Thanks to a symphonic mashup of five festive Hanukkah songs arranged by Bill Holcombe, the Beaufort Symphony Orchestra of Beaufort, South Carolina under the direction of Fred Devyatkin, recently performed this work for our enjoyment.
Happy last day of Chanukah and a Happy New Year!
Noa Tishby is an Israeli activist, actress, model, producer, and writer. As an actress, she appeared in a variety of American television shows and movies, including The Affair, The Island, Nip/Tuck, Big Love, NCIS, and others.
Tishby was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in May 1975 into a Jewish family involved in the establishment of Israel. The kibbutz her grandfather co-founded was among the first in Israel's history. Tishby began acting at an early age, appearing in commercials by age 8. As a teenager, she earned a drama scholarship from the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and acted in several stage productions and television shows. She also served two and a half years in the Israel Defense Forces.
Tishby also focuses on Zionist activism, founding the advocacy organization Act for Israel in 2011. In 2021, she published her first book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. She served as the Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel for one year, from 2022 to 2023.
This year Tishby has been posting a video each night of Chanukah in which she lights the menorah with another celebrity while discussing elements of their Jewish background.
On the second night of Hanukkah Noa Tishby was joined by actress Mila Kunis, who was born in Ukraine, where she and her family had to hide most of their Jewish identity.
It wasn’t until she moved to the U.S. and started a family that she began to reconnect with Judaism. Join them as we watch them light the candles together—and even get a little help from Ashton Kutcher over the phone!
Enjoy, and Happy Chanukah!
On the first night of Chanukah this year on the Ellipse across from the White House, the National Menorah Orchestra and the “8th Day Band” performed a medley of popular Chanukah songs at the National Menorah Lighting in Washington D.C.
The event was hosted by American Friends of Lubavitch.
Here's the video. Enjoy, and Happy Chanukah!
Tishby was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in May 1975 into a Jewish family involved in the establishment of Israel. The kibbutz her grandfather co-founded was among the first in Israel's history. Tishby began acting at an early age, appearing in commercials by age 8. As a teenager, she earned a drama scholarship from the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and acted in several stage productions and television shows. She also served two and a half years in the Israel Defense Forces.
Tishby also focuses on Zionist activism, founding the advocacy organization Act for Israel in 2011. In 2021, she published her first book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. She served as the Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and the Delegitimization of Israel for one year, from 2022 to 2023.
This year Tishby has been posting a video each night of Chanukah in which she lights the menorah with another celebrity while discussing elements of their Jewish background. We'll backtrack to the first night of Chanukah when she appeared together with actress Gwyneth Paltrow and then to the next few nights with different guests.
Enjoy, and Happy Hanukkah!
Ari Heiman is a rising star who just released his debut project: a heartfelt cover of Ana Be'Choach composed by Ovadia Hamama.
Ari is a new voice on the Jewish music scene and we hope to see more of him soon.
Enjoy, Shabbat shalom, and Chag Chanukah sameach!
The Voices of Liberty have been performing this song as part of their celebration of December holidays. Dates and times of performance vary, so check the Disney schedule to be sure they're singing when you're there.
Here's a performance that was recorded earlier this month at Epcot.
Enjoy, and Happy Chanukah!
On February 13, stars of Broadway and the Jewish world gave us a preview of this hopeful season by combining the candle lighting with the song Tomorrow from the musical Annie.
The songs were performed in the New York theater district while walking on Broadway and in Times Square by Julie Benko (Broadway’s “Funny Girl” and “Harmony”) and Cantor Azi Schwartz of Park Avenue Synagogue with a chorus of Broadway talent.
It's a timely juxtaposition of two themes that combine to give us hope as we enter a new era of American optimism.
Enjoy, and Happy Chanukah!
They pride themselves on both their energy and their depth, and are extremely deliberate about the music they choose, ensuring every song has both uniquely Jewish undertones and a universally resonant message.
In this new video, the Y-Studs perform a medley of songs with the Motown sound made popular by the Jackson 5 with a unique Chanukah twist.
Enjoy!
We've already featured some of his videos on the Evolution of Chassidic Dance, High Fiving Strangers in New York, Dancing Behind People in Jerusalem, How to Lift the Torah Like a Boss, and Looking for a Leader in the Park.
In this video Meir, inspired by Billy Eichner's Billy in the Street For a Dollar street interviews, approaches random strangers walking the streets of New York City in December 2022, and offers them a free donut if they can answer his trivia questions about Chanukah.
Enjoy!
Just in time for Chanukah, Yoni and Nina posted a Hebrew translation of the song Be a Light, written in English by Rabbi Neal Katz, rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Tyler, Texas.
Rabbi Katz has released three CDs of his original Jewish music. His
songs have become popular in congregations, camps, and Religious Schools
around the country. In 2009, Neal also released a folk-music CD, and in
2010, he was a finalist in the Kerrville Musical Festival's New Folk
Contest. The website for his music can be found at KatzMusic.com.
In
addition to his musical travels in the States, when Neal travels
abroad, he likes to share his music with member congregations in the
World Union for Progressive Judaism. Neal has been honored to share his
music and help lead Shabbat worship services at Progressive Jewish
congregations in Warsaw, Paris, Prague, Budapest, London, St.
Petersburg, and Copenhagen.
Enjoy!
In 2010 The Maccabeats, an a cappella group from Yeshiva University, released their first Hanukkah music video, Candlelight, and every Hanukkah (and other holidays) since then we've seen many more videos by them and lots of other groups.
Originally
formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group,
the Maccabeats have recently emerged as both Jewish music and a cappella
phenomena, with a large fan base, more than 20 million views on
YouTube, numerous TV appearances, and proven success with three albums,
2010′s Voices From The Heights, 2012′s Out Of The Box and 2014′s One Day More.
Many of their songs are parodies of pop hits, and this Chanukah they're continuing the tradition with new lyrics for the movie's signature song Defying Gravity that celebrates the spirit of the Jewish people. The lyrics appear below.
Enjoy!
Six13 is a six-man vocal band that brings an unprecedented style of Jewish music to the stage, with songs ranging from hip-hop dance tracks to rock anthems. The members of the New York City-based group sound like a full band – while using nothing but their voices.
Enjoy, and Chag Chanukah Sameach!
Hanukkah has been glaringly missing from these movies, except for the last few years where its blue and white decorations have made minor appearances. Usually the theme for the annual Hanukkah movie is a chance encounter between a Jew and a Gentile that leads to a joint celebration of the two holidays. In the last two films, the revelation that either the boy or the girl is Jewish gets us to a scene where both families play Dreidel (although one confuses the Nun and Gimmel as the signal to win all of the coins.)
But last week the Hallmark Channel redeemed itself by posting a new movie called Hanukkah on the Rocks, where Christmas is hardly mentioned and the entire focus is on the celebration of the Jewish holiday.
We watched the two-hour long movie and recommend it for Hanukkah viewing. The plot is a bit weak as it centers on a search for a special box of "Cohen Candles" that all the stores in Chicago seem to have run out of. Also we found it odd that while the blessings in Hebrew were pronounced correctly, none of the men saying them wore a kippah.
But both of the lead actors are Jewish, which is a plus for Jewish representation in today's world of film and TV.
Here's a video preview of the movie, which is streaming now on The Hallmark Channel and on YouTube.
Enjoy!
Walt Disney World's Epcot Center is usually one of the first venues to get into the holiday spirit. As part of their International Festival of the Holidays, Zachary the storyteller sings and relates the story of Hanukkah.
He tells about the origin of the holiday, including observations in his travels of how Hanukkah is celebrated around the world, and sings some popular songs in Hebrew, English, and Ladino.
The performance is repeated daily through December 30.
Enjoy!
This week former President Donald Trump released his message to the the Jewish people, recommitting ourselves to extinguishing the evil of anti-semitism, and reaffirming everlasting solidarity with the Jewish people as we go forward with God's help that light will overcome this horrible darkness.
Wishing you a very happy seventh day of Chanukah!
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.
Six13 is a six-man vocal band that brings an unprecedented style of Jewish music to the stage, with songs ranging from hip-hop dance tracks to rock anthems. The members of the New York City-based group sound like a full band – while using nothing but their voices.
Enjoy, and Chag Chanukah Sameach!
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 program started with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of New York's Central Synagogue setting the scene and thanking President Joe Biden for his support of Israel and the Jewish people during this stressful time.
The candles were lit by five Jewish White House staffers who are descendants of Holocaust survivors.
The president spoke about the warmth and kinship that he feels with the Jewish community. He reiterated what he said 35 years ago and was criticized then for his statement that "You don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist, and I am a Zionist."
Enjoy, and Chag Chanukah sameach!
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.
For the fourth day of Chanukah, we continue our series of holiday music videos with a new version of the traditional Maoz Tzur, composed by Yitzy Bald and sung by the New York Boys Choir.
Enjoy, and Chag Chanukah sameach!
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 Hanukkah story is told at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, and leaves visitors knowing at least something about menorahs, dreidels, latkes, oil, Antiochus, and Judah Maccabee.
But wait! There's more. Voices of Liberty, the resident a cappella singing group at The American Adventure pavilion gives a nod to Hanukkah by singing a short medley including I Have a Little Dreidel and Hevenu Shalom Aleichem. But this year instead of a medley, they are singing Peter Yarrow's song Light One Candle, a song made popular by Peter, Paul, and Mary.
Enjoy, and Happy Chanukah!
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.
Boys Town Jerusalem is one of Israel's premier institutions for
educating the country's next generation of leaders in the fields of
technology, commerce, education, the military and public service.
Since
its founding in 1948, BTJ has pursued its mission of turning young boys
from limited backgrounds into young men with limitless futures. From
Junior High through the College level, the three part curriculum at Boys
Town - academic, technological and Torah - is designed to turn
otherwise disadvantaged Israeli youth into productive citizens of
tomorrow.
Boys Town’s 18 acre campus is a home away from home for its
more than 950 students. More than 7,500 graduates hold key positions
throughout Israeli society.
Enjoy! Chag Chanukah Sameach!
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.
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