Comedy Special: Secretary of Simcha Yoely Gives Update on Vaccine Distribution

Former presidential candidate Yoely, played by comedian Modi Rosenfeld, recently appointed Secretary of Simcha, has released an update on the state of vaccine distribution. 

Always speaking in character, Yoely addresses two questions on everybody's mind: What should we do about new coronavirus strains arising from England, South Africa, and wherever, and how can we get our hands (or arms) on a vaccine? 

Yoely reassures us that different strains aren't any different from different strains of Chasidim -- one comes from Monsey, one from Monroe, one from Boro Park, one comes from Williamsburg, but it's just a chasid at the end of the day.

When it comes to vaccine distribution, he says it's hefker -- like there's nobody in charge, so we need a Chassidishe organization to take over.

Maybe he should run for president again the next time around.

Enjoy!

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Rabbis Extend Talmud Americani to Include New Tractates Related to Coronavirus (A Purim Spoof)

This year Purim starts with the reading of Megillat Esther Thursday night. It is read again Friday morning, February 26. We wish a Happy Purim to all of our Jewish Humor Central readers. We hope you enjoy this special Purim spoof from the Purim 2021 issue of The Kustanowitz Kronikle. Print it and share it at your Purim Seudah.

"Hevenu Shalom Aleichem" Around the World - A Socially Distanced Version From Brazil

Hevenu Shalom Aleichem has traveled all over the world and has been played and sung in more countries than any Hebrew song except for Hava Nagila.

 Choral singing has been challenging to many choirs during the coronavirus pandemic, but some choral groups have persisted in singing while social distancing. A good example is the Coral Brigantino in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For our 18th post of this popular Hebrew song of greeting and peace, let's take a trip to Braganca Paulista, a municipality in the state of Sao Paulo and watch the safely separated members of the Coral Brigantino sing Hevenu Shalom Aleichem.

Enjoy!

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Creative Exercising in a Coronavirus World

Exercising has become a challenge in a world of lockdowns, quarantine, and social distancing. 

But adversity always inspires creativity, and when Israeli golfer Leo Friedman found himself stuck in quarantine in Germany he came up with a series of creative rotational exercises to tone up his shoulder, neck, and wrist muscles.

In this video he demonstrates the exercises and suggest that you perform them 10 times a day.

The Hebrew subtitles translate as: "Listen to him...Required exercises for release and healing."

Enjoy!

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Creative (and Funny) Coronavirus Protection for the High Holidays

Attending High Holiday Services has been a real challenge in this year of coronavirus. We've all gotten used to wearing masks, social distancing, sanitizing with spray disinfectant, and wiping down surfaces.

But applying these new safety measures can result in some funny situations. Whether it's praying, eating, or blowing shofar, here are many ways in which our new reality has created hilarious scenarios of their usage.

Enjoy!

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In Coronavirus Times, Street Music Goes On (Masked) in the Streets of Jerusalem

If your visit to Jerusalem includes a stop at the intersection of Jaffa Road and King George Street near Ben Yehuda Street and Zion Square, you'll find yourself at the epicenter of Jerusalem street theater and street music. 

All year long, some of the best singers and performers show up to give the passing crowds a good show.We thought that the coronavirus pandemic would bring an end to this entertainment, but as you can see from this video of the downtown scene last week, busy Jerusalem life isn't taking a break. 

The intersection is as bustling as ever, the only difference being the presence of masks on virtually everyone. We had read about Israelis not paying much attention to the mask and distancing precautions, and were surprised to see the almost universal compliance. 

Soldiers, students, women pushing carriages, Hasidim, and even the ever-present Chabad emissaries promoting the wearing of tefilin, and the lone guitarist, all exercising caution but not wavering from their daily routines.

So take a virtual walk in the streets of Jerusalem, and enjoy the medley of Jewish and Israeli music!

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A Coronavirus Chorus: Columbus Jewish Community Unites to Sing Hinei Ma Tov

One of the silver linings in the coronavirus cloud has been the emergence of videoconferencing via Zoom and other interactive media to bring together members of synagogues and other Jewish organizations to participate in group singing and learning together.

Members of Temple Israel in Columbus, Ohio, led by Rabbi Sharon Mars, joined together in harmony from their homes to sing Hinei Ma Tov to express the hope that soon they will be able to sing together in one location.

Enjoy!

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World Health Organization and Klezmer Band Litvakus Use Hava Nagila to Illustrate Proper Hand Washing Technique

Since we started Jewish Humor Central in October 2009 we have posted 88 versions of Hava Nagila and we thought we'd covered them all. But another one always shows up, in an unexpected place, and with an unexpected usage.

Today we came across another one and a very timely one. The Belarus Klezmer band Litvakus has joined with the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins Hospital to produce a video that illustrates the proper technique of washing hands to protect coronavirus infection.

By the time you finish listening to this most played Jewish song and watching the video, you will be an expert in all aspects of the process from wetting hands with water to using right palm over left dorsum with interlaced fingers to rotational rubbing of left thumb. And it takes 40 to 60 seconds, not the 20 seconds that we're accustomed to.

Enjoy and stay healthy!

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Welcoming Shabbat with Mizmor Shir by Guitar Choir of Radlett Synagogue in England

Radlett Reform Synagogue is a synagogue in a former church building on Watling Street in Radlett, Hertfordshire, England. It is affiliated with the Movement for Reform Judaism. 

Its Senior Rabbi, Paul Freedman, was elected in 2015 as Chair of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis UK, succeeding Sybil Sheridan in the role.

The synagogue choir sings while playing their guitars. During this coronavirus lockdown, they made a distance video of Mizmor Shir l'Yom HaShabbat.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Comedy Showcase: Yoely (Modi Rosenfeld) Reviews Netflix Series "The Crown"

We've been following the career and shtick of comedian Modi Rosenfeld ever since we started Jewish Humor Central in 2009. Whether it's his standup comedy or clever skits and short films, he always leaves us laughing.

Like many performers right now, the stay-at-home order has forced Modi to remain home in New York City for longer than he has in the last 20 years. Without a face-to-face audience, Modi has turned to social media to fuel his creativity and engage with his followers.

Modi’s breakout quarantine success came from a new character he created called “Yoely.” In this character, Modi appealed to his niche Jewish following with a comedic take on a Chasidic man reacting to mainstream trends while in quarantine.

In this episode, Yoely has watched The Crown, the Netflix biographical series about the life of Queen Elizabeth, and offers a review in character as a Brooklyn chasid, describing the main events in the life of the British royal family, as seen through a Yiddish chasidishe lens.

Enjoy!

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How Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner are Coping with Coronavirus Lockdown

For millions of Americans, these are challenging times. For some insight into resilience from a generation that survived a depression and world war, Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz turned to funnymen Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. 

Via cyberchat, the two comedy writers, who first met in the 1950s ("Call it laugh at first sight"), talked about enduring World War II and coming out on top. 

Mankiewicz also talked with "Star Trek" actor and activist George Takei (who as a child was detained in a Japanese-American internment camp in the 1940s) about what Americans look for when facing an uncertain future.

Enjoy!

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Comedian Modi's Character "Yoely" Discovers and Reviews Reality TV

We've been following the career and shtick of comedian Modi Rosenfeld ever since we started Jewish Humor Central in 2009. Whether it's his standup comedy or clever skits and short films, he always leaves us laughing.

With comedy clubs closed during the coronavirus lockdowns, Modi has had to find new ways of reaching his audience.

As Brianna Kovit wrote in the Long Island Press,

Since 1999 when he left his position as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch to pursue comedy full time, Modi has been constantly booked for shows across the country.

Like many performers right now, the stay-at-home order has forced Modi to remain home in New York City for longer than he has in the last 20 years. Without a face-to-face audience, Modi has turned to social media to fuel his creativity and engage with his followers.

Modi’s breakout quarantine success came from a new character he created called “Yoely.” In this character, Modi appealed to his niche Jewish following with a comedic take on a Hasidic man reacting to mainstream trends while in quarantine.

“You have to open the synagogues,” said “Yoely” in a video directed at Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “If I have to spend one more day with my wife, I’m gonna rip out my payos.”

On Instagram, the videos include “Yoely” reacting to popular reality shows such as Love is Blind and Too Hot to Handle. One of the character’s most popular videos to date is a review of the quarantine phenomenon Tiger King. The “Yoely” videos have amassed more than 100,000 views combined.

In this video, Yoeli talks about his discovery of reality TV and reviews popular reality shows.

Enjoy!

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Coronavirus Lockdown Brings Wild Boars to Streets of Haifa

During Israel's coronavirus lockdown, the empty streets of Haifa, Israel's port city, have become irresistible to wild boars roaming around, looking for food.

As reported in Yeshiva World News,

Located on the foot of the Carmel mountains, Haifa residents have seen wild boars, which have no natural predators, wandering around Haifa at night for years. However, the problem was kept at bay by hunters who culled the boars.

But when Mayor Einat Kalisch-Rotem (Labor) was elected in 2018, she put a stop to culling the boars and the boars started proliferating in the city and brazenly wandering the streets of the city during the daytime as well.

The problem has recently become increasingly worse due to the deserted streets in wake of the restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic like other cities around the world.

Haifa residents are worried that even when the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is behind them, the problem of the boars will persist in the city.

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Teaching Your Mom How to Start a ZOOM Meeting (Hebrew with English Titles)

With everyone using ZOOM to host and participate in video chats and meetings in these days of isolation, explaining the technology to internet and technology-challenged parents can be a frustrating ordeal. 

Clicking on a provided link to participate can be easy to explain, but the mechanics of starting a ZOOM meeting and selecting all the right options can be even more than a patient son can bear.

Yonatan Gruber has posted a YouTube video of his experience in getting his mother up to speed in starting and managing a ZOOM conversation. If you've been using this technology and had to explain it to a less technical relative or friend, the conversation should be familiar.

The video is in Hebrew with English subtitles.

Enjoy!

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Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: NJ Chabad Rabbi Gets Stumped by Ugandan Teenagers

 

A few days ago, Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport, who runs the Chabad Chai Center in Ventnor, New Jersey, received an Instagram message from a young Orthodox Jewish man in Puti, Uganda.

He was the leader of a Ugandan youth group in their synagogue and asked Rabbi Rapoport to give a class to the group via Zoom. The rabbi agreed, and soon found himself being questioned by a group of 15 teenagers. He played "Stump the Rabbi" with them, and he was stumped.

We noticed that the group did not practice social distancing and we wondered how they were dealing with the coronavirus. As of yesterday, Uganda had 116 confirmed cases, 55 recovered, and 0 deaths.

So maybe they know something that we don't. 

Enjoy and stay safe.

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Shtisel Season 3 is Coming, But Filming Has to Wait for Coronavirus to Pass

To all Shtisel fans who are anxiously awaiting the third season of this popular TV series, we have good news and bad news.

The good news is that season 3 is in the planning stage and will definitely be broadcast in the near future. The bad news is that the cast has been under lockup in their own homes in Israel and can't start filming until conditions improve.

If you miss seeing the cast members on TV, here's a teaser. It's a Passover greeting from all the leading actors in the show. OK, we should have posted it before or during Pesach. But we didn't find the video until today, so consider it a belated Passover wish for good health.

As reported by JTA,

The video includes virtual and verbal hugs from series producer Dikla Barkai and actors Dov Glickman (who portrays Shulem); Michael Aloni (Akiva); Neta Riskin (Gitti);  Sasson Gabai (Nukhem); and Zohar Strauss (Lipe).

“We’ll be back soon, as soon as this whole thing is over,” Riskin says, referring to the coronavirus crisis.

The London-based Jewish News organized the video.

“We’ll see you all on the other side of this,” Glickman says, warning those holding seders to stay six feet away from Elijah the Prophet when he visits on seder night.

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Parody in the World of Coronavirus: "Maskmaker, Maskmaker" by Abby Goldfarb

The stay-at-home isolation of this coronavirus era has triggered a bounty of creative parodies of popular songs, many of which are posted on YouTube.

Abby Goldfarb, an actress, singer, and improviser based in New York City has created and performed Maskmaker, Maskmaker, a funny parody of Matchmaker, Matchmaker from Fiddler on the Roof. She is a native New Yorker, born and raised in the West Village. Abby is a graduate of Emerson College's BFA Musical Theatre Program (2013).

No stranger to Fiddler, she was seen in the Drama Desk Award winning Fiddler on The Roof in Yiddish, directed by Joel Grey.

Enjoy!

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(A tip of the kippah to Mickey Greenblatt for bringing this video to my attention.)

Happy Passover! A musical greeting from the Israel Philharmonic

This Pesach, because each of us is celebrating separately, the members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra prepared a special musical greeting, a medley of Passover songs. 

Playing individually in their own homes, the Philharmonic musicians unite in this video to wish all music lovers in Israel and around the world a happy Passover and good health.

Enjoy!

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