Holiday Countdown: Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus Sings a High Holidays Medley

The Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus began as a musical expression of the Jewish labor movement. It was founded in 1922 as the Freiheit Gezang Farein, an outgrowth of the leftist Morgen Freiheit Yiddish newspaper. In 1948, the Chorus changed its name to The Jewish People’s Philharmonic Chorus—likely to avoid scrutiny during the McCarthy era. Now that it's a century old, they changed the name again—to reflect the goals of learning, enjoying, and promoting the Yiddish language and Yiddish choral music.

The chorus is a multigenerational thirty-five-voice ensemble. They're students, professionals, and robust retirees, all in love with singing and committed to promoting Yiddish language and culture through beautiful four-part harmony.

Led by conductor Binyumen Schaechter, they perform each spring and fall at Merkin Concert Hall and most summers at the North American Jewish Choral Festival. They've also performed at Symphony Space, Carnegie Hall, Shea Stadium, West Point, Queens College, the World Trade Center site after 9/11, and places of worship throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Today we're sharing a video of the chorus singing a medley of songs for Rosh Hashanah,  Sukkot, and Simchat Torah.

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat with The Miami Boys Choir Singing Adon Olam

The Miami Boys Choir experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2022, owing to the establishment of a TikTok account that posts clips of the group performing. One clip, a recording of 4 soloists performing an arrangement of Psalms 125:2 (Yerushalayim) has accrued over 9.1 million views as of October 8.

While the group was formed in Miami Beach, Florida, after releasing the first few albums, director Yerachmiel Begun moved the choir to New York. Although he retained the "Miami" in the name of the group, subsequent albums were released with boys primarily from the New York/New Jersey area.

In this video, the Miami Boys Choir sings Adon Olam.

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.  

European Association of Jewish Choirs Sings Hevenu Shalom Aleichem

Last month Jewish choirs from Ukraine, UK, France, Italy, and Austria united to perform a unique version of Hevenu Shalom Aleichem. The occasion was the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe and the song was chosen as a message of peace, hope, and friendship

The singers are all members of the European Association of Jewish Choirs.

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.

Chanukah Around the World: Jewish Day School Students Perform in Rostov, Russia

 

1200 people in Rostov, Russia were treated to a performance of Slava Bogu Charasho (Glory to God) this week by students of the Rostov Jewish Day School at the annual Chanukah concert. 

The Jewish community of Rostov-on-Don in Russia is planning a series of landmark events that will commemorate the 100th yartzeit of the Rebbe Rashab, the 5th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch. These events are set to be held around 2 Nissan 5780 (March 26-29, 2020), and bring together local Jews with Lubavitcher chassidim and students from around the world. 

Rostov is home to the Ohel resting place of the Rebbe Rashab, Rabbi Sholom DovBer Schneersohn (1860-1920) who has devoted himself to the future of the Jewish nation by involving himself in education on all levels.

Enjoy, and Happy Chanukah!

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 Ana B'koach by Merav Brenner and the Hallel Chorus

This week we welcome Shabbat with Ana b'Koach, a liturgical poem from the Kabbalat Shabbat service that appears in the siddur just before Lecha Dodi. It's a Kabbalistic prayer composed by Rav Nehunia Ben Hakannah.

Known as the 42-letter Name of God, Ana b'Koach is a unique formula built of 42 letters written in seven sentences of six words each. Each of the seven sentences correspond to the seven days of the week, seven specific angels, and to a particular heavenly body. The letters that make up Ana beKo'ach are encoded within the first 42 letters of the book of Genesis.

The kabbalists explain that this combination of letters takes us back to the time of Creation, and each time we meditate on a particular sequence, we return to the original uncorrupted energy that built the world. By performing the Ana beKo'ach meditation, we enrich our lives with unadulterated spiritual Light and positive energy.

This version of Ana b'Koach is sung by Hallel, an Israeli women's chorus led by Merav Brenner. The Hebrew text and translation appear below the video.

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 Adon Olam in a Hungarian Synagogue

We have been posting versions of Adon Olam from all over the world, 43 so far. Every week we search the Internet for new interpretations of this classic Shabbat morning hymn. 

And today we're posting our 44th Adon Olam, this one from the Leo Frankel Synagogue in Budapest, Hungary. The occasion was a festive concert on September 3, the 130th birthday of the Synagogue.

There are 400 seats in the synagogue that was built in 1888. In the 1920’s a block building was built around it to protect it. It's a Neolog synagogue which is the mainstream denomination in Hungary. It’s somewhere between Conservative and Modern Orthodox.

– Men and women sit separated but without a mechitzah.
– It is not egalitarian: women are not counted to the minyan neither called for aliyah.
– Most congregants celebrate rather than keep Shabbat.

And they are very enthusiastic, as you can see from the joyous singing of Adon Olam.

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.

16 Choirs Sing Oseh Shalom to Start the Israel 70th Birthday Countdown

Tomorrow and Shabbat are the last two days of Pesach this year in the diaspora, and tomorrow is the seventh and last day in Israel. 

There's not as much singing on these days as there is at the beginning of Pesach, but Jewish choral groups around the world have been busy preparing for a major event that starts in 13 days -- Israel's 70th birthday celebration.

Richard Shavei Tzion, the South Africa-born director of the Ramatayim Men's Choir in Jerusalem, came up with the idea of getting 16 Jewish choral groups from 12 countries to sing Roman Grinberg's version of Oseh Shalom in unison.

This video brings the choirs together for a rousing rendition of the song that we hope you'll enjoy as we finish off the last of the matzot. We'll be celebrating the end of Pesach through Shabbat and we'll be back with more of our usual mix at Jewish Humor Central on Sunday.

Chag sameach 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.

The Great Yiddish Songs Revisited: A New and Fun Version of "Rumania Rumania"

The Jewish People's Philharmonic Chorus is part of a modern Yiddish renaissance -- more than forty members strong, from students to retirees, a good number of whom speak or are learning Yiddish. 

Their repertoire spans a century -- exciting oratorios and operettas, labor anthems, folksongs, and popular tunes -- all in Yiddish. Committed to strengthening Yiddish as a living language, they have commissioned and premiered new Yiddish choral works by half a dozen composers.

In July we posted their Yiddish version of The Star Spangled Banner.  Today we're sharing their fun version of the Yiddish classic Rumania, Rumania, by Aaron Lebedeff. The musical arrangement is by Binyumen Schaechter, with his daughter Temma as soloist.

Schaechter is a member of a leading family in Yiddish language and cultural studies. His father, Dr. Mordkhe Schaechter, was an influential linguist of the Yiddish language, writing and editing many articles, magazines, journals, terminologies and textbooks in Yiddish and on Yiddish. His mother, Charlotte (Charne) Schaechter, spent much of her life as an accompanist to Yiddish singers. His aunt, Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman, was a Yiddish poet and songwriter and spiritual guide to many of the Klezmer musicians in the world today. 

Among his three sisters, Rukhl Schaechter is a journalist with the Yiddish Forward, and host of the on-line Yiddish cooking program, Est gezunterheyt! (we posted 24 episodes of this cooking program during the last 8 years); Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath is a Yiddish poet and editor, and she sings in the Jewish People's Philharmonic Chorus; and sister Eydl Reznik teaches Yiddish among the ultra-Orthodox community in Tsfat, Israel. Schaechter and his sisters all speak only in Yiddish with their children, giving their parents 16 Yiddish-speaking grandchildren. Binyumen's cousin, Itzik Gottesman, was an editor of The Yiddish Forward and the Tsukunft, and is continuing his work as a scholar of Yiddish folklore. 

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.

HaZamir International Jewish High School Choir Welcomes Passover with V'Hi She'amda

Last week HaZamir, the International Jewish High School Choir performed its annual Gala Concert in Carnegie Hall. We missed it this year because of a prior commitment, but attended last year's performance in Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall.

Thanks to the internet and YouTube, we were able to enjoy a few of the selections from this year's concert, and we're sharing them with you below. With Pesach coming just a few weeks after the concert, HaZamir included a rendition of V'Hi She'Amda, a highlight from the Haggadah. You'll find the video below, along with their anthem, HaZamir.

We try to keep up with this fabulous group of almost 400 singers from high schools in cities all over the USA and Israel. There are chapters in 25 US cities and in six Israeli cities. The singers rehearse in their own cities and don't get together until the weekend of the concert when they gather in a Catskills hotel to rehearse as a complete choir.

The annual concert includes music from both the U.S.and Israel including settings of traditional and more contemporary texts. The program displays the high caliber and variety of Jewish music available in the 21st century and also demonstrates the commitment and discipline of the singers, who master a demanding repertoire and learn about their heritage in the process. The concert boasts a dazzling array of choral arrangements - from soaring, large-scale works sung by the entire choir, to smaller ensembles, to demanding solos, all of which seamlessly blend singers from the different chapters, along with over sixty alumni.

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.)

The International High School Choir Sings Their Anthem, HaZamir



HaZamir Sings V'Hi She'Amda From the Passover Haggadah

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: A Rousing Medley of Hebrew Songs by Texas Church Choir

Back in November 2009, when Jewish Humor Central was just getting started and we had just a handful of subscribers, we posted a spirited version of Hava Nagila performed by the Cornerstone Orchestra and Choir. 

The musicians are members of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), based in San Antonio, Texas, home of Pastor John Hagee's Cornerstone Church

CUFI has held Nights to Honor Israel in cities all across America since February 2006. The evenings attract thousands of Christians who rally to support Israel and contribute millions of dollars every year to Israeli charities.
Today we found the complete medley of Hebrew songs that ended with the rendition of Hava Nagila. Here is a medley that's unlike any you've heard. Besides Hava Nagila, it includes Mayim Mayim, Eleh Chomdo Libi, David Melech Yisrael, Nigun Atik, and Hevenu Shalom Aleichem.

Wanna get pumped up and start your day on a bright and sunny note? Just click below and 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.) 

Hanukkah Traces in Unexpected Places: "A Hanukkah Wish" Sung by a Texas High School Chorus

Most of the Hanukkah music videos that we get and share with you fit into two neat categories.

Either they're musical or a cappella performances of the top five traditional songs (Maoz Tzur, Mi Yemalel, Chanukah oh Chanukah, I Have a Little Draydel, or S'vivon, Sov Sov Sov) or they're parodies of popular secular hit songs on the Billboard Top Hits list.

It's not often that we find a new warm ballad composed especially for Hanukkah. But there is a new Chanukah song that's circulating among the non-day school world of high school choral groups, even in schools where there are no or very few Jewish students. And it's not writtten in a minor key. It's just a tender heartfelt message of family and tradition. 

A Hanukkah Wish, written by Andy Beck, incorporates a contemporary setting of the traditional Hebrew “Maoz Tzur” just before a dramatic modulation to the final refrain.

This version was recorded last Thursday in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Prosper as sung by the Prosper High School Varsity Mixed Choir. We hope you enjoy it.

(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.) 
 

Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: A Yiddish Parody of "California Dreamin'"

When The Mamas and the Papas recorded California Dreamin' in 1966, we're sure they never expected that 48 years later a Yiddish parody of this classic pop song would appear.

But last week the Jewish People's Philharmonic Chorus posted their rendition of Kalifornyer Kholem on YouTube. The chorus is part of a modern Yiddish renaissance -- more than forty members strong, from students to retirees, a good number of whom speak or are learning Yiddish. 

Their repertoire spans a century -- exciting oratorios and operettas, labor anthems, folksongs, and popular tunes -- all in Yiddish. Committed to strengthening Yiddish as a living language, they have commissioned and premiered new Yiddish choral works by half a dozen composers.

The JPPC shares the rich legacy of Yiddish song by performing year-round for old and young of all faiths at community centers, universities, K-12 schools, museums and places of worship throughout NYC's 4-state region. They have also performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, at Ground Zero and the West Point Military Academy, as well as at the North American Jewish Choral Festival. 

They also annually give a NYC spring concert at Symphony Space, open to the public, with highlights from that season's choral repertoire.

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.)




If you don't remember the original, here is a little bit of nostalgia:

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Chinese Chorus Sings in Yiddish and Hebrew

Would you expect a Chinese Chorus to sing the Yiddish song Oifn Pripitchik and the Hebrew song Yerushalayim Shel Zahav? Well, Jewish traces show up in the most unlikely places, and Hong Kong is no exception.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong Student Chorus performs the music of many cultures in many languages, and Yiddish and Hebrew are part of their repertoire. They also sing in Finnish, Japanese, German and Latin.

The video we're sharing today is titled Choral Selections from Schindler's List. We had forgotten that these two songs were included in the Steven Spielberg film. But here they are, preceded by a violinist playing the plaintive theme from the movie, with which he also closes the medley.

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.)