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Comedian Judy Gold praised the staff of the New York Comedy Club for promptly ejecting a heckler who shouted “Jew” at her while she was on stage.
“It’s come to this: Antisemites aren’t even ashamed anymore, even on the Upper West Side. I am so grateful to class act @jlynnpic and the rest of the staff at @nycomedyclub for acting so quickly and doing the right thing,” Gold wrote Monday on X.
She posted a video of the incident that showed her in the midst of an exchange with a heckler. She called him “annoying,” to which he responded, “You’re a Jew!”
Seconds passed in near silence as Gold tried to confirm what the heckler said before someone else shouts, “Kick him out!”
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Judy Gold speaks onstage during the event “Joy Behar, Susan Lucci, Sherri Shepherd and Judy Gold in Conversation: My First Ex-Husband” at 92NY in New York City on March 19, 2025. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Just when Gold was ready to continue her set, people in the audience could be heard saying, “Bye,” as the heckler is presumably removed from the venue.
“The fact that @jlynnpicc and the staff at @nycomedyclub swiftly escorted this a–hole antisemite out of the club is of huge cultural significance,” one user called @LisaKeshet commented below Gold’s post.
“When antisemitism becomes publicly acceptable, it’s a sign that Jews are no longer safe in that society.”
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Judy Gold attends the “Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” premiere during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theater in New York City on June 7, 2024. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
The incident highlighted dialogue around the usage of the word “Jew.” While opinions differ among individuals, it is generally accepted when used as a noun, except in a derogatory context.
Authoritative Jewish and Holocaust institutions use “Jew” as a neutral descriptor in formal definitions. Experts say the term becomes offensive when it is used with contempt or in stereotypical, dehumanizing or conspiratorial ways.
In its “Antisemitism Uncovered” series, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) writes that, while antisemitism can escalate to violence, it more frequently shows up “in subtler ways, such as insensitive remarks that are brushed off, or negative stereotypes that go unchallenged.”
This risks the normalization of seemingly innocuous forms of hate-based prejudice, the organization continues.
“This is what strengthens dangerous social attitudes, which can erode the values of even the most just society. Silence and complacency in the face of biased remarks or actions permit others to internalize harmful messages, making such messages commonplace. Antisemitism is unique in many ways, but, like other forms of hate, it grows in silence and blossoms in acquiescence.”
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Gold did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
