Wishing All Our Readers a Meaningful Yom Kippur With a New Interpretation of Kol Nidrei

Yom Kippur begins at sundown tonight. Whether or not you fast, whether you attend services in a synagogue or via Zoom or live streaming, we wish you a meaningful Day of Atonement.

To get in the mood for the day, we're sharing a new version of Kol Nidrei by Cantor Azi Schwartz of New York's Park Avenue Synagogue.

In the spirit of renewed tradition, here is a new interpretation of Kol Nidrei. It blends the ancient melodic motifs with contemporary harmonies and orchestration, offering a modern reflection of this timeless Jewish prayer. 

Wishing you a G'mar Chatima Tova!

Throwback Thursday Yom Kippur Special: Cantor Yossele Rosenblaltt Sings Kol Nidrei in 1930

Josef "Yossele" Rosenblatt (May 9, 1882 – June 19, 1933) was an Ashkenazi chazzan and composer. He was regarded as the greatest cantor of his time. 

Rosenblatt was born on May 9, 1882, in the Russian Empire. The scion of a long line of cantors, Rosenblatt's devoutly religious upbringing prevented him from receiving formal musical training at any of the great academies of his day. He began his career as a member of the local synagogue choir. Quickly lauded as a "wunderkind", or child prodigy, Rosenblatt's solo career was launched. At the age of 7, he moved with his family to Austria.

Rosenblatt's fame extended beyond the Jewish world earning him large concert fees, a singing role in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, and the sobriquet "The Jewish Caruso".

Rosenblatt corresponded with many of the great tenors of his day. It is told that upon hearing Rosenblatt sing "Elli Elli", Enrico Caruso was so moved that he ascended the stage and kissed him.

We searched the internet for a video of Cantor Rosenblatt singing Kol Nidrei, but only could find audio recordings with accompanying photos. So that's what we're posting today.

Enjoy!

 

   #Throwback Thursday       #TBT   

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!

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!

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.

Here Come the Rosh Hashanah Videos - The Maccabeats Sing "Bashana Haba'ah"

With Rosh Hashanah only nine days away, we're continuing our sharing of music videos with a new version of Bashana Haba'ah (In the Coming Year), a song of hope for the year to come.

This version is sung by the Maccabeats. 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 four albums. 

Though the Maccabeats aren’t your grandfather’s synagogue choir, their ideology and identity play an important part in what they do. Strongly committed to the philosophy of Torah u-Madda, the integration of traditional and secular wisdom, the Maccabeats perform an eclectic array of Jewish, American, and Israeli songs.

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.

Here Come the Rosh Hashanah Videos - "Reset" - From Communities Around the World

We're only 10 days away from the start of Rosh Hashanah, and it's time to start sharing some videos that focus on the High Holidays. 

Last year, before coronavirus social distancing set in around the world, the 92nd Street Y released Reset, a new song and video.

Reset features music and lyrics by Noah Aronson and Abigail Pogrebin and was shot on mobile phones by people all over the world, from New York City to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, from Ghana and Belarus, Turkey, Israel, Guatemala and beyond, all making music together. Click CC to follow along with the lyrics!

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.

An Amazingly Appetizing Yom Kippur Recipe from London's J-TV

J-TV: The Global Jewish Channel is based in London. It features weekly segments on Jewish wisdom, current affairs and entertainment. 

This year they've cooked up an amazingly appetizing recipe for Yom Kippur. There aren't many recipes for this fast day, but here's one you'll be sure to try.

We'll be attending synagogue services tonight and tomorrow, but we'll be back on Thursday with our usual mix at Jewish Humor Central.

Wishing you an easy and meaningful fast.

G'mar Chatimah Tovah!

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 Yom Kippur with Avinu Malkeinu by the Budapest Sabbathsong Klezmer Band

Yes, we know it's another Monday, and that usually means it's time for another Joke to Start the Week. But we're in the midst of a month of Jewish holidays that started with Rosh Hashanah and continues with Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

So we're holding off with the weekly jokes until the Monday after the holidays, and instead bringing you content that's more appropriate for this month.

Yesterday we posted a beautiful rendition of Hava Nagila by the Budapest-based Sabbathsong Klezmer Band. Today we're posting their version of Avinu Malkeinu as we prepare for Yom Kippur.

Wishing you an easy and meaningful day of prayer and fasting.

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. 

High Holiday Special: A Tunisian Piyut (Liturgical Poem) and Request for Redemption

The liturgical poem (Piyut) “Come to Us with Mercy” was composed by the scholar and lyricist, Freha bat Avraham bar Adiva.

Freha was born in Morocco in the 18th century, and migrated with her family to Tunis due to the pogroms in Morocco. The pogroms spread to Tunis in the 1750’s, causing Freha’s father and brothers to flee. Freha’s fate is not known.

She wrote the piyut “Come to Us with Mercy,” with its chorus “Who at morning time hears my voice” as a private supplication to the Almighty, and a request to bring redemption to the Jewish people.

The words of the supplication teach us about the riots against the people of Tunis and of Freha’s hopes to be saved and for the Land of Israel to be freed from Ottoman rule. She describes this hope by praying that Israel would inherit the land from “the hand of Ishmael” (MiYad Yishmaeli). Her request seems a little strange to people of our time, however, in her time – such a request was appropriate. Some have called to slightly alter the words in order to reflect the return of the Jewish people to their land, so that it reads “Immediately – My God will hear” (MiYad – Yishma Eli).

In the sixth verse, we learn about Freha’s personal hardship and suffering, when she uses the nickname“Bat Yosef – Daughter of Joseph”, hinting at the biblical name of the Jewish people “House of Joseph”. This is a unique, feminine personification of a people that longs to return to its land, and over the years the nickname “Bat Yosef” became her nom de plume.

It is customary to sing the piyut in Sephardic congregations during the High Holidays and in many Masorti congregations in Israel during Rosh Hashanah services. The poem can be found in the Masorti Machzor Pote’ach Sha’ar for the High Holidays.

Cantor Saralee Shrell-Fox, a member of Maayanot, a Masorti congregation in Jerusalem, and a cantor at Moreshet Yisrael, composed this beautiful melody for Freha Bat Avraham's piyut together with her son Maayan. 

It may be that many liturgical poems have been written by women and have disappeared over the generations. Freha’s supplication might only be one example amongst a wealth of poems and feminine creation that was produced in Spain and in North Africa. By re-introducing liturgy written by women into our prayers today, we reclaim a feminine voice that has been lost to us.

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.


(A tip of the kippah to Dan Mosenkis for bringing this piyut to our attention.)