YidLife Crisis Comedians Jamie and Eli Explain Shavuot, Which Starts Tonight

Jamie Elman & Eli Batalion are filmmakers, writers and performers hailing from Montreal with credits spanning 25 years of theater, music, television and film - from starring in Mad Men, House MD and Curb Your Enthusiasm to writing, directing and producing films shown at the Sundance, Toronto, Berlin and SXSW film festivals.

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! 

Shavuot Starts Tonight.....Are You Ready for a Cheesy Holiday? Rabbi Paul Lewin Tells Us Why

Shavuot is the most important Jewish holiday most people have never heard of. One of the three pilgrimage festivals, it doesn't get the attention given to Passover and Sukkot. But it does celebrate the giving and receiving of the Torah. So where are all the songs, jokes, comedy skits and music videos that we share on the other holidays?

They're mostly not there with a few exceptions, including one of our favorites, Mel Brooks as Moses showing us why we have only ten commandments and not fifteen.

From all night lectures and study sessions to mountains of cheese and cheesecake, from Jewish film screenings, decorating our homes with greenery, reading the Book of Ruth, and yoga at dawn, Shavuot finds incredible ways to celebrate receiving the Torah.

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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The Ten Commandments Revisited (by Mel Brooks) as We Celebrate Shavuot

The holiday of Shavuot starts tonight and continues tomorrow and Shabbat. In Israel it's only observed for one day. On Shavuot we commemorate the receiving of the Ten Commandments.

One of Mel Brooks' funniest bits is a scene from his 1981 film A History of the World: Part 1, in which Brooks, in the role of Moses, comes down from Mount Sinai carrying three tablets containing 15 commandments, only to drop one of the tablets, losing the last five commandments as the tablet shatters into bits.

The scene is short, and the third tablet containing the five lost commandments is visible for only a few seconds. We always assumed that the writing on the tablet was some random Hebrew letters, because we never got a good look at them.

But when we watched a PBS tribute to Brooks on which they played this clip, we were able to see it on a 55 inch screen in high definition. All we had to do to read the words on the tablets was to push the pause button. And there they were -- the long lost shattered five commandments.

Here's a translation of the five: You can interpret them any way you want -- that's what we've been doing to the surviving Ten Commandments for thousands of years. But our favorites are Lo Tatzkhik or Lo Titzkhak - obviously an inside joke by the Brooks crew, Lo Tikneh - perhaps the basis for not buying retail, and Lo Teshaber - irony of ironies - as the tablet fell to the ground and broke into tiny pieces.

11. Lo Ta'avor - You shall not pass.
12. Lo Tatzkhik - You shall not make people laugh or Lo Titzkhak - You shall not laugh.
13. Lo Tikneh - You shall not buy.
14. Lo Talunu - You shall not stay. (But the third letter may be a resh, which makes translation difficult.)
15. Lo Teshaber - You shall not break. 

We had posted this originally in 2013 and invited our readers to give their interpretations. You can read them here.

Here's the full clip. Enjoy!

We'll be observing Shavuot tomorrow and Shabbat. We'll be back Sunday with our usual mix. Chag Sameach and Shabbat shalom!

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Welcoming Shabbat and Shavuot with a Harvest Festival Song by Yonina

Finding songs for Shavuot, which starts after the end of Shabbat tomorrow night, isn't as easy as it is for the other Jewish holidays. But Yonina has posted an old favorite, Saleinu al Ktefeinu, (Our baskets are on our shoulders), which we're glad to share with you today. 

Shavuot is also known as Yom HaBikkurim (Day of the first fruits) and Chag HaKatzir (Harvest Festival). 

Yoni and Nina Tokayer, a married musical duo who live in the small town of Pardes Chana, Israel, have been uploading home videos to Facebook and Youtube and reaching millions. They have both been singing and writing since they can remember, and have been making music together ever since they met.

Below the video you'll find the transliterated Hebrew and English lyrics.

We'll be observing Shavuot on Sunday and Monday, so our next post will be on Tuesday.

Shabbat shalom and Chag sameach!

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.

Welcoming Shavuot and Shabbat with an Israeli Harvest Song

Kippalive is an Israeli a cappella group that started out as a group of friends in Raanana who got together every Friday night to sing and were discovered while singing in the streets of Raanana.

We featured them previously in a cappella songs for Chanukah, Passover, and Shabbat.

Finding songs for Shavuot, which starts at sundown tonight, isn't as easy as it is for the other Jewish holidays. But Kippalive has posted an old favorite, Saleinu al Ktefeinu, (Our baskets are on our shoulders), which we're glad to share with you today.

Shavuot is also known as Yom HaBikkurim (Day of the first fruits) and Chag HaKatzir (Harvest Festival). So naturally, the Kipppalive singers put flowers on their heads and sang in a field!  

Below the video you'll find the transliterated Hebrew and English lyrics.

We'll be observing Shavuot on Friday and Shabbat, so our next post will be on Sunday.

Chag sameach and Shabbat shalom!

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Hebrew:

Saleinu al k'tefeinu, rasheinu aturim,
miktzot ha'aretz banu haveinu bikkurim.
Mihudah mihudah v'ad shomron,
min ha'emek min ha'emek v'lagalil,
panu derech lanu, bikkurim itanu,
hach hach hach batof v'chalel b'chalil.W
hach hach hach batof v'chalel b'chalil.
Saleinu al k'tefeinu, rasheinu aturim,
miktzot ha'aretz banu haveinu bikkurim.
Mihudah mihudah v'ad shomron,
min ha'emek min ha'emek v'lagalil,
panu derech lanu, bikkurim itanu,
hach hach hach batof v'chalel b'chalil.
hach hach hach batof v'chalel b'chalil.

English:

Our baskets on our shoulders, crowned heads,
From the ends of the land we came we brought first fruits.
From Yehuda and the Shomron, from the valley,
And the Galil, make way for us, first fruits
with us, bang the drum and play the flute. 

Welcoming Shabbat and Shavuot with Oseh Shalom by HaZamir

This week Shabbat, which starts at sundown tonight, leads directly into the Shavuot holiday, in which the giving of the Torah is celebrated for two days around the world and one day in Israel.

One of the most distinctive customs of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot is Tikkun Leil Shavuot, an evening-long study session held on the night of Shavuot. 

Tikkun means a “set order” of something and refers to the order in which the texts are read. The custom originated with the mystics of Safed in the 16th century, and today, many Jews stay up all night on Shavuot reading and studying a variety of sacred texts. Traditionally, readings from the Torah and Talmud are included. 

Many synagogues hold a Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Some host programs that go on all night, fueled by cheesecake, sushi, and other delicacies, culminating in morning services at sunrise. Other congregations gather for a few hours of study. Whether one is planning to attend an all-night session, study for a few hours, join with others, or study on one’s own, Shavuot is a wonderful time to encounter sacred text.

 

To welcome this holiday weekend, we're sharing a performance of Nurit Hirsh's iconic Oseh Shalom as captured at the HaZamir 2019 Gala Concert in David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center. 

 

Oseh Shalom is conducted by Dr. Marsha Bryan Edelman, conductor of HaZamir Philadelphia and arranged and accompanied on piano by Matthew Lazar, founder of HaZamir and founder and director of the Zamir Choral Foundation. Soloists for this piece are Shani Chamovitz from HaZamir HaSharon and Yosef Nelson from HaZamir DC.

We'll be attending synagogue services on Sunday and Monday, so Jewish Humor Central is taking a two-day break. We'll be back on Tuesday with our usual mix.

Shabbat shalom and Chag sameach!

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.

What a Weekend! Shabbat and Shavuot Back to Back

It's going to be a busy weekend. Tonight we welcome Shabbat as we do every week. But Saturday night marks the beginning of the holiday of Shavuot, one of the three pilgrimage festivals that brought our ancestors to the Temple in Jerusalem each year.

As it happens, we're in Jerusalem this week, and we'll be spending all night Saturday night attending lectures on Torah topics and partaking of the traditional cheesecake and blintzes (Yum!).

Shavuot doesn't get much respect (as comedian Rodney Dangerfield might have said) outside of Israel, probably because it doesn't have the vivid symbols and popular songs that we see and hear on Passover and Sukkot. But in Israel, all night learning is a big deal. The Jerusalem municipality publishes a map and list of lectures to help residents and visitors find their way to all the synagogues that are open all night.

It is a very significant holiday, after all. Today we're sharing a video by Rabbi Eve Posen of Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland, Oregon. With the down-to-earth title of "What the heck is Shavuot," she gives a clear explanation of its importance and customs.

We'll be observing Shavuot on Sunday here in Israel while folks in other countries extend the holiday through Monday. We'll be back on Tuesday with our usual mix, focusing more on humor than we have in the last few days.  Enjoy, Shabbat shalom, and Chag Sameach!
 
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Here Comes Shavuot, a Holiday to Celebrate with Study and Cheesecake

Shavuot is the most important Jewish holiday most people have never heard of. One of the three pilgrimage festivals, it doesn't get the attention given to Passover and Sukkot. But it does celebrate the giving and receiving of the Torah. So where are all the songs, jokes, comedy skits and music videos that we share on the other holidays?

They're mostly not there with a few exceptions, including one of our favorites, Mel Brooks as Moses showing us why we have only ten commandments and not fifteen.

From all night lectures and study sessions to mountains of cheese and cheesecake, from Jewish film screenings, decorating our homes with greenery, reading the Book of Ruth, and yoga at dawn, Shavuot finds incredible ways to celebrate receiving the Torah.

Here's a concise and entertaining explanation with everything you wanted to know about Shavuot but were afraid to ask. It's by BimBam (formerly G-dcast), a nonprofit new media company whose goal is to make Jewish literacy accessible to everyone interested learning, and to create positive attitudes about Jewish values and behaviors.

[Speaking of Mel Brooks'  extra five commandments, all-night study sessions, cheesecake, and Jewish humor, here's a fun way to tie them all together. 

This morning after posting our Shavuot post we received an email from Nino Loss, a foodnik blogger in Vienna, building on the Brooks shtick. It includes a link to his post -- a treatise on cheesecake's origins, interpretations of the "lost five commandments" and a connection between them and the graham cracker crumbs that are part of most cheesecakes. We think it's fitting to take a break from serious study to read and discuss Nino's observations and theories while we consume the traditional high-calorie treat that fuels the night of learning.]

The Shavuot holiday will be celebrated in Israel for one day, tomorrow, and in the rest of the world for two days, tomorrow and Thursday. We'll be celebrating with family both days, and we'll be back with our usual mix on Friday.

Enjoy, and Chag Sameach!

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Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: A Chinese Convert to Haredi Judaism Tells His Story

This week Shabbat, which starts at sundown tonight, leads directly into the Shavuot holiday, in which the giving of the Torah is celebrated for two days around the world and one day in Israel.

One of the most distinctive customs of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot is Tikkun Leil Shavuot, an evening-long study session held on the night of Shavuot. 

Tikkun means a “set order” of something and refers to the order in which the texts are read. The custom originated with the mystics of Safed in the 16th century, and today, many Jews stay up all night on Shavuot reading and studying a variety of sacred texts. Traditionally, readings from the Torah and Talmud are included. 

Many synagogues hold a Tikkun Leil Shavuot. Some host programs that go on all night, fueled by cheesecake, sushi, and other delicacies, culminating in morning services at sunrise. Other congregations gather for a few hours of study. Whether one is planning to attend an all-night session, study for a few hours, join with others, or study on one’s own, Shavuot is a wonderful time to encounter sacred text.

On Shavuot we read the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of how Ruth the Moabite converted to Judaism and became the great-grandmother of King David. This week we found an interesting and unusual modern story of a conversion to Judaism.

It happened in China, where a young man seeking the truth followed many paths until he came to the conclusion that Judaism was the true religion. In this video he tells his personal story of how he was exposed to secularism, Chinese Communism, and Christianity, only to discover the truth in Judaism. 

To be truly Jewish, he had to journey to Israel, where he now wears Haredi clothing, which are all made in China.

We'll be spending Shabbat and Shavuot with our children and grandchildren, so there won't be any Jewish Humor Central posts until Tuesday, when we'll return with another Joke to Start the Week.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach. 

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Shavuot - The Scandalous Backstory of Ruth and Boaz

The holiday of Shavuot starts this Saturday night. Although the two day holiday (one day in Israel) commemorates the giving and receiving of the Torah, it is the least well known and the least observed of the three pilgrimage festivals.

Shavuot doesn't have the vibrant visual symbolism of Pesach and Sukkot. Besides the festive meals that are part of every Jewish holiday, there is an emphasis on all night study and the reading of the Megillah of Ruth in the synagogue.

Today we came across an explanation of the Megillah of Ruth that we hadn't seen before, describing it as a tale of seduction that has links to similar stories about Lot and his daughters and Judah and Tamar.

The story is told by Rabbi David Fohrman, founder of Aleph Beta Academy, on the Orthodox Union website with the use of animation. It's an interesting take on a story that we thought we knew well.

We'll be spending the two days of Shavuot on Sunday and Monday attending classes at night, eating cheesecake, and reading the Megillah of Ruth with new insight. We'll be back on Tuesday with our usual mix.

Shabbat shalom and chag sameach!

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Shavuot Starts Tonight. What's Your Favorite Torah Story? The Children of Boston Speak Out

Tonight is the start of the holiday of Shavuot, the celebration of the giving of the Torah. In the diaspora the holiday lasts for two days, and in Israel just one day. But what observances everywhere have in common is the Tikun Leil Shavuot, the study of Torah all night, commemorating the anticipation by the Jewish people of receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai about 3,500 years ago.

In Jewish communities around the world, young and old attend lectures and study sessions in synagogues and homes that start around midnight and last as long as the participants can stay awake, usually fortified by coffee and cheesecake.

Everyone has his or her favorite part of the Torah, whether it's in the Chumash or in the Prophets. The Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston made this clear with a video showing 16 children from Kindergarten through eighth grade telling what their favorite story is. The kids do not disappoint, and they are very cute.

We will be listening and learning tonight (well, maybe not all night) and catching up on lost sleep Wednesday and Thursday. We'll be back with our usual Jewish humor mix on Friday.

Enjoy the video, and have a Chag Sameach.

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A Shavuot Music Video - "Stay Up All Night"

It's become traditional on the first night of the holiday of Shavuot (this Saturday night) to stay up all night studying or attending lectures to mark the giving and acceptance of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The long hours of studying or listening, known as Tikkun Leil Shavuot, are often fueled by supplies of cheesecake and coffee. 

These sessions range from individual study to group study of Talmudic and other texts to lectures by professionals in their field and interested laymen on topics of Jewish interest. The program in many synagogues begins after midnight and runs until sunrise, when those still awake participate in an early morning Shacharit service.

There aren't too many songs or colorful symbols for this holiday, which ranks with Passover and Sukkot as one of the Shalosh Regalim, or three pilgrimage festivals described in the Torah. So it's refreshing to find an upbeat music video celebrating the holiday and its all-night study aspects.

We hope you enjoy "Stay Up All Night" as performed by Moshe Hamburg, David Bar-Cohn, and Mitch Rudy. The video was filmed at Kehillat Menorat HaMaor in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel. It's a project of Rebbetzin Tap and Friends.

We plan to attend a Tikkun Leil Shavuot at a shul in Riverdale, New York, and spend the next two days playing with two delicious granddaughters, catching up on napping, and dining on a variety of cheesecakes. So there will be no Jewish Humor Central postings on Shabbat, Sunday, and Monday. We'll be back with our usual mix on Tuesday. Chag Sameach to all our readers.

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A Comedy Classic: Mel Brooks on Why We Have Only Ten Commandments

The holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates God's giving of the Torah to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, starts this Saturday night right after the end of Shabbat. It's not easy to find jokes and funny material about Shavuot, unlike the large collection of funny stuff about all the other Jewish holidays, so we're glad that we have inspired comedians like Mel Brooks to fill the gap.

We've long been fans of Brooks' Jewish-influenced comedy, especially in his films. One of our favorites is History of the World - Part 1. In this classic scene, Brooks, acting in the role of Moses, gives us his explanation of how we ended up with only ten commandments. Enjoy!

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