Cantor Naftali Hershtik and the Maccabeats Join The Shabbat Project in Singing Havdalah Around the World

Back in 2014 Cantor Netanel Hershtik and the Maccabeats joined singers all around the world in ending a very special Shabbat sponsored by The Shabbat Project with the singing of Havdalah.

The Shabbat Project was introduced in South Africa in 2013 to quite astonishing effect. On the Shabbat over which it ran, close to 70 percent of the country’s 75,000 Jews kept Shabbat in full, most for the first time in their lives. Perhaps more significantly, the initiative drew people together in way s never seen before.

In the aftermath, many wrote in from around the world, wanting to bring the initiative to their own cities and communities. And so, the international Shabbat Project was born.
It has already been described as "an experiment that has no precedent in modern Jewish history,” and “the most ambitious Jewish unity initiative ever undertaken,” with around 1500 partners in 340 cities.

Wishing you a Shabbat shalom and a Havdalah like this one at the end of Shabbat.

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.

The Actors' Temple - A Home for Both Theater and Religious Services

Where in New York can you find a cool shul with warm people that caters to comedians and actors? At 339 West 47th Street. It's the Actors' Temple.

Ezrath Israel was originally established as a Jewish Community Center in 1917 by the West Side Hebrew Relief Association, a group of Orthodox Jewish shop owners. The area was known for its busy steamship ports, however, the entertainment business eventually became one of the biggest industries in this part of town. As show business grew, so did the number of congregants, and it became the place of worship for many prominent actors and performers, including Sophie Tucker and Shelley Winters.

The Actors' Temple continued to thrive until shortly after WWII when people in the industry began journeying across the country to Hollywood. The synagogue then found its membership slowly decreasing. By 2005, there were only twelve members left in the congregation. A year later, when Jill Hausman became the rabbi, she found herself resuscitating what had once been a proud shul. Rabbi Hausman was pleased to report to us that in the eight years that she has been there, membership has increased to about 150, a marked improvement. Still, she has hope that the Actors' Temple will continue to grow. “We are a well-kept secret,” she says, “but we don’t need to be.”

To help maintain the synagogue, the sanctuary is shared with an Off Broadway theater company that performs on their “stage,” just a few feet in front of their sacred arc and collection of eleven torahs. Today, Rabbi Hausman welcomes all denominations of Judaism, even those who are “on the fringes of society.” She is a warm, sweet, bright woman who not only has her door open to everyone, but her heart as well. She emphasizes the importance of love and acceptance in her sermons and is adamant that the Actors' Temple is a “no-guilt synagogue.” People should come if they feel compelled to pray – Rabbi Hausman’s only goal is to have them leave with a desire to return.



Members of the Actors' Temple have included Sophie Tucker, Red Buttons, Al Jolson, Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, Eddie Cantor, Shelley Winters, Edward G. Robinson, and the Three Stooges.

If you walk into their Shabbat service, you'll probably hear something like this version of Adon Olam.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

(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.)

Shabbat Around the World Ends With Inspiring Havdalah by Maccabeats and Netanel Hershtik

Last week, thousands of Jews in 550 cities around the world celebrated Shabbat together. Inspired by an idea that came from South Africa's Chief Rabbi, Warren Goldstein, they took part in communal meals, prayer services, as well as participating in challah bakes, havdalah concerts and other activities.

At the conclusion of last year's worldwide Shabbos Project observance, the a cappella group The Maccabeats joined with Cantor Netanel Hershtik in a moving Havdalah service. 

The music video of this service provides a beautiful transition from Shabbat to the rest of the week, including images of participants singing in London, Johannesburg, Sydney, Dallas, New York, Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Vienna, Five Towns, East Brunswick, and Hong Kong.

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.) 

Israel's Livnot U'Lehibanot Joins The Shabbos Project With a Welcoming Song

With the worldwide Shabbos Project taking place tomorrow night and Saturday, we found groups all over the world busily inviting largely unafilliated Jews to spend 25 hours immersed in the warm, relaxed atmosphere that prevails on Shabbat, week after week, year after year. 

One of these groups is Livnot U'Lehibanot, an unaffiliated, non-profit organization that has been running co-ed Israel experience programs since 1980 in the city of Tzfat.  The programs facilitate an exploration of Israel and Jewish heritage through hiking, community service, seminars, and meaningful interactions with native and immigrant Israelis.  Livnot programming is geared for Jewish adults with little Jewish background.

Three Livnot members have created a buzz on the Internet with a song to welcome the Shabbat. While it has attracted thousands of views on Facebook, it didn't quite achieve the 360 million views that the song it's based on got on YouTube. That's almost the same as the combined population of the USA and UK, a number that we find difficult to fathom. So what's the song that it parodies? Royals, by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde.

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.)

South Africa's "Shabbos Project" Goes Global This Shabbat, Oct. 24-25

In 2013, South Africa's Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, had an idea. Wouldn't it be wonderful if most South African Jews kept one Shabbat together, publicly?

The idea took root and last October the majority of South Africa's 75,000 Jews, most of whom had never observed a single Shabbat, adopted the slogan "Keeping it Together" and turned the major cities into examples of Shabbat observance. Dinners indoors and outdoors, synagogue attendance, quiet time with the family, and a well-attended Havdalah concert were enjoyed by the participants.

So what are they doing for an encore? They're going global. Already some 170 cities in 30 countries are geared up for the 2014 Shabbos Project this Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25, Shabbat Parshat Noach. Challah baking has started, invitations are going out, and Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox communities will be participating in local events and observances.

The two videos below tell the whole story. The first tells about the concept and implementation in South Africa last year, and the second is an invitation by former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman to Jews worldwide to participate this week.

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.) 

 

(A tip of the kippah to Jack Kustanowitz for bringing The Shabbos Project to our attention.)

Gat Brothers Sing For the Shabbat Project: Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbat

Back in March we introduced a series of innovative musical arrangements by popular Israeli singers as part of The Shabbat Song Project -- an Israeli effort to spread the light of Shabbat using new and eclectic instruments.

The arrangers and singers deserve a lot of credit for their creativity and use of a wide range of instruments and musical styles to present in a new light songs that we usually hear only inside a synagogue.

We posted three videos in the series, but overlooked an important one, which we're sharing with you today. It features the Brothers Gat, the same duo that we gave lots of attention to in the past few months, featuring their unexpected renditions of songs by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkel, and The Eagles. 

Now known as the Breslov Brothers, Aryeh and Gil Gat are already veterans of recorded music of both the traditional liturgical Hebrew melodies and the classic English pop and rock songs of the last few decades. Their music has a distinctive appeal to music lovers of many genres.

In this video, they play traditional and eclectic instruments in a variety of settings, both indoors and outdoors. The song is Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbat, a Psalm for Shabbat.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

(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.)