A Joke to Start the Week - "A Rainy Night"

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving, and we're giving thanks for the joke tellers whom we've encountered this year and who have volunteered to share their favorite jokes as our Joke to Start the Week.

One of our recent joke tellers is retired CPA Mel Bleemer. Mel is back today with a punny joke.

Here's the setup: In days of old, in Merry old England, knights used to ride around the countryside doing good deeds. They would ride on their trusty steeds. 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.) 

A New Chanukah Video From Boys Town Jerusalem - Mi Yemalel in Hebrew and English

With the approach of every Jewish holiday, we eagerly anticipate a new crop of music videos created just for the occasion. We have a few favorites who come through just about every year with a high quality musical production.

Just like the Maccabeats from Yeshiva University, whose latest song we posted on Friday, the Boys Town Jerusalem Choir can be counted on to enrich our holiday observance with an uplifting musical number.

This Chanukah, the Boys Town Jerusalem Choir takes the familiar Mi Yemalel and renders it in English as well as in Hebrew, at the Israel Armed Corps Memorial Site - Yad Lashiriyon Memorial at Latrun.

Established in 1948 to provide a home and education for young immigrants to the newly-created State of Israel, Boys Town Jerusalem has become one of the country's largest and most respected educational institutions.

Boys Town was founded by Alexander S. Linchner, a Brooklyn-born rabbi who, after the Holocaust, devoted his life to building a school for the children of immigrants who poured into Israel from countries around the world. His goal: providing them with a quality education that would prepare them to build the State of Israel with technological skill and traditional Jewish idealism.
 
Today, the beautiful 18-acre Boys Town campus in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Jerusalem is one of Israel’s major technological training centers. Approximately 800 students, ranging in age from 12 to 20, live on the campus, with a capacity to house up to 1,000.
 
The children and grandchildren of immigrants from 45 countries on six continents, they mirror the ethnic diversity of the Israeli population. More than 75% come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and require substantial scholarship assistance. No student is ever turned away from Boys Town due to inability to pay tuition.
 
In addition to receiving a fine technological and academic education, Boys Town students are deeply imbued with traditional Jewish values and ideals, and pride in their Jewish heritage. As a result, Boys Town graduates are proud to serve in the Israel Defense Forces and then go on to build fine Jewish homes and families, while making important contributions to their communities and the State of Israel. Among Boys Town’s more than 6,200 graduates are many engineers, technicians, educators, fine craftsmen and professionals.
 
Enjoy the video!

(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.)

 

A New Chanukah Music Video From The Maccabeats - "The Latke Recipe"

In 2010 The Maccabeats, an a cappella group from Yeshiva University, released their first Hanukkah music video, Candlelight, and every Hanukkah (and other holidays) since then we've seen many more videos by them and lots of other groups.

Originally formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group, the Maccabeats have recently emerged as both Jewish music and a cappella phenomena,  with a large fan base, more than 20 million views on YouTube, numerous TV appearances, and proven success with three albums, 2010′s Voices From The Heights, 2012′s Out Of The Box and 2014′s One Day More.

Many of the songs are parodies of pop hits and The Maccabeats' latest is no exception. The Latke Recipe is a parody of the pop song "Shut Up And Dance" originally performed by Walk the Moon, a song that has 143 million views on YouTube since it was posted in October 2014.

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.)

Here Come the Chanukah Videos: Adam Sandler Releases 4th Version of his Hanukkah Song

Chanukah is ten days away, and we're starting to get this year's crop of music videos created just for the occasion. You'll be seeing many of them in the next two weeks.

Adam Sandler wrote his original The Hanukkah Song and sang it on Saturday Night Live back in 1994. This 21-year-old modern classic has been revised with added new lyrics twice, in 1999 and in 2002.

After waiting 13 years, Sandler's fans got their wish a few weeks ago when he took his guitar to the Judd Apatow and Friends event at the New York Comedy Festival in New York's Carnegie Hall.

As before, the song is a recitation of the names of people in the entertainment industry who have been newly discovered to be Jewish (fully Jewish, half Jewish, or quarter Jewish.)

Yesterday Sandler released the long-awaited video of him singing the new version in San Diego. If you want to sing along, check out the lyrics just below the video.

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.)

Put on your yarmulke, here comes Chanukah
So much fun-ukah to celebrate Chanukah
Chanukkah is the Festival of Lights,
Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights.
When you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree,
Here’s the fourth list of people who are Jewish, just like Jesus, Olaf, Punky Brewster, Scott Rudin, and me!
Joseph Gordon-Levitt enjoys eating kugel
So does Stan Lee, Jake Gylleenhaal, and the two guys who founded Google
Adam Levine wears a Jewish star
So does Drake and Seth Rogen
Goldberg has a gold yarmulke to match the belt he won from Hulk Hogan
We got Scarlett Johansson, talk about a Kosher crush
And if you need a higher voice to turn you on, how about Geddy Lee from Rush?
We may not have a cartoon with a reindeer that can talk
But we also don’t have polio, thanks to Dr. Jonas Salk (smart Jew!)
Put on your yarmulke, it’s time for Chanukah
Harry Potter and his magic wand-ukah, celebrate Chanukah
Jared from Subway: God dammit, a Jew
But guess who’s Jewish and can fix him? Loveline’s Dr. Drew (get on it doc!)
Princess Leia cuts the challah with Queen Elsa from Frozen
David Beckham is the king of soccer studs and also a quarter chosen
Ron Jeremy is fully Jewish and so is his foot-long buddy
Shia LaBeouf is half a Jew but 100 percent nutty

It’s cool that Santa Claus who makes Christmas so merry
But we get two jolly fat guys: ice cream’s Ben & Jerry (both Jewish!)
From New York to Iran-ukah, get up and celebrate Chanukah
Don’t mess with us, oh Chanukah, let’s all get along for Chanukah
So drink your Jaegerbomb-ukah and smoke your medical-chron-ukah
If you really, really wan-ukah, have a happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy Chanukah

Funniest Jewish Film Moments: Mel Brooks as the Indian Chief in Blazing Saddles

Today we're starting another new series on Jewish Humor Central called Funniest Jewish Film Moments. Over the years there have been many films on Jewish themes, and it's only natural to expect Yiddishisms and overt references to be include in them.

But what really tickles us is to find a covert reference in an otherwise non-Jewish film that was put in by the Jewish director just for fun or to wink at "Members of the Tribe" who will get an extra kick out of the private joke that they share.

Speaking of members of the tribe, the first film clip in this series, which will run sporadically, is the classic Indian (they weren't know as native Americans then) scene that Mel Brooks directed and acted in when he played the Indian chief in Blazing Saddles.

In this scene, Cleavon Little tells Gene Wilder how he came to be Sheriff in this Western town. He came as a little boy with his parents in a wagon train that was intercepted by the entire Sioux nation. When Indian chief Mel Brooks gets a good look at the occupants of the wagon, he lets loose a hilarious stream of Yiddish. 

For the few readers who don't understand Yiddish, he says:
Blacks! No, no, don't be crazy.
Let them go!!!!
As long as you're healthy.
Have you seen such a thing in your lifetime?

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.)

Yiddish Web Comedy Series, YidLife Crisis, Features Food and Coarse Language

Two Montreal comedians, Jamie Elman and Eli Batalion, have created a series of web videos called YidLife Crisis in Yiddish with English subtitles. It's been characterized as comedy, culture, and religion on a plate. While it sometimes pokes fun at religious customs, Elman says that it comes from a place of love.

Elman and Batalion made an appearance last year at the Comedy for a Change Conference in Jerusalem, an event that we reported on a few weeks ago. So far there are 7 videos in their series. Food is a major part of their comedy, especially the ethnic food available in the close-knit Jewish communities of Montreal and New York.

They were recently the subjects of a report on Sunday Bite, a Montreal TV program. Their videos start with a warning: "The following contains adult situations and coarse language. In Yiddish."

We offer the same warning: If you're going to be offended by a few off-color words, then skip this one. Otherwise, enjoy (and laugh)!

(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.)

A Joke to Start the Week - "How to Treat Flucky"

It's Monday morning and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're introducing a new joke teller -- Freyda Kolinsky, a retired teacher. 

We met Freyda when we were doing a Jewish humor program at a synagogue on Long Island last week. We always ask the audience if there are any joke tellers who would like to be featured in our Monday "Joke to Start the Week" slot, and we're delighted when we get a positive response.

Here's the setup for today's joke: On Friday my husband and me we were crossing the street and Boom! he gets hit by a car. He falls down, gets up, and says "I'm all right." 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 Great Jewish Comedians: Morey Amsterdam in a Vaudeville Routine

Morey Amsterdam was a great stand-up comedian in the days when political correctness was unheard of. His ability to come up with a joke on any subject earned him the name of The Human Joke Machine. 

Amsterdam had his own TV shows from 1948 to 1950. Among his regular guests was song-and-dance man Art Carney. In 1950 he hosted the comedy-variety show Broadway Open House, TV's first late-night entertainment show, on NBC. It demonstrated the potential for late-night programming and led to the later development of The Tonight Show.

This eight-minute video clip will have you laughing as Amsterdam hits women's lib, tells Polish jokes, doctor jokes, and golf jokes.

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 Actors' Temple - A Home for Both Theater and Religious Services

Where in New York can you find a cool shul with warm people that caters to comedians and actors? At 339 West 47th Street. It's the Actors' Temple.

Ezrath Israel was originally established as a Jewish Community Center in 1917 by the West Side Hebrew Relief Association, a group of Orthodox Jewish shop owners. The area was known for its busy steamship ports, however, the entertainment business eventually became one of the biggest industries in this part of town. As show business grew, so did the number of congregants, and it became the place of worship for many prominent actors and performers, including Sophie Tucker and Shelley Winters.

The Actors' Temple continued to thrive until shortly after WWII when people in the industry began journeying across the country to Hollywood. The synagogue then found its membership slowly decreasing. By 2005, there were only twelve members left in the congregation. A year later, when Jill Hausman became the rabbi, she found herself resuscitating what had once been a proud shul. Rabbi Hausman was pleased to report to us that in the eight years that she has been there, membership has increased to about 150, a marked improvement. Still, she has hope that the Actors' Temple will continue to grow. “We are a well-kept secret,” she says, “but we don’t need to be.”

To help maintain the synagogue, the sanctuary is shared with an Off Broadway theater company that performs on their “stage,” just a few feet in front of their sacred arc and collection of eleven torahs. Today, Rabbi Hausman welcomes all denominations of Judaism, even those who are “on the fringes of society.” She is a warm, sweet, bright woman who not only has her door open to everyone, but her heart as well. She emphasizes the importance of love and acceptance in her sermons and is adamant that the Actors' Temple is a “no-guilt synagogue.” People should come if they feel compelled to pray – Rabbi Hausman’s only goal is to have them leave with a desire to return.



Members of the Actors' Temple have included Sophie Tucker, Red Buttons, Al Jolson, Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, Eddie Cantor, Shelley Winters, Edward G. Robinson, and the Three Stooges.

If you walk into their Shabbat service, you'll probably hear something like this version of Adon Olam.

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.)

Comedy Showcase: The Liberal Jewish Political Comedy of Scott Blakeman

 

Scott Blakeman is a stand-up comic who specializes in Jewish liberal political comedy.

Scott is an original member of Laughing Liberally, New York's longest running political comedy show. He was featured on MSNBC's live coverage of the 2015 White House Correspondents Dinner. 

He appears frequently on CNN and MSNBC, and for more than three years, Scott was the most frequently booked liberal pundit on FoxNews.com Live.

Blakeman co-hosted a celebration of James Thurber at the 92nd St Y, where he has also interviewed Robert Klein, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara and Lewis Black.

Here's Scott in a stand-up routine that touches on his single life, online dating, and Jewish-style food.

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.)

Comedy Showcase: Cathy Ladman on Family and Relationships

We've featured Cathy Ladman's standup comedy a few times on Jewish Humor Central, and whenever we find another video clip of her performing on The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show or in her own comedy special, we try to share it with you.

Cathy's comedy focuses on family, growing up, relationships, and real life from a very personal perspective. The Los Angeles Times put it best "... Ladman has such clever, well-written material and such a breezy, unassuming delivery that it would be easy to overlook just how good she is: Her act seems effortless."

A native New Yorker, now living in Los Angeles, Cathy is successfully pursuing an acting career in television and film.  

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.)

Yihye Tov - A Love Letter to Israel From the Students of SAR Academy

The students of SAR Academy in Riverdale, New York, have recorded a love letter to Israel in the form of a new version of David Broza's iconic song Yihye Tov (It will be good) expressing hope for peace in our time. 

It's a hope that has been voiced for many years, longer than the 35 years that have elapsed since Broza first composed it. Over the years he added about 30 new verses, bringing the song up to date as prospects for peace continued to rise and fall.

Vocals were performed by the SAR Academy Choir and middle school students.
Song production, arrangement and recording at SAR Recording Studios were done by Shim Craimer.
Video was done by Batya Sharbat & Becca Glassberg, and Lyrics & Direction by Benji Hain.

Below the SAR version and English translation we're including a video of David Broza performing his original song at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, in Hebrew with English translation in subtitles.

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.)

SAR Version With New Lyrics



English translation of the lyrics:

I’m sitting here in class and hear some more bad news
Israel’s so far away but it’s close by in my heart

I’m scared and I’m worried about family and friends
And I’m trying so very hard to keep the hope alive

Life will be good
Yes, life will be good
with unity and love
We support you
and pray to Hashem
for peace in Israel

I think of our forefathers in exile for thousands of years
who dreamt of returning home but never got the chance

And now our generation is living out their dreams
but we must never forget the sacrifices they made

Life will be good
Yes, life will be good
with unity and love
We support you
and pray to Hashem
for peace in Israel

So come on, what should we do? How can we make a difference right now?
How can we help the children of Israel deal with what they must face?

We all know that Am Yisrael will live forever
and we can accomplish anything if we march together hand-in-hand

Together we’ll tell the world that Israel has the right to exist
and that it must protect its people from every possible threat

We will all pray with one heart for peace throughout the land
and send a loving hug to Israel from the children of the world

Life will be good
Yes, life will be good
with unity and love
We support you
and pray to Hashem
for peace in Israel

David Broza Singing His Original Version

A Joke to Start the Week - "Tefilin in the Hospital"

It's Monday again, the day on which we get the most page views. And we know why. It's the day that we've been running the Joke to Start the Week since July 2012. We'll keep running them every Monday until we run out of jokes. 

Today's joke teller is our latest supplier of oldies but goodies, Bob Hertzendorf, the certified hypnosis counselor. 

Bob is actually into more than hypnosis. He has appeared in stage versions of popular Broadway shows, including Guys and Dolls, Lend Me a Tenor, Barefoot in the Park, and he played the rabbi in a production of Fiddler on the Roof.

Here's the setup for today's joke: In the middle of the night, a rabbi has to go into the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. 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 Great Jewish Comedians: 101-Year-Old "Professor" Irwin Corey Performs and Reflects on His Favorite Comedians

"Professor" Irwin Corey is an American comic, film actor and activist, often billed as "The World's Foremost Authority". He introduced his unscripted, improvisational style of stand-up comedy at the well-known San Francisco club, the hungry i.

Corey was born in 1914 in Brooklyn, New York. Poverty-stricken, his parents were forced to place him in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of New York, where Corey remained until his early teens, when he rode the rails out to California, and enrolled himself at Belmont High School in Los Angeles. 

During the Great Depression he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps and, while working his way back East, became a featherweight Golden Gloves boxing champion.

Corey supported left-wing politics. "When I tried to join the Communist Party, they called me an anarchist." He was blacklisted in the 1950s, the effects of which he says still linger to this day. (Corey never returned to Late Night with David Letterman after his first appearance in 1982, which he claimed was a result of the blacklist still being in effect.) 

During the 1960 election, Corey campaigned for president on Hugh Hefner's Playboy ticket. Corey was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

From the late 1940s he cultivated his "Professor" character. Dressed in seedy formal wear and sneakers, with his bushy hair sprouting in all directions, Corey would amble on stage in a preoccupied manner, then begin his monologue with "However ..." 

He created a new style of double-talk comedy. He would season his speech with many long and florid, but authentic, words. The professor would then launch into nonsensical observations about anything under the sun, but seldom actually making sense. Changing topics suddenly, he would wander around the stage, pontificating all the while. His quick wit allowed him to hold his own against the most stubborn straight man, heckler or interviewer.

In this video clip from an appearance on The Smothers Brothers Show, Corey delivers one of his classic bits, answering the question "Why do you wear tennis shoes?" If you listen carefully, you'll hear him attribute an expression to Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai.

This clip is followed by a report on his 100th birthday celebration in 2014 at The Actors' Temple.

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 Martin Rosenfeld for sharing Irwin Corey's words of wisdom with us.)

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: An American Jewish Comedian Visits the Jews of India

Entwine is an initiative of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, commonly known as ''the Joint."  It's a movement for young Jewish leaders and offers them service experiences in Jewish communities around the world.

The JDC is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. It works in more than 70 countries and in Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and man-made disasters.

Entwine sent American comedian Noah Gardenswartz to India to meet the local Jewish community. They asked him to film everything. In today's video, we follow Noah to Mumbai and Cochin and share his experiences.

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.)

 

EXCLUSIVE On-Site Report! Best In Show and Unusual New Products From Kosherfest 2015 - Part 2

Today we're bringing you part two of our report from Kosherfest 2015.  On Monday, the first day of the show, we interviewed representatives of eight companies exhibiting a variety of products, some of which were prize winners and others that just appealed to us as being unusual or of special interest. We posted four segments yesterday and another four today.

The eight products are BBQ Pulled Beef Brisket, Chocolate Leather, Fancy Desserts, Black Bean and Chickpea Brownies, Double Ale Cheddar Cheese, Caramel Corn, EZ-Prep Gefilte Fish, and a Do-it-Yourself Vanilla Cookie Chanukah House. 

More than 400 exhibitors lined both sides of seven aisles to vie for the attention of visitors (trade only -- but some kiddush aficionados seem to have found their way into the hall) who tried to manage noshing and stuffing literature into the bags provided by some vendors (and rolling suitcases brought by attendees).  And there was plenty to nosh and to stuff.

Some of the samples were meat, some were dairy, and some were pareve.  But all three types were scattered around the show floor, so anyone trying to keep kosher had to make careful choices.

We apologize for the loud background noise from the 6,000 attendees milling about the exhibit space while we were conducting the interviews.

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.)

EXCLUSIVE On-Site Report! Best In Show and Unusual New Products From Kosherfest 2015 - Part 1 (Watch For Part 2 Tomorrow)

BBQ Pulled Beef Brisket, Chocolate Leather, Fancy Desserts, Black Bean and Chickpea Brownies, Double Ale Cheddar Cheese, Caramel Corn, EZ-Prep Gefilte Fish, and a Do-it-Yourself Vanilla Cookie Chanukah House.

These are some of the prize winning and unusual products on display yesterday and today for the thousands of visitors representing all aspects of the food industry at Kosherfest 2015 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

More than 400 exhibitors lining both sides of seven aisles are vying  for the attention of visitors (trade only -- but some kiddush aficionados seem to have found their way into the hall) who try to manage noshing and stuffing literature into the bags provided by some vendors (and rolling suitcases brought by attendees).  And there's plenty to nosh and to stuff.

 
Some of the samples are meat, some are dairy, and some are pareve.  But all three types are scattered around the show floor, so anyone trying to keep kosher has to make careful choices.

 
The vendors are hoping that visitors will make bulk purchases, and some of the newer, smaller, and foreign companies exhibiting for the first time are hoping to find distributors who will bring their wares to your local supermarket.

 
If you love kiddush, can make a case for being in some kind of food-related business, have a few hours to spare and don't mind walking half a mile to a parking lot, this is the place for you.  It's still open all day today, Wednesday, from 10 am to 4 pm.  The on-site registration fee is $90.
 

We interviewed a few of the exhibitors and got closeups of some of the more unusual delicacies in this video for you to savor.  We're presenting them in two parts -- four products today and four products tomorrow. 

We apologize for the loud background noise from the 6,000 attendees milling about the exhibit space while we were conducting the interviews.

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 Great Jewish Comedians: Red Buttons Delivers a Funny Toast at a Frank Sinatra Dinner

Red Buttons was born Aaron Chwatt on February 5, 1919, in New York City, to Jewish immigrants on New York City's Lower East Side.
  
He became a performer after winning an amateur contest at age 12. Six years later he was a singing bellboy in a Bronx tavern. His stage name came from the red buttons on his bellboy uniform. 

A talented and versatile performer of stage, screen, and television, Buttons was equally at home in dramatic or comedic roles, but it was as a burlesque comedian working in the Catskills Mountains that he first made a name for himself. Buttons appeared in plays on Broadway and in movies. 

In 1952, the red-haired comedian starred in the CBS television series The Red Buttons Show. Extremely popular during its first season -- Buttons' distinctive theme song in which he'd clap his hands together as if in prayer and sing, "Ho Ho! He He! Ha Ha! Strange things are happening!" was a sort of hit amongst American kids -- it was a blend of variety acts and a weekly sitcom. The show declined in popularity its second season and was canceled, then picked up by NBC the following year where it ran in different formats until 1955. 

Buttons' career went into decline, but he made a comeback playing a love-struck American soldier who defies the racist policies of the U.S. military and marries a Japanese woman in the tragic film Sayonara in 1957.

In later years, Buttons was in demand as a participant in toasts and roasts of other actors, singers, and comedians. Here's a funny toast that he delivered a dinner to honor Frank Sinatra.

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 - "Noodging Doesn't Pay"

 
Another Monday, another Joke to Start the Week. 

Here's Mel Bleemer again, our retired CPA, with a joke about the rewards (or punishment) of too much of a good thing.

Here's the setup: Two young bochers are in rabbinical school. They're in their last year and they're studying hard. 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.)

Classic Israeli Sketch Comedy: Ktzarim - "The Diagnosis"

We like to show the lighter side of Israel, in TV comedy, funny commercials, and everyday happenings. 

During the six years that we've been producing Jewish Humor Central, we've shared funny episodes of TV shows like The Jews are Coming, Eretz Nehederet, and Ktzarim, whenever we could find them with English translations.

Ktzarim (Hebrew: קצרים‎, lit. Shorts) is an Israeli sketch comedy series, broadcast on Channel 2, and based on the British comedy show The Sketch Show. The show is a series of sketches, often with a punch line at the end.
It features:

• Moni Moshonov (מוני מושונוב)
• Keren Mor (קרן מור)
• Shmulik Levy (שמוליק לוי)
• Riki Blich (ריקי בליך)
• Yuval Segal (יובל סגל)

We're always on the lookout for newly posted clips and were delighted to find this one from Ktzarim that we call The Diagnosis.

(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.)