Welcoming Shabbat with Oseh Shalom by Rick Recht

Rick Recht is one of the top touring musicians in Jewish music playing over 150 dates each year in the US and abroad.

Rick has revolutionized and elevated the genre of Jewish rock music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity in youth and adults across the US. 

Rick is the national celebrity spokesman for the PJ Library and is the Executive Director of Songleader Boot Camp – a national songleader training immersion program held in various cities around the U.S.

The last 18 summers, Rick and his band played at literally hundreds of URJ, Ramah, JCC and private camps around the country.  Rick has been featured in concert and as scholar in residence at the NFTY, BBYO, and USY International conventions, the URJ Biennial, the American Conference of Cantors, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Jewish communities across the US.   Rick has 13 top selling Jewish albums including his most recent release, Halleluyah.

Let's welcome this Shabbat with Rick singing Oseh Shalom.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner in "The Two Hour Old Baby"

Fifty-eight years ago in 1961, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, riding high on the success of their comedy album The 2000 Year Old Man, couldn't resist producing a follow-on album called 2000 and One Years with Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks.

One of the funniest tracks on this album is The 2 Hour Old Baby, in which Carl Reiner finds his way into the maternity ward of the UCLA Medical Center to interview a two hour old baby who was born with the power of speech and intelligence.

The nurses have told him that the baby has been speaking nonstop since he was born and Reiner, the interviewer, has been given permission to ask questions of the baby, who is played by none other than Mel Brooks.

We don't have video for this skit, only audio, so you'll have to be content listening to the audio and looking at the album cover. It's still a riot, and we hope you'll enjoy the dialogue.

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

Standup Comic Rita Rudner Talks About Her New Musical Comedy

Rita Rudner, one of our favorite standup comedians,stopped by the New York Live TV show to tell hosts Sara Gore and Jacque Reid about her new musical comedy Two's a Crowd, working with her husband and more.

As Marina Kennedy wrote in Broadway World,

The NYC premiere of a marvelous new musical, Two's a Crowd is now onstage at 59E59 Theaters through August 25. It has a book by Rita Rudner and Martin Bergman, directed by Mr. Bergman, with music and lyrics by Jason Feddy. Not only is the show humorous with laugh out loud moments but it also has plenty of heart. With Rudner starring, her fans and many more will want to see this delightful production.

The premise for the Two's a Crowd is a clever one. Wendy is a very organized and particular woman in her early 60's who embarks on a solo vacation to Las Vegas to reflect on the problems with her unfaithful husband. But when she arrives in her room, Tom, who seems to be Wendy's polar opposite, already occupies it. Tom is an easy-going type and a recent retiree who is in Vegas to play in a poker tournament. With the hotel being totally booked, the two decide they will have to work out rooming together. But what can these two find in common and will this cozy situation result in an unexpected attraction?

Here's a clip from the show and the New York Live interview.  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.

"Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles" - A New Documentary Arrives This Friday

A new documentary, Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles will be starting its run in select theaters this Friday, August 23.

It's the origin story behind one of Broadway's most beloved musicals, Fiddler on The Roof, and its creative roots in early 1960s New York, when "tradition" was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations and religion were evolving.  

As David Gordon wrote in his Theatermania review,

The film presents a deep dive into the cultural history of the show, which will no doubt thrill theater aficionados. There's production footage from Broadway and world productions, demos performed by songwriters Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, and interviews with everyone from Chaim Topol (the Tevye of the 1971 film adaptation) to Lin-Manuel Miranda.

As the documentary shows, whether it's presented as a traditional Fiddler on Broadway with professional actors, or in Brownsville, Brooklyn with a cast of African-American elementary school students, or in Thailand with an all-Thai company, the performers and audience find a way into the material. 

So when and where can you see it? The hour and a half long documentary will be playing in Manhattan at the Landmark Theatre on West 57th Street starting Friday August 23. It will also be at select AMC Theatres. Dates and times will be posted at the AMC website starting tomorrow.

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 - "Overcoming Fear of Flying"

Last month, some of our jokes to start the week came from a Jews Telling Jokes night earlier this year at Chabad of Downtown San Diego. Today we're sharing another joke from that event told by Rabbi Zalman Carlebach, spiritual leader of the shul. 

Rabbi Carlebach was born in Johannesburg and went to Torah Academy. He studied in Morristown, Leeds, England, and Pretoria where he received his Rabbinical Degree. As a student Rabbi, he traveled from rural Australia to Kathmandu, Nepal to share the beauty of Torah with others.

Somewhere along the line he learned to tell jokes. 
Here's the setup for this one: The first time that Sadie was flying on an airplane, the air hostess realized that she was so scared that she gave her a magazine to keep her mind off her flight. 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: Canadian Actor and Comedian Robert Cait

Whenever we find a really funny Jewish comedian who tells clean jokes, we consider it a very good day. So today's a very good day since we came across the comedy of Robert Cait, a Canadian actor and comedian who is fluent in Hebrew and Yiddish and is very aware of the Jewish scene.
 
A graduate of The Associated Hebrew Day Schools Talmud Torah in Toronto, Cait has talents beyond stand-up comedy. You've  probably heard his voice in documentaries and TV commercials.

From the unaffordable, high cost of Jewish education, to what makes Israelis tick, to bizarre holiday foods, Cait connects with Jewish audiences at their deepest and most hysterical levels.
 
Audiences have enjoyed Cait on A&E’s Evening at the Improv and on MTV’s Half Hour Comedy Hour. He has played at The Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store and was the opening act for headliner Dennis Miller’s Las Vegas show.
 
In this stand-up segment, Cait touches on Bibi Netanyahu, the cost of day school, lashon hara, his bubbe, Hollywood casting, and the planet Mars.

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 Anim Zemirot by the UK Shabbaton Choir

London's Shabbaton Choir first took to the stage in 1986 as the B’nai Brith Festival Singers. It was formed by a young and talented musician, Stephen Glass, who sought a modern alternative to traditional choral music and composed new arrangements that brought out the mood and meaning of the prayers. 

In 1989 Lionel Rosenfeld, who had returned from Jerusalem to become Chazan of Marble Arch Synagogue, was introduced to Stephen Glass by Chazan Naftali Herstik. Lionel & Stephen found that they shared a common interest in developing innovative Friday night and Shabbat morning choral services, so that prayers that too often were said and sung as if by rote could be given new life. 

And so after six months of composing and rehearsing, the renamed Shabbaton Choir under Stephen Glass held its first ever Choral Shabbaton in April 1990 with Chazan Rosenfeld, at the Marble Arch Synagogue. Stephen & Lionel then continued to compose new music for Choral Selichot services.

Lionel has been joined over the years by Chazanim Steve Robins, Robert Brody, Shimon Craimer, Steven Leas, Jonathan Murgraff and, for the past thirteen years, by Jonny Turgel. Every year until his retirement, Chief Rabbi Sacks would set the mood with an inspirational address before the Service.

 

Anim Z'mirot is the Shabbaton Choir's newest album and was released in January 2016 to mark its 25th Anniversary. The title track, written by Musical Director Stephen Levey, features the Shabbaton Choir singing with children from Hertsmere Jewish Primary School as well as Chazanim Shimon Craimer, Lionel Rosenfeld and Jonny Turgel. It was recorded on Sunday 10 May 2015 at JCoSS in London.

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 Comedy Special: Groucho Marx's Funniest Contestant on "You Bet Your Life"

On this Throwback Thursday we're turning the clock and calendar back to 1955, when Groucho Marx was in his heyday as host of the weekly show You Bet Your Life.

The show debuted on ABC Radio on October 27, 1947, then moved to CBS Radio debuting October 5, 1949, before making the transition to NBC-TV and NBC Radio on October 4, 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show simultaneously on radio and television. 

The last episode in its radio format aired on June 10, 1960. On television, however, the series continued for another year, debuting in its final season on September 22, 1960, and with a new title, The Groucho Show. 

In this episode, Groucho banters with one of his funniest contestants, a printer's devil from Seattle who mesmerizes him with his googly eyes. We think it's impossible to watch this episode without laughing out loud.

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 

Comedy Showcase: Dan Naturman Pokes Fun at Family and Doctors on "America's Got Talent"

Dan Naturman entered the stand up comedy world as a Fordham University School of Law student. Following graduation, he abandoned law and became a full-time comedian. Dan’s endearing, self-deprecating wit has earned him fans around the country. 

Dan earned widespread critical praise for his comedy album, Get Off My Property, with Punchline Magazine proclaiming Dan’s act has “universal appeal.” He was the favorite comedian of judges Drew Carey and Brett Butler on the second season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. 

Dan has also made several appearances on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Naturman has also earned rave reviews for his stand up spots on Last Call with Carson Daly, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! He is a regular at all of the top New York clubs, including the Comedy Cellar, Comic Strip Live, and Stand Up New York. 

Here's a clip of Dan performing a few years ago on America's Got Talent.

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.

Hava Nagila Around the World - Gloria Dance School in Yerevan, Armenia

As we keep singing Hava Nagila and dancing to it around the world, we keep finding new interpretations in new countries.

In 2016 the Gloria Dance School of Yerevan, Armenia, performed a jubilant version of Hava Nagila as part of their 20th anniversary concert.

The Gloria Dance Sport School was founded in 1995, with doors of the dance center open to all
who love ballroom dancing and other forms of dance. The club provides training for children and adults, athletes and non-athletes. 

Take a look and see what they do with Hava Nagila. It's the 79th version that we've posted since starting Jewish Humor Central in 2009.

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.