Shavuot Starts Tonight.....Are You Ready for a Cheesy Holiday? Rabbi Paul Lewin Tells Us Why

Shavuot is the most important Jewish holiday most people have never heard of. One of the three pilgrimage festivals, it doesn't get the attention given to Passover and Sukkot. But it does celebrate the giving and receiving of the Torah. So where are all the songs, jokes, comedy skits and music videos that we share on the other holidays?

They're mostly not there with a few exceptions, including one of our favorites, Mel Brooks as Moses showing us why we have only ten commandments and not fifteen.

From all night lectures and study sessions to mountains of cheese and cheesecake, from Jewish film screenings, decorating our homes with greenery, reading the Book of Ruth, and yoga at dawn, Shavuot finds incredible ways to celebrate receiving the Torah.

But are you ready to eat the four foods commonly served on Shavuot? Rabbi Paul Lewin of Australia's North Shore Synagogue explains what they are and why they are eaten on Shavuot. But why did he not include cheesecake?

Outside of Eretz Yisrael we celebrate two days of Shavuot. We will be observing them tomorrow and Thursday, so there will be no Jewish Humor Central posts on those days. We'll be back on Friday with our usual mix.

We wish you a Chag Shavuot Sameach!

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Melbourne, Australia Jewish Community Sings in Solidarity with Israel

Jewish communities around the world are uniting in song to express their solidarity with Israel. In this video the Jewish community of Melbourne, Australia, sings Acheinu, Ani Maamin, Oseh Shalom, and Hatikvah in a Havdalah service at a large synagogue.

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Welcoming Shabbat with Shalom Aleichem by Australian Jewish Musicians and Singers

This week we welcome another Shabbat with Shalom Aleichem sung by Jewish women around Australia singing Shalom Aleichem, a project of Chabad Australia.

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Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with Yedid Nefesh in Sydney, Australia

Today we welcome Shabbat with a beautiful rendition of Yedid Nefesh, which is sung at the beginning of the Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday night. The singers are Rabbi Motti Feldman and his son Menachem Feldman, both Chabad emissaries in Sydney, Australia.

The song was originally performed by Yehoram Gaon. The musical arrangement is by Raymond Goldstein.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

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Today is Purim! Here's a Lively Version of the Purim Story by the Students of Australia's Masada College

 

Located in St. Ives, a leafy suburb of Sydney on Australia's North Shore, Masada College is a Jewish co-educational school. In American terms, it's really a high school or secondary school. 

 

Students from all backgrounds are welcome to the school, which prides itself on inclusivity. Its educational mission is to raise responsible individual thinkers with a strong sense of social justice and confidence in their ability to determine their own future. Its graduates win scholarships and awards and embark on a diverse range of career paths. 

 

For Purim, the students of Masada College put on a lively show to retell the basic story of the holiday.

Enjoy, and Chag Sameach!

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Six-Year-Old Australian Kid Sings an Impassioned Avinu Malkeinu in Hebrew and English

Bibi, the six-year-old son of Nina Shapiro loves to sing, and his singing is going viral because of an impassioned version of Avinu Malkeinu that has been spreading on the Internet since it mysteriously landed on Twitter and Facebook last week.

As Philissa Cramer wrote last week in JTA News,

Exactly how the video got from a family text chain to thousands of Jewish viewers is unclear, but there’s no question that Bibi’s performance of a song he learned at his school is resonating with many on the eve of the High Holidays.

Others who amplified the video did know who Bibi was, even though he is not identified in it. They included people associated with Sinai Academy, the school in Cape Town, South Africa, that he attended before the family moved to Australia two years ago. Shapiro credited both that school and the one he attends in Perth, Carmel School, with developing her son’s love for Judaism.

Bibi is adopted — we adopted each other when he was a baby. He has been raised Jewish, and it’s all he knows. Halachically [according to Jewish law] he is a Jew. I’ve come to realize he has a Jewish neshama [soul] even though entering the world he was not born into a Jewish family.

Here are the English words he sings before launching into Hebrew:

I’m sorry for all I did wrong. 

I’m sorry for all I did wrong. 

I’ll try to be better forever and ever I’m sorry for all I did wrong. 

I’ll try, I’ll try to be the best that I can be. 

I’ll try, I’ll try to do what is right, and be the best I can be.

Enjoy!

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Welcoming Shabbat in Sydney with Adon Olam (Scarborough Fair)

Adon Olam is the closing hymn of the Shabbat morning service in most synagogues, This song is sung to many different tunes, and can be sung to virtually any due to its meter. 

Many synagogues like to use "seasonal" tunes, for instance, on the Shabbat before Hanukkah, they might do it to Ma'oz Tzur. In Hebrew schools and Jewish summer camps, the Adon Olam hymn is sometimes set, for fun, to secular tunes like Yankee Doodle or Jamaica Farewell.

This year Jewish musicians in Sydney, Australia collaborated to create this magnificent cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair with the timeless Hebrew words of Adon Olam. The collaboration is in support of Kesser Torah College, an Orthodox Day School in Sydney that offers education from pre-school through 12th grade.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat at Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney, Australia

For today's welcoming Shabbat video, let's take a trip to Sydney, Australia and the Emanuel Synagogue's Shabbat Live service, which is conducted every Friday evening at 6:15 pm.

Established in 1938, Emanuel Synagogue is a pluralist community affiliated with the Masorti, Progressive and Renewal movements.

The Shabbat service in this video was recorded on November 29, 2013. It welcomed USA guest star Joshua Nelson "The Prince of Kosher Gospel", along with Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio, Martin Yafe and the Shabbat Live Band. Martin Yafe now directs programs at the YM-YMHA in Washington Heights, New York.

While attending Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Nelson started blending Hebrew texts with gospel melodies and arranging Jewish hymns in gospel style, resulting in solo CDs like "Hebrew Soul" (2004) and "Mi Chamocha" (2005). 

Both of Nelson’s parents are Jewish, and his family attended temple at a black synagogue in Brooklyn, then switched to Sharey Tefilo-Israel, in South Orange, New Jersey, a reform synagogue with a liberal reputation.
Together with the synagogue rabbi and cantor Nelson leads the congregation in Shalom Aleichem and Motown versions of Mi Chamocha and Adon Olam.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Comedy Showcase: Australian Comic Michael Shafar on Unexpected Ratings and Reviews

The Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival is a showcase of the very best of Jewish humour in Australia. One of Australia's best Jewish comedians is Michael Shafar.

Michael started out with a law degree, but decided he didn't want to work in an office all day. So he became a standup comedian.

We recently posted a clip of Michael contrasting Jewish holidays with Australian holidays. Here's another clip with Michael reading unexpected online ratings and reviews by vistors at the JFK gravesite and the Holocaust Museum.

Enjoy!

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Comedy Showcase: Australian Comic Michael Shafar on Jewish Holidays vs. Australian Holidays

The Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival is a showcase of the very best of Jewish humour in Australia. One of Australia's best Jewish comedians is Michael Shafar.

Michael started out with a law degree, but decided he didn't want to work in an office all day. So he became a standup comedian.

Here's a standup session performed by Michael at the inaugural festival in 2015. In this video he contrasts Jewish holidays with Australian holidays.

Enjoy!

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Jewish Comedy from Australia: Meet Rabbi Mendel Goornisht at the Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival

Jewish Humor Central has subscribers all over the world, and Australia always places in the top ten countries. We haven't given much attention to Australian Jewish humor lately, so today we're sharing a performance by "Rabbi Mendel Goornisht" at the Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival a few years back.

We laughed at his portrayal of his life as a rabbi in Melbourne. We're still trying to track down his real name and find some more of his backstory. If any of our Australian readers are more familiar with his comedy, we hope they will share information about him with us.

In the meantime, just enjoy!

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Comedy Showcase: Meet Michael Shafar, Standup Comedian from Melbourne, Australia

Michael Shafar started out with a law degree in Melbourne, Australia, but decided he didn't want to work in an office all day. So he became a standup comedian. 

In 2016, Michael also reached the RAW Comedy National Grand Final, represented Australia in the Laugh Factory's Funniest Person in the World Competition and toured across Asia, headlining at some of the continent's largest comedy clubs. He also developed, produced and hosted the showcase Melbourne Comedy's Rising Stars, which continues to sell out shows.

2017 has been another huge year for Michael, selling out his entire season and extra show of Jewish-ish at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, selling out shows at Sydney Fringe Comedy, performing on ABC's Comedy Bites, Triple J's Good Az Friday, landing a gig writing jokes for Channel 10's The Project and appearing in the show's sketches, well as being selected to perform internationally on Carnival Cruise Lines.

Here's a video clip of Michael's performance at the 2016 RAW Comedy National Grand Final.

Enjoy!

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Throwback Thursday Special: Billy Crystal's Australian Interview

Billy Crystal appeared on the "Denton" show in Sydney, Australia in 1994. He was in Australia promoting his new film "City Slickers 2". 

Host Andrew Denton gave Billy a genuine kangaroo scrotum pouch, the watch from "City Slickers 1" and a boomerang which Andrew threw into Sydney Harbor.

Join us in the time machine as we go back 23 years to see this Billy Crystal interview. 

Enjoy!

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Pidyon Petter Chamor - "Jewish Donkey" Redeemed in Melbourne, Australia

In May, 2009, two members of the Adass Yisroel congregation in Melbourne, Australia, were studying Talmud, and came across the obscure mitzva of Pidyon Petter Chamor -- redeeming of a firstborn male donkey. 

Determined to perform this unique and rare mitzva, they located a female donkey that had not yet produced any offspring. Working with a breeder, they waited the 12 months of pregnancy, and finally the firstborn male donkey emerged.

Most of Melbourne's rabbinate attended the ceremony as did young and old from many of Melbourne's shuls and shteebels.

The five minute long video is fascinating to watch. The funniest part is when the rabbi says "It's unusual and difficult to find a Jewish donkey."

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Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival - The Bubba on Moses' Leadership in the Wilderness

Jack Felman is a medical doctor in general practice in Melbourne, Australia.  He has been writing and performing comedy for 30 years. 

Twenty years ago he created the Bubba, everyone's favorite Jewish grandmother, a character who loves to give unwanted advice and who is well known to Melbourne and Sydney audiences. 

Last year saw the inaugural of the Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival, which brought together some of Australia's funniest Jewish comedians.

In his role as the Bubba, Felman  offered a heavily accented account of how Moses led the Jewish people through the wilderness for 40 years (Led? no. He was farblunget!)

Enjoy!


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Jewish Humor from Australia - Jim Brewsky at the Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival

Yes, there is Jewish humor down under. Last year Melbourne, Australia started a Jewish Comedy Festival to celebrate Jewish culture through comedy and they're planning another one for 2016.

Today we're bringing you one of the highlights of the festival, a stand-up comedy routine by Jim Brewsky, who starts the routine by teasing his audience as to whether they think he is, or isn't, a member of the tribe.

Enjoy!

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A Bissel of Food from Seniors in Melbourne, Australia

The word bissel means "a little bit" in Yiddish. "A Bissel Of..." is a new series of short videos featuring residents of Jewish Care of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, who give us their answers to a range of questions. 

This Bissel of Food is the fourth video in the series. We previously posted "Bissel" videos with the seniors' answers to questions about Chanukah, Shabbat, and technology.

In this video the seniors tackle questions including:
1. Why are there carrots on top of gefilte fish?
2. What makes the perfect chicken soup?
3. Who makes the best chicken soup?

We are sure you will enjoy it as much as we do. It is sure to encourage discussion with your  friends and family and bring back memories of your own versions of traditional Jewish foods.

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Rega Israel: Dalia, the Annoying Israeli, Takes Her Attitude to Australia

Dalia is back again. Yes, our favorite Israeli with an attitude that's unlikely to make many friends has just returned from a trip "down under." This is another episode of the web series Rega Israel.

Portrayed by comedian Deb Kaye from the Jerusalem-based HaHafuch comedy troupe, Dalia searches the streets of Australia looking for kangaroos and restaurants that serve shakshuka, and friendly natives to take her photo. Luckily for her, the good citizens of Australia accept her as a kooky visitor and take her behavior in stride.

Enjoy!

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A Bissel of Technology from Seniors in Australia

Ask a group of senior residents at the Victoria Care center in Melbourne, Australia to explain what a portable hard drive is and you'll get unpredictable results. If you ask them to define twitter, hashtag, and other technology terms, the results can be funny.

The word bissel means "a little bit" in Yiddish. "This video is the third of a series posted by Jewish Care of Victoria, which is having fun with short videos featuring residents who give us their answers to a range of questions. 
 
We previously posted the first two videos in the series which asked questions about Chanukah and Shabbat. We hope you'll enjoy this video as much as the first two.
 

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A Bissel of Shabbat From Seniors in Melbourne, Australia

The word bissel means "a little bit" in Yiddish. "A Bissel Of..." is a new series of short videos featuring residents of Jewish Care of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, who give us their answers to a range of questions. 

This is the first video in the series themed with questions about Shabbat. Last month we posted another video in the series with the seniors' answers to questions about Chanukah.

We are sure you will enjoy it as much as we do. It is sure to encourage discussion with your friends and family and bring back memories of your own Shabbat experiences. 

Shabbat shalom!

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