Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam Sung to an Armed Forces Medley

Cantor Seth Ettinger is Cantor of the historic Temple Beth-El in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1874, it is the oldest and largest Jewish congregation in south Texas. Temple Beth-El is a founding member of the Union for Reform Judaism.

On Veterans Day this year, Cantor Ettinger sang Adon Olam to a series of melodies familiar to servicemen as the anthems of their respective services -- the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

Enjoy, and Shabbat Shalom!

Celebrating Purim in Houston with the World's Biggest Gragger

Everything is bigger in Texas, and celebrating Purim in Houston is no exception.  

One of twelve Houston branches of Chabad Lubavitch of Texas, Chabad of Uptown is located in the heart of the trendy Uptown area, near the Galleria, River Oaks and Memorial areas, offering Shabbat services, classes, holiday programs, a vibrant young professionals group and a Mommy and Me program among other outreach activities. 

Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff, who leads Chabad of Uptown with his wife Chanie, appeared on Houston's Fox 26 Morning Show to explain Purim to the TV audience and to demonstrate the use of the world's biggest gragger.

Enjoy!

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Israeli Comedian Ori Laizerouvich, on His Jewish Food Tour of America, Visits a Jewish Cowboy in Austin, Texas

In its latest effort to strengthen the bond between Israel and American Jewry, the Ruderman Family Foundation launched a 10-part original video series, “Jewish Foodie.” 

The series aims to encourage Israelis to deepen their knowledge about U.S. Jewish communities, and Jewish Americans to become better acquainted with their rich and diverse heritage and culture, all accomplished through a rich and fascinating culinary journey of Jewish food across the U.S.

As reported in The Jewish Link,

Hosted by the well-known Israeli actor and comedian Ori Laizerouvich, “Jewish Foodie” takes viewers on a journey of the broad diversity of American Jewry as a whole and its communities in particular through the innovative vehicle of food.

Focusing on the personal stories and cultural influences associated with Jewish food in four American regions, the series explores the Northeast, with its bagels and lox, knishes, delis, hot dogs, Chinese food and vegan fare; the Southeast, including barbecue, bourbon and baked goods; the Southwest, featuring tacos, Jewish-style burgers with latkes (“Jew Boy Burger”), huevos rancheros and rodeo food; and the Midwest, with pastrami sandwiches, bison burgers and Canukah gelt-making.

Viewers not only discover American Jewish communities’ food stories, but also the broader character of the communities themselves and their members, including communities whose Jewish presence may be surprising.

Actor and comedian Laizerouvich is a familiar face to fans of the Chai Flicks streaming series Shababnikim (The New Black) where he plays the role of Gedaliah, a very religious and very serious Yeshiva student.

In this seventh episode of the series, Laizerouvich, spends a day with Jewish cowboy and retired bull rider Jonathan Hochman. After eating a Tex-Mex version of shakshuka, they attend the Austin rodeo.

 (A note to our readers: While all of the food establishments visited by Laizerouvich specialize in Jewish food, only a few of them have kosher certification. In this Austin video, none of the locations are certified kosher.)

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.

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: A Jewish Cowboy and Bull Rider Tells His Story

A Jewish Cowboy? A Jewish Bull Rider? Meet Texan Jonathan Hochman, a self-described Jewish Cowboy and the first Jewish bull rider.

Jonathan's devotion to the sport of rodeo is the focus of today's video, another trip into Jewish Country by the Israeli reporters Oriel and Lior who film and talk their way through a road trip across the American heartland looking for unexpected Jewish connections in flyover country.

And they've surely found one in Jonathan Hochman and his daughter Jimmie, who compete regularly in horseback and bull riding. They raise and train rodeo horses for Jamie to ride in professional and college rodeo events. 

They have 11 horses on their ranch, which they call El Rancho Loco.

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.