For many years, Holocaust humor, satire and parody were considered borderline blasphemy in Israeli culture. Ofcial agents of Holocaust memory still
adhere to this doctrine. However, as of the 1990s, a new unofcial and subversive trajectory of memory began taking shape. Texts that combine the
Holocaust with humor, satire and parody are major components of this new
construction of memory. Despite the growing popularity of these depictions,
they remain controversial and sometimes spark anger and debate. Based on Oren Baruch Stier’s defnition of “Holocaust icons” as visual
pointers that act as the vehicles of Holocaust memory (Stier, 2015), this chapter sheds light on the ways in which Israeli Jews have tapped a range of cultural felds to humorously deconstruct Holocaust symbols and icons over the
last 30 years. Te chapter focuses on the humoristic representation of three
prominent icons: the concentration camps, Hitler and Anne Frank. Drawing
on the literature in the felds of humor studies, Holocaust studies, trauma
studies and memory studies, this chapter analyzes examples from TV shows,
TV skits satire shows and social media to argue that in Israel, a post-traumatic
society whose security situation only reinforces constant anxiety, and where
canonic memory agents foster the acting out of the trauma, Holocaust humor
is a much-needed defense mechanism for many Israeli Jews. It enables to confront the factors underlying their fears and may serve to protect the individual
and collective soul from sinking into constant victimization and anxiety