“Nu-uh”: Chabad Bochur Finds the Comedy in Frum Life

by Sruly Meyer – COLlive

What are the only two sounds needed to communicate during davening? Why are shidduchim so complex? And what if there was a device that translated the slang of a frum son to his father?

These are some of the subjects humorously covered in a web video series by Geula Productions. Its slogan is “where Chassidic meets comedic.”

To date, 26 videos have been posted on YouTube, garnering a total of 100,000 views. These videos bring kosher comedy clips to a wide variety of people and places.

The person behind them is Noam Shahar, a 28-year-old bochur now living in Crown Heights. He is an up-and-coming Jewish comedian who is about to add the title rabbi to his resumes

“I really see this as a form of Shlichus, and breaking down walls,” he told COLlive.com. “What I love about humor is that it breaks all tension in almost every scenario. When you can break that tension, that divide between people or opinions, you can really start to talk to the other person and have a meaningful conversation about Yiddishkeit.”

His video skits center on frum life, with focus on the baal teshuva aspect of it. Shahar does have to imagine that kind of life because he actually lived it.

He was born in Tucson, Arizona to Israeli-born parents. His father is Dr. Eyal Shahar, Professor Emeritus at the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department of the University of Arizona.

“My family wasn’t frum, but we were very traditional, so I grew up immersed in Yiddishkeit and attended Jewish day school,” Noam Shahar. “It was a natural part of life for me. I always had a deep respect for Torah and felt connected to it. My family’s Israeli background also kept me aware and involved.”

When he was 12 years old, the Shahar family—his parents, older sister and brother, and himself—began going to the Young Israel-Chabad Tucson shul, which was led by Shluchim Rabbi Yossie Shemtov and Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin.

“It became a regular part of my Shabbat and Yom Tov routine, something my family embraced,” he says. “By 13, I dreamed of becoming a “Rabbi comedian,” blending my love for Judaism with humor,” Noam recalls.

His love for performance and comedy continued through high school, where he was cast in the Fiddler on the Roof play. Another notable performance of his was playing the character of Reuven Malter from Chaim Potok‘s The Chosen (he received the Chassidic clothing from the Shluchim).

“It felt natural, like being myself on stage,” Noam says. “In college, I briefly majored in theater before focusing more on local shows and improv in Arizona. Moving away from home, I drifted from comedy but rediscovered my passion for Judaism.”

At the age of 24, Noam continued his path to Yiddishkeit. “It’s funny; even my mother would encourage me to do more things, like making Kiddush on Shabbos. If I told her it was too difficult, she would use this classic line on me: ‘ Just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.’ I would always say, “All right, you got me!”

Looking to grow in his studies and knowledge, Noam traveled to the holy land of Israel and enrolled in the Mayanot Institute in Jerusalem. In that Yeshiva setting, he learned Gemara and Chassidus, immersing himself in frum life.

“When I became frum, I found it so beautiful, and I thought to myself, how can I normalize Chasidim to the world?” he says about his motivation to produce videos after moving to Crown Heights.

“I saw an opportunity to blend Chabad outreach with modern media,” he says. “I started with YouTube videos, aiming to normalize Chassidic life and inject humor into everyday situations. It became a way to break down barriers and subtly educate.”

His comedy style often finds humor in the nuance of our daily lives as Yidden. He also uses the clips to share his own personal story of becoming religious and ensures that his comedy is light-hearted and ultimately highlights the beauty of Jewish life.

His indeed has started to develop a following. “I’ve also had viewers from places like Sri Lanka responding positively online in comments, appreciating the humor and insight into our culture.”

One memorable moment for him was when two young bochurim approached him and complimented him on his videos. “One of the boys even quoted back my video to me word for word, and while that made me appreciate that my work is getting out there, it also reminded me to make sure my comedy is fit for consumption of all ages.”

This month, Noam will take the final test to receive his rabbinic ordination through the Lemaan Yilmedu program. “It’s like life has come full circle,” he says. “I went from joking about being a Rabbi comedian as a kid to getting ready to take that final test, making a kid’s dream a reality.”

VIDEO:
Why are Shidduchim so hard?
https://youtu.be/EPV7XcRTTic?feature=shared

A device to translate religious Jews
https://youtu.be/VeULoofnXms?feature=shared

The secret language of the Jews
https://youtu.be/v7HdoOLHjCc?feature=shared

Check out his channel at https://www.youtube.com/@geulaproductions8452/videos