Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: It's December 23! Happy Festivus to All of Our Readers!

Festivus is a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season. 

Originally created by author Daniel O'Keefe, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 Seinfeld episode "The Strike", which O'Keefe's son, Dan O'Keefe, co-wrote.  

The non-commercial holiday's celebration, as depicted on Seinfeld, occurs on December 23 and includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the "Airing of Grievances" and "Feats of Strength", and the labeling of easily explainable events as "Festivus miracles." The episode refers to it as "a Festivus for the rest of us".

It has been described both as a parody holiday festival and as a form of playful consumer resistance. Journalist Allen Salkin describes it as "the perfect secular theme for an all-inclusive December gathering".

Here is the episode of Seinfeld that started this whole mishegas. 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

Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Seinfeld "Shiksa Appeal" Episode

Although every episode of the  TV sitcom Seinfeld oozes with a feeling of Jewishness, only a handful of them actually involve Jewish situations, such as a bris or a bar mitzvah. One of the most Jewy episodes is the 159th episode. It was the third episode of the ninth and final season. It aired in the U.S. on October 9, 1997.

In this episode, titled The Serenity Now, Elaine discovers her "shiksa appeal" and suddenly every Jewish man in New York, including her former boss, his Bar Mitzvah age son, and Jerry, is attracted to her. Elaine seeks help from the rabbi to see if she can reduce her "shiksa-appeal" but instead of giving her advice, the rabbi comes on to her.

We know this episode will get a mixed reaction from our readers, but it's Jewish, it's funny, and it makes a statement about the role of Jewish life in pop culture. So relax, lighten up, and 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

Throwback Thursday Sitcom Showcase: Seinfeld and the Mohel

In one of the few explicitly Jewish episodes of the Seinfeld sitcom, Elaine and Jerry help friends find a mohel to perform a bris on their newborn son.

When the mohel shows up at the apartment, he's not exactly what they expect. In fact, he's eccentric, somewhat shaky, and manages to cut Jerry's finger in the process.

Here's a compilation of clips from within the episode. 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.)

Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" Visits Israel and Makes a Pepsi Commercial About Street Food

Pepsi Max produced a commercial in Israel as part of its Top Street Food project, in which the company, along with a committee of experts, ranked the 50 best street food venues in Israel.

Pepsi recruited Larry Thomas, the actor who played the memorable Soup Nazi character in Seinfeld, to star in a commercial in which he roams the streets of Tel Aviv, searching for the perfect meal and a drink to wash it down.

As Adiv Sterman wrote in The Times of Israel,

The YouTube ad begins with two visibly frightened individuals at a typical grilled meat joint as they carefully serve Thomas “one steak with pita, with tahini and harif (spicy flavoring), and one “kruvit (cauliflower) with salsa.”

The two sidle up to Thomas cautiously as they offer him the dishes, apparently so as not to raise his ire, and wait for his approval as he tastes the food.

“This is yummy!” Thomas, dressed in a cook’s uniform, finally yells in a characteristically stentorian voice, to the relief of all those around him.

Does he get to deliver his famous line "No soup for you!" or does he become the object of a similar denial by an Israeli food server? Watch the video and see for yourself.

And if you want to see if your favorite street food store in Israel made the list, check it out here.

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.)    

Seinfeld "Soup Nazi" Serves Customers and Reminisces at Long Island Shopping Mall

Actor Larry Thomas, the "Soup Nazi" on TV's Seinfeld, came to the Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City, New York to promote the opening of The Original Soupman’s Delicatessen & Grill on Saturday, March 21, 2015.

Thomas spoke about his experience on "Seinfeld" and his work with The Original Soupman brand. (Credit: Newsday / Jessica Rotkiewicz and Jeffrey Basinger).

"The Soup Nazi" is the 116th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was the sixth episode of the seventh season. It first aired in the United States on November 2, 1995.

The Soup Nazi is also the nickname of the eponymous character played by Larry Thomas. The term "Nazi" is used as an exaggeration of the excessively strict regimentation he constantly demands of his patrons. 

 A video clip of the funniest Soup Nazi moments on Seinfeld appears below the interview video.
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.)   

Seinfeld in Yiddish - "Jewish Singles Event"

Last year we posted two episodes of Seinfeld in Yiddish called The Bar Mitzvah and Dentist Jokes. Since we got a lot of requests for more, we're sharing another episode today.

As we wrote then, a YouTube uploader named A Mishel has done a big favor for Seinfeld fans who want to learn Yiddish. He or she collected excerpts from a few popular episodes of Jerry Seinfeld's long-running sitcom and posted them with the dialogue dubbed in Yiddish and with English subtitles.
 
We didn't want to have a problem with copyright violations, but the poster seems to have avoided these by stating that the clip is being used for education purposes and should fall under the fair use provisions of copyright law. If you listen carefully and read the translations, you are likely to pick up a fair amount of conversational Yiddish. 

In today's episode, Kramer is planning a Jewish Singles Night even though he is not Jewish. He invites Jerry and Elaine to join him there. Using three kitchens, Kramer does all the cooking and just about every Jewish food you heard of is served at the event. If you don't know Yiddish, there are English subtitles to follow the dialogue. If you do know Yiddish, read the subtitles anyway because some are hilarious. Lots of laughs from start to finish.

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.)

Jerry Seinfeld - Once a Stand-Up Comedian, Always a Stand-Up Comedian

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld got his start in stand-up comedy, and went on to write and star in one of the most popular comedy series on television. But Seinfeld never strayed far from his stand-up comedy roots, and after his Seinfeld sitcom ended in 1998, he returned to guest appearances on TV shows, a new show called Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and stand-up comedy routines on late night TV.

A few weeks ago Seinfeld made a stand-up appearance on The Jimmy Fallon Show. In a five-minute segment, he performed jokes about his children, golf and what makes people whisper.

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  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.)
 

Seinfeld in Yiddish: Dentist Jokes

A few weeks ago we posted an episode of Seinfeld in Yiddish called The Bar Mitzvah. Since we got a lot of requests for more, we're sharing another episode today.

As we wrote then, a YouTube uploader named A Mishel has done a big favor for Seinfeld fans who want to learn Yiddish.He or she collected excerpts from a few popular episodes of Jerry Seinfeld's long-running sitcom and posted them with the dialogue dubbed in Yiddish and with English subtitles. 
 
We didn't want to have a problem with copyright violations, but the poster seems to have avoided these by stating that the clip is being used for education purposes and should fall under the fair use provisions of copyright law. If you listen carefully and read the translations, you are likely to pick up a fair amount of conversational Yiddish.

In today's episode, Dr. Tim Whatley, a dentist, informs Jerry that he finished converting to Judaism two days ago. Jerry visits the dentist only to be subjected to Jewish jokes while he is being treated. He gets upset because he thinks the dentist converted only for the Jewish jokes.

Jerry visits Whatley's Catholic priest in his church confessional booth and the Jewish and dentist jokes keep coming. It's a funny episode that we hope you'll 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.)

Seinfeld in Yiddish: The Bar Mitzvah

A YouTube uploader named A Mishel has done a big favor for Seinfeld fans who want to learn Yiddish.He or she collected excerpts from a few popular episodes of Jerry Seinfeld's long-running sitcom and posted them with the dialogue dubbed in Yiddish and with English subtitles. 

We didn't want to have a problem with copyright violations, but the poster seems to have avoided these by stating that the clip is being used for education purposes and should fall under the fair use provisions of copyright law. If you listen carefully and read the translations, you are likely to pick up a fair amount of conversational Yiddish.

In this episode, The Bar Mitzvah, Elaine is invited to a young man's Bar Mitzvah and brings a game of Boggle as a gift. At the reception, the boy's father tells him that now he is a man. Hearing this, the boy plants a French kiss on Elaine. He brags about it to his friends and soon Elaine gets invitations to six other Bar Mitzvahs. From this point on, the issue of what it means to be a man triggers a sequence of funny situations.

A lot of Yiddish expressions are tossed about, and the boy's father and even the rabbi get into the act.

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.)