On Hoshana Rabbah We Bid Farewell to the Etrog and Lulav and Welcome Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah

Today is Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of Sukkot. In synagogues around the world, Jews take up the etrog and lulav for the last time and march around the shul seven times carrying them together with the myrtle and willow leaves.

In the evening we welcome Shemini Atzeret, a separate holiday which leads into Simchat Torah. In Israel, both holidays are celebrated in a single day.  

The search for a nice set of the four species is a big project in Israel, where stands are set up in the street and in front of stores where the etrogim (citrons) are on display for buyers to inspect and purchase.

In this video, singer Aaron Holder visits the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, smelling his way through many etrogim before finding the perfect one.

We will be observing Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah on Thursday and Friday, leading into another Shabbat. So Jewish Humor Central will be taking a break for two days, and we'll be back on Sunday with our usual mix of humor and music.

Enjoy, Chag Sameach, and Shabbat Shalom!

Explaining Why a Month of Jewish Holidays Gets in the Way of Business Meetings - A Sukkot Comedy Sketch

Explaining why a month of Jewish holidays, from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Hoshana Rabba and Simchat Torah can be a challenge to observant Jews trying to set up a business meeting with customers who are not observing these holidays.

When the holidays fall on weekdays, and you add Shabbatot to the mix, finding a date for a meeting can leave the impression that you just don't want to have a meeting.

This situation is the subject of a comedy sketch that we found on the Jewish Sparks YouTube channel. In this humorous video, we join a Jewish individual as he navigates the complex calendar of Jewish holidays and hilariously explains to a customer why he couldn't meet in the past month. 

With wit and laughter, he walks through the series of holiday events that have kept him occupied. This comedic take on the challenges of scheduling during the Jewish holiday season will be familiar to many of our readers.

Enjoy! 

Welcoming Shabbat (and Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah) with U'Vyom HaShabbat by the Zurich Synagogue Choir

Tonight we celebrate a grand finale to what has been almost a full month of holidays. With Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot in the rear view mirror, what's left is the holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, which is celebrated as a single day in Israel and two days in the diaspora.

This year the holiday falls on Shabbat, so there is an abundance of joy and an extra measure of dancing with the Torah, song, and feasting. We're starting the holiday by sharing a performance of U'Vyom HaShabbat by the Zurich Synagogue Choir.

The Zurich Synagogue Choir includes around two dozen singers under the direction of conductor Robert Braunschweig. The choir is supported by the Jewish Community of Zurich, Switzerland. They sing once a month at the Löwenstrasse synagogue during services on Shabbat morning and on the High Holidays. The choir also sings at interdenominational events and gives concerts at home and abroad.  

The choir in the Löwenstrasse Synagogue has existed – in various forms – for over 100 years. Its members have and live a wide variety of religious orientations. What they all have in common is the joy of singing in the cultural and religious environment of the unified community.

We'll be observing the two-day holiday tomorrow and Sunday, so the next Jewish Humor Central post will be on Monday, when we'll be back with our regular mix.

We wish you a Shabbat shalom and Chag Sameach!

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Ivanka Trump and Kids Head to Shul on Shemini Atzeret

The news media always pay attention when Ivanka Trump gets dressed for shul, and this week her walk to shul on Shemini Atzeret in the Kalorama section of Washington, D.C. was no exception.

This year they focused on her dress and hat, and the scooters that her three kids were riding. The mispronunciations of the automated text reader are always funny, and especially when trying to pronounce Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret.

Back in 2011 we posted a photo from the London Daily Mail showing Ivanka, Jared, and baby Arabella walking to shul in Manhattan on Sukkot. It's still the most viewed post on Jewish Humor Central. What made the photo an example of Jewish humor was the Daily Mail's description of the scene as Ivanka walking with some flowers that her husband bought for her. Actually he was carrying a lulav in plastic wrapping and an etrog in a cardboard box, just like any Jew going to shul on the holiday. 

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.

Welcome to Shemini Atzeret with a Simchat Torah Rap by Rap Daddy D

Our month of holidays concludes this week with Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah -- Monday in Israel and Monday and Tuesday everywhere else. 

We'll be celebrating both days in a New Jersey synagogue and we'll be back with our usual mix of funny stuff and Jewish entertainment on Wednesday.

But we have one more chance to share a holiday video with you and we selected the Simchat Torah Rap by David Nachenberg, who also goes by the name Rap Daddy D. The first half of the song is in Hebrew and the second half is in English.

Enjoy, 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.