The honoree was Mason's older brother Rabbi Bernard Maza. Mason used his classic observational humor to poke fun at cultural quirks, assimilation, and traditional Jewish life, while praising the vital work of instilling Jewish identity in youth.
His unique background as an ordained rabbi allowed him to connect deeply with the crowd, delivering rapid-fire punchlines that kept the room laughing.
Here is Mason's speech at the event honoring his brother. Enjoy!
Cantor Sydney Michaeli served for two years as the Student Cantor at Temple Shaaray Tefila, and two years as the Cantorial Intern at Park Avenue Synagogue, both on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. While in school, Cantor Michaeli was a JDC Weitzman Fellow for Global Jewish Leadership and a UJA Federation Graduate Fellow. She has led multiple Birthright trips and participated in the iCenter’s Birthright Israel Fellowship. Cantor Michaeli was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May 2023 upon completing her thesis and recital about the intersection of baroque oratorio and Jewish music.
Today we join Temple Rodef Shalom in welcoming Shabbat with a jazzy version of V'Shamru, part of the Friday evening service.
Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!
In this Throwback Thursday musical special, Claire and Merna perform wrote "All of Me", a popular song writtten in 1931 by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons. They performed it on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1962.
Enjoy!
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 Candid Camera classic stunt set in a shopping mall, staffer Jose posed as a driver of a parking lot shuttle. Customers thought that the shuttle would take them to the mall entrance, but the sign on the shuttle said "Park and Ride" and that's exactly what it did -- after they parked they were taken on a ride around the parking lot.
Enjoy!
Having gained a massive following on social media, Sponder most recently finished up a sold-out tour in Europe with his new show "Self Loving Jew".
In June Sponder toured the USA with shows in Boston, Philadelphia, and Fort Lauderdale.
In this video clip from a recent performance, Sponder reflects on Jewish attitudes toward comedy in a time of war.
Enjoy!
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. Here's the setup: Gittel would nag her husband Moshe all the time. The only relief he would get was when he would go away with the mule and be a buyer and seller of scrap metal. From this he made a living. And then...
Enjoy!
As Uriel Heilman wrote in The Jerusalem Post,
A Korean-American musical prodigy who plays everything from violin to guitar to piano, Dieker was raised in a devout Catholic home where she played church music every Sunday with her three siblings.
But after a rebellious stint in her 20s in which she struggled with addiction and depression and gave up religion, Dieker stumbled into an unusual gig with a traveling Jewish prayer band in Kansas City.
Dieker got sucked into the world of bar mitzvahs, Jewish holidays and Shabbat, and before she knew it was rediscovering spirituality – this time from a Jewish vantage point.
Dieker started working at a Reform synagogue in 2012 as a pianist, quickly picking up Hebrew and helping lead songs during services. A year later she became the musical director at The Temple-Congregation B’nai Jehuda in Overland Park, Kansas, working with the rabbi to redesign the congregation’s High Holiday services.
Her interest in Judaism deepened, and she took her first trip to Israel.
On Hanukkah 2016 she formally converted to Judaism. She chose for herself the Hebrew name Rafaela Zimra.
In this video, Dieker joins the clergy of Temple Israel in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in welcoming Shabbat in a most unusual way with Lecha Dodi.
Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!
If you were expecting a joke today, we're sorry to disappoint you. Today is Tisha B'Av,
an annual fast day in Judaism which commemorates the destruction of the
First and Second Temples in Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of the
Jews from the Land of Israel.
The day also commemorates other tragedies which occurred on the same
day, including the Roman massacre of over 100,000 Jews at Betar in 132 CE. Instituted by the rabbis of 2nd-century Palestine, Tisha B'Av
is regarded as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, a day in which
all pleasurable activity is forbidden, and is marked by synagogue
attendance the night before and during the day. But that doesn't mean
there's no singing, or more accurately, chanting.
The highlight of the day's service is the chanting of the megillah of Eicha (Lamentations), written by the prophet Jeremiah. Eicha is read in synagogues and in groups meeting indoors and outdoors.
If
Eicha's dirge-like melody and mournful lyrics don't speak to you,
there's another musical way to get into the mood. In 1975 Don McLean performed his hit song Babylon in front of a live audience in Dublin and had them singing along with him. The lyrics are just perfect for Tisha B'Av, adapted from Psalm 137 in Tehilim (The Book of Psalms).
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.
In this classic episode the Candid Camera team rigged an office to look like a robbery had just taken place. Allen Funt played the role of the victim who was bound and gagged. This prank was designed to explore social behavior, examining whether individuals choose to intervene or ignore someone seemingly in distress. What would you do if you walked into the office and witnessed the scene? Unbind him? Call the police? Or just walk away?
Enjoy!
Shahar is an entertainer who paved his way through the best entertainment programs in Israel: Eretz Nehederet, Zahirut TV, TV at its best, Laughter from Work, Limited Edition, Fun Night, Express Hearts and more.
In this performance before a live audience, Shahar takes a deep dive into singer Lana Del Ray's hit song Summertime Sadness and ridicules its premise.
He says "Summertime sadness? Summertime is the best time ever. The only time you have summertime sadness is if you order watermelon and it's not sweet enough. The only time you have summertime sadness is if you don't have air conditioning in your house."
Enjoy!
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. Here's the setup: Rabbi Mendel Kaplan is at home and the phone rings. He picks up the phone and says "Hello." And at the other end the man says "This is the Internal Revenue Service." And then...
Enjoy!
We've been big fans of Rita Rudner ever since she started to appear on late night TV in the 1980s. One of the hallmarks of her comedy is that it's clean, free from the vulgarity and shouting that many stand-up comics find necessary. Her delivery is demure, tasteful, full of wry observations, and very funny.
A native of Montreal, Canada, Cantor Jason Green (lyric tenor) began singing at age 6 as a child soprano in his Synagogue’s choir. He became its conductor at age 15, under the tutelage of Stephen Glass. He continued his vocal development and knowledge of repertoire by joining the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue Choir in 1992, soon afterwards becoming its associate conductor.
In this video Cantor Green sings V'Shamru, part of the Friday night service.
Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!
"Makin' Whoopee" is a song first popularized by Eddie Cantor in the 1928 musical Whoopee!. Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics and Walter Donaldson composed the music for the song as well as for the entire musical.
We just came across a rare video of Sherman singing "Taking Lessons," a parody of "Makin' Whoopee" on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. Here is the video of him singing the song, followed by a video clip of Eddie Cantor singing "Makin' Whoopee", the basis for Sherman's takeoff.
Enjoy!
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 Candid Camera classic stunt set in a Fashion Bug store in California in 2002, Linda, a Candid Camera staffer, posed as a clerk trying to sell reduced price underwear. Watch their reactions when they find out that the items were previously worn, washed, and returned.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Rabbi Bob Alper is the world's only practicing clergyman doing stand-up comedy... intentionally. His fresh, contemporary, and totally "unorthodox" style has been delighting audiences internationally, from the top NY comedy clubs to The World Bank and The National Comedy Center. And his unique brand of intelligent, 100% clean humor appeals to people of all faiths.
Bob's a special favorite on the clean comedy channels of Sirius/XM Satellite radio, and he's appeared on Showtime, CNN, and Good Morning America.
Here's the setup: A guy said to his friend "You know, I had one of the most exciting nights of my life last night. I went out on the town with my girlfriend and her twin." And then...
Enjoy!
Rodney
Dangerfield (1921-2004) was a fixture on the standup comedy circuit
during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. His appearances on the Ed Sullivan
Show, the Dean Martin Show and all the late night shows solidified his
place in the world of comedy.
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.
We
found a video clip of Dangerfield on the Redd Foxx show at the peak of his popularity in
1978. In five minutes, he fires off a barrage of one-liners to the
delight of the audience.
Enjoy!
All members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname Ramone, although none were biologically related; they were inspired by Paul McCartney, who used the stage name Paul Ramon when the Beatles were still calling themselves The Silver Beetles. The Ramones performed 2,263 concerts, touring virtually nonstop for 22 years, and released fourteen studio albums. In 1996, after a tour as part of the Lollapalooza music festival, they played a farewell concert in Los Angeles and disbanded.
Two of the four members were Jewish. Lead singer Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Ross Hyman) was born into a Jewish family in Queens, New York, and grew up in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Forest Hills. Drummer and producer Tommy Ramone (Tamás Erdélyi) was born in Hungary to Jewish parents who were Holocaust survivors.
They were very popular from 1974 to 1996. Here is a video of one of their biggest hits, Bitzkrieg Bop. Enjoy!
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 stunt Candid Camera co-host Dina Eastwood poses as a traffic enforcement officer visiting suburban homes to issue fake citations for minor parking infractions. Residents react with confusion and frustration while attempting to defend their parking habits on private property.
Enjoy!
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. Here's the setup: Abe and Sadie had a little store on Delancey Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They sold Jewish religious articles. But business had been declining. And then...
Enjoy!
Robert Klein was the first to have a standup special on HBO. He is legendary due to his smart humor and funny insights into the everyday. He is 84 now and doesn't have any performances currently scheduled, but he was in his prime in 1986 when he performed on Broadway.
In this piece from Robert Klein's 1986 HBO stand-up special, he takes the audience on a comedic journey through our political history from founding father George Washington to man on the moon Neil Armstrong, throwing in a little corruption on the way.
Enjoy!
In this video, Nudelman and her Beis Clef ensemble sing the traditional Kabbalat Shabbat song Lecha Dodi. Beis Clef is a Johannesburg-based Jewish community that explores Jewish identity through music, ritual and creative expression. Their monthly Friday night gatherings bring together traditional liturgy, contemporary arrangements and communal singing in an intimate home setting.
Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!
Here's a nostalgic video made up of postcards showing the facades of many of the older Catskills hotels, some of which you may remember visiting, or at least seeing the directional signs posted at highway exits. The music in the background is the Yiddish song Vus is geven, is geven, un nit do (What was, was, and can never be again.)
Following the celebration, the comedy legend received massive tributes and honors for his unparalleled contributions to entertainment. A highly acclaimed two-part documentary, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!—directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio—is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
One of the tributes to Brooks is a short 2 minute commentary on his life so far on ABC News. We're showing the video below.
Over the years, we have posted 38 posts about Brooks and his many films. If you're a real Brooks fan, these are posts that you'll want to watch again and again. Here's a link to all of them. Enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEL !
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