Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus Sings Neil Diamond's "Coming to America"

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 Neil Diamond's "Zey kumen kin Amerike" ("They're Coming to America") as performed June 16, 2024 as the opening number of the concert on the theme of Jewish immigration, "From Varshe and Vilne to Vashington Heights," at the Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City. 

Binyumen Schaechter is the chorus conductor and Seth Weinstein is the pianist.

Enjoy!

Neil Diamond Surprises Opening Night Broadway Audience and Sings His Hit "Sweet Caroline"

Last Sunday night, A Beautiful Noise, the musical biography of Neil Diamond opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway. Diamond gave the audience a special treat by singing his hit song Sweet Caroline from his box seat after the cast took a bow.

As Ingrid Vasquez wrote in People Magazine, 

Neil Diamond made theatergoers at opening night of Broadway's A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical feel so good, so good!

The New York native surprised fans and audience members at the Broadhurst Theatre — where the new musical about his life opened Sunday night — with an impromptu performance of his hit song "Sweet Caroline."

It marks the first time Diamond, 81, has performed in his hometown since 2017 and was a rare appearance for the music icon, who announced in 2018 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and would be retiring from concert touring.

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.

Throwback Thursday Entertainment Showcase: Neil Diamond Introduces "Sweet Caroline" in 1969

On Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" is as popular today as it was in 1969, the year he recorded it and sang it on the entertainment circuit, including this performance on the Ed Sullivan Show on November 30, 1969.

On this Throwback Thursday we go back 53 years to watch a young Neil Diamond caress the lyrics of his most popular song.

In a 2007 interview, Diamond stated the inspiration for his song was John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline, who was eleven years old at the time it was released. Diamond sang the song for her at her 50th birthday celebration in 2007. On December 21, 2011, in an interview on CBS's The Early Show, Diamond said that a magazine cover photo of Caroline as a young child on a horse with her parents created an image in his mind, and the rest of the song came together about five years after seeing the picture.  

However, in 2014 Diamond said the song was about his then-wife Marsha, but he needed a three-syllable name to fit the melody. The song has proven to be enduringly popular and, as of November 2014, has sold over two million digital downloads in the United States.

The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week ending August 16, 1969, and was certified gold by the RIAA on August 18, 1969, for sales of one million singles."Sweet Caroline" was also the first of fifty-eight entries on the US Easy Listening chart, peaking at #3.

In the autumn of 1969, Diamond performed "Sweet Caroline" on several television shows. It later reached No. 8 on the UK singles chart in March 1971.

In July 2021, "Sweet Caroline" re-entered the UK Singles Chart again 50 years after its first UK release, following its use by England supporters during Euro 2020. It re-entered the chart at No. 48 on the week ending 15 July and a week later it rose to No. 20.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Diamond changed some of the lyrics to "Hands ... washing hands ... don't touch me ... I won't touch you."

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. 

  

#Throwback Thursday    #TBT

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! 

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.

 

 

#Throwback Thursday   #TBT

Neil Diamond Changes Lyrics to "Sweet Caroline" in Coronavirus Public Service Announcement

Neil Diamond is doing his part to promote steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus – and he found a creative way to do it. Diamond changed the lyrics to his iconic hit Sweet Caroline for a musical public service announcement about the virus.

As Christi Carras wrote in The Los Angeles Times,

Perched on the hearth of his fireplace next to his adorable pet pup, Diamond then launched into the familiar tune on acoustic guitar. 

At first, the anthem seemed to play out as expected.

Then came the catchy pre-chorus:

“Hands, washing hands,” Diamond sang in support of coronavirus prevention habits. “Reaching out / Don’t touch me / I won’t touch you.”

Enjoy, and keep safe!

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.

Throwback Thursday Yom Kippur Special: Final Scene of "The Jazz Singer" with Neil Diamond

With this Throwback Thursday coming one day before the Yom Kippur Kol Nidrei service, we're going back 37 years, not for the usual comedy skit, but for the emotional scene toward the end of the 1980 film The Jazz Singer.

In this clip, Neil Diamond as young cantor Yussel Rabinovich who has taken the stage name of Jess Robin, returns to the synagogue of his ailing cantor father (played by Sir Laurence Olivier) and sings Kol Nidrei, leading to a reconciliation.

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.)