OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES IN VANCOUVER July 14 at 6:30 Beth Israel Synagogue, Oak Street

Earlier this year, I received a phone call from Serge Haber, President of the Jewish Seniors' Alliance which provides a range of serves for seniors in Vancouver's Jewish community. He told me that funding was limited and there was a danger of having to cut back in services. Since my late father Sam Geller was an avid supporter of the Alliance, he hoped I would help out financially.

I said I would, but suggested that others would support the group as well, especially if it could be fun. I immediately thought of oldjewstellingjokes.com, a website I had come across featuring rather ordinary older Jews telling jokes on line. I thought why not have an evening when members of the Alliance and the broader community would be invited to come and hear some of the classic Jewish comedians whose material is now on-line, as well as tell their favourite jokes. We would bring in some deli and something to drink, and hope that people would make a donation.

I offered to help put together some material, and invite my friend Alvin Wasserman to co-emcee with me. And this is how the idea for this Thursday's Fun(d)raising evening was born.

If you are wondering if this is an event for you, you don't have to be old...hey you don't have to be Jewish...you just have to enjoy good humour and the company of people who have some great stories to tell. So far about 150 people have RSVP'd and it's not too late for you to do so...just email office@jsalliance.org or phone 604 732 1555

Thanks also to Omnitsky's, Eppie's Kosher and the Jewish Independent for offering to help sponsor the event.

By the way, here's one of the more memorable stories from oldjewstellingjokes.com told by a somewhat frumpy older Jewish woman.

"So tell me Sadie, do you still get horny?" " Occasionally" she replies. "So what do you do?" "I suck a lifesaver".

And after a long pause...."So who drives you to the beach?"