Have you heard the one about the Jew and the Muslim?

In these troubled times, they're building bridges with laughter.

Two stand-up comedians, Rabbi Bob Alper and Ahmed Ahmed, will appear in an unusual public event billed as "One Arab. One Jew. One Stage" tonight at 7:30 at Temple Beth El in Aliso Viejo. Members of the Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as other faith groups, helped organize it.

"It's an evening to enjoy humor together as Americans," said Rabbi Allen Krause of Temple Beth El. "This world will never be as nice as it can be until religion no longer is used for hate and to divide human beings from each other."

Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Anaheim-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, sees the show as a way to come together without the stress of politics.

"After all," he says, "we do have a long history of understanding and common heritage. We need better communications between members of the Jewish and Muslim communities. If we cannot do it in a very serious way, we might as well start with comedy."

Ayloush sees this as a first step toward the communities partnering on more serious events.

In Orange County, there are about 170,000 Muslims and about 80,000 Jews, according to recent estimates.

"Anything that brings people together is appreciated." Ayloush said.

As for the two comedians, they see their act as modeling what America means.

They won't lob political jokes at each other. But Alper, from Vermont, and Ahmed, from Los Angeles, plan to poke goodhearted fun at themselves and their own heritages.

"We do have a lot of similarities," Ahmed says, using a zinger from the show. "We don't celebrate Christmas, we don't eat pork and we say akkkhhh a lot. The only difference is that Jews don't like to spend any money, and a Muslim never has any to spend."

They don't ignore some current events.

"You can always tell Jewish people on airliners," Alper says. "Their hearts beat faster, their palms sweat and they lose their ability to complain."

Ahmed has his own take on flight security. "They asked me at the gate if I packed my suitcase myself. I said yes. (Pause) So they arrested me." Or, "When I'm served dinner on a flight, all my food comes precut."

"The laughter is a little nervous at first," Alper acknowledges, "but by the end of the evening, everyone is embracing us."

The duo has performed together for a couple of months.

"This has been so much fun getting to know Ahmed," says Alper, 51. He works part time as a rabbi at a Philadelphia temple, and has been a comedian for 15 years. Of his work as a comedian, he says, "I feel more authentic as a rabbi. I find I'm able to touch a lot of lives, and it feels very good."

Ahmed, 31, gave up acting for comedy nine years ago because the only parts he got were "taxi drivers, terrorists and convenience-store owners," he said. His family emigrated here from Egypt when he was a baby. He grew up in Riverside.

Mitzie Shore, the Jewish owner of the Comedy Store in Hollywood (who discovered Jim Carey, Whoopie Goldberg and Richard Pryor) gave him his big chance. Almost a year before Sept. 11, she predicted more conflict and anti-Arab sentiment. "She told me God told her to make sure that there was a place for Arab comics on stage." He still performs there weekly.

Ahmed says being in the limelight has forced him to examine his feelings about his faith and explain them.

And he adds that a tenet of Islam is to respect other religions. His partnership with Alper and those he meets in synagogues helped show him "that every religion has beauty."

Temples, including Temple Beth El, have been extra cautious, beefing up security for the team's appearances.

But Alper notes, "The only problem we have had so far was in New York when they wanted to love Ahmed to death."