Long Island Orthodox Jewish Teen Picked for Major League Baseball Career by Arizona Diamondbacks

Jacob Steinmetz, a 17-year-old pitcher from Woodmere and graduate of the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns (HAFTR) is headed to the major leagues.

Steinmetz made history last week as the first Orthodox Jewish baseball player to be drafted by a major league team. The Arizona Diamondbacks chose the Long Island native with the 77th overall pick, far higher than expected.

As reported by Dennis Waszak Jr. in The Times of Israel,

Jacob Steinmetz’s blazing fastball helped make him a baseball draft trailblazer.

The New York native is believed to be the first known practicing Orthodox Jewish player to be selected by a US major league team, going in the third round — 77th overall — to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.

The 6-foot-5 (195-centimeter), 220-pound (100-kilogram) Steinmetz, from the Long Island hamlet of Woodmere, is a 17-year-old right-hander whose repertoire features a fastball that sits in the mid- to upper-90s and a knee-buckling curveball. His draft stock rose considerably while playing for the Elev8 Baseball Academy in Delray Beach, Florida, this year after previously competing for his high school team, The Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway.

Steinmetz recently told the New York Post he keeps the Sabbath and eats only Kosher food, but plays during the Sabbath and on Jewish holidays — although he walks to games during the Sabbath rather than taking transportation. No practicing Orthodox Jewish player has made it to the big leagues.

Kvell!

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 Minute of Yiddish - Cookie Kibitznik Tells Us When and When Not to Use the Word "Chutzpah"

Meet Cookie Kibbitznik – your favorite Jewish mother! She's a technically-challenged Boomer fashionista – a tell-it-like-it-is kind of unfiltered gal ... a power-walking, pool-jogging, brisket-making, mah jongg maven ... your new favorite Funny Girl and giver of sage advice! She's here to teach you Yiddish, as you fall out of your chair, laughing! 

These videos are not meant to compete with serious Yiddish language tutorials such as the new Duolingo  course or Rukhl Schaechter's Word of the Day lessons from the Forward. They focus on Yiddish words that you probably already know, but illustrate their use in hilarious ways. They are produced and acted out by a woman who reveals only her first name, Perri. In today's video and other that we will be sharing in the coming weeks, she assumes the identity of Cookie Kibitznik, a yenta if we ever saw won.

In this episode, Cookie tells us when and when not to use the word "Chutzpah."

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 Joke to Start the Week - "Shanghai Synagogue"

It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today Mickey Greenblatt is back with another good one.

Marshal (Mickey) Greenblatt received degrees from Columbia (BA and BS in Flight Sciences), a DC from Von Karman Institute (1963) and his PhD from Princeton in Aerospace Sciences. He worked as a researcher for NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory. 

With four other scientists, he founded Fusion Systems Corporation, which invented microwave-powered UV lamps for drying coatings. He founded and served on the boards of technology companies and is active in volunteer work. He served on the executive committee of the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington for many years.

Mickey also loves Jewish jokes and sent us this one to share with you. Here's the setup:  I was touring with my wife Nancy on a beautiful Friday night. As we were walking along, I heard the prayers from the Shabbat service. And then...

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.

Tisha B'Av Special: Don McLean Sings "Waters of Babylon" ("Al Naharot Bavel")

If you were expecting a joke today, we're sorry to disappoint you. You'll have to wait until tomorrow. Today is Tisha B'Av, an annual fast day in Judaism which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem and the subsequent exile of the Jews from the Land of Israel.

The day also commemorates other tragedies which occurred on the same day, including the Roman massacre of over 100,000 Jews at Betar in 132 CE. Instituted by the rabbis of 2nd-century Palestine, 

Tisha B'Av is regarded as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, a day in which all pleasurable activity is forbidden, and is marked by synagogue attendance the night before and during the day. But that doesn't mean there's no singing, or more accurately, chanting.

The highlight of the day's service is the chanting of the megillah of Eicha (Lamentations), written by the prophet Jeremiah. Eicha is read in synagogues and in groups meeting indoors and outdoors.

If Eicha's dirge-like melody and mournful lyrics don't speak to you, there's another musical way to get into the mood. In 1975 Don McLean performed his hit song Babylon in front of a live audience in Dublin and had them singing along with him. The lyrics are just perfect for Tisha B'Av, adapted from Psalm 137 in Tehilim (The Book of Psalms). 

עַ֥ל נַהֲר֨וֹת ׀ בָּבֶ֗ל
שָׁ֣ם יָ֭שַׁבְנוּ גַּם־בָּכִ֑ינוּ
בְּ֝זׇכְרֵ֗נוּ
אֶת־צִיּֽוֹן׃

By the rivers of Babylon,
there we sat and also wept,
as we remembered Zion.

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 Shabbat with a Special Version of Lecha Dodi for the Shabbat Before Tisha B'Av

A special melody is used once in a year in many Jewish communities for Shabbat Chazon, the Shabbat preceding Tisha B'Av. The melody is taken from the last of the poems of mourning from the Tisha B'Av service. 

In this video, Rabbi Lia Bass, founder and spiritual leader of JILLI, the Jewish Institute for Lifelong Learning and Innovation, explains its origins and sings the first stanza.

Lia Bass is a Brazilian-born American rabbi and the second Latin American female rabbi in the world. She is also Northern Virginia's first female Conservative rabbi and the first woman from Brazil to be ordained as a rabbi.

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.

Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Gilda Radner's First Appearance on Johnny Carson Show

In 1983, seven years after Gilda Radner joined Saturday Night Live as a member of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, she made her first appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

In a funny, wide-ranging interview, Gilda reads a hilarious selection from her book, Roseanne Rosanadanna's Hey! Get Back to Work Book. 

She explains how she overcame her shyness by getting lost in the characters that she invented and brought to life in the show.

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.

 

#Throwback Thursday    #TBT

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: Ed Wynn Accompanies Dinah Shore on His Piano Bicycle

The Ed Wynn Show premiered on September 22, 1949 on CBS. The series starred Ed Wynn (1886–1966), a well-established comedian of stage, vaudeville, film and radio. 

The series consisted of vaudeville-like skits and music performed by the days' popular artists.

The Ed Wynn Show was the first television series to originate from Hollywood. It was also one of the first television series to use the kinescope process in an effort to preserve episodes for later distribution. Sometimes after the live broadcast was finished, some re-takes were kinescoped and edited into the film to improve the east coast version.

The series was known for its list of prominent guest stars every week. In this video clip, Ed Wynn accompanies Dinah Shore on one of his inventions, the piano bicycle, as she sings Shine On, Harvest Moon and Tea for Two.

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.

The Weird Jewish Hats of Medieval Art

Throughout the middle ages, Jews have been depicted in stained glass windows, paintings and illustrations as wearing a funny looking hat, looking like a flying saucer topped with a knob, or a variation of the Phrygian hat, now mainly worn by the Smurfs.

Most of medieval art was Christian, and questions have been raised as to whether these were merely depictions of what Jews really wore or whether they were antisemitic caricatures.

The Judenhat ("Jewish hat") can be traced back to medieval Europe. You can even find it in the Bird’s Head Haggadah and some other Jewish books of the time. Originally a marker of eastern learning, antiquity and authority, and even fashionable with 12th century aristocracy, things took a dark turn as Jews were depicted wearing the hat while stabbing Jesus. Paired with a “Jewish nose”, the hat can even sometimes still be seen in antisemitic depictions of Jews today.

So is it an antisemitic trope or a fashion statement? In her book Dark Mirror, Sara Lipton analyzes these graphic depictions. The YouTube channel Unpacked has posted a video that looks at this complex topic from many angles and tries to untangle it.

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 Joke to Start the Week - "The Magician"

It's another Monday, and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're bringing you another joke told by David Apfel. 

Now living in Modiin, Israel, David Apfel is an accomplished entertainer and chazzan. He sings in several languages with repertoire ranging from the musicals to opera. He has officiated internationally at several orthodox synagogues and he also specializes in ''Kosher Komedie''.

Here's the setup for today's joke: A really adept and world famous magician was hired by a cruise company to entertain all the passengers. He had a parrot on his shoulder. And then...

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 Minute of Yiddish: Cookie Kibitznik on the Etymology and Use of the Word "Nebbish"

Cookie Kibitznik, your favorite Jewish mother, is back. She's a tell-it-like-it-is, unfiltered, power-walking, pool-jogging, brisket-making giver of sage advice! She's here to teach you Yiddish, and you'll be plotzing from laughter!

These videos are not meant to compete with serious Yiddish language tutorials such as the new Duolingo  course or Rukhl Schaechter's Word of the Day lessons from the Forward. They focus on Yiddish words that you probably already know, but illustrate their use in hilarious ways. They are produced and acted out by a woman who reveals only her first name, Perri. In today's video and other that we will be sharing in the coming weeks, she assumes the identity of Cookie Kibitznik, a yenta if we ever saw won.

In this episode, Cookie traces the etymology and gives many examples of when it's appropriate to call someone a nebbish.

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.

Welcoming Shabbat with V'Shamru by Cantors of the Stephen Wise Temple of Los Angeles

Stephen Wise Temple is a large Reform Jewish congregation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1964 by the late Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, with 35 families, the congregation grew rapidly. At various times in its history it has been stated to be the largest, or one of the largest, Jewish congregations in the world.  

At one time it had a membership of about 3,000 families, six rabbis, two cantors and two cantorial interns, and four schools on three campuses. As of 1994 it was the second-largest synagogue in the United States.

As we get ready to observe another Shabbat, Cantor Emma Lutz and Cantorial Intern Josh Goldberg sing V'Shamru from the Kabbalat Shabbat Friday evening service. 

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.

An Important Message for Email Subscribers to Jewish Humor Central

If you subscribe to Jewish Humor Central via email, you have received or will soon receive a strange-looking message from Follow.it, a distributor of blog posts via email. Here's how it looks:

You received this email because the publisher of the feed Jewishhumorcentral imported you to this list, claiming that you were already subscribed to this content in other ways previously. Please confirm this is correct and you want to receive this content by clicking here, or decline if you don't want to receive it.

 

This is not a hack. It is a legitimate message that we authorized because Feedburner/Google, the previous distributor of our daily emails, has decided to stop providing this service. We had to find a replacement service to continue sending out the daily emails, and we chose Follow.it.

You must click on the confirmation link in the email that you received from follow.it to continue receiving blog posts from Jewish Humor Central. If you accidentally clicked on the red decline link, then you must re-subscribe by entering your email address in the new form atop the left column at www.jewishhumorcentral.com.

Thank you for your continuing support and spreading the word about Jewish Humor Central to your friends and contacts. We've been doing this for 12 years, posting more than 3,500 videos and we don't intend to stop any time soon. So please accept our apology for this unexpected service interruption and stay with us as we continue to bring you daily doses of Jewish humor. 

Al Kustanowitz and the staff of Jewish Humor Central

Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Another Rodney Dangerfield Routine From The Ed Sullivan Show

It's Throwback Thursday again and we're going back 54 years to get another dose of Rodney Dangerfield explaining why he "don't get no respect."

Born Jacob Rodney Cohen on Long Island, Dangerfield (he took the name from a character in a skit on the Jack Benny Show) had a career that went beyond standup comedy to the movies and to his own comedy club, Dangerfield's, in Manhattan.

In this video clip from The Ed Sullivan Show in June 1967, Dangerfield delivers monologues and tosses out one-liners about being thin, his New York neighborhood, and his wife.

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.  

 

#Throwback Thursday    #TBT

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Jack Benny and "The Landrews Sisters" in 1957

Back in 2012 we posted a comedy clip from The Jack Benny Show from 1957 in which Jack was conducting a talent show to give a break to new performers. Of course Benny's shows were comedies and so were the talent performances. 

The memorable clip that we posted featured Mel Blanc as Stanley Gropff, who created a spray every time he pronounced his name. Gropff (Blanc said his original name was Shpritzer) was the first contestant in this show. 

Today we're posting a continuation of this show, with the second contestants a trio called The Landrews Sisters, obviously a take-off on The Andrews Sisters. Not believing what he's seeing, Benny takes off his glasses, shpritzes "Gropff" onto the lenses, and proceeds to clean them.

The "sisters" were in reality three actress/comedians: Muriel Landers, Iris Adrian, and June Earle. The patter between Benny and the girls was funny in 1957 and is still funny today, but would likely be banned in today's cancel culture.

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.

Hava Nagila Around the World: RedBricks Harmonica Ensemble Performs in Hong Kong Reservoir

Today we're adding a 97th version of Hava Nagila to our series of its performances all around the world. This one is a rendition from Hong Kong.

The RedBricks Harmonica Ensemble was formed by five enthusiastic musicians from King’s College, a secondary school for boys in Hong Kong. They have been frequent winners in the World Harmonica Festival in Germany. However, winning trophies and awards are only the very start of their music journeys. They have performed as members of Hong Kong Harmonica Association in Shanghai, Singapore, Malaysia and Germany and Bahrain. 

In the same year, RedBricks was the 3rd runner up in World Harmonica Festival Trio Category. In August 2018, the group was the 1st runner up in the 6th Seoul International Harmonica Festival Trio Category. In October 2018, RedBricks was invited by the Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau to join the 1st China International Import Expo in Shanghai, showcasing Hong Kong harmonica music in the National Exhibition Area. During the tour to Shanghai, RedBricks also performed at the Hong Kong Dinner hosted by the Chief Executive Mrs. Carrie Lam, demonstrating harmonica music as the soft power of Hong Kong.

In this video, RedBricks performs Hava Nagila in the Shing Mun reservoir in 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.

 

A Joke to Start the Week - "Barber Shop"

It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today Mickey Greenblatt is back with another good one.

Marshal (Mickey) Greenblatt received degrees from Columbia (BA and BS in Flight Sciences), a DC from Von Karman Institute (1963) and his PhD from Princeton in Aerospace Sciences. He worked as a researcher for NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory. 

With four other scientists, he founded Fusion Systems Corporation, which invented microwave-powered UV lamps for drying coatings. He founded and served on the boards of technology companies and is active in volunteer work. He served on the executive committee of the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington for many years.

Mickey also loves Jewish jokes and sent us this one to share with you. Here's the setup: Rose band Mary are two middle aged women who happen to be sitting next to each other on a long distance flight. To pass the time they started to converse. And then...

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.