Welcoming Shabbat with Ahavat Olam by Hamakom in Los Angeles

Today we welcome Shabbat with a rendition of Ahavat Olam by Dor Kaminka & Cantor Jenni Asher of Hamakom congregation of Los Angeles.

Hamakom is an inclusive Jewish community creating meaningful experiences through communal connection, celebrating, worshiping and learning. Hamakom means “The Place” and represents the understanding that spiritual life begins when you seek the extraordinary within the ordinary. 

Hamakom has programs for all ages, from The Nook (Infant & Toddler Center) to an Early Childhood Center, one of the city’s most respected; from a vibrant and inclusive JLC Religious School to Adult Education programs and Shabbat services. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom! 

Standup Comic Cynthia Levin on Romantic Jewish Dinners and Women's Hairstyles

Cynthia Levin is not only a hilarious stand-up comic but she is also a talented comedic and dramatic actress. Chicago native Cynthia Levin was taking improv classes at The Second City Player’s Workshop and the Training Centre for the Working Actor by age 15.

Early on in her stand-up career, Cynthia became a regular at The Comedy Store and The Improv in Los Angeles. Cynthia has toured all over the United States and Canada with the comedy troupe, "Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad” and has also performed for the U.S troupes overseas in Bosnia, Kosovo, Japan, Korea and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

 

In this video clip from one of her standup routines, Cynthia talks about romantic Jewish dinners and women's hairstyles. 

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat With Adon Olam (to the Main Theme from Star Wars) by Cantor Marcus Feldman

The songs we sing in the synagogue on Shabbat can be set to many different tunes and there have been many adaptations of Adon Olam, Lecha Dodi, and Ein Keiloheinu that reflect popular songs from Broadway, Hollywood, and the Great American Songbook.

On May 4 (May the fourth be with you) Cantor Marcus Feldman of Temple Sinai in Los Angeles sang Adon Olam to the main theme from Star Wars, in an arrangement by Benjamin Fingerhut. This is the 95th version Adon Olam that we have posted. To see the other 94 versions, scroll down to Keywords in the left column on this page.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam by Cantor Orly Campbell at Temple Sinai in Los Angeles

Orly Campbell graduated with a B.A., emphasis in Vocal Arts at California State University of Northridge in 2006. Prior to Orly beginning her journey at the Academy for Jewish Religion California (AJRCA) she was already a year into her most prideful job, being a new mom. She had no clue how she could attend a master’s seminary and raise a baby, let alone 4 children. 

Orly spent the last 6 years raising her kids and discovering her true love for hazzanut. She has worked in many different temples including Temple Ramat Zion, Stephen Wise,  Beth Shir Shalom, Desert Outreach Synagogue, Temple Judea, Temple Akiba and Temple Beth David, where Orly served as the Cantor for the past 3 years. 

Cantor Orly was ordained and received her Master’s Degree from the Academy for Jewish Religion in May 2019. She will continue sharing her love, passion and voice in hopes of elevating a congregant’s experience for services.

On April 17 at Temple Sinai in Los Angeles, Cantor Orly Campbell led the congregation in singing Adon Olam on a Sisterhood Shabbat.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru at Hamakom Synagogue in Los Angeles

Cantorial Soloist Jenni Asher leads the V'shamru prayer at the Zamru Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service at the Hamakom Synagogue in Los Angeles on March 1, 2024. 

Hamakom is a center of Jewish life that provides meaning and purpose for Jews of the West San Fernando & Conejo Valleys. It's a vibrant and dynamic Jewish community – a neighborhood – in which the synagogue is a sacred center, a communal home, and hub for its members and all others who wish to grow their Jewish identities, spirit, and communal connections.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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A Prayer for the IDF After 100 Days of War by Cantor Hershtik, the Maccabeats, and Four Childrens' Choirs

Marking 100 days since October 7th, War Cabinet Minster, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, Cantor Netanel Hershtik and the Maccabeats joined in prayer for the IDF.

Cantor Hershtik and the Maccabeats are joined by the childrens' choirs of the Harkham Hillel Academy of Los Angeles, California, Yavneh of Paramus, New Jersey, Yeshiva College of Johannesburg, South Africa, and Jacob Spadaro and TABC Studio 1600 choir of Teaneck, New Jersey.

Am Yisrael Chai. Bring the hostages home now!

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Comic Relief: Billy Crystal Casts Audience Members in a 1950s African Movie

In 1994 in the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Billy Crystal was performing on stage and decided to have some fun with his audience. He invited three audience members to join him in doing sound effects to enhance his re-enactment of a scene from a classic African movie.

One audience member used her hands to crunch a huge bowl of potato chips to make the sound of Crystal walking. Two others volunteered to make jungle bird calls. And the show went on.

Enjoy!

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Comedy Nostalgia: Mark Schiff Performs Standup Comedy at the Improv in 1989

When Mark Schiff was twelve, his parents took him to a nightclub. There, live on stage was Rodney Dangerfield doing his act. At that moment, he knew the path he had to follow. 

Mark has headlined in all the major casinos and clubs across the country and has appeared many times on both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman. He has had both HBO and Showtime specials and has been the featured act at the Montreal Comedy Festival.

In this video clip from 1989, Mark takes the stage at the Improv in Los Angeles.with his observations about driving, clothes shopping, and supermarket shopping at 3 am.

Enjoy!

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Here Come the Purim Videos: Rabbi Jaclyn Cohen Sings "Jews", a Parody of the Hip-Hop Song "Juice"

Chag Purim Sameach! This year, Temple Isaiah of Los Angeles’ contribution to the Purim parody video canon is a celebration of our Jewishness: a joyful and whole-hearted message of love for our diverse, extraordinary Jewish community. 

Jaclyn Cohen, Associate Rabbi of Temple Isaiah, offers a response to the Hamans of this world is by taking pride in our tradition, culture & rituals, raising them up high and sharing them far & wide.She takes the lead in Jews, a Jewish version of the song Juice, popularized by singer Melissa Jefferson (known as Lizzo). 

Enjoy!

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Comedy Special: Comedian Modi on Hatzalah (Jewish Volunteer Ambulance) at The Laugh Factory

In June comedian Modi Rosenfeld put on a show at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. Modi is a regular at stand-up comedy venues around the world. 

We love his humor and we've posted many of his comedy sketches since starting Jewish Humor Central 13 years ago.

In this clip from The Laugh Factory show, Modi takes on the Hatzalah Jewish volunteer ambulance service.

Enjoy!

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Welcoming Shabbat with "Yismechu" by the Jewish Community Chorale of Los Angeles

Today we welcome Shabbat with Yismechu from "The Jazz Service," composed by Aminadav Aloni. It's performed by the Jewish Community Chorale, a project of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony. 

In 2014, Dr. Noreen Green formed the 50-voice American Jewish University Choir under the auspices of the Whizin Center for Continuing Education at the American Jewish University. The newly formed Jewish Community Chorale is an extension of that group. Its mission is to perform Jewish choral music in order to educate, create community and transmit Jewish heritage.

Here's the English translation of Yismechu: 

Those who keep Shabbat by calling it a delight will rejoice in Your realm. The people that hallow Shabbat will delight in Your goodness. For, being pleased with the Seventh Day, You hallowed it as the most precious of days, drawing our attention to the work of Creation.

Enjoy, Shabbat shalom, and Chag Chanukah sameach!

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Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Cantors of the Stephen Wise Temple of Los Angeles

Stephen Wise Temple is a large Reform Jewish congregation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1964 by the late Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, with 35 families, the congregation grew rapidly. At various times in its history it has been stated to be the largest, or one of the largest, Jewish congregations in the world.  

At one time it had a membership of about 3,000 families, six rabbis, two cantors and two cantorial interns, and four schools on three campuses. As of 1994 it was the second-largest synagogue in the United States.

As we get ready to observe another Shabbat, Cantor Emma Lutz and Cantorial Intern Josh Goldberg sing V'Shamru from the Kabbalat Shabbat Friday evening service. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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Comedy Special: Actress, Comedian, and Storyteller Annie Korzen on Funny Aspects of Moving

If there's anyone who knows how to make an audience laugh, it's Annie Korzen, a writer, actress, and performer who has appeared on Seinfeld and other TV shows, and was a regular on Old Jews Telling Jokes.

Korzen began her career as an actress-writer in New York's Off-Broadway scene. She has also worked in films (Tootsie, Stardust Memories, etc.). In Los Angeles, Annie had a recurring role on Seinfeld, playing Doris Klompus in the Florida condo. She also has been on E.R., Judging Amy, Oliver Beene and many other TV shows.

Annie created two solo shows that combine comedy, original music, and provocative issues. One of them is called Yenta Unplugged, a sophisticated 90-minute celebration of womanhood, from the Bronx to Beverly Hills.

She has appeared as a storyteller with The Moth Mainstage in L. A., Berkeley, and Boston, and has been a regular participant at spoken word venues in Los Angeles and New York. 

In this storytelling performance in 2019, Annie tells about what happened when she got an eviction notice and believed her life was over. Not true, as she discovered as the pain turned into laughs.

Enjoy!

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Throwback Thursday Entertainment Special: Neil Diamond Sings "America" in Tribute to His Grandmother

Neil Diamond has earned his place as one of the great Jewish entertainers. At the end of The Jazz Singer, his character performs his song America to a large audience. His father, the cantor who rejected him because of his giving up his cantorial tradition for a career as a jazz singer, attends the concert and they are reconciled.

In January 2018, Diamond announced that he would immediately retire from touring due to having been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Tour dates on the final leg of Diamond's "50 Year Anniversary World Tour" in Australia and New Zealand were cancelled. An announcement on his official website said he was not retiring from music and that the cancellation of the live performances would allow him to "continue his writing, recording and development of new projects."

In 2012, Diamond appeared in at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on the 40th anniversary of his Hot August Night concert there in 1972, and dedicated his performance to his grandmother who made the journey from Kiev nearly 100 years earlier and to his mother, Rose.

Enjoy! 

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#Throwback Thursday   #TBT

Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: "You Bet Your Life" with Groucho Marx and Rabbi Max Nussbaum

On this Throwback Thursday we're turning the clock and calendar back 64 years to 1956, when Groucho Marx was in his heyday as host of the weekly show You Bet Your Life.

The show debuted on ABC Radio on October 27, 1947, then moved to CBS Radio debuting October 5, 1949, before making the transition to NBC-TV and NBC Radio on October 4, 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show simultaneously on radio and television. 

The last episode in its radio format aired on June 10, 1960. On television, however, the series continued for another year, debuting in its final season on September 22, 1960, and with a new title, The Groucho Show. 

In this episode, Groucho banters with Rabbi Max Nussbaum, who was the rabbi of Temple Israel in Los Angeles for 32 years. The rabbi appears on the show at 6 and a half minutes into the video clip.

Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week - "Two Old Jewish Women in Shul"

The rabbis and cantors of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles have been adding a series of jokes to the videos on their website over the last few months. We're sure that their members join us in appreciating this welcome opportunity to share some laughs in the midst of the coronavirus stay-at-home world that most of us are experiencing.

One of America’s most highly respected congregations, Wilshire Boulevard Temple has been serving the Los Angeles Jewish community since its founding in 1862 as Congregation B’nai B'rith, the city’s first synagogue. Today, Wilshire Boulevard Temple carries out the mission through a variety of ways, as a center for Jewish spirituality and celebration, a place for lifelong learning and friendship and home to an engaged congregation where every person can make a difference.

Today Senior Rabbi Steve Leder tells a joke about a Rabbi's sermon. 

Here's the setup: Two old Jewish women are sitting in shul at the Shabbat morning service.  The rabbi is going on and on and on and on in his sermon.  And then...

Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week - A Jewish Mother Riddle

The rabbis and cantors of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles have been adding a series of jokes to the videos on their website over the last few weeks. We're sure that their members join us in appreciating this welcome opportunity to share some laughs in the midst of the coronavirus stay-at-home world that most of us are experiencing.

We have a few lined up to share with you on the next few Monday mornings as our Joke to Start the Week.

One of America’s most highly respected congregations, Wilshire Boulevard Temple has been serving the Los Angeles Jewish community since its founding in 1862 as Congregation B’nai B'rith, the city’s first synagogue. Today, Wilshire Boulevard Temple carries out the mission through a variety of ways, as a center for Jewish spirituality and celebration, a place for lifelong learning and friendship and home to an engaged congregation where every person can make a difference.

Today Senior Rabbi Steve Leder tells a Jewish mother riddle.

Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week - "Dry Cleaning a Tallit"

 

The rabbis and cantors of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles have been adding a series of jokes to the videos on their website over the last few weeks. We're sure that their members join us in appreciating this welcome opportunity to share some laughs in the midst of the coronavirus stay-at-home world that most of us are experiencing.

We have a few lined up to share with you on the next few Monday mornings as our Joke to Start the Week.

One of America’s most highly respected congregations, Wilshire Boulevard Temple has been serving the Los Angeles Jewish community since its founding in 1862 as Congregation B’nai B'rith, the city’s first synagogue. Today, Wilshire Boulevard Temple carries out the mission through a variety of ways, as a center for Jewish spirituality and celebration, a place for lifelong learning and friendship and home to an engaged congregation where every person can make a difference.

Today Rabbi Beau Shapiro tells a joke about the cost of dry cleaning a tallit. 

Here's the setup: Abe spills a little bit of the kiddush wine on his tallit after the Shabbat morning service. He takes it to his dry cleaner, and he asks the dry cleaner "How much to get the stain out?" And then...

Enjoy!

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Welcoming Shabbat in Los Angeles with Lechu Neranena by the Nashuva Band

The interfaith Nashuva Band was formed in Los Angeles 14 years ago by Rabbi Naomi Levy as part of a spiritual community with a goal of "infusing joy and meaning into Jewish prayer and practice," and, according to Levy, "to reach out to Jews who have walked away from Judaism or who have never had a meaningful or spiritual Jewish experience." 

The band’s music is full of big, catchy melodies, which Levy said is part of the congregation’s larger goal of attracting unaffiliated Jews who don’t realize they are yearning for spiritual fulfillment. When Levy worked previously as a rabbi at a Conservative synagogue in Venice Beach, she’d see many stragglers poke their heads in to Saturday morning services but leave after a few minutes.

The band's latest album, Heaven on Earth: Songs of the Soul puts 13 Jewish prayers to a mix of African-inspired world music beats and calming folk melodies. It includes Lechu Neranena, the Kabbalat Shabbat melody that we're sharing today.

We're still trying to figure out why they use the Shabbat-ending Havdalah candle to start Shabbat, but hey, it's California! Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

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