16 May '13..
In the spring of 2001, when 13-year-old Koby Mandell was brutally murdered together with his friend Yosef Ishran while hiking near his home in Tekoa, the last thing on his parents' mind was that one day their deaths might inspire comedy and laughter. Yet, through a unique semiannual comedy tour called "Comedy for Koby," which will launch its tenth run next week, that is just what has happened. Today, over 2000 people gather across Israel to laugh and be entertained by top-tier American comedians, all in Koby's memory.
All proceeds from the Comedy for Koby tour go to benefit the Koby Mandell Foundation, which Koby's parents, Rabbi Seth and Sherri Mandell, set up in the year following his death. The foundation is dedicated to providing social programming combined with counseling and support services to the relatives of people who have lost loved ones in tragic circumstances. While the foundation was originally founded to help terror victims and their families, following the end of the Second Intidafa and the reduction in terror attacks, the decision was made to extend their programming to other victims of tragedy. The main program offered by the foundation is Camp Koby, a summer camp defined by a unique structure and supportive environment for children and teens who have lost loved ones.
The concept for Comedy for Koby was formulated by the Mandells together with Los Angeles-based comedian Avi Liberman, who had been performing shows for Israeli audiences since 2002. Liberman, who himself was born in Israel but moved to the U.S. at an early age, always worked to give Israeli audiences a distraction from the tension that defined life here, particularly during the years of intidafa when his comedy shows began. Once the introduction was made with the Mandells, the Comedy for Koby brand took off and today plays to jam-packed theaters in six different cities.
Liberman, who works the North American comedy circuit, has succeeded in attracting some of the bigger names to the tour, including regular performers on The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman. "Touring Israel has become known as one of the best gigs in the business and comics return home saying what a great time they had and how Israel is nothing like what they expected based on what they see on TV and read in the media," Liberman says.
The comics are encouraged not just to perform but tour the country as well, enabling them to become active ambassadors to spread positive messages about Israel. Liberman is in the process of developing a documentary film about the tour, called "Caution: Comics Crossing," which he hopes will expose a side of Israel that people often ignore. "The perspective of comedians, many of whom aren't Jewish and have no prior understanding of what they'll be encountering, has been really revealing and often absolutely hilarious."
The Mandells say that the tour has played a remarkable role in how their son is remembered. "Naturally, people used to approach us and associate us with loss and pain," says Seth Mandell. "Now, they can relate to us through this medium of laughter, humor and bringing happiness to the world, and that's an aspect of Koby's legacy that we can all take great pride in."
The Comedy for Koby May 2013 tour kicks off May 22 with shows in Beit Shemesh, Modiin, Jerusalem, Raanana, Tel Aviv and Gush Etzion featuring Wayne Federman, Dennis Regan, Ralph Harris and Avi Liberman.
Link: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=9305
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