Shahar is an entertainer who paved his way through the best entertainment programs in Israel: Eretz Nehederet, Zahirut TV, TV at its best, Laughter from Work, Limited Edition, Fun Night, Express Hearts and more.
In this performance before a live audience, Shahar carries on about Jewish holidays --how there are so many of them, which is his favorite, and the wonders of Moroccan food.
Enjoy!
Today we're sharing a video clip of Gold on stage in a short bit of observational comedy about two Jewish holidays that are not fun and what would happen if we had one holiday when the "Do Not's" become "Do's".
Their unique friendship spawned an irreverent tribute to the Yiddish language, culture and comedic tradition they were reared on. Calling it YidLife Crisis, they hatched the world’s first Yiddish sitcom, toasting, roasting and wrestling with the modern Jewish experience. Its popularity has led to various awards and nominations, over 4 million online views, frequent live performances across North America and Europe, and hours of documentary content covering their travels and the Jewish diaspora.
To get ready for Shavuot, which starts tonight for one day in Israel and two days in the diaspora, Jamie and Eli are back in Montreal to visit Rabbi Lisa Grushcow at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom for a humorous discussion of the holiday and its association with cheesecake. See video below.
We will be observing Shavuot tonight, tomorrow, and Tuesday, so Jewish Humor Central is taking a few days off. We will be back with our usual mix on Wednesday.
Chag Shavuot sameach!
In Israel, however, Pesach shopping can be a surreal experience with an overwhelming selection of products -- not only foods and supplies such as kiddush cups and matzah covers, but also toys for afikomen gifts like Playmobil and Hot Wheels.
A week before Passover, Malkah Fleischer made a video on her phone of her journey to an Osher Ad supermarket in Israel. Starting with a half hour wait for a parking space and anxiously navigating the parking lot looking for an opening, she documented the vast number and variety of products filling the many aisles of the cavernous space stocked with endless piles of merchandise, organized for Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews based on their respective customs and traditions.
After a dizzying tour of the supermarket, you'll either be jealous of the many choices offered to Israeli customers, or grateful that your choices are limited to a manageable number of products.
Enjoy!
This one is performed by Rabbi Jaclyn Cohen of Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles with lyrics by Gordon Lustig.
Enjoy!
At the seder we will be singing many songs during the recitation of the Haggadah, and one of the most enduring and memorable ones is Vehi She'amda.
וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵיֽנוּ וְלָנֽוּ. שֶׁלֹא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד, עָמַד עָלֵיֽנוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנֽוּ. אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר, עוֹמְדִים עָלֵיֽנוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנֽוּ. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם
Vehi She’amda, La’avotainu Velanu Shelo Echad Bilvad, Amad Aleinu Lechaloteinu Ela Sheb’chol Dor VaDor Omdim Aleinu Lechaloteinu V’HaKadosh Baruch Hu Matzilenu Miyadam.
And this (Hashem’s blessings and the Torah) is what kept our fathers and what keeps us surviving. For, not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation they try to destroy us, and Hashem saves us from their hands.
This verse has been set to many melodies, but this one is especially expressive of the message. Composed by Yonatan Razel in 2009, it is sung in this video by Israeli singers Shira Linshe and Noa Goren.
Jewish Humor Central will be taking a break on Sunday and Monday as we observe the first two days of Passover in Florida, but we'll be back with Chol Hamoed videos on Tuesday.
Shabbat shalom and Chag kasher v'sameach!
Exploring the deep symbolism, unexpected customs, and hidden meanings behind this ancient holiday, Ezra reveals how each custom carries a hidden lesson on freedom and turns history into a living experience.
This special Passover video comes to us through the Judaism Unpacked YouTube channel.
Enjoy, and Chag Sameach!
Since 2016, Sponder has been producing “Funny Monday,” an Israeli standup comedy show in English that, among other things, touches upon current events from an Israeli-Jewish point of view.
In this video, Sponder tries to explain why Jews dress up in costume on Purim.
Enjoy!
Until she was 25, Vizel lived in the Satmar Hasidic community. This experience – and her interest in how society works on a systemic level – informs her work. She draws from all sorts of disciplines, like urban studies, history, sociology, and cultural criticism.
Today she visited Brooklyn Hasidic communities as they let themselves go with Purim costumes, charitable giving, exchanging Mishloach Manot (gifts of food), drinking, and dancing in the streets. Its the one day each year when these ultra observant Jews take a break from serious study and meticulous observance.
Let's join them in taking a day off and having a good time. And when the day is over, it's time to welcome another Shabbat.
Shabbat shalom, everyone!
They've performed to rave reviews at the White House, and many more at synagogues, religious schools, JCCs, fundraising events, B'nai Mitzvah and private affairs alike. They’ve appeared all over mainstream media, been cited by Billy Joel and Bruno Mars, received numerous awards for their eight best-selling CDs, been selected as finalists for casting in NBC's "The Sing-Off", and garnered more than 20 million views online.
Six13 helps us to get ready for the reading of Megillat Esther tonight and tomorrow with a rousing medley of songs for Purim.
Enjoy, and Chag Purim sameach!
Our countdown to Purim begins today and we're starting the festivities with a performance by Israeli singer Avi Ilson of the joyous expression at the end of the Megillah after the Jews of Persia rose up and conquered Haman and his followers.
La'Yehudim Hayta Orah v'Simcha v'Sasson vi'Ykor.
And the Jews basked in light and happiness, joy, and great honor.
Enjoy!
Tu B’Shvat is a holiday which is deeply tied to the land of Israel. It’s a reminder that Judaism is an indigenous faith rooted in the seasons and the fruits of this land. The seven species mentioned in the Bible, wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates, aren’t just symbolic. They represent a tangible connection to an ancient agricultural heritage and the physical land that shaped Jewish identity.
In the Middle Ages, the custom developed to celebrate Tu B’Shvat with a feast of fruits. And in the 16th century, the Kabbalist rabbi, Yitzchak Luria, instituted a Tu B’Shvat seder, which is similar to the Passover seder, in which Jews all over the diaspora were able to reconnect to the land of Israel through eating her indigenous fruits.
According to Kabbalah, when you eat fruits from the trees, it helps a human soul evolve. And Judaism is about being present to every single thing that you do and everything that you eat as well. Tu B’Shvat reminds us that Judaism and the land of Israel are inseparable. The roots of the Jewish people are right here. And to celebrate Tu B’Shvat is to celebrate Zionism, not as a modern political movement, but as a profound acknowledgement of a people’s enduring bond with the land of their ancestors.
The land of Israel isn’t just a backdrop to Jewish history. It’s part of the story itself. And every seed sown, every tree planted, and every fruit harvested and eaten is a continuation of that story.
Chag Tu B’Shvat Sameach, everyone.
When the holidays fall on weekdays, and you add Shabbatot to the mix, finding a date for a meeting can leave the impression that you just don't want to have a meeting.
This situation is the subject of a comedy sketch that we found on the Jewish Sparks YouTube channel. In this humorous video, we join a Jewish individual as he navigates the complex calendar of Jewish holidays and hilariously explains to a customer why he couldn't meet in the past month.
With wit and laughter, he walks through the series of holiday events that have kept him occupied.
This comedic take on the challenges of scheduling during the Jewish holiday season will be familiar to many of our readers.
Enjoy!
Today we're sharing a comedy routine by Zehavit Rosenbloom, who posts humor under the name of Zeya Comedy.
Zehavit is a mom with seven children who is performing standup
comedy and recording videos for Jewish audiences.She has created many
Jewish characters including ultra religious Rebbetzins, secular
Israelis, and El Al representatives who put passengers through intensive
interrogations before letting them board planes.
In this sketch she impersonates the following types of characters that you're likely to encounter during this High Holiday period:
Psalms
Chapter 137
1. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, we also wept, when we remembered Zion. 2. We hung our lyres on the willows in its midst. 3. For there those who carried us away captive required of us a song; and those who tormented us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 4. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? 5. If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 6. If I do not remember you, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. 7. Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites, the day of Jerusalem; who said, Raze it, raze it, to its foundation. 8. O daughter of Babylon, you are to be destroyed! Happy shall he be, who repays you for what you have done to us. 9. Happy shall he be, who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock. |
פרק קלז א עַֽל־נַֽהֲרוֹת | בָּבֶל שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ גַּם־בָּכִינוּ בְּזָכְרֵנוּ אֶת־צִיּֽוֹן
: ב עַל־עֲרָבִים בְּתוֹכָהּ תָּלִינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ : ג כִּי שָׁם שְֽׁאֵלוּנוּ שׁוֹבֵינוּ דִּבְרֵי־שִׁיר וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שִׂמְחָה שִׁירוּ לָנוּ מִשִּׁיר צִיּֽוֹן : ד אֵיךְ נָשִׁיר אֶת־שִׁיר יְהֹוָה עַל אַדְמַת נֵכָֽר : ה אִֽם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְֽרוּשָׁלָם תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִֽי : ו תִּדְבַּק־לְשׁוֹנִי | לְחִכִּי אִם־לֹא אֶזְכְּרֵכִי אִם־לֹא אַֽעֲלֶה אֶת־יְרֽוּשָׁלַם עַל רֹאשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי : ז זְכֹר יְהֹוָה | לִבְנֵי אֱדוֹם אֵת יוֹם יְֽרוּשָׁלָם הָאֹמְרִים עָרוּ | עָרוּ עַד הַיְסוֹד בָּֽהּ : ח בַּת־בָּבֶל הַשְּׁדוּדָה אַשְׁרֵי שֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־לָךְ אֶת־גְּמוּלֵךְ שֶׁגָּמַלְתְּ לָֽנוּ
: ט אַשְׁרֵי | שֶׁיֹּאחֵז וְנִפֵּץ אֶֽת־עֹלָלַיִךְ אֶל־הַסָּֽלַע
|
But
the liturgy of Tisha B'Av has found an audience beyond traditional Jews
observing a sad day.
The
words of the Psalms were incorporated into Rivers of Babylon, a Rastafarian song written and
recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The
Melodians in 1970. The Melodians' original version of the song appeared in the
soundtrack album of the 1972 movie The Harder They Come, making it
internationally known.
The song was
popularized in Europe by the 1978 Boney M. cover version, which was awarded a
platinum disc and is one of the top ten all-time best-selling singles in the
UK.
Somehow
the song has been adopted by line dance devotees, primarily in Korea,
Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. It is also being used as the background for a Zumba fitness routine, as in the video below.
If you're fasting today, we wish you an easy and meaningful fast.
But are you ready to eat the four foods commonly served on Shavuot? Rabbi Paul Lewin of Australia's North Shore Synagogue explains what they are and why they are eaten on Shavuot. But why did he not include cheesecake?
Outside of Eretz Yisrael we celebrate two days of Shavuot. We will be observing them tomorrow and Thursday, so there will be no Jewish Humor Central posts on those days. We'll be back on Friday with our usual mix.
We wish you a Chag Shavuot Sameach!
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It's the burial site of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, known as Rashbi. Hundreds of thousands of Charedi Jews make a pilgrimage each year to sing and dance on the mountain.
This year the Israeli government decided to close roads leading to Meron, to prevent large crowds amid exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in the Galilee and Southern Lebanon.
The checkpoint is one of 11 roadblocks set up around Meron in an effort involving hundreds of police officers to enforce the ban following concerns that some pilgrims would defy it.
The events at Meron are limited this Lag B'Omer to three ceremonial bonfire lighting ceremonies attended by no more than 30 people at any given time. But celebrants are finding ways to observe the day in other locations around Israel.
Last night tens of thousands gathered in Beit Shemesh, a Jerusalem suburb, to celebrate.
Enjoy, and Happy Lag B'Omer!
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.
Is it really true that Moses isn't in the Haggadah? Well, not exactly. His name appears explicitly in the section of the Haggadah in which Rabbi Yossi the Galilean argues that since the “finger of God” was used to inflict 10 plagues, now that the “hand of God” (five fingers) was raised against the Egyptians, they actually suffered fifty plagues at the Red Sea.
Here is the verse: “And when Israel saw the great hand which the Lord had wielded against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord; they had faith in the Lord and His servant Moses” (Ex. 14:31).
But the tradition remains that Moses does not appear in the Haggadah to teach us that God deserves all the credit for taking us out of Egypt.
Eliana Light, a songwriter and performer of catchy, content-rich tunes for all ages, has just released a new YouTube video with the campers and staff of Camp Ramah Darom called Moses Isn't in the Haggadah. It's a worthy addition to the growing collection of popular tunes that get added to the seder every year.
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.
Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi Rosenfeld moved to New
York City with his family when he was 7. Before entering comedy, he was a
Wall Street international banker. He now goes solely by the name Modi
and is known for creating accents and characters.
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.
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