A Personal Announcement to Jewish Humor Central Readers from Al Kustanowitz

After publishing Jewish Humor Central for more than 17 years, I am delighted to share a very different kind of project with you.

My new children’s picture book, published worldwide today, is titled The Candle in the Drinking Glass: A Story of Memory, Family, and Tradition.

The story began as a two-and-a-half-page manuscript that I wrote 47 years ago. It has now become a fully illustrated, 48-page book about a curious six-year-old boy who discovers a yahrzeit candle burning in a drinking glass. Through a warm conversation with his father, he begins learning about the grandfather he never knew and about the memories and traditions that connect generations.

Although written for children ages 6–8, it is also intended for parents, grandparents and families to read together.

I hope you will enjoy meeting Jackie, his father and Grandpa Jack—and I would be grateful if you shared this announcement with friends, parents, grandparents and educators who might appreciate the story.

The Candle in the Drinking Glass is published by Murmin Books and is available in paperback and hardcover editions.

You can learn more, watch the one-minute narrated preview and choose among the available purchasing options at:

https://murminbooks.com

If the story and its message speak to you, please share this announcement with family and friends.

Sunday Comedy Showcase: Animal Impressions with Carl Reiner and Andy Kaufman on the Dick Van Dyke Show

Some of the best TV comedy was on shows and comedy specials in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Today we continue our Sunday Comedy Showcase series, sharing some of the classic routines by iconic comedians on Sunday editions of Jewish Humor Central.  

In this sketch from Dick Van Dyke's short-lived 1970s variety show, watch as comedy legend Carl Reiner hilariously pushes Dick to the brink to see if he's promotion material. Reiner shows his comedic talent in changing character from a stiff corporate president to a chicken. And just for good measure, Andy Kaufman makes an appearance as the menace who's constantly trying to get TV time on Van Dyke and Company.    

Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Sammy Fain Sings His Most Popular Songs in 1931

Songwriter Sammy Fain was born Samuel Feinberg in New York City, to a family that was deeply rooted in the world of show business. His uncle, for instance, Willie Howard (Wilhelm Levkowitz), son of a Silesian cantor, was a vaudeville performer. 

As a young man, Fain taught himself to play the piano. Although he couldn't read music well, he had a natural talent for coming up with memorable melodies in the spur of the moment. In 1925, he composed his first piece: "Nobody Knows What a Red-headed Mama Can Do."

Until 1942, Fain worked extensively in collaboration with Irving Kahal. In the late 1920s, they created works including "Wedding Bells are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine" and "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella." Fain and Kahal also collaborated to write pieces for the play Right This Way, such as "I Can Dream, Can't I?" and "I'll Be Seeing You." The latter was especially popular during WWII, as it perfectly reflected the feelings of many American wives whose husbands were off fighting.

95 years ago a short film was released featuring Sammy Fain singing some of his most popular songs. Enjoy!

 

   #Throwback Thursday      #TBT

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Georgia Gibbs (Born Frieda Lipschitz) Sings "The Birth of the Blues"

Today's Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase takes us back to January 1959 when Georgia Gibbs sang The Birth of the Blues on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Georgia Gibbs, born Frieda Lipschitz in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1918, was an American popular singer and vocal entertainer rooted in jazz. Already singing publicly in her early teens, Gibbs achieved acclaim and notoriety in the mid-1950s copying songs originating with the black rhythm and blues community and later became a featured vocalist for many radio and television variety and comedy programs.

Gibbs was the youngest of four children of Russian Jewish descent. Her father died when she was six months old, and she and her three siblings spent the next seven years in a local Jewish orphanage.

In 1943, with her name changed to Georgia Gibbs, she began appearing on the Camel Caravan radio program, hosted by Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore, where she remained a regular performer until 1947. It was Moore who bestowed upon her the famous nickname "Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs," ironically using the title to describe the singer of diminutive stature who had an enormous "authoritative" prominence in American pop music.

Enjoy!

 

   #Throwback Thursday     #TBT

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Dolly Parton Appears in Candid Camera Stunts in 1975

Candid Camera was a popular and long-running American hidden camera reality television series. Versions of the show appeared on television from 1948 until 2014. Originally created and produced by Allen Funt, it often featured practical jokes, and initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

The show involved concealed cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims were told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." The catchphrase became a song with music and lyrics by Sid Ramin.

Dolly Parton, the musician, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman who died yesterday in Nashville, was a special favorite among Allen's team when Candid Camera moved its production to Nashville in the 1970s. Dubbed the "Queen of Country," Dolly was fun, witty and enormously talented. 

Here are two of her Candid moments from 1975 when she took part in two elaborate Candid Camera Classics pranks. One involves faking an injury to get assistance in a parking lot, while the other features a disruptive musical performance in a grocery store designed to confuse and provoke reactions from unsuspecting shoppers.

Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Dinah Shore Sings "Something Wonderful" on the Ed Sullivan Show

Dinah Shore, born Frances Rose Shore (1916–1994) in Winchester, Tennessee,  to Russian-Jewish immigrant shopkeepers Anna Stein and Solomon Shore, was an American singer, actress, television personality, author, and talk show host. 

Raised in Nashville, she rose to prominence as a recording artist during the Big Band era. She achieved even greater success a decade later in television, mainly as the host of a series of variety programs sponsored by Chevrolet. 

In 1966 she appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and sang Something Wonderful from The King and I by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Enjoy!

 

  #Throwback Thursday       #TBT

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: "Faucet Fiasco" - Candid Camera Gold

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes. 

In this classic episode, the Candid Camera crew rigged the sinks in a public restroom in Gulfport, Mississippi so that they could control the flow of water from the faucets. 

Enjoy!

The Borscht Belt Museum is Open for Business; Visit it in Ellenville, New York This Summer

The Borscht Belt Festival in Ellenville, New York, celebrated its fourth year last month. Catskills fans from all over descended on the festival at the Borscht Belt Museum for a dose of nostalgia, Jewish comedy, and classic Jewish food as it was served in the hotels of Sullivan and Ulster Counties.

The festival lasted only for a few days but the museum is open during the summer on Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. It's closed on Mondays.

The museum is currently featuring a new exhibit called Catskills Romance: Love and Desire in the Borscht Belt. 

It traces the relationships — both conventional and otherwise — that unfolded across the grand hotels and humble bungalow colonies. It celebrates the resort owners, maitre d’s, social directors (tummlers), dance instructors, and staff who masterminded countless successful matches, and explores the beautiful rituals of courtship that defined Catskills summer. The exhibit highlights the essential spaces, activities, and ingredients that sparked connection:  the poolside scene, the Mambo nights and Champagne Hour competitions, and the world-class entertainment that made the resorts irresistible to singles and couples alike.

Beyond the nostalgia, the exhibition uncovers more complex narratives: tales of hidden desire, lost innocence, and the enduring memories guests carried home long after the season ended. Drawing on rare artifacts, vintage photography, oral histories, and the iconic popular culture the era inspired, Catskills Romance offers an intimate, elegant look at a world where tradition and transgression mingled poolside — and a single dance could change a life forever.

The exhibition contains mature content and is not suitable for all ages. Parental discretion is advised.

Here is a the 3-min film that the museum is showing that describes the history of the Catskills resort era. 

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: "Loose Door" - Candid Camera Gold From 1966

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes. 

Sixty years ago the Candid Camera producers set up an office situation with a door that people were supposed to knock on before entering. But none of the realized how strong they were.

Enjoy!

Sunday Standup Comedy Showcase: George Burns and Jack Benny as The Smothers Brothers

Some of the best standup comedy was on TV shows and comedy specials in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Today we continue our Sunday Standup series, sharing some of the classic routines by iconic comedians on Sunday editions of Jewish Humor Central. 

In 1967 legendary comedians Jack Benny and George Burns, who evolved from the vaudeville stage to television, stepped into the roles of bickering comedic brothers Tom and Dick Smothers on this sketch from the classic hit comedy show and topped it off with the song "I Taught Him Everything He Knows." 

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: "Coffee Break with Vivian Vance" - A Candid Camera Classic from 1962

Candid Camera was a popular and long-running American hidden camera reality television series. Versions of the show appeared on television from 1948 until 2014. Originally created and produced by Allen Funt, it often featured practical jokes, and initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

The show involved concealed cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims were told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." The catchphrase became a song with music and lyrics by Sid Ramin.

In this classic episode, shoppers at department stores in New York City encounter a sales clerk who repeatedly abandons her duties to take an immediate coffee break. As unsuspecting customers interact with the employee, the situation escalates, testing the patience of those attempting to make a purchase. The role of the sales clerk is played by actress Vivian Vance, who was best known for playing landlady Ethel Mertz on the sitcom I Love Lucy.

This Candid Camera episode took place 64 years ago in 1962.  

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: "Shuttle to Nowhere" - A Candid Camera Classic

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes.

In this Candid Camera classic stunt set in a shopping mall, staffer Jose posed as a driver of a parking lot shuttle. Customers thought that the shuttle would take them to the mall entrance, but the sign on the shuttle said "Park and Ride" and that's exactly what it did -- after they parked they were taken on a ride around the parking lot.

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Cop in Your Driveway - A Candid Camera Classic

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes.

In this classic stunt Candid Camera co-host Dina Eastwood poses as a traffic enforcement officer visiting suburban homes to issue fake citations for minor parking infractions. Residents react with confusion and frustration while attempting to defend their parking habits on private property. 

Enjoy!

Missing the Old Catskill Hotels on the 17th Day of Tammuz

Today is the Seventeenth day of Tammuz, the start of a three week period that ends with the Ninth day of Av (this year, on July 22-23). During this period Jews worldwide lament the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem so many years ago.

It's hard for us to feel the sadness and desolation of the destruction because we never personally felt the joy of experiencing the celebrations and rituals that took place in the Temples.

But we have a modern counterpart of sorts that we can relate to by recognizing the desolation that has come to the hundreds of once-regal Catskills hotels that brought pleasure and recreation to American Jews in the 1960s through the 1990s.

Not that we're comparing the hotels to the Temples, but in a sense the hotels were temples of Jewish life in their heydey. 

Here's a nostalgic video made up of postcards showing the facades of many of the older Catskills hotels, some of which you may remember visiting, or at least seeing the directional signs posted at highway exits. The music in the background is the Yiddish song Vus is geven, is geven, un nit do (What was, was, and can never be again.) 

Sunday Standup Comedy Showcase: Dick Shawn Performs in 1959

Some of the best standup comedy was on TV shows and comedy specials in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Today we continue our Sunday Standup series, sharing some of the classic routines by iconic comedians on Sunday editions of Jewish Humor Central.

Dick Shawn was born Richard Schulefand in Buffalo, New York and raised in adjacent Lackawanna. 

The best remembered roles of his career are the hot-headed Sylvester Marcus, son of Mrs. Marcus (Ethel Merman), in Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and easygoing Lorenzo St. DuBois/Adolf Hitler in the musical Springtime for Hitler, the play within Mel Brooks's movie The Producers (1968).

Here's one of his earliest standup performances from 1959. Yes, that's 67 years ago.

Enjoy!

Celebrating Our 5,000th Post in 17 Years of Jewish Humor

Jewish Humor Central made its first appearance on the Internet on Sunday, October 4, 2009. In the following 17+ years we have posted video clips to fulfill the mission that we established at the beginning -- an objective that has appeared as the header on our home page ever since.

We posted Jewish humor items in the following categories: Jokes,  stories, parodies, satire, legends, books, films, Unbelievable But True, and In the News. Some were new, and some were classics. Occasionally some were not really funny, but thought-provoking.We included our own comments, but generally relied on the links to tell their own story.

We included items from religious and secular sources of all Jewish denominations, and we tried to keep the site family-friendly. Any perceived slight to any group or subgroup has been unintentional, and we trusted that people without a sense of humor would not be offended by anything we posted or linked to.

 

About a month ago, we quietly reached a milestone -- 5,000 unique blog posts. So let's take time out to celebrate, look back over the years and repeat the five most viewed posts since Jewish Humor Central began. We hope you enjoy seeing them again and understand why they have been so popular. 

#1 - Barbra Streisand Performs Avinu Malkeinu at Shimon Peres' 90th Birthday Celebration in Jerusalem.

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2013/06/barbra-streisand-performs-in-hebrew-and.html

#2 - Alan King Explains All the Middle East Conflicts

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2015/12/a-rare-comedy-find-alan-king-explains_3.html

 

#3 - Ivanka Trump Goes to Shul on Sukkot and the Media Doesn't Get It

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2011/10/ivanka-trump-goes-to-shul-on-sukkot-and.html

 

#4 - I Could be Jewish For You

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2014/07/i-could-be-jewish-for-you-from-songs-by.html

 

#5 - Yiddishology - How Good Is Your Yiddish - "Shtipper" or "Shtupper"?

http://www.jewishhumorcentral.com/2010/04/yiddishology-how-good-is-your-yiddish.html

Enjoy them all!

 

Thanks to all of our subscribers and casual readers for your feedback, encouragement, and loyalty through the years. We look forward to more postings to keep you smiling always. Remember, we post every day except on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom! 

Sunday Comedy Showcase: Revisiting Rodney Dangerfield's Funniest Doctor Jokes

Born Jacob Cohen and initially going by the stage name of Jack Roy, the 19-year old Rodney Dangerfield ventured into the world of stand-up only to find disappointment.  After nine years of going nowhere, he completely dropped out of showbiz and, to support his family, sold household aluminum siding.  

Twenty-five years later, at the age of 45, Rodney decided to give comedy another try, appearing in clubs at night while still selling siding during the day.  He ultimately found success, due to luck, persistence and his enormous comedic talent.   

Here's a collection of Rodney Dangerfield’s funniest doctor jokes from his iconic 70 plus appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. It's a nostalgic look back at his standup comedy, delivering his best one-liners about doctors, health, and everyday life. Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Tea Sandwiches - Candid Camera Gold from 1963

Candid Camera was a popular and long-running American hidden camera reality television series. Versions of the show appeared on television from 1948 until 2014. Originally created and produced by Allen Funt, it often featured practical jokes, and initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

The show involved concealed cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims were told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." The catchphrase became a song with music and lyrics by Sid Ramin.

In this classic episode from 63 years ago, patrons at a diner are surprised when faced with dainty, miniature tea sandwiches instead of the substantial meals expected. The segment tests reactions as service staff playfully persists in offering these tiny portions to customers looking for a standard lunch.

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Electric Car Runs on Flashlight Batteries - A Candid Camera Classic

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes.

In this classic Candid Camera stunt, Peter plays the role of a car rental agent at Los Angeles International Airport and tries to convince customers to rent a car that runs on flashlight batteries.

Enjoy!

Sunday Standup Comedy Showcase: Joan Rivers in "That Show" in 1968

Some of the best standup comedy was on TV shows and comedy specials in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Today we continue our Sunday Standup series, sharing some of the classic routines by iconic comedians on Sunday editions of Jewish Humor Central.  

Fifty-eight years ago Joan Rivers had her own show called That Show. Each episode had a theme and Joan did an opening monologue based on the day's topic. The show also featured an expert on the subject and a celebrity guest. 

Here's Joan in the first episode of That Show in 1968. Enjoy!