Jewish Humor Central

Jewish Humor Central is a daily publication to start your day with news of the Jewish world that's likely to produce a knowing smile and some Yiddishe nachas. It's also a collection of sources of Jewish humor--anything that brings a grin, chuckle, laugh, guffaw, or just a warm feeling to readers. Our posts include jokes, satire, books, music, films, videos, food, Unbelievable But True, and In the News. Some are new, and some are classics. We post every morning, Sunday through Friday. Enjoy!

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Israeli Singer Geula Sings "Arava, Arava" on The Ed Sullivan Show

Today's Throwback Thursday post takes us back to May 12, 1963, When Israeli singer Geula Gill appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and sang Arava, Arava to a large TV audience.

Geula Gill, now 93 years old, is an Israeli singer and actress. Described as a dark-haired beauty with excellent stage personality and great musical versatility", she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in The Grand Music Hall of Israel in 1968.

In the early 1960s, she performed with the Oranim Zabar group. Oranim Zabar also included arranger and accordionist Dov Seltzer (Gill's husband at the time) and guitarist and drummer Michael Kagan.

Enjoy!

#Throwback Thursday #TBT

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Just Published in Time for Jewish Book Month: The Candle in the Drinking Glass.

A Story of Memory, Family, and Tradition by Jewish Humor Central Publisher Al Kustanowitz. Six-year-old Jackie discovers a yahrzeit candle burning in an ordinary drinking glass. His father explains that it honors Grandpa Jack, whom Jackie never knew. Through stories of immigration, hard work, kindness, faith and family, Jackie learns how simple objects can carry memories from one generation to another. Click on photo above for more info at www.murminbooks.com. Now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart.

Planning for Purim? Get The Kustanowitz Kronikle - 35 Years of Purim Parody. Now available at Amazon

From 1988 to 2022 we have published a Purim parody edition of The Kustanowitz Kronikle, covering virtually every aspect of Jewish life, and including parodies of hundreds of popular movies. After 35 years we decided to retire the series and capture all the fun in a book that is available at Amazon.com. It has every Purim issue of The Kustanowitz Kronikle from 1988 through 2022 in a full-color, full-size paperback book with hilarious headline stories and parody movie picks. Here are a few examples: TRUMP, NETANYAHU SWAP ROLES, COUNTRIES; NEW TALMUD VOLUME "VOTIN" FOUND IN IRAQ; JOINS "FRESSIN", "NAPPIN", TANTZEN","PATCHEN"; "JUDAICARE" PROGRAM PLANNED TO ENSURE THAT ALL JEWS HAVE SYNAGOGUE MEMBERSHIP; RABBIS CREATE TALMUD AMERICANI; NEW LAWS EXTEND HALACHA TO THANKSGIVING AND JULY 4; JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE UNITE TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING; FOCUS ON REDUCING HOT AIR; RABBIS TO REQUIRE SHECHITA FOR MANY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

"Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places" is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions

This book presents 150 anecdotes and associated video clips that reveal the myriad ways that Jewish culture, religion, humor, music, song, and dance have found expression in parts of the world that, at first glance, might not seem supportive of Jewish Life. It includes 50 videos of Hava Nagila being performed from Texas to Thailand, from India to Iran, and from Buenos Aires to British Columbia. Also highlighted are 34 international versions of Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, Adon Olam, Abanibi, and Tumbalalaika. Whether you’re reading the print version and typing in the video URLs or reading the e-book version and clicking on the links, you’ll have access to 150 video clips totaling more than 10 hours of video. Enjoy!

"Israel is a Funny Country" is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions

This book explores the multifaceted nature of humor in Israel, some of which is intentional and some of which is unintentional. Either way, the quirks of Israeli life contribute to making that life interesting and fulfilling. In the pages of this volume, we take a look at humorous slices of Israeli life, Israeli comedy, satire and parody, funny TV commercials, unusual stories about food, surprising rabbinic bans on daily activities, simchas as they can only be celebrated in Israel, and endearing aspects of Israeli culture. There are more than 120 anecdotes and links to video clips totaling more than six hours of video. We hope that these anecdotes and video clips give you a new and different insight into life in Israel, and encourage you to join in the fun by planning a visit to the land flowing with milk and honey.

The Best of Jewish Humor Central - Now Available in eBook and Paperback at Amazon.com

About the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

A long-term devotee of Jewish humor, Al Kustanowitz has been collecting and sharing it even before there was an internet. In 2009, after a 36-year career at IBM managing new technology projects, he founded Jewish Humor Central (jewishhumorcentral.com. Through the blog he brings a daily dose of fun and positive energy to readers who would otherwise start the day reading news that is often drab, dreary, and depressing (subscribing is free). He has published 12 books on humor based on his more than 4,000 blog postings, each of which includes a video clip and his commentary. He has presented more than 100 programs in South Florida and the Northeast on topics that include the great comedians and entertainers of the 20th century, funniest moments in film and television, flash mobs around the world, and composers and lyricists of the Great American Songbook. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the City University of New York and taught computer science courses at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the International Association of Yiddish Clubs. You can contact Al via email at akustan@gmail.com.

Jewish Humor Central

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Israeli Singer Geula Sings "Arava, Arava" on The Ed Sullivan Show

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Just Published in Time for Jewish Book Month: The Candle in the Drinking Glass.

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Planning for Purim? Get The Kustanowitz Kronikle - 35 Years of Purim Parody. Now available at Amazon