America, Showtime, the BBC, CNN, Don't worry, Rabbi, you'll be great...and was featured on Extra, TV's top-rated entertainment program, immediately following a segment on the size of Jennifer Lopez's buttocks.

 

In addition to being a full-time stand-up comic and conducting annual High Holyday services, Bob is the author of two books that further showcase his considerable talents: Life Doesn't Get Any Better Than This, an inspirational collection now in its fifth printing, and the award-winning full-color cartoon book A Rabbi Confesses. He’s also produced two best-selling comedy CDs.

 

Bob resides in rural Vermont with his wife Sherri, a psychotherapist. They are empty-nest parents of Zack and Jessie.

 

ALEX BARNETT

 

Alex’s comedy is about family, specifically his family.  As the White, Jewish husband of a Black woman (who converted to Judaism) and the father of a 2 year-old, Bi-racial son, Alex  focuses his attention on the challenges of being a parent in a bad economy and the issues that confront interracial families (including the dynamics between members of the same family who are of different races).  In the Age of Obama, his material is timely, relevant, and very funny.

 

Alex has performed at clubs, colleges and venues throughout the country.  He has appeared on the Katie Couric Show, been featured on Sirius/XM Radio’s “Raw Dog Comedy,” NBC’s EVB Live, Bloomberg Law TV, ComedyTime TV, RT TV America and NYC-TV and in The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, and CNN.com.  He has also appeared on the live comedy show Comedy Juice, and won the 12th Annual Gilda’s Club (Northern NJ) Laugh-Off.

 

Alex is also a writer. He wrote a series of columns about his comedy career in a regularly-occurring column in The New York Daily News “Money” section.  He wrote a monthly humor column for the online webzine, The Coil Review (www.thecoilreview.com), and he’s a regular contributor to The Comic Bible.  In addition, his comedic short story “Lola’s Christmas Gift” was published in the 2008 issue of the literary journal, The Westchester Review.

 

In his off hours, Alex spends as much time as he can with his wife and their son, Ivan...and they pretend to enjoy his company.

 

ADAM OLIENSIS

 

Adam has been working in comedy for longer than he cares to admit. Not just as a stand-up Comedian but also in acting, writing, directing, and producing for TV, theatre, film, and commercials.

 

In his stand-up, Adam explores the lessons in humility he’s learning from his wife and especially from his children, along with the adjustments being forced on him by genuine adulthood. Having lived as a child in East Africa, studied martial arts in India, and languished spiritually in New Jersey, Adam is attuned to the absurdities that arise in the everyday, mining both the ironies and silliness that exist in the most humbling situations (with which he continues to gain vast experience).

 

Adam has recently opened for such comedy legends and luminaries as Robert Klein, Colin Quinn, Gilbert Gottfried, and Larry Miller.

 

Adam performs at comedy clubs all over New York City and the surrounding area, including Gotham Comedy Club, Comic Strip Live, Levity Live, Broadway Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club, The Laugh Lounge, Greenwich Village Comedy Club, and Treehouse Comedy. Also at corporate & private events, synagogues, theatres, and JCCs throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

 

As a writer, Adam co-authored the movie, The Pompatus of Love, with Jon Cryer (Best Comedy, Worldfest-Houston), which he also co-produced and in which he stars along with Mr. Cryer and Kristen Scott Thomas. 

 

Adam’s plays have been produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre, among other companies in New York, as well as in Los Angeles and regionally, and his work has been published by Dramatists Play Service. He has also penned several TV pilots, which have been produced for Cable TV.

 

As an actor, Adam has appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, in Regional Theatre, in the movies, on episodic TV, and in hundreds of TV and radio commercials. 

 

As Producing Director of Willow Cabin Theatre Co. for 12 years in New York City, Adam brought to the stage works by the likes of William Shakespeare, Eugene O’Neill, Thornton Wilder, and David Rabe. He produced, Wilder, Wilder, Wilder, the only show in history to go from off-off Broadway to off-Broadway to Broadway in a single season.

 

He has been nominated for a Clio Award (the Oscars of commercials) for Best Performance. He's also been nominated as a producer for both Tony & Drama Desk Awards for Best Revival. (And, no, it’s not an honor just being nominated. Just being nominated sucks.)

 

DAN HOCHHEISER

 

Dan began his stand up comedy career  cutting his teeth at Stand Up NY on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.  He has also performed at the Klimat Lounge in the East Village.  And he has hosted numerous events.

 

Dan lives in New Rochelle with his wife and 3 children He grew up in Larchmont, graduated Mamaroneck HIgh School. He has been a member of Young Israel of Scarsdale since 2001, and he’s coached New Rochelle Little League.

 

Dan is a New York City attorney who has handled a number of high-profile criminal cases during his 18 year legal career.  He hosts a weekly podcast:  “Talkin Law with Dan Hochheiser” which is available on the blogtalkradio.com national network and ITUNES.  Dan frequently appears on television and radio programs as a legal analyst.  What’s funny about all that?  Nothing!

 

What is funny?

 

  • Dan’s life experience as a:45-year-old suburban Jewish father of three children (15, 12 & 7) - who think their father’s mere existence is an embarrassment of monumental proportions even before Dan does his signature home-run chicken dance.

  • He’s the husband of a New York attorney who has never sent Dan a text message containing fewer than a ½ dozen instructions and for some reason wants to know what Dan ate for lunch every day

  • He’s the son of elderly Jewish parents who have never eaten at the first table they sit down at in a restaurant because “that table over there is obviously better....”

  • He’s a little league baseball coach who refuses to succumb to the politically correct notion that every kid has equal talent, and sticks to the unpopular policy that to play catcher on his team, you must first learn how to catch (catching with your face does not count).

  • He’s a member of a modern orthodox synagogue where he and his fellow congregants observe the 613 mitzvot of the Torah - except, obviously, if the New York Rangers are on TV Friday night playing in a Game 7.

  •  Need an entertainer who knows the difference between Kaddish and Kiddush, Cholent and Chutzpah, Hagbah and Humentachen – Dan’s your  guy. 

  • Dan has performed Stand-Up Comedy at clubs all over New York City as well as in Westchester and Rockland Counties. 

  • Jewish audiences love Dan’s material about his recent experiences in Israel, his relationship with his modern-orthodox, lawyer wife, coaching his son’s little league team (which does not play on Shabbos), his Jewish, atheist parents, and the joys of being a middle-aged Jewish father of three kids who apparently have tired of Dan’s habit of pretending a banana is the kitchen phone.  Dan has performed at shows sponsored by Lohudcomedy. 

  • Oh yeah, when Dan’s not making people laugh, he may be davening (but doubtful), practicing law (if the check clears), coaching little league (when his son makes him), apologizing to his wife (even though he was right) or running his mouth on his podcast “Talkin with Dan Hochheiser” which is syndicated across various internet platforms including BlogTalkRadio and ITUNES.

 

Dan is the host of JFCT's weekly podcast "Bagels Lox and Laughs" debuting August 30, 2015 on the blogtalkradio network and on ITUNES 

 

MARC KAYE

 

Marc doesn’t have a bucket list. As he likes to put it, “I have a Dixie Cup list – I like to keep my expectations low.” Originally having tried stand-up as one of his “Dixie Cup List” items and a way to meet other writers, Marc quickly realized he found a creative outlet for the stories and never-ending thoughts that infiltrate his head on a daily basis, not to mention a cheaper version of therapy.

 

So began a trek that includes stints at Catch a Rising Star, Gotham Comedy Foundation, Bridge Street Live and a host of national venues and fundraising events. He has written, produced and starred in various web series, short films and skits. In addition, he has completed his first script and is in collaboration on 3 additional projects. Marc also can be heard on various podcasts and is a freelance writer who has published for journals, magazines and websites. When he isn't busy raising two teenagers and working, he is an avid piano player or as he puts it "anything to get my mind to stop rambling on and on".

 

Marc will spin tales of growing up as the only Jew in town, being completely unprepared for every stage of "dadhood" and dealing with the insanity of everyday life into a comedic interpretation that will keep you laughing. If you never considered paper plates as “magical” or the virtues of “ergonomic soap”, you will after listening to Marc Kaye!

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