Dennis Regan performing in Jerusalem (Photo: Yissachar Ruas)
Some of America’s best comics bring laughter to Jewish state to raise funds for Koby Mandell Foundation, which assists families and children who are victims of terror
For Avi Liberman, an LA-based comedian who has performed on such shows as CBS’s “Late Late Show” with Craig Ferguson and appears frequently on Comedy Central and E!, Israel holds an important place in his very busy schedule.
The Israel-born, Texas-raised comedian visits Israel twice a year, bringing with him some of America’s best comics on a bi-annual comedy tour of the country. The comics perform to raise funds for the Koby Mandell Foundation, which assists families and children who are victims of terror.
Liberman himself has arranged widely acclaimed Stand Up for Israel comedy tours since 2001, following a visit during the Second Intifada, where he discovered that many of his old friends were not going out because of terrorist attacks.
“I wanted to give people a night out, so that they could laugh a little bit during that very tense time,” Liberman says. Subsequently, the LA comedian began organizing successful comedy tours across Israel to help boost morale.
“There are two important elements to these tours,” Liberman elaborates in an interview with Tazpit News Agency. “First, these top-tier comedians get to do something important for the community here. They don’t just come to tour and see the sites, but they actually perform their material to audiences for an important cause.”
“And while the comedians are here, they also get to see the positive side of Israel,” Liberman explains.
“It is important that Israel get some good press. Many times, I encounter comedians who think of Israel in the context of war. There is obviously a lot more to this country than those kinds of headlines,” he says.
“It’s difficult to get comedians to come on these trips,” Liberman admits. “But when they do agree to come, they are just amazed by what they see and encounter.”
Source: Ynetnews.com
