Jewish Humor Central

Jewish Humor Central is a daily publication to start your day with news of the Jewish world that's likely to produce a knowing smile and some Yiddishe nachas. It's also a collection of sources of Jewish humor--anything that brings a grin, chuckle, laugh, guffaw, or just a warm feeling to readers. Our posts include jokes, satire, books, music, films, videos, food, Unbelievable But True, and In the News. Some are new, and some are classics. We post every morning, Sunday through Friday. Enjoy!

Showing posts with label Best of Jewish Humor Central. Show all posts

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Celebrating Our 5,000th Post in 17 Years of Jewish Humor

Jewish Humor Central made its first appearance on the Internet on Sunday, October 4, 2009. In the following 17+ years we have posted video clips to fulfill the mission that we established at the beginning -- an objective that has appeared as the header on our home page ever since.

We posted Jewish humor items in the following categories: Jokes, stories, parodies, satire, legends, books, films, Unbelievable But True, and In the News. Some were new, and some were classics. Occasionally some were not really funny, but thought-provoking.We included our own comments, but generally relied on the links to tell their own story.

We included items from religious and secular sources of all Jewish denominations, and we tried to keep the site family-friendly. Any perceived slight to any group or subgroup has been unintentional, and we trusted that people without a sense of humor would not be offended by anything we posted or linked to.

About a month ago, we quietly reached a milestone -- 5,000 unique blog posts. So let's take time out to celebrate, look back over the years and repeat the five most viewed posts since Jewish Humor Central began. We hope you enjoy seeing them again and understand why they have been so popular.

#1 - Barbra Streisand Performs Avinu Malkeinu at Shimon Peres' 90th Birthday Celebration in Jerusalem.

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2013/06/barbra-streisand-performs-in-hebrew-and.html

#2 - Alan King Explains All the Middle East Conflicts

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2015/12/a-rare-comedy-find-alan-king-explains_3.html

#3 - Ivanka Trump Goes to Shul on Sukkot and the Media Doesn't Get It

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2011/10/ivanka-trump-goes-to-shul-on-sukkot-and.html

#4 - I Could be Jewish For You

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2014/07/i-could-be-jewish-for-you-from-songs-by.html

#5 - Yiddishology - How Good Is Your Yiddish - "Shtipper" or "Shtupper"?

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2010/04/yiddishology-how-good-is-your-yiddish.html

Enjoy them all!

Thanks to all of our subscribers and casual readers for your feedback, encouragement, and loyalty through the years. We look forward to more postings to keep you smiling always. Remember, we post every day except on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Happy New Year! We Look Back at Our Most Viewed Post of 2022. Can You Guess What It Is?

In the first week of each new year, all media sites look back on the year just ended and review with their readers the most read and watched stories of the year. So why should we be different?

In 2022 we posted 301 video clips with their back stories, including a wide range of jokes, comedy skits, funny happenings, musical selections, wacky situations, throwbacks to decades past, and Shabbat melodies.

The blog post that got the most views was the fascinating story of "Bei Mir Bistu Shein"-- how it went from being the hit of a Yiddish musical comedy in 1932 to become the best selling song in American History in 1937, sung by The Andrews Sisters.

Here it is for you to enjoy again.

The Story of "Bei Mir Bistu Shein" with the Zamir Chorale of Boston

The Zamir Chorale of Boston and Josh Jacobson present the fascinating story of "Bei Mir Bistu Shein"-- how it went from being the hit of a Yiddish musical comedy in 1932 to become the best selling song in American History in 1937, sung by The Andrews Sisters.

Josh Jacobson narrates the story, followed by a delightful performance of the Yiddish and English versions by the Zamir Chorale of Boston. Edwin Swanborn is the pianist; Taki Masuko the drummer; Cantor Joel Caplan plays the clarinet; Deb Wollner, Susan Rubin and Deborah Melkin are the soloists. The recording is by Larry Sandberg.

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.

Just Published: The Kustanowitz Kronikle - 35 Years of Purim Parody

Every Purim for the past 35 years we have published a Purim parody edition of The Kustanowitz Kronikle, covering virtually every aspect of Jewish life, and including parodies of hundreds of popular movies. This year we decided to retire the series and capture all the fun in a book that's just been published and is available at Amazon.com. It has every Purim issue of The Kustanowitz Kronikle from 1988 through 2022 in a full-color, full-size paperback book with hilarious headline stories and parody movie picks. Here are a few examples: TRUMP, NETANYAHU SWAP ROLES, COUNTRIES; NEW TALMUD VOLUME "VOTIN" FOUND IN IRAQ; JOINS "FRESSIN", "NAPPIN", TANTZEN","PATCHEN"; "JUDAICARE" PROGRAM PLANNED TO ENSURE THAT ALL JEWS HAVE SYNAGOGUE MEMBERSHIP; RABBIS CREATE TALMUD AMERICANI; NEW LAWS EXTEND HALACHA TO THANKSGIVING AND JULY 4; JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE UNITE TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING; FOCUS ON REDUCING HOT AIR; RABBIS TO REQUIRE SHECHITA FOR MANY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

"Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places" is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions

This book presents 150 anecdotes and associated video clips that reveal the myriad ways that Jewish culture, religion, humor, music, song, and dance have found expression in parts of the world that, at first glance, might not seem supportive of Jewish Life. It includes 50 videos of Hava Nagila being performed from Texas to Thailand, from India to Iran, and from Buenos Aires to British Columbia. Also highlighted are 34 international versions of Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, Adon Olam, Abanibi, and Tumbalalaika. Whether you’re reading the print version and typing in the video URLs or reading the e-book version and clicking on the links, you’ll have access to 150 video clips totaling more than 10 hours of video. Enjoy!

"Israel is a Funny Country" is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions

This book explores the multifaceted nature of humor in Israel, some of which is intentional and some of which is unintentional. Either way, the quirks of Israeli life contribute to making that life interesting and fulfilling. In the pages of this volume, we take a look at humorous slices of Israeli life, Israeli comedy, satire and parody, funny TV commercials, unusual stories about food, surprising rabbinic bans on daily activities, simchas as they can only be celebrated in Israel, and endearing aspects of Israeli culture. There are more than 120 anecdotes and links to video clips totaling more than six hours of video. We hope that these anecdotes and video clips give you a new and different insight into life in Israel, and encourage you to join in the fun by planning a visit to the land flowing with milk and honey.

The Best of Jewish Humor Central - Now Available in eBook and Paperback at Amazon.com

About the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

A long-term devotee of Jewish humor, Al Kustanowitz has been collecting and sharing it even before there was an internet. In 2009, after a 36-year career at IBM managing new technology projects, he founded Jewish Humor Central (jewishhumorcentral.com. Through the blog he brings a daily dose of fun and positive energy to readers who would otherwise start the day reading news that is often drab, dreary, and depressing (subscribing is free). He has published 12 books on humor based on his more than 4,000 blog postings, each of which includes a video clip and his commentary. He has presented more than 100 programs in South Florida and the Northeast on topics that include the great comedians and entertainers of the 20th century, funniest moments in film and television, flash mobs around the world, and composers and lyricists of the Great American Songbook. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the City University of New York and taught computer science courses at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the International Association of Yiddish Clubs. You can contact Al via email at akustan@gmail.com.