Tumbalalaika Around the World: A Yiddish and Ladino Version from Mexico

The Yiddish folk love song Tumbalalaika originated in Eastern Europe in the 19th century, but its exact origin is hard to pinpoint. That hasn't prevented it from being sung and played over and over, not only in places where Yiddish songs are sung, but just about everywhere in the world, in vocal and instrumental versions, in cabarets and in the movies.

Just as we have followed the songs Hava Nagila, Adon Olam, Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, and Abanibi as they took different forms as interpreted by a wide variety of singers, musicians, and dancers, we've been posting many interpretations of this universal courting and love song.
 
Here's a new one from Mexico. Sol de Enverano was born in 2011 as a Mexican research project focusing on the music and oral tradition of the Sephardic people and other cultures that inhabit the Mediterranean area, mainly from Greece and Turkey. 

In this interpretation, Sol de Enverano performs Tumbalalaika in Yiddish and Ladino.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

A Joke to Start the Week - "Meeting the Devil"

It's another Monday, and it's time for another joke to start the week. Here comes another one from Toronto's Jewish Folks Telling Jokes, a night of comedy to benefit Jewish Family and Child, one of the foremost Jewish service agencies in North America. 

 

We previously posted a few jokes that were told at the event, a Canadian contribution to the world of Jewish humor, probably inspired by the off-Broadway show Old Jews Telling Jokes, still touring around the USA.

 

We'll be posting more of these jokes on upcoming Mondays. Here's another one, told by Susan Jackson.

Here's the setup: Harry is sitting in the shul -- he gets there early for Mincha. All of a sudden there's a puff of smoke, and the devil appears. And then...

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

The Laugh Planet Ranks the Top 10 Jewish Comedians of All Time

The website The Laugh Planet specializes in publishing top 10 lists on Standup, TV, Film and Talk shows. It claims to be a trusted authority on ranking Comedy culture. If you like Standup Comedy a lot, then TheLaughPlanet is the right place for you. 

Last month they published a ranking of the top 10 Jewish comedians of all time.

Do you agree with their choices? We have a hard time keeping the list down to only 10 comedians, but we think they've picked some very good ones. Our personal list includes some 60 comedians, and our lectures at Florida Atlantic University profiled 30 of them.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam by Cantors Rita and Stephanie Shore

This evening we welcome another Shabbat with Adon Olam, sung by Rita and Stephanie Shore.

This mother and daughter team has been singing this exact arrangement since Stephanie was 6 years old. Cantor Rita Shore was the first woman cantor in Jewish History. The first time the profession of cantor was passed down from mother to daughter was between these two women. 

Stephanie Shore received her Bachelors Degree from Florida International University, majoring in voice.  She grew up learning her Cantorial knowledge the old shtetl way from her mother.

Stephanie Shore served as Cantor of Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida for 27 years. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Throwback Thursday Musical Special - Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme Sing in Japan

Back in March 1988, Steve Lawrence (Steve Liebowitz) and Eydie Gorme (Edith Gormezano) performed live on stage in Tokyo. Their concert included 25 songs, including That's What Friends Are For, composed by Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager.

Steve and Eydie were always our favorite singers, and we were saddened in 2013 to hear that Eydie died at the age of 84. Eydie's parents were Sephardic Jews from Sicily and Turkey, and she was a first cousin to singer Neil Sedaka.

Steve continued to perform until last year, when he revealed that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

This rendition of That's What Friends Are For is a classic example of their song stylings.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.




#Throwback Thursday    #TBT

Hava Nagila Around the World - In the Wintry Streets of Odessa

Hava Nagila always brings out the dancers, no matter where in the world it's played. 

Last Friday, on the cold cobblestones of Deribasovskaya Street in Odessa, the third most populous city in Ukraine, a solo saxophone brought them out in the midst of their winter shopping to dance to this popular Jewish song. 

If you're keeping a count (and yes, we are) it's the 84th version of Hava Nagila that we've shared with our readers during the 10 years that we've been publishing Jewish Humor Central, and we look forward to posting many more in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

When Kirk Douglas Sang "Mein Yiddishe Meideleh" at an Awards Ceremony

 

In 2002, during a celebration of 100 years of the Folksbiene Yiddish theatre, New York Governor George Pataki presented a lifetime achievement award from the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York to actor Kirk Douglas.

At the celebration, Douglas (who died on February 5 at the age of 103) was 85 years old and recovering from a severe stroke in 1996. When he received the award, he reflected on his two Bar Mitzvahs (at 13 and 83) and reminisced about delivering his first Bar Mitzvah speech in Yiddish.

He then launched into a Yiddish song, Mein Yiddishe Meideleh, to the delight of the audience.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

A Joke to Start the Week - "Hospital Care"

It's another Monday, and it's time for another joke to start the week. Here comes another one from Toronto's Jewish Folks Telling Jokes, a night of comedy to benefit Jewish Family and Child, one of the foremost Jewish service agencies in North America. 

 

We previously posted a few jokes that were told at the event, a Canadian contribution to the world of Jewish humor, probably inspired by the off-Broadway show Old Jews Telling Jokes, still touring around the USA.

 

We'll be posting more of these jokes on upcoming Mondays. Here's another one, told by Julie Schwartz.

Here's the setup: There's an elderly gentleman in a hospital bed, and a voluptuous beautiful young nurse comes in and she says "I'm here to give you a bath." And then...

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Comedy Showcase: Elon Gold on Birkat Hagomel, the Jewish Prayer for Deliverance

Comedian Elon Gold has the unique ability to find comedy in everyday activities, like the prayers we say in synagogue on special occasions.

Commonly called Benching Gomel, saying the prayer Birkat Hagomel, which is said publicly after recovering from a serious illness or returning from a dangerous journey, can sound funny if it is said after a non-threatening experience such as returning from a kosher cruise or a luxury Passover vacation in Mexico.

Gold mocks people who say the prayer after these experiences and calls the practice "Gomel abuse."

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

Welcoming Shabbat with Yedid Nefesh by the Dina and Zucker Project

Tonight we welcome Shabbat with two versions of the Kabbalat Shabbat song Yedid Nefesh combined into one. It's sung by the two principal singers of the Dina and Zucker Project.

The Dina & Zucker Project's aim is to show Ashkenazi and Sephardic dimensions of Jewish musical culture in one song. The two vocalists are, Dina Pandzarisz, world-famous singer, ambassador of Sephardic music, and Immanuel Zucker, chief cantor from Budapest.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.