See Jewish Humor Central Live in Boca Raton on Wednesday, January 15 at Florida Atlantic University

If you're a fan of Jewish Humor Central and happen to be in South Florida this Wednesday January 15, you can see Blogger-in-Chief Al Kustanowitz present a 90 minute program on TV comedy at Florida Atlantic University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) in Boca Raton.

The program, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in: A Trailblazer in Television Comedy, will include video clips from the show, which ran for six years from 1968 to 1974 on NBC.

The presentation is from 12:30 pm to 2 pm at FAU's Friedberg Auditorium in the Lifelong Learning Building. Entrance to the University is at 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Admission at the door is $35. Members can purchase tickets in advance for $30.

So bring your friends and let's meet afterwards at the conclusion of the program.

Here's a sample of what you'll see:

Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi by Student Cantor Iris Karlin at Temple B'nai Israel in Clearwater, Florida

Iris Karlin, a native Israeli, is an internationally acclaimed soprano, song leader, worship leader, director, conductor, composer, and educator.

Iris started her musical path as a pianist and flutist, and as she started singing she moved from rock to musical theatre to operettas and operas. She was praised for her rare combination of stage presence and musicianship by critics and conductors alike. She continued to direct and conduct choirs, theater productions, and kids' shows. 

Iris is now on her path to becoming a Cantor, studying at Hebrew Union College, and serving as a student Cantor at Temple B'nai Israel in Clearwater, FL. In her years of studies at HUC Iris had been composing and distributing liturgical contemporary music to Reform Synagogues, and had won prizes for excellence in composition. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Tovah Feldshuh's One Woman Show "Aging is Optional" Comes to Pompano Beach January 11-12

If you're spending January in South Florida, you'll have a unique opportunity to see the award-winning actress Tovah Feldshuh in her acclaimed one-woman show Aging is Optional at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center on January 11 and 12, 2024. If you're wintering elsewhere, we're sharing a 10 minute excerpt from the show right here. 

In this video clip, Feldshuh portrays a range of characters from Mama Lily and Grandma Ada to a French nightclub singer to Naomi Bunch in My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend to broadcaster Sylvia Chronic and others.

Tovah Feldshuh is a six-time Emmy & Tony nominee and has been awarded three honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters. Additionally, for her theatre work, she has won four Drama Desks, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, three Dramalogues, the Obie, the Theatre World, and the Helen Hayes and Lucille Lortel Awards for Best Actress. 

She has recently been twice nominated as Best Actress in a Drama in Los Angeles for her work in the play Sisters-in-Law, in which she originated the role of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She recently starred in Funny Girl on Broadway as Rosie Brice. 

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.

See Jewish Humor Central Live in Boca Raton, Florida Next Thursday February 23

If you're a fan of Jewish Humor Central and happen to be in South Florida next Thursday February 23, you can see Blogger-in-Chief Al Kustanowitz present a 90 minute program on Jewish Humor at Florida Atlantic University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) in Boca Raton.

The program, Funniest Jewish Moments in Movies and Television, will include video clips from The Frisco Kid, All in the Family, Seinfeld, When Harry Met Sally, The Johnny Carson Show, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Blazing Saddles.

The show is from 3 pm to 4:30 pm at FAU's Friedberg Auditorium in the Lifelong Learning Building. Entrance to the University is at 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Admission at the door is $35. Members can purchase tickets in advance for $30.

So bring your friends and let's meet afterwards to share some jokes at the conclusion of the program.

Here's a sample of what you'll see:

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.

Remembering Freddie Roman - Master of Standup Comedy and Borscht Belt Icon

The world of Jewish humor lost one of its shining lights this week with the death of Freddie Roman, a stand-up comedian whose career spanned the decades when comedy and the Catskills were synonymous.

Roman's career expanded to years of shows in Las Vegas and in Florida. He was the Dean of the Friars Club for more than 20 years.

Roman was born Fred Kirschenbaum in Jamaica Queens, New York in 1937. He got his start in the Borscht Belt after working in his father's shoe store and then sold life insurance for a few years before making comedy his full-time job.

Starting out as social director at the Homowack Lodge in Spring Glen, New York, he worked his way through the Catskill mountain resorts and got to know all of the comedians who performed in the hundreds of hotels situated 90 miles from New York City.

He created and co-starred in Catskills on Broadway, a revue which brought the comedy of the Borscht Belt to Broadway in 1991 and then toured the country.

We're remembering Freddie today with a video clip of one of his classic routines in which he touches on some of his favorite topics -- love and marriage, aging, retirement, and living in South Florida.

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Cantor Bryce Megdal

Last October Cantor Bryce Megdal and Rabbi Steve Engel led Central Florida's largest Reform congregation, the Congregation for Reform Judaism, in a fun version of Rabbi Moshe Rothblum's V'Shamru, a key part of the Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat service. 

While Cantor Megdal fully supports keeping traditional Jewish worship elements alive, such as nusach (the traditional mode of Jewish prayer chant) and older pieces of hazzanut (the traditional music of the Cantorate), and sincerely enjoys singing with a classical style, she also believes it is important to teach new and modern musical settings of Jewish liturgy. She is a Jewish music nerd through and through, always eager to learn new renditions of Jewish text.

Accompanying themselves with guitar and tambourine, they led the Orlando congregation in an ebullient welcome to Shabbat.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi by Hazzan David Feuer of Temple Emanu-El of Palm Beach

Now that Passover is over, we get ready to welcome another Shabbat. We have been in Palm Beach County in Florida since February, and today we're sharing a version of Lecha Dodi by Hazzan David Feuer of Temple Emanu-El of Palm Beach. 

Claudio Waisgluss, the musical director, did the arrangement and provided piano accompaniment with Agustin Conti on Bass and percussion by Tony Verdejo. The author of this version is Meir Finkelstein.

A native of Rosario, Argentina, David Feuer entered his community synagogue chorus at the age of four and started studying piano at eight at the Municipal Conservatory, Santiago, Chile. In Buenos Aires, Hazzan Feuer was Choir Conductor at the largest Orthodox Synagogue in South America and Musical Director of the choir of Agudat Hahazzanim in Argentina.

He founded and was director of the Israeli group “Rinah,” considered the foremost Jewish ensemble in Argentina. For twenty-three years he taught in the Jewish school system where his musical creations became very popular. Hazzan Feuer has been the Cantor and Music Director at Temple Emanu-El since 1986.

Temple Emanu-El has been live streaming their Shabbat services every week, but during the coronavirus crisis they are conducting services via Zoom. We are sharing a link here if you would like to take part in them. 

Shabbat shalom!

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Sarge Keeps the Laughs Coming in South Florida

On Sunday evening we started the last week of our winter Florida tour by attending a comedy performance by Sarge at Century Village.

A world famous comedian, Sarge (Steve Pickman), shares his personal insights with his audience, performing riffs on growing up black and Jewish in Long Island, NY. 

His personal anecdotes on being a black Jew in America give him an extraordinary view on life and give his comedy just the right edge.

In a 90 minute stand-up comedy performance, Sarge, the author of an autobiography titled Black Boychik, kept the audience laughing out loud at his unique perspectives in growing up in Great Neck. Here are some examples:

• “The Jewish part of me doesn’t work on Shabbos, and the black part tries not to work the other six days.”
• “I went to visit my Jewish parents the other day. I do this whenever my self-esteem is too high.”
• “I’m black and Jewish. I hire myself to clean my own house. … I’m a criminal and my own defense attorney.”

Also an accomplished pianist and singer, Sarge asked the audience to shout out the titles of about 12 favorite songs. He wrote them down and immediately played a medley of all the songs that were requested. 

We don't have a video clip of Sunday night's performance but we'll share a collection of excerpts from his popular shows.  Enjoy!

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Purim Comes a Month Early to South Florida

Today is Purim Katan, or little Purim. It is the 14th day of Adar, but since this is a Jewish leap year, it's Adar I. Whenever we have a leap year, Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar II.

But that's not a reason to defer all merrymaking until March. As the saying goes, Mishenichnas Adar marbim b'simcha (When Adar arrives, we increase our happiness.) But why wait for Adar II when we can get off to a happy start in Adar I?

That's exactly what happened at Le Club in Deerfield Beach's Century Village in South Florida last night. As Purim Katan arrived, the 300+ Canadian residents who winter in Deerfield Beach reacted to the invitation of Cantor Adam Stotland to take to the dance floor and join him and Rabbi Aubrey Glazer of Montreal's Shaarei Zion Congregation in singing and dancing to Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, L'Shana Tova BiYerushalayim and Oseh Shalom Bimromav.

We're still in South Florida doing Jewish humor lectures and performances and we'll still be here in March when Purim arrives. After last night's preview, we know where to be for the real thing.

Enjoy!

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Kicking Off the Florida Comedy and Entertainment Season - Right Here!

The winter season in South Florida is known for its bounty of stand-up comedy and entertainment. It may not be the Catskills, but it certainly comes close in bringing fun to all the snowbirds who migrate to warmer weather each winter.

We're getting ready to spend the rest of this winter in the swimming pool and beaches by day, and in clubhouses and entertainment venues at night from Miami Beach to West Palm Beach.

We're also doing six shows of our own for senior groups in Deerfield Beach resort hotels and a 90 minute special lecture on The Great Jewish Comedians at Florida Atlantic University on March 6. It's almost sold out, so we hope you'll be able to get tickets and join us there.

We'll kick off the season with the opening number of a Kosher Comedy Tour in Coral Springs a few years ago starring Sharon Daniels, Stu Moss, and Peter Fogel. It features "Jewish F Words": Farklempt, Fardreyt, Farmished, Farblunget, Fartumelt, Farbissen, and more.

From now through March we'll be sharing some video clips of comedians and entertainers who are performing this season in Florida.

Enjoy!

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Jokes to Start the Winter: Old Jews Telling Jokes Coming to Boca Raton Theatre

There are lots of jokes to start this week and the coming weeks if you're going to be in South Florida, anywhere near the Mizner Park Cultural Center in Boca Raton. 

Now through February 9, the $65 tickets are available for Old Jews Telling Jokes at discount prices from Groupon or TravelZoo.

Old Jews Telling Jokes, the hilarious 90-minute show that was an off-Broadway hit on 43rd Street in New York a few years ago, has been traveling around the USA and is now on stage in Boca Raton. 

The show celebrates classic Jewish comedy, from jokes to legendary comedians. There is no plot, just five actors delivering zingers, punch lines, musical numbers and monologues to keep the audience in stitches. The New Yorker said the "laughs-per-minute average is as high as anything you’ll find onstage."

The cast isn't the same as the original New York cast, but the jokes and skits are. Here is a video interview with members of the original cast, with some jokes included.

We'll be attending one of the Boca shows as we get ready for our own show, The Great Jewish Comedians: From Burlesque and Vaudeville to the Borscht Belt and YouTube
at Florida Atlantic University's Osher Lifelong Learning Center, also in Boca Raton, on Wednesday March 6 from 3:30 to 5 pm. Tickets are going fast, with 454 already sold as the 540 seat auditorium fills up. For tickets, fill out the ticket request form and mail it to FAU. We hope to see you there.

Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week - "A Florida Conversation"

It's the first Monday in March, and we're back from our month-long South Florida lecture tour. It's great to spend part of the winter in Florida, and it's always a fertile ground for picking up some old jokes.

Today's joke to start the week isn't one that we overheard directly, but the demographics in one of our favorite locations did provide some inspiration for it.

Here's the setup: A group of seniors are sitting in a Florida coffee shop talking about all their ailments. And then...

Enjoy!

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Musical Showcase: Kol Esperanza Performs Jewish and Israeli Music in South Florida

One of the benefits of doing a lecture tour in South Florida in February is having evenings free to attend shows and concerts catering to a largely Jewish audience of residents, snowbirds, and tourists trying to escape the cold and snows of the North.

On Tuesday night we caught the last of nine concerts by Kol Esperanza, an exciting operatic pop trio, along with Lev Voce, a talented operatic duo who joined in for an evening of Jewish and Israeli songs intermixed with popular operatic arias and Italian songs.

Kol Esperanza consists of Israeli singers Nimrod Grinboim, Nadav Inbar, and Omer Shaish together with Musical Director Tomer Adaddi. The group started performing in 2014 and we think we'll see a lot more of them in the coming years.

In this video, Kol Esperanza sings a medley of popular Jewish songs. We hope you enjoy them.

Shabbat shalom!

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The Flagler Hotel: Following the Borscht Belt Trail from Palm Beach to South Fallsburg

We just returned from a month of Jewish humor lectures and programs in South Florida, which included visiting local tourist attractions. 

One of the picturesque sites that we enjoyed was the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, which once housed a hotel. It was the home of Henry Morrison Flagler, one of the richest men in America, who with John D. Rockefeller, founded the Standard Oil Company.

Our curiosity was piqued by a recollection that before Grossinger's, the Concord, and Kutsher's, there was a Flagler Hotel in South Fallsburg, New York, at the center of the Borscht Belt. Could there be a connection between Flagler's hotel building spree in Florida and one of the first Catskills hotels?

It didn't take much Googling to discover that there was indeed a connection. Although Flagler did not build the Catskills hotel, his Florida properties were the inspiration for the design of the first lavish resort that kept Jewish vacationers happy for many summers.

After Kutsher's, the last of the kosher Catskills hotels, was demolished last year to make way for a new spa hotel, and documented in Welcome to Kutsher's, a film now playing nationwide, we thought that anyone who treasures Catskills memories would enjoy this video explaining the Palm Beach - South Fallsburg connection.

Enjoy!

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Comedy Flashback: Greetings from Miami Beach

For the month of February, Jewish Humor Central is coming to you from Miami Beach, Florida. During the month, we'll continue our mix of jokes, funny happenings, musical fun, and unbelievable but true stories as they occur.

We're in Florida to deliver six jewish humor lectures and programs to audiences in Deerfield Beach, and also to escape from the harsh New Jersey winter.

Today we're bringing you another comedy flashback from the comedy album When You're in Love the Whole World is Jewish, a collection of blackout bits and extended one-liners which poked fun at the absurdities of American Jewish culture.   

It was recorded in a studio with a live audience in attendance, as a cast of actors performed scripted material much in the manner of a radio play.

Comedy writers Bob Booker and George Foster had the good judgment to assemble a superb cast for this recording, and they transform what could have been ordinary Catskill shtick into something memorable.

The performers include Lou Jacobi, Jack Gilford, Betty Walker and Arlene Golonka, and their expert timing and feel for their characters is impeccable. When You're in Love the Whole World is Jewish is a fine sampling of classic Borscht Belt humor performed by a top-notch cast.
 
The track we're sharing today is Miami Beach with Lou Jacobi and Phil Leeds.
 
Enjoy!
 
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A Joke to Start the Week: Alan Dershowitz and "New Wife"

It's another Monday and we're back to work (except for our readers in Jerusalem and other walled cities who are celebrating Shushan Purim today). So it's time for another joke to start the week.

This week we're once again dipping into the Old Jews Telling Jokes collection and coming up with an oldie but goodie told by a star performer, noted attorney and author Alan Dershowitz.

Dershowitz has been called "the best-known criminal lawyer in the world" and one of the nation's "most distinguished defenders of individual rights." He was defense counsel in some of the biggest celebrity trials of the 20th century. He is presently the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. Alan was born in Williamsburg, in Brooklyn, in 1938. 

This week we're completing a ten day lecture tour in South Florida and were inspired to include this joke after telling and hearing countless jokes like this one -- in hotels, in shuls, at Shabbat lunch, at a Purim seudah, and at a full-to-capacity 1200 seat playhouse in one of the senior villages that give this area its character.

Enjoy!

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