Welcoming Shabbat with the Big Band Sound of Elliot Dvorin and the Key Tov Orchestra

Elliot Dvorin and the Key Tov Orchestra are at it again.

We have featured the Chicago-based wedding band before, performing a flash mob version of Hashem Melech and and a mashup of Passover songs in downtown Chicago, with the Kol Ish a cappella singers in a bluegrass version of Yigdal, in an Israeli salsa number in Miami, and in a Chicago mashup of Chanukah songs old and new.

Today we're sharing a performance of the Key Tov Orchestra playing a medley of Shabbat songs:

Bim Bam (Instrumental) 

Shabbat Shalom (Hey!) 

Shalom Aleichem by Israel Goldfarb 

Shalom Aleichem by Rabbi Shmuel Brazil

Regesh V'Shamru by Reb Shlomo Carlebach 

Lecha Dodi Shabbos Kodesh by Moshav Band 

Harachaman Hu Yanchilenu  

Enjoy!

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Rodney Dangerfield at His Best

It's Throwback Thursday again and we're going back 54 years to get another dose of Rodney Dangerfield explaining why he "don't get no respect."

Born Jacob Rodney Cohen on Long Island, Dangerfield (he took the name from a character in a skit on the Jack Benny Show) had a career that went beyond standup comedy to the movies and to his own comedy club, Dangerfield's, in Manhattan.

Here's Rodney delivering one of his classic routines on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969.

Enjoy!

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#Throwback Thursday    #TBT

Remembering Ed Ames: Singer, Actor, Ardent Zionist, and Inadvertent Mohel on Johnny Carson Show

Ed Ames, the singer, actor, and ardent Zionist, died in Los Angeles on May 21 at the age of 95.

Best known for his singing career with three of his brothers as The Ames Brothers, and his acting in the role of Mingo, a Cherokee tribesman in the TV series Daniel Boone, Ames was a committed Zionist and president of the California chapter of the Zionist Organization of America.

Ames also became known as an unintentional mohel after a guest appearance on the Johnny Carson Show.

As Dennis Hevesi wrote in The New York Times,

Mr. Ames played Mingo for the first four of the show’s six seasons, from 1964 to 1968. But his most memorable moment during those years did not come on “Daniel Boone.” It happened on April 29, 1965, when he was Johnny Carson’s guest on “The Tonight Show.”

In a segment that soon became a staple of “Tonight Show” highlight reels, Mr. Ames set out to teach Mr. Carson how to toss a tomahawk, using a rudimentary drawing of a sheriff on a wooden panel as his target. He threw the tomahawk across the stage. When it embedded precisely in the sheriff’s crotch, the audience reacted with loud, sustained laughter.

Mr. Ames tried to retrieve the tomahawk, but Mr. Carson grabbed his arm. As another roar of laughter subsided, Mr. Carson looked at Mr. Ames and said, “I didn’t even know you were Jewish.”

He was.

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Comedy Special: Elon Gold on Doctors Who Only See Well Patients

We've been following Elon Gold and posting some of his shtick on Jewish Humor Central for the last 12 years. 

Elon is an American comedian, television actor, writer and producer. He starred in the television series Stacked.  He also starred in the short-lived sitcom In-Laws. 

 

Known for his impressions, including those of Jeff Goldblum, Howard Stern and Jay Leno, Gold was a judge on the ABC celebrity impersonation competition series The Next Best Thing. Gold was also in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen as a cameraman from the Oprah Winfrey show.

Gold attended the Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck, NY and the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (MTA)/Yeshiva University High School for Boys in Manhattan, NY. He is a practicing Orthodox Jew.

Today we're sharing a video clip of Gold's appearance with James Corden on The Late Late Show where he performs for the Stage 56 audience. Topics include being a dad to teenagers, trying to take his kid to the doctor during the pandemic, and why everyone the past few years seems to be either asymptomatic or anti-Semitic.

Enjoy!

 

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A Joke to Start the Week - "On the Wagon"

It's Monday again and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're sharing an oldie but goodie that Joel Gibbs, the Bucks County, Pennsylvania-based voice actor, posted  on his YouTube channel "Sol Stories."

Gibbs is starring as Sol Krupnick in “Meet Sol Krupnick,” “an on-stage, theatrical, one-man-show” about a “Jewish kibitzer of undetermined (old) age who shares fun stories about his crazy family, tells classic jokes and offers ‘unique’ observations about the world around him.”

Or, in other words, the 70-year-old Jewish grandfather is performing a one-man show as himself.

Gibbs, a longtime congregant at Shir Ami in Newtown who still attends events at the synagogue, opened his show with a recent performance at KleinLife in Northeast Philadelphia. About 200 friends and family members came to show their support. But really, they came to laugh. As Gibbs said of the night, “I portrayed the character; I told the stories and jokes; the audience laughed a lot.”

Gibbs calls himself the “Man of a Thousand Voices.” He does more than 100 celebrity impressions and has worked on more than 40,000 projects worldwide, according to his press release. He partnered with Billy Crystal, Julie Andrews and other celebrities on the “Love the Arts in Philadelphia” campaign to promote the city’s cultural institutions.

Today we're sharing one of Sol's stories about the time his friend Sammy was sitting on the porch of his apartment in Boca Raton and saw a cloud of dust coming towards him. And then...

Enjoy!

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Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: "Jerusalema", South African Zulu Song and Dance Finds a Home in Israel

Jerusalema is a song in the Zulu language by South African DJ and record producer Master KG featuring South African vocalist Nomcebo. The upbeat gospel-influenced house song was initially released on November 29, 2019 after it garnered positive response online, with a music video following on December 21. The music video of the song has generated half a billion views on YouTube. 

It was later included on Master KG's second album of the same title, released in January 2020. A single edit was released on streaming services on July 10, 2020, after it went viral during mid-2020, garnering international reaction due to the #JerusalemaChallenge. The dance challenge was started by a group of young men in Angola and it was their video of them dancing to the song which sparked a global trend.

A remix featuring Nigerian singer Burna Boy was released on 19 June 2020. It reached number one in Belgium, Netherlands, Romania and Switzerland, while peaking in the top ten of multiple other European countries. A second remix featuring Venezuelan singer Micro TDH and Colombian singer Greeicy was released on 17 September 2020.

At the third ceremony of the African Entertainment Awards USA "Jerusalema" won the Song of the Year award.

After winning awards all around the world and inspiring dances in many countries, the song finally found its way to Israel where it was translated to Hebrew and found favor with Israelis across the religious and non-religious sectors.

Enjoy!

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Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi Sung by Cantor Jacob Agar to the tune of "Hotel California"

Two weeks ago, Cantor Jacob Agar, the cantor of Congregation Beth Sholom in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, sang Lecha Dodi to the tune of Hotel California. The synagogue, also known as the Frank Lloyd Wright Synagogue for its architect and designer, is a National Historic Landmark.

Cantor Agar received his cantorial investiture at the H.L Miller Cantorial School at Jewish Theological Seminary of New York. Previously he studied opera performance and linguistics at SUNY Purchase College. Following conservatory, he sang with several opera companies in New York and New Jersey, and has worked with a wide variety of conductors. 

Cantor Agar is also a composer and arranger and is inspired by a wide variety of music. He was
inspired to become a cantor by his love for Judaism, Jewish music, and his interest in using music to uplift people and bring them closer to Judaism. His goal is to use music to elevate people spiritually and to help them find comfort and solace at synagogue. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Larry David and Michael Richards in ABC's "Fridays" in 1981

Today our time machine is taking us back to December 1981, when Larry David and Michael Richards were in a sketch about people with Jewish names who aren't Jewish. You probably won't recognize them as they looked 42 years ago (before Seinfeld), but their voices are recognizable. 

The sketch was performed in the third and final season of Fridays, ABC's attempt to duplicate the success of NBC's Saturday Night Live, which, at the time, was in its fifth season featuring the original "Not Ready for Prime Time" cast, along with several writers (and SNL band leader at the time, Paul Shaffer) who had been promoted to feature player status, as well as newcomer Harry Shearer.

Like SNL, Fridays featured popular musical guests and, beginning in the second season, celebrity guest hosts, some of whom had appeared on SNL before and after Fridays aired, such as Andy Kaufman, Billy Crystal, William Shatner, Mark Hamill, and George Carlin. (Carlin, who had hosted the very first SNL in 1975, was also Fridays' first official "guest host" in 1981.) 

Enjoy!

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Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: "Age and Weight, Please" - Candid Camera Gold

Candid Camera was a popular and long-running American hidden camera reality television series. Versions of the show appeared on television from 1948 until 2014. Originally created and produced by Allen Funt, it often featured practical jokes, and initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

The show involved concealed cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims were told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." The catchphrase became a song with music and lyrics by Sid Ramin.

Today we're sharing a classic episode from 1963 in which a Candid Camera staffer asked women the unaskable question.

Enjoy! 

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Comedy Showcase: Rabbi Bob Alper is Back With More Stand-up Comedy

Bob Alper is an ordained 78-year-old Reform rabbi from Vermont who served congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary.

But he's also a stand-up comedian with a thirty year comedy career. He presents wonderfully unique material in a way that's intelligent, sophisticated, and 100% clean.

Since 2010 we have posted more than two dozen video clips of his stand-up routines. For the last two years, his standup performances have been limited to Zoom sessions because of the Covid pandemic. Now that it's over, he is back on the comedy club circuit with a recent appearance at  the Don't Tell Mama cabaret in New York City.

Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week - "Hamburger and Fries"

It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today Mickey Greenblatt is back with another good one.

Marshal (Mickey) Greenblatt received degrees from Columbia (BA and BS in Flight Sciences), a DC from Von Karman Institute (1963) and his PhD from Princeton in Aerospace Sciences. e worked as a researcher for NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory. 

With four other scientists, he founded Fusion Systems Corporation, which invented microwave-powered UV lamps for drying coatings. He founded and served on the boards of technology companies and is active in volunteer work. He served on the executive committee of the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington for many years.

Mickey also loves Jewish jokes and sent us this one to share with you. Here's the setup: The old man and woman came into the hamburger shop. She sat down and he ordered one hamburger, one package of fries, and a tall drink. And then...

Enjoy!

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Comic Relief: Billy Crystal Casts Audience Members in a 1950s African Movie

In 1994 in the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Billy Crystal was performing on stage and decided to have some fun with his audience. He invited three audience members to join him in doing sound effects to enhance his re-enactment of a scene from a classic African movie.

One audience member used her hands to crunch a huge bowl of potato chips to make the sound of Crystal walking. Two others volunteered to make jungle bird calls. And the show went on.

Enjoy!

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The Ten Commandments Revisited (by Mel Brooks) as We Celebrate Shavuot

The holiday of Shavuot starts tonight and continues tomorrow and Shabbat. In Israel it's only observed for one day. On Shavuot we commemorate the receiving of the Ten Commandments.

One of Mel Brooks' funniest bits is a scene from his 1981 film A History of the World: Part 1, in which Brooks, in the role of Moses, comes down from Mount Sinai carrying three tablets containing 15 commandments, only to drop one of the tablets, losing the last five commandments as the tablet shatters into bits.

The scene is short, and the third tablet containing the five lost commandments is visible for only a few seconds. We always assumed that the writing on the tablet was some random Hebrew letters, because we never got a good look at them.

But when we watched a PBS tribute to Brooks on which they played this clip, we were able to see it on a 55 inch screen in high definition. All we had to do to read the words on the tablets was to push the pause button. And there they were -- the long lost shattered five commandments.

Here's a translation of the five: You can interpret them any way you want -- that's what we've been doing to the surviving Ten Commandments for thousands of years. But our favorites are Lo Tatzkhik or Lo Titzkhak - obviously an inside joke by the Brooks crew, Lo Tikneh - perhaps the basis for not buying retail, and Lo Teshaber - irony of ironies - as the tablet fell to the ground and broke into tiny pieces.

11. Lo Ta'avor - You shall not pass.
12. Lo Tatzkhik - You shall not make people laugh or Lo Titzkhak - You shall not laugh.
13. Lo Tikneh - You shall not buy.
14. Lo Talunu - You shall not stay. (But the third letter may be a resh, which makes translation difficult.)
15. Lo Teshaber - You shall not break. 

We had posted this originally in 2013 and invited our readers to give their interpretations. You can read them here.

Here's the full clip. Enjoy!

We'll be observing Shavuot tomorrow and Shabbat. We'll be back Sunday with our usual mix. Chag Sameach and Shabbat shalom!

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Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Regular Waiting and Express Waiting on Candid Camera

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes. 

In this classic episode set in a dental office, a receptionist offers patients a choice of regular waiting (free) or express waiting ($10 extra).

Enjoy!

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Comedy Nostalgia: Mark Schiff Performs Standup Comedy at the Improv in 1989

When Mark Schiff was twelve, his parents took him to a nightclub. There, live on stage was Rodney Dangerfield doing his act. At that moment, he knew the path he had to follow. 

Mark has headlined in all the major casinos and clubs across the country and has appeared many times on both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman. He has had both HBO and Showtime specials and has been the featured act at the Montreal Comedy Festival.

In this video clip from 1989, Mark takes the stage at the Improv in Los Angeles.with his observations about driving, clothes shopping, and supermarket shopping at 3 am.

Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week - "Pullover Predicament"

It's Monday again and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're sharing an oldie but goodie that Joel Gibbs, the Bucks County, Pennsylvania-based voice actor, posted  on his YouTube channel "Sol Stories."

Gibbs is starring as Sol Krupnick in “Meet Sol Krupnick,” “an on-stage, theatrical, one-man-show” about a “Jewish kibitzer of undetermined (old) age who shares fun stories about his crazy family, tells classic jokes and offers ‘unique’ observations about the world around him.”

Or, in other words, the 70-year-old Jewish grandfather is performing a one-man show as himself.

Gibbs, a longtime congregant at Shir Ami in Newtown who still attends events at the synagogue, opened his show with a recent performance at KleinLife in Northeast Philadelphia. About 200 friends and family members came to show their support. But really, they came to laugh. As Gibbs said of the night, “I portrayed the character; I told the stories and jokes; the audience laughed a lot.”

Gibbs calls himself the “Man of a Thousand Voices.” He does more than 100 celebrity impressions and has worked on more than 40,000 projects worldwide, according to his press release. He partnered with Billy Crystal, Julie Andrews and other celebrities on the “Love the Arts in Philadelphia” campaign to promote the city’s cultural institutions.

Today we're sharing one of Sol's stories about the time his wife Sophie was in the driver's seat and ran into a driving predicament.

Enjoy!

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Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Hava Nagila in Sri Lanka

The Israel Sri Lanka Solidarity Movement (ISSOM) organized an event on May 14 at Vihara Maha Devi Open Air Theatre to mark the 75 years since the Jewish State’s establishment. The event was attended by a crowd of around 2,000 who expressed solidarity with Israel.

The event was also graced by an interfaith and interethnic panel which also included a delegation of Sri Lanka’s indigenous people.

Last Sunday’s event showcased Sri Lanka and Israel’s historic interactions going back 3,000 years when the island traded spices, precious stones and exotic fauna with ancient Jewish kingdoms.

This was followed by short films on Israeli innovations in the field of medicine, education and agriculture that it is open to share with Sri Lanka. Video greetings were also shared from Israel including members of the Knesset.

The Kelaniya University dance troupe performed a rendition of the Jewish folk song ‘Nagila Hava’ with a Sri Lankan twist.

Enjoy!

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Welcoming Shabbat with Mizmor Shir by Congregation Bet David of Sandton, South Africa

Today's Shabbat welcome comes from Sandton, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, where members of the Bet David congregation sing one of the traditional versions of Mizmor Shir, part of the Kabbalat Shabbat service.

Founded in 1971, Congregation Bet David is a Progressive Jewish congregation. Bet David is a warm, welcoming, and inclusive congregation that invites individuals and families of all observance levels to worship and learn together.

The Bet David community is a diverse congregation engaged in social issues, culture and learning – a congregation rediscovering Jewish values that give meaning and provide a strong foundation to face the challenges of contemporary life.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim) Starts Tonight in Israel

 

Tonight at sundown Israel starts celebrating Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, a national holiday.

Fifty-six years ago, in 1967, the Israel Defense Forces broke through the Jordanian defenses and captured the Old City of Jerusalem, marking the reunification of the city under Israeli control.

Last year on this day, people from all around the world came together to talk about what they love most about the magnificent city of Jerusalem. 

Wishing all our readers a happy Jerusalem Day!

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Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: Grand Prize on a Candid Camera Classic is....an Elephant!

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes. 

In this classic episode set in a Salt Lake City zoo, visitors are given game cards to scratch and see if they've won a prize. What they don't know is that the prize is an elephant.

Enjoy!

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"Jewish Matchmaking", a New TV Series, is Now Streaming on Netflix

Jewish matchmaking has come to streaming TV in the form of an eight part series released on Netflix this week. All episodes are online now so you can binge if you want to.

As the host of Jewish Matchmaking on Netflix, Aleeza Ben Shalom adapts the model of Orthodox arranged matches to Jewish singles from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds, including secular, Reform and Conservative Jews from across the United States and Israel.

As Jackie Hajdenberg writes for JTA,

The Jews cast on the show are all in different places in their lives, some grieving serious breakups or committed to specific religious identities, some picky about looks or hoping their partner will be OK with riding motorcycles. Some of them are looking for particular Jewish commitments to concepts such as tikkun olam, which means “repairing the world” and has come to represent a social justice imperative for many liberal Jews; others want to be sure they’re matched only with people who share their approaches to observing Shabbat and keeping kosher.

Want a preview? Here's the official trailer. Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week - "Circus Family"

It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today Mickey Greenblatt is back with another good one.

Marshal (Mickey) Greenblatt received degrees from Columbia (BA and BS in Flight Sciences), a DC from Von Karman Institute (1963) and his PhD from Princeton in Aerospace Sciences. He worked as a researcher for NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory. 

With four other scientists, he founded Fusion Systems Corporation, which invented microwave-powered UV lamps for drying coatings. He founded and served on the boards of technology companies and is active in volunteer work. He served on the executive committee of the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington for many years.

Mickey also loves Jewish jokes and sent us this one to share with you. Here's the setup: Barbara and Randy were a married couple who worked for the circus. They couldn't have children, so they decided to go to an adoption agency. And then...

Enjoy!

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Another Story by Sol Krupnick - "Naked Encounter"

Today Joel Gibbs is back in the role of Sol Krupnick telling one of his short stories. 

Gibbs is starring as Sol Krupnick in “Meet Sol Krupnick,” “an on-stage, theatrical, one-man-show” about a “Jewish kibitzer of undetermined (old) age who shares fun stories about his crazy family, tells classic jokes and offers ‘unique’ observations about the world around him.”

Or, in other words, the 70-year-old Jewish grandfather is performing a one-man show as himself.

Gibbs, a longtime congregant at Shir Ami in Newtown who still attends events at the synagogue, opened his show with a recent performance at KleinLife in Northeast Philadelphia. About 200 friends and family members came to show their support. But really, they came to laugh. As Gibbs said of the night, “I portrayed the character; I told the stories and jokes; the audience laughed a lot.”

Gibbs calls himself the “Man of a Thousand Voices.” He does more than 100 celebrity impressions and has worked on more than 40,000 projects worldwide, according to his press release. He partnered with Billy Crystal, Julie Andrews and other celebrities on the “Love the Arts in Philadelphia” campaign to promote the city’s cultural institutions.

Today we're sharing one of Sol's stories about how his wife Sophie greeted him with a "Love Dress."

Enjoy!

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