Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: Free Samples on Candid Camera Give Shoppers a Surprise

Allen Funt was an American television producer, director, writer and television personality best known as the creator and host of Candid Camera from the 1940s to 1980s, as either a regular television show or a television series of specials. Its most notable run was from 1960 to 1967 on CBS.  

Funt was born into a Jewish family in New York City, New York. His father Isidore Funt was a diamond wholesaler, and his mother was Paula Saferstein Funt.  

Candid Camera was a regular feature on The Garry Moore Show before becoming a standalone show in 1960.

In this episode from a 1963 show, customers at a Waldbaum's supermarket go for free samples but find a surprise when the full sign is revealed.

Enjoy!

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Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Remembering Freddie Roman - Master of Standup Comedy and Borscht Belt Icon

The world of Jewish humor lost one of its shining lights this week with the death of Freddie Roman, a stand-up comedian whose career spanned the decades when comedy and the Catskills were synonymous.

Roman's career expanded to years of shows in Las Vegas and in Florida. He was the Dean of the Friars Club for more than 20 years.

Roman was born Fred Kirschenbaum in Jamaica Queens, New York in 1937. He got his start in the Borscht Belt after working in his father's shoe store and then sold life insurance for a few years before making comedy his full-time job.

Starting out as social director at the Homowack Lodge in Spring Glen, New York, he worked his way through the Catskill mountain resorts and got to know all of the comedians who performed in the hundreds of hotels situated 90 miles from New York City.

He created and co-starred in Catskills on Broadway, a revue which brought the comedy of the Borscht Belt to Broadway in 1991 and then toured the country.

We're remembering Freddie today with a video clip of one of his classic routines in which he touches on some of his favorite topics -- love and marriage, aging, retirement, and living in South Florida.

Enjoy!

Monday, November 28, 2022

A Joke to Start the Week - "Getting Smart"

It's Monday again, and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're sharing one of the classic jokes told by William Novak, co-author with Moshe Waldoks of The Big Book of Jewish Humor.

Earlier this month, on Election Day, Novak retold the joke, along with many others, in an hour-long webinar sponsored by Moment Magazine called Election Day 2022: Jewish Jokes Edition. The session was recorded and includes many more jokes, which we will share with you in the coming weeks.

Novak has since written another book titled Die Laughing: Killer Jokes for Newly Old Folks, which is filled with many more jokes that will keep you laughing for a long time.

Here's the setup for today's joke: On a train in Czarist Russia, a Jew is eating a whitefish wrapped in paper. A uniformed officer, sitting across the aisle, begins to taunt him. 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.

Sunday, November 27, 2022

British Royal Guard Plays "Moshiach" and "BaShana HaBa'ah" at London Veterans' Ceremony

Last week in London, with more than 1,400 people in attendance, the British Royal Guard marched to the Israeli songs Moshiach and BaShana HaBa'ah The event, at which British Chief Rabbi Ephrayim Mirvis was in attendance and led the service, commemorated the World War II military service of Jewish men and women. 

It also marked the 101st anniversary of the first wreath-laying by Jewish veterans at the Cenotaph – a central London memorial near Buckingham Palace. The costumed parading guard from Horse Guards Parade marched down Whitehall to the Cenotaph, where a wreath was laid in honor of those who served. This year’s event also commemorated Queen Elizabeth, who passed away earlier this year.

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.

Friday, November 25, 2022

Welcoming Shabbat with a Bluegrass Version of Oseh Shalom Bimromov by Nefesh Mountain

In the last few years, we've been highlighting some of the bluegrass music of Nefesh Mountain, founded by husband and wife team Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff.

Nefesh Mountain is pioneering this blend of Jewish Americana throughout the country, bringing their unique knowledge and passion for both Jewish and Bluegrass traditions to the fore, singing English and Hebrew songs alike.

In this video at Temple Kol Emeth in suburban Atlanta, Nefesh Mountain performs Oseh Shalom Bimromov, part of the Kaddish that's recited multiple times during all services, including Kabbalat Shabbat.

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.

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Throwback Thursday Movie Showcase: The Thanksgiving Dinner Scene from "Avalon"

Today is Thanksgiving Day, an American national holiday. Families from coast to coast are gathering for a festive dinner and lively conversation. In this politically charged year, we hope that the conversations will bring family members closer together.

We're sharing a video clip today from the film Avalon, a 1990 American drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson and starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Aidan Quinn, Elizabeth Perkins, Joan Plowright, Lou Jacobi, Kevin Pollak, and Elijah Wood. It is the third in Levinson's semi-autobiographical tetralogy of "Baltimore films" set in his hometown during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s: Diner (1982), Tin Men (1987), and Liberty Heights (1999). The film explores the themes of Jewish assimilation into American life, through several generations of a Polish immigrant family from the 1910s through the 1950s.

The film was released to critical acclaim, and was nominated for four Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. 

Thanksgiving plays an important role in the film, and the conversation around the dinner table is likely to bring back family memories of holidays past.

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

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: Candid Camera Gold - Mother Spells Out Words So Baby Can't Understand

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 from 2004, Candid Camera's Kate asks passersby to spell out words so her infant son doesn't understand the words.

Enjoy!

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Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Hasidic Singer Shulem Lemmer Engages in "Real Talk" with Israel National News

Shulem Lemmer, known professionally simply as "Shulem," is an American Belz Hasidic singer from Borough Park, Brooklyn, in New York City. He is the first born-and-raised Haredi Jew to sign a major record contract with a leading label, Universal Music Group, under its classical music Decca Gold imprint.

Before becoming a full-time singer, Lemmer was marketing director at a technology firm start-up based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He also works as a cantor during the High Holidays at Congregation Ahavath Torah, a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Englewood, New Jersey.

In April 2019, Lemmer sang “God Bless America” at Citi Field. He has toured in American and Israeli cities and sung in London, Krakow, Frankfurt, and Zurich.

The music on his November 2019 major label debut album, The Perfect Dream, is produced by Jon Cohen and accompanied by London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It consists of English, Hebrew, and Yiddish songs, including the Israeli song Jerusalem of Gold, and Bring Him Home from the Broadway musical Les Misérables. The title track of the album, The Perfect Dream, is an original song written for Lemmer by lyricist Don Black.

We saw Shulem perform in concert in February 2020, just as the pandemic was starting, at Anshei Emuna, our synagogue in Delray Beach, Florida.

Here is the Arutz 7 "Real Talk" interview followed by Shulem singing A Million Dreams, from the film The Greatest Showman.

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.

Monday, November 21, 2022

A Joke to Start the Week - "Potato Garden"

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: Old Man Murray was about to dig his garden to plant the potato garden that he planted every year. But he couldn't do it because he didn't have the strength that he used to. 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.

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Tumbalalaika Around the World - Petra Zindler Sings in Czech Republic

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're continuing the series today that we started back in 2012, bringing you many interpretations of this universal courting and love song.

This rendition of Tumbalalaika was recorded by Petra Zindler, a singer in the Czech Republic klezmer band Lechaim!


Enjoy!

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Friday, November 18, 2022

Welcoming Shabbat with Shalom Aleichem by Leah Shoshanah

This week we welcome Shabbat with an original adaptation of Shalom Aleichem by Leah Shoshanah, a version that she wrote and recorded in a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. This very intimate version of Shalom Aleichem welcomes in the angels to create sacred space and time. 

Leah Shoshanah is a Chicago-based singer, songwriter & Jewish musician whose soulful, original music deftly navigates the folk, funk, rock and jazz genres. Shoshanah’s original music takes on a life of its own and has inspired audiences to sit spellbound, sing together, laugh, cry and dance.

Shoshanah has played on historic stages in Chicago, like the Old Town School of Folk Music, PianoForte, Martyrs’ and the Green Mill. She has played to audiences of thousands on tour in Germany, put on cabaret-style solo acts in underground neighborhood theaters, led musical meditations, and helped individuals and communities move through loss and celebrate life. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Thursday, November 17, 2022

Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Jackie Mason Holds Nothing Back on the Johnny Carson Show

It's another Throwback Thursday and we're turning the calendar back to 1988 when Jackie Mason made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. 

Jackie held nothing back in that session, cracking Carson up with his staccato delivery and his unique accent. 

Topics included his Broadway show, his films and records, why he never got married, soup vs. sex, cars as status symbols, and New York vs. Hollywood.

Enjoy!

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 #Throwback Thursday      #TBT

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: A Candid Camera Classic - ATM Roulette

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 from 1999, the Candid Camera crew turns a hotel ATM into a roulette game that tells guests withdrawing money that they just placed a bet and lost.

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.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Andre Rieu and His Orchestra Return to Tel Aviv With a Concert Including Hava Nagila and Jerusalem of Gold

Famous Dutch violinist and conductor Andre Rieu is best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. Together they have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act, as successful as some of the biggest global pop and rock music acts.

Last week Rieu and his orchestra swept into Tel Aviv for a few days of performances at the Menora Mivtachim Arena. It was the second visit to Israel for Rieu and his 75 singers, dancers, and musicians. Their first visit was in 2018, when they toured Tel Aviv, Jaffa, and Jerusalem. Rieu and his son met with Holocaust survivors who were saved from the Nazis by Rieu's wife's mother, who was active in the Dutch Resistance.

Rieu's father was conductor of the Maastricht Symphony Orchestra. Showing early promise, André began studying violin at the age of five. From a very early age, he developed a fascination with orchestra.

Rieu created the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987 and began with 12 members, giving its first concert on 1 January 1988. Over the years it has expanded dramatically, nowadays performing with between 80 and 150 musicians. Rieu and his orchestra have performed throughout Europe, North and South America, Japan, and Australia. The size and revenue of their tours are rivaled only by the largest pop and rock music acts.

Here is the complete concert from 2018. The musical numbers and the commentary are worth watching, but if you only have time to watch Hava Nagila and Jerusalem of Gold, they are at 18 minutes and 33 minutes from the start of the concert.

Enjoy! 

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Monday, November 14, 2022

A Joke to Start the Week - "High School Reunion"

It's Monday again, and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're sharing one of the classic jokes told by William Novak, co-author with Moshe Waldoks of The Big Book of Jewish Humor.

Last week, on Election Day, Novak retold the joke, along with many others, in an hour-long webinar sponsored by Moment Magazine called Election Day 2022: Jewish Jokes Edition. The session was recorded and includes many more jokes, which we will share with you in the coming weeks.

Novak has since written another book titled Die Laughing: Killer Jokes for Newly Old Folks, which is filled with many more jokes that will keep you laughing for a long time.

Here's the setup for today's joke: At their 40th high school reunion Robert runs into David, his old classmate. "You look amazing" he says. "It looks as if you haven't aged at all." And then...

Enjoy!

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Sunday, November 13, 2022

Comedian Modi Rosenfeld's Hilarious Parody of Synagogue Dinners

If you've ever attended a shul dinner, and you've probably attended lots of them, you have likely suffered through countless speeches by legions of honorees and recipients of plaques, cups, and certificates.  

Whether it's it's a Dor l'Dor, Leadership, Young Couples Group or other honor, each honoree is obliged to tell bad jokes and offer endless thanks to the chairs of the awards and dinner committees (and their co-chairs).

Comedian Modi Rosenfeld is often asked to perform at the end of these dinner speeches and he is a keen observer of the shul dinners. In this video, captured at a 2019 dinner of the Park East Synagogue in New York City, Modi skewers the whole dinner scene with a hilarious parody of the speeches of typical honorees.

Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, Modi is one of the comedy circuit’s most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, Modi has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post.

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he worked as an investment banker until his first open-mic night made him realize that stand-up was his true calling. Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading an audience, Modi has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York's vibrant comedy scene, often doing bits that incorporate his heritage, and he is a hit with diverse Jewish audiences as well as fans of all backgrounds and beliefs.

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.

Friday, November 11, 2022

Havdalah With Touro Synagogue of New Orleans

On Fridays we usually post a musical welcome to Shabbat with a version of Shalom AleichemLecha Dodi, or Adon Olam. But this week we're skipping to the end of Shabbat and continuing the series of Havdalah services that we started a few years ago.

There's a rich lode of musical endings to Shabbat, and Havdalah ceremonies around the world reflect the traditional and local musical tastes of each location.

This version of the Havdalah service is performed by the clergy of the Touro Synagogue of New Orleans, Louisiana.

In 1828, just 25 years after the Louisiana Purchase, the founders of what would eventually become Touro Synagogue started one of the first Jewish temples outside the 13 original colonies. Today, Touro Synagogue of New Orleans remains one of the oldest continuously operating synagogues in the country.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

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Thursday, November 10, 2022

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Sophie Tucker and Maurice Chevalier Sing "I Remember it Well" in 1958

On this Throwback Thursday we're turning the clock back 64 years to 1958, when the musical film Gigi was released. The film starred Leslie Caron, Louis Jordan, Maurice Chevalier, and Hermione Gingold.

The Lerner and Loewe film won nine Oscars and featured some wonderful songs, including I Remember it Well, a duet by Chevalier and Gingold. In the same year, Chevalier sang the song on the Ed Sullivan Show, with Sophie Tucker as his partner in the duet.

Tucker, born Sofia Kalish, was known for her powerful delivery of comical and risqué songs. She was one of the most popular entertainers in the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century. She was known by the nickname "The Last of the Red-Hot Mamas".

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

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Hotel Adds $47 Water Usage Charge to Customers 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 from 2003, the hidden camera catches reactions from travelers as they check out and find a $47 excess water charge on their bill.

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.

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

"I'll Have What She's Having" Jewish Deli Exhibition Opens Friday on Central Park West

If you're a lover of Jewish delicatessen, you'll love the new exhibition opening this week at the New York Historical Society Museum on Central Park West, just a three minute walk from the American Museum of Natural History. The exhibition opens on Friday, November 11, and runs through April 2, 2023.

Organized by the Skirball Cultural Center, “I’ll Have What She’s Having”: The Jewish Deli examines how Jewish immigrants, mostly from Central and Eastern Europe, imported and adapted traditions to create a uniquely American restaurant and reveals how Jewish delicatessens became a cornerstone of American food culture.

The exhibition explores the food of immigration, the heyday of the deli in the interwar period, delis and Broadway, stories of Holocaust survivors and war refugees who worked in delis, the shifting and shrinking landscapes of delis across the country, and delis in popular culture. On display are neon signs, menus, advertisements, deli workers’ uniforms, and video documentaries.

The exhibition was featured last week on CBS TV along with a tour of Zabar's, the iconic Manhattan deli, appetizing store, and bakery that was founded more than 80 years ago -- a family business that is still going strong.

Here's a video of the CBS program. Enjoy!

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Monday, November 7, 2022

A Joke to Start the Week - "Rottweiler Attack"

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: A young man was walking along in a park in Paris. After awhile he sees a little girl playing with a rottweiler dog. 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.

Sunday, November 6, 2022

British Comedian Ashley Blaker on Surviving the Covid Lockdown With Six Children

We've become big fans of Ashley Blaker, the British Orthodox comedian who's been getting rave reviews on his stand-up tours and requests for more video clips from our readers.

Blaker has been seen and heard on TV and radio across the world. He has performed on five continents including tours of the UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Israel and Australia.
 
His five week run Off-Broadway was called ‘a slickly funny stand-up show’ by the New York Times. In August 2018, Ashley made his debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a sold-out run of his show ‘Observant Jew’.
 
Today we're sharing another one of Ashley Blaker's stand-up routines.  In this video, Ashley reflects on how he coped with the Covid lockdown in his home while supervising his six children.

Enjoy!
 
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Friday, November 4, 2022

Welcoming Shabbat with Oseh Shalom by the Comunidad Bet-El of Mexico

The Bet El Community of Mexico is a pluralistic and inclusive congregation in Mexico City. 

It subscribes to the principles of the World Conservative or Masorti Movement, which offers its members a way of living Judaism in tune with the modern world, allowing the family to pray together and offering spaces for the active participation of all its members.

Today we welcome Shabbat with Oseh Shalom Bimromav, sung by Bet El's Hazan Ari Litvak.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Thursday, November 3, 2022

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Stubby Kaye Sings "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" From "Guys & Dolls"

Bernard Solomon (Sholom) Kotzin (1918-1997), known as Stubby Kaye, was an American actor, comedian, vaudevillian, and singer, known for his appearances on Broadway and in film musicals.

Kaye was born on the last day of the First World War, at West 114th Street in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan. His parents were first generation Jewish-Americans originally from Russia and Austria-Hungary. His father, David Kotzin, was a dress salesman, and the former Harriet "Hattie" Freundlish was his mother. He was raised in the Far Rockaway section of Queens and later in The Bronx, where he acted in student productions at DeWitt Clinton High School, and where he graduated in 1937. 

Kaye originated the roles of Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls and Marryin' Sam in Li'l Abner, introducing two show-stopping numbers of the era: "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" and "Jubilation T. Cornpone." He reprised these roles in the movie versions of the two shows. Other well-known roles include Herman in Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity, Sam the Shade in Cat Ballou, and Marvin Acme in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

In today's Throwback Thursday video, Kaye sings his show-stopping Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat from the 1955 movie version of Guys and Dolls.

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

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Human Tree 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 the Candid Camera crew sets up a hollow tree with a man inside in various spots including Central Park, a New York subway station, and Times Square.

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.