Issachar, the official Bedlam Farm comedian, won an end of school  award at Bishop Maginn yesterday, and got a special certificate:  “Best Joke” of the year.

He’s signed on to do the Bedlam Farm Joke Of The Week, I’m going to see him on Wednesday. I think the hat will stay with him much of his life.

My work with the refugee students has taught me many things, one is the extraordinary resilience and courage of these children, many of whom have suffered things that I am sure would have broken me.

Yet Blue, artist who has also suffered,  paints beautiful paintings of love and emotion (we sold her new painting in minutes, her third) , and Issachar racks his brain to write his own jokes, he is always smiling, always laughing, except during certain moments, when his guard comes down.

He has a presence that transcends his struggles. The human spirit is stronger even than mankind’s cruelty and indifference.

I am no talent agent, but Issachar writes his own jokes, and they are very good.

I laugh at most of them, so do many other people. Issachar is charismatic and bright and  has his own brand of showmanship. He has a ton of personality. We get along very well. He says he wants to be a lawyer, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him doing some comedy one day.

This week, I am bringing him and his brother Asher some sneakers, something they have always wanted and never had. The first pair I got was too small, so they went to the Christer twins, who love them.

I got another pair, the right size for Asher and Issachar. On Wednesday, I plan to pick up the new joke of the week.