A Rabbi Tells Jewish Jokes and Reflects on their Meaning and the Role of Humor on Purim

Today is Purim. Many of us listened to the reading of Megillat Esther last night in synagogues of all denominatioins and in many locations. Today the Megillah is read once again and the day features sharing of food items with friends (Mishloach Manot) and gifts to the poor (Matanot L'Evionim).

On Shabbat, the day before Purim, Rabbi Diana Fersko of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue delivered a sermon that included reflections on Jewish humor in general, and the role of humor on Purim. 

Rabbi Fersko received her ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City where she was the recipient of numerous awards for academic excellence. She also holds a master’s degree in Hebrew Literature.

During the short sermon, she tells a few old and familiar Jewish jokes, and advises to spend Purim emoting, singing, clapping, and laughing. She notes that the Talmud says that God himself dedicates specific time each day to laughter and joy, and encourages us to follow that example.
 
Happy Purim to everyone!

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A Beatles Shabbat at Temple Avodah in Oceanside NY

 

Last November, the rabbi and cantorial soloist of Temple Avodah, a Reform congregation in Oceanside, New York, led a Shabbat service utilizing the words and music of The Beatles in a very creative and meaningful way.

Sure, there have been many services set to popular music and to songs from Broadway shows, and this wasn't the first use of Beatles songs in a synagogue service. 

But Rabbi Uri Goren, the Chilean-born and educated spiritual leader,went a step further and delivered an eight-minute-long sermon called "Speaking Words of Wisdom" that creatively incorporated lyrics from eleven Beatles songs.

Cantorial soloist Jessica Gubenko sang the Friday night service to seven Beatles songs.
Shalom Aleichem - A Little Help From My Friends
Lecha Dodi - Eight Days a Week
Borchu - Hey Jude
Mi Kamocha - Obladi Oblada
V'Shomru - And I Love Her
Shalom Rav - When I'm 64
Oseh Shalom (Kaddish) - Imagine

Rabbi Goren took key excerpts from the lyrics of Let It Be, All You Need Is Love, Can't Buy Me Love, Help, Love Me Do, Nowhere Man, Yellow Submarine, Here Comes the Sun, From Me to You, Eight Days a Week, and The Long and Winding Road and turned them into a sermon on how to be happy and find God.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

(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.)

Friday Night Shabbat Service With 7 Beatles Songs




Beatles Shabbat Sermon - "Speaking Words of Wisdom"

LES MISERABBIS - The Funniest Jewish Parody We Have Ever Seen

We're not kidding. Without qualification, this video is the funniest Jewish parody we have ever seen.These are words we don't use lightly. Kol HaKavod to the Stanmore and Canons Park Shul players in Stanmore, a suburb in Northwest London.

The Stanmore shul is Orthodox, and its 2200 members make it the largest synagogue in all of Europe.

Les Miserabbis, a parody of the musical Les Miserables, was first shown on Purim, but it goes far beyond a Purim show. It's an inspired, professionally done performance that takes you through the experience of Shabbat services in a synagogue with a loving wink, and you don't have to be Orthodox or have attended an Orthodox synagogue to enjoy it. 

The music mirrors the original score, and the lyrics delightfully satirize the goings on in the synagogue service from opening the ark for the Torah reading through the conclusion of the service with the singing of Adon Olam, with many funny stops along the way.

The parts of the service that are satirized include the constant standing and sitting, the gabbai singing "Gabbai of the Shul" to "Master of the House," a bar mitzvah, the toddlers' service, and the rabbi's plaintive call for a minyan, "Empty Pews in Empty Shtiebels." There are a very few lines that are specific to the shul's London neighborhood, but the humor in the parody is universal.

It's all done in very good taste, and it's well worth taking the 26 minutes out of your busy day to have a good laugh and enjoy the parody from beginning to end. If you agree, please forward this post to your personal email lists to spread laughter around the world.

(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.)


(A tip of the kippah to Sarah Adler for bringing the video to our attention.)

Rabbi Itche Kadoozy Learns How to Make a Perfect Yom Kippur Speech

As we head to our synagogues, shuls, and temples tomorrow night and Shabbat for Yom Kippur services, we will be a willing audience for sermons delivered by our rabbis, who have been preparing for weeks to deliver a meaningful spiritual message to their congregations.

In most synagogues, Yom Kippur brings out the largest audience of the year, and the rabbis do all they can to deliver their most powerful message.
 
The Itche Kadoozy Show, started in 2003 as a muppet-like series about Jewish holidays, has gone through a few revisions and relocations and has emerged as a series on a funny new Jewish web site called shmideo.com.

In this episode, the muppet characters, including one who is a talking slice of gefilte fish complete with carrot on top, teach Rabbi Itche Kadoozy the five rules for the perfect Yom Kippur speech. It's cute, funny, and most important, meaningful.

Enjoy!

(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.)



(A tip of the kippah to Jack Kustanowitz for bringing this video to our attention.)