Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Hinei Ma Tov with a Brazilian/Argentinian Twist

Yzreel and Fanny are from Brazil and Argentina. They have lived in Israel since June 2021 and have created a YouTube channel on which they share their family Aliya experience and content related to Israel. 

They upload videos every week about the weekly Torah portion and Biblical and Modern Hebrew classes. They do not seem to be affiliated with any organization.

Here is their version of Hinei Ma Tov. Enjoy!

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Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam Sung by Cantor Gustavo Gitlin as an Argentinian Tango

In February we posted a version of Adon Olam sung by Gustavo Gitlin to Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind. Gitlin, the cantor of Congregation Tifereth Israel , the oldest continuously operating Jewish congregation on Long Island, with roots traced back to the Civil War era. 

Located in Glen Cove, on Long Island's North Shore, it is led by Rabbi Irwin Huberman, a graduate of the Academy of Jewish Religion, a rabbinical seminary that embraces all Jewish denominations.

Cantor Gitlin comes from a family of musicians and his grandfather was a cantor. He moved with his family to Glen Cove from Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2003.

Today we welcome Shabbat with a more traditional version as Cantor Gitlin returns to his roots in Buenos Aires and sings Adon Olam as a pair of tango dancers perform Argentina's national dance.

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.

Welcoming Shabbat with a Salsa Version of Adon Olam by Hazzan Diego Rubinsztein

Hazzan Diego Rubinsztein served the last 20 years as cantor and music director at CIRA—Templo Libertad, the oldest synagogue in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is a pianist, composer and musical arranger. 

With a unique style, Hazzan Diego is one of the most important leaders of the modern liturgical music in Latin America. He has recorded several CDs of Jewish spiritual music and many synagogues around the world sing his tunes.

In this version of Adon Olam, the 62nd version that we've posted, Hazzan Diego gives us a lively performance with a salsa beat.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

 

In Argentina, a Rabbi and Bishop Walk into a Recording Studio and Sing Holiday Greetings

 

This is not "A Rabbi and a Priest walk into a bar" joke. But Rabbi Marcelo Polakoff of the Israelite Union Center of Cordoba, Argentina and Bishop Pedro Torres did walk into a recording studio in  Argentina last week and emerged with a seasonal hit song that we're including in this year's selection of Chanukah videos. 

It was originally composed in Spanish as Cuando Llega Diciembre, and translated into English as It's Already December.

As Molly Tolsky wrote on Kveller.com,

In a video shared by World Jewish Congress last Friday, Rabbi Marcelo Polakoff and Bishop Pedro Torres teamed together to send their musical holiday blessings to people celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. They parody both “Hava Nagila” and “Silent Night,” making for an equal opportunity smash hit.

It’s so heartening to see leaders of different faiths coming together, and feels especially apt this year as the first night of Hanukkah begins on Christmas Eve–making for a literal Chrismukkah if there ever was one.

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 Rosh Hashana Videos: Argentinian Comedian Martin Sipicki Plays 6 Roles

Here's a shout-out to our readers in Argentina and the Spanish speaking world. This year we're featuring some funny Rosh Hashana music videos in Spanish. 

Why? Because Argentina is producing some new and funny videos to welcome the New Year 5777.

Martin Sipicki is an Argentinian comedian who has been making Rosh Hashana videos for a few years. We only caught up with him this year and you'll see him below playing six different roles in an ensemble video welcome to Rosh Hashana. It's a parody of the song We Are the World.

Enjoy!

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Here Come the Rosh Hashana Videos - From Argentina, Se Viene Rosh Hashana by KEF

Orquesta Kef is a group of young Argentinian musicians who play traditional, classical and contemporary Jewish songs. The Kef sound brings together the emotion, passion and spirit of Jewish music, generating and sharing good times with their audience.

It all began at the end of the year 2000, near Chanukah 5761, when a group of young musicians wanted to express and share their talents with the community.

Shortly after their premiere, Kef found its own and unique musical style. It is based on the millenary force of tradition and the powerful emotion of the Jewish culture, mixed in with Latin American sounds.

As we wind down our list of special music videos for Rosh Hashana, today we're bringing you one with a spirited Spanish greeting: Rosh Hashana is coming, and everyone should have a good and sweet year!

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.)

 

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Yiddish Tango is Fusion of Klezmer and Argentinian Tango

The Argentinian Tango emerged from the slums of Buenos Aires, but over the years it absorbed other musical strains as immigrants from other countries came to Argentina. 

Jews from Eastern Europe have been immigrating to Argentina and they brought with them klezmer music that has fused with the tango to create a unique music and dance form...the Yiddish Tango.

As Elizabeth Lee writes in The Jewish Voice,

For Argentine-born Gustavo Bulgach, tango is music with an attitude.
“Tango means the blues. Tango is not just tango - it means - it’s an attitude that you want to express.  In every language, in Yiddish, in Spanish - in whatever language - Tango represents that kind of attitude of losing or having your heart broken by life,” Bulgach says.

Bulgach is the band leader of the Yiddish Tango Club, a group that fuses a form of Jewish dance music known as "klezmer" with Argentine tango.

“Tango is not only Argentinian. It’s a loop from Europe also. It’s like something dramatic, and it’s the count…maybe one, two, three,” says vocalist Divina Gloria.

The band pays tribute to the music of the Jewish immigrants in Argentina.  Bulgach is Jewish, and his family emigrated to Argentina from Russia.  Jewish vocalist Divina Gloria’s family came from Poland.  Yiddish tango evokes memories of her own childhood in Argentina.

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.)