Comedian Lucas Zelnick Debates Woman Who Claimed To Be Against Jews

Lucas Zelnick, a 31-year-old comedian based in New York City, spent six minutes debating an audience member about Judaism during a show in San Francisco last month. The exchange occurred when Zelnick asked the crowd if anyone believed in the events of the Bible. A woman in the audience interrupted to say, “I’m against Jews.”

Zelnick initially thought the woman was joking. He noted that in San Francisco, hecklers often use shock value for humor. He guessed she might be Jewish herself and trying to be funny. However, when she pointed to the situation in Palestine and stated, “You guys are evil,” Zelnick realized she was serious. He pressed her to explain her stance.

The comedian responded by distinguishing between individual Jews and the Israeli government. He told the woman that while many Jews in Israel were “being naughty,” it was not the fault of all Jewish people. He also mentioned his own support for Palestine. He joked that the woman had likely been “white-knuckling” his set after he revealed his Jewish identity.

Zelnick posted the clip to Instagram the night of the show. The video has since been viewed 7.5 million times. In the footage, Zelnick and the woman continued their conversation for six minutes. He asked why he was responsible for explaining why one religion of people were not all evil. He stated that he cares about being Jewish and finds the events in Israel horrible, but views them as two separate issues. The woman left the venue of her own accord after the discussion.

In an interview, Zelnick explained that he avoided shaming the woman because she appeared young and alone. He described her as potentially lonely and influenced by social media. He said he wanted to model a productive way to confront hate. He argued that screaming at or insulting people with hateful beliefs often causes them to become more extreme. He preferred to tell her she was wrong rather than telling her she was horrible.

The incident occurs as anti-Jewish hate speech has risen on social media following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center state that holding Jews collectively responsible for Israel’s actions is antisemitic. Polling by the Pew Research Center shows that Jewish Americans are divided on the war. Older and religious Jews generally support Israeli policies, while younger and secular Jews are more likely to criticize the war and support Palestinian rights.

Zelnick has not heard from the woman since the video went viral. He receives many messages about the conflict but has not seen a direct response from her. He is trying to stay off his phone as he processes the attention. The clip serves as a case study in how public figures handle disagreement in a polarized environment.