Yiddish Book Center Students Choose Their Favorite Yiddish Words

The National Yiddish Book Center, founded by Aaron Lansky in 1980 to rescue Yiddish books, has been offering a summer program in recent years. The Steiner Summer Program at the Center, in Amherst, Massachusetts, offers 18 qualified full-time college students an intensive educational experience in Yiddish language, literature, culture, and history.  

The graduates of the 2010 summer session were asked to pick their favorite Yiddish word. In this video, the students hem and haw their way through making their selections, but finally declare their favorites, in most cases (but not all) pronouncing them correctly. 

Some of the choices are based on meaning, some on the sound, and some because just saying it gives them a special feeling. 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.)  

The story of the founding of the center is interesting in its own right, and we're sharing the video about how it got started below.

Stand-up Comedy: Victor Wishna Performs at the Jewish Week Competition

Yesterday we posted the comedy routine delivered by Linda Landau at the 2010 Jewish Week competition for the title of Best Amateur Comedian.  Victor Wishna was another of the competitors and he delivered jokes about his recent marriage, travel to Vietnam, jury duty, street vendors, and sellers of luggage at airports. Unlike the jokes we posted yesterday, these jokes are family-friendly, and we hope you enjoy them.

Linda Landau, 71-Year-Old Standup Comic, Delivers Adult Jokes to New York Audience

WARNING: We promised that we'd warn you if we post jokes and stories that are not family-friendly so you can shield yourself or anyone around you from them. So be warned, here they come.

The Jewish Week of New York City runs a Best Jewish Comic contest every year. In June 2010, one of the joke tellers was Linda Landau, a 71-year-old standup comic who started delivering jokes at the age of 60. At the start of her routine, she welcomes the audience to "Anti-Misogyny 101" in an attempt to get even with male comedians who tell jokes that are putdowns of wives, girlfriends, and mothers.

Her first joke takes the expression "Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?" and turns it into "Why buy the pig when you can get the sausage for free?" From then on, it's a non-stop barrage of one joke after another for nine minutes. Some are old jokes that we've heard on "Old Jews Telling Jokes" but others are new to us. 

Some of you have been asking for more jokes among the many topics that we post. Please let us know if this collection is what you had in mind and indicate by leaving comments or checking the boxes below the video whether you like or don't like jokes of this type so we can fine tune our mix of Jewish humor in the future.

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.)  

"The Footnote," Israeli Wry Comedy, Gets Oscar Nomination For Best Foreign Film

Last September we shared a story about a new wry comedy from Israel titled "Footnote" (The Hebrew title is He'arat Shulayim) that was selected to be shown at the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center. Now comes the news that the film, for which Joseph Cedar was given the prize for Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival, has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category.

From our perspective, reporting from Jerusalem this week, it's clear that the nomination has made a big impression on the public. Everyone is talking about it with great anticipation, especially since a film from Iran has also been nominated for the same honor.

  

Here's the plot synopsis: Thanks to a clerical error, Eliezer Shkolnik, a respected if little-known Talmudic scholar, is informed that he’s won the coveted Israel Prize; in truth, the prize was meant for his son, Uriel, a much more flamboyant, widely-read Talmudist. The authorities ask Uriel to help them rectify the situation, but Uriel argues the case for his father’s deserving the honor. 

Meanwhile, Eliezer plans to use the occasion as an opportunity to intellectually take down his son and the whole generation of a la mode Talmudists. Cedar has here created the wryest of Jewish comedies, a emotional competition that pits father against son, built around the understanding of sacred texts. Rarely has the weight of a culture’s intellectual past been depicted so forecefully, nor shown to be as vibrant. 

The film, which was shot at sites in and around Jerusalem, depicts situations that bring smiles to residents who know too well some of the less than perfect aspects of Israeli building construction.  For example, the way participants in a meeting have to navigate around the small conference room and the non-functioning water cooler in the hallway.

In the video below, JN1 TV correspondent Jordana Miller interviews Israelis in the street to get their views on the film and what the nomination means to them.  Enjoy! 

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Mor D. Hai, Uruguayan Singer, Lights Up the Stage With Israeli Medley

As we get ready for our second of three Shabbatot in Israel, we're in the mood for some traditional popular Israeli songs and we'd like to share that mood with you by posting a video by Mor D. Hai,  whose real name is Marcos Cohen. He is an actor-singer and composer who was born and raised in Uruguay but lived in the United States for the past ten years.

Cohen is currently launching his first CD album "Diaspora Sur" in his native city, Montevideo. He started his artistic career working in Musical Theatre. He wrote the music and book of more than ten plays including A Magic Book, Tito, The Big Menace, Robotic Park, CUCU Beat Show, and The Creation.

He recently worked in Hollywood, playing the role the president of Guatemala in The Good Shepherd directed by Robert DeNiro (Universal, 2006.) starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. His song Hay Que Cantar received an award for best original song at the World Championships of Performing Arts (2000) in Los Angeles.

His genre is predominantly pop mixed with Latin beats clearly influenced by the music of Brazil. In some songs he adds a touch of flamenco, Middle Eastern and the nostalgic sounds of Argentinean tango. This blend of styles gives a vibrant and unique sound to his music that makes it very accessible to all type of audiences.

In this video, Mor D. Hai sings and dances to a medley of Israeli songs from his show Diaspora South that most of you will recognize. So enjoy the music and Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.

(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.)

Country Western Singer Gets the "Kosher Symbol Blues"

Have you ever gone to the supermarket and gotten confused by the proliferation of kosher symbols on products?  A few months ago we counted over a hundred different symbols. In addition to the most common symbols, OU, OK, Kof-K, Star K, there are seemingly endless symbols such as a buggy from Amish country, a kiwi bird from Australia, and Ks placed inside of state map symbols, such as from Texas, Florida, and Wisconsin.

Mendel Singer, a country music songwriter, has released a debut album featuring a funny song called Kosher Symbol Blues.  Here is his description of the rationale for the song.

Many years ago a great idea was conceived. Put a symbol on the label of products that are kosher, and kosher consumers will know what they can and cannot buy. With the proliferation of symbols, this has become a bit of a nightmare! There are so many symbols. Some are very interesting (I like the horse and buggy K from Amish country). Some are very similar to others. Very confusing.

Here's an example of Singer's lyrics:

I GOT SO EXCITED, I FOUND PAREVE CHEESE
IT WAS CREAMY AND IT MELTED, IT WAS MARKED O-U P
MADE THE BEST CHEESEBURGER, GAVE MY RABBI A TRY
WHEN I PROUDLY SHOWED THE WRAPPER, HE STARTED TO CRY
HE SAID THE “P” IS NOT FOR PAREVE, IT’S PASSOVER FOOD
WE GOT THE KOSHER SYMBOL BLUES

Kosher Symbol Blues, his debut album, has 11 original songs plus a cover of the Carlebach classic “Return Again”. The powerful English lyrics and strong melodies are front and center, backed by a simple production with only a few instruments. No drum tracks or synthesizers here. From tears to laughter, from introspection to observation, this album is an emotional and intellectual experience with a touch of humor. 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 Smashed Wedding Glass That Wouldn't

A Jewish wedding isn't a Jewish wedding without the groom breaking a glass at the end of the wedding ceremony. Although the preparation of the glass may vary from country to country and the type of glass may vary because of its availability, the format is basically the same: 

Either someone announces that the glass will be broken by the groom, a statement is made or song is sung to remember Jerusalem,or in some cases the glass is just broken without comment.

The glass is usually selected based on its breakability. When cameras used flashbulbs, these were sometmes selected because of their thin construction. The glass is usually wrapped in a napkin or paper to prevent glass shards from striking the participants or guests.

In most cases, the next step is simply for the groom to step on the glass and break it. But what would happen if the glass puts up a fight and refuses to be smashed?

Here's a look at just such a case where the groom intended to smash the glass with one good blow, but the glass had different ideas.  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 tip of the kippah to Dr. Allen Freedman for sending us this video.)

More of Amy Borkowsky's Hilarious Answering Machine Messages From Her Mother

Last February we posted a story and video about Amy Borkowsky and the answering machine messages from her mother that she turned into an iPhone application called Amy's Mom.

This week we found a larger collection of these saved messages with Amy's comments on them. Some are very funny and are bound to make you chuckle, if not laugh aloud.

Amy got her first clue that the messages which drove her crazy could be entertaining to others in her early days on New York's stand-up comedy circuit. After gathering some of her mother's most extreme messages, she played them on stage at Manhattan's top comedy clubs, and audiences consistently howled. 

The daughter who Mom nicknamed “Amila” (AY-muh-luh) stepped into the national spotlight when she appeared on the “Today” show with Matt Lauer and on National Public Radio's “Morning Edition” to introduce the first volume of her “Amy's Answering Machine: Messages from Mom” comedy CDs. Since then, she has produced a second CD, a two-volume CD set, and downloads from iTunes. They're all available from her web site.

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.)

"No Smoke" - Funny Viral Video Commercial for Electronic Cigarettes

What ever happened to the funny film and video short? We were delighted to find that it's still around, this time in the form of a viral video commercial for Blu electronic cigarettes.

What, you never heard of electronic cigarettes? We didn't until today. Last summer, the makers of Blu e-cigs launched a contest for the best viral video commercial. While this one didn't win the top prize, we thought it was the funniest.

In this short film, two groups of old grumpy Jewish men are sitting at tables in a New York deli, playing cards and arguing about sports, when a young man walks in and takes out an electronic cigarette. What happens next is a comic gem.

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.)

Israeli Internet Date Goes Terribly Wrong - A Funny Skit from Israel Television

Internet dating has achieved success around the world, but it has also resulted in failure, largely due to discrepancies between the profiles posted by users and their real life personalities.

An Israeli TV comedy show recently showed the result of an internet blind date gone bad. 

In this clip, Efrat, a 34-year-old from Tel Aviv, decides to jump into the internet dating pool after her friend finds a match. She filters dating prospects until she finds a "cute" possibility named Shaul and agrees to meet in a restaurant.

She arrives at the restaurant, and things go downhill rapidly from there. Obviously, the guy is a jerk, but it's a TV comedy skit, so 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.)