A Beatles Shabbat at Temple Avodah in Oceanside NY

 

Last November, the rabbi and cantorial soloist of Temple Avodah, a Reform congregation in Oceanside, New York, led a Shabbat service utilizing the words and music of The Beatles in a very creative and meaningful way.

Sure, there have been many services set to popular music and to songs from Broadway shows, and this wasn't the first use of Beatles songs in a synagogue service. 

But Rabbi Uri Goren, the Chilean-born and educated spiritual leader,went a step further and delivered an eight-minute-long sermon called "Speaking Words of Wisdom" that creatively incorporated lyrics from eleven Beatles songs.

Cantorial soloist Jessica Gubenko sang the Friday night service to seven Beatles songs.
Shalom Aleichem - A Little Help From My Friends
Lecha Dodi - Eight Days a Week
Borchu - Hey Jude
Mi Kamocha - Obladi Oblada
V'Shomru - And I Love Her
Shalom Rav - When I'm 64
Oseh Shalom (Kaddish) - Imagine

Rabbi Goren took key excerpts from the lyrics of Let It Be, All You Need Is Love, Can't Buy Me Love, Help, Love Me Do, Nowhere Man, Yellow Submarine, Here Comes the Sun, From Me to You, Eight Days a Week, and The Long and Winding Road and turned them into a sermon on how to be happy and find God.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

(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.)

Friday Night Shabbat Service With 7 Beatles Songs




Beatles Shabbat Sermon - "Speaking Words of Wisdom"

When You Don't Know the Difference Between a Jacuzzi and a Mikveh

Under-Dos is the name of an Israeli Orthodox comedy group which specializes in irreverent sketches on aspects of Jewish life that are hilariously and immediately recognizable to "insiders", that is, religious Jews.  "Dos" is an Israeli slang term for someone who is religiously observant. 

As Elad Benari and Yoni Kempinski reported in Arutz Sheva,

“Our sketches are religiously oriented,” group member Yair Ya’akobi told Arutz Sheva. “This means we take every day situations from the typical religious milieu, we try to take them to extremes and see what happens.”

Ya’akobi emphasized that while many comedy groups essentially make fun of religion, Under-Dos makes sure not to push the limit and not to make fun of the values in which its members and religious viewers believe, but just of the situations that can arise in their lives.

“What we try to do is to be 100% kosher, because it’s easy to push the limits and then you find yourself making fun of the values that you stand for, and we really don’t want that,” he said. “We just look at things from different angles and with a wink.”

Most of the sketches are in Hebrew, spoken so fast that they have Hebrew subtitles. 

We posted one of their sketches in October 2013. Here's another one that needs a little explanation, so please bear with us. 

The scene takes place in a Jacuzzi next to an indoor swimming pool where one guy is enjoying the bubbling warm waters. Along comes an Orthodox Jew with a bunch of kitchen utensils that he wants to immerse in the Jacuzzi, never having seen a Jacuzzi and thinking that it's a mikveh for dishes. (Orthodox practice calls for immersion of new dishes before their first use.) A brief dialogue ensues in which the guy in the Jacuzzi explains it to the guy with the dishes, who asks why the bather would want to bathe in a mikveh for dishes. The bather explains that the Jacuzzi is for pleasure, something the guy with the dishes doesn't seem to have a clue about. But he gets it pretty fast and very quickly jumps into the bubbling waters. 

So now he's an expert on Jacuzzis and when a black-hatted Haredi Jew arrives to dunk his pots in the water, he gets a quick education from the newcomer to the Jacuzzi, whereupon the Haredi joins the other two and exclaims: "Ah Jacuzzi, where have you been all my life?"

That sets the stage for yet another dish dunker who is told by the black-hatter to go away because there's no more room for him in the Jacuzzi. Frustrated, he throws his dish into the big pool.

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.)

Comedy Spotlight: Benji Lovitt on the Shuk, Israel's Open-Air Markets

Benji Lovitt, a native Texan who moved to Israel about eight years ago, has brought his comedy impressions of Jewish life in Israel and America to audiences of all ages in both countries.

Last year he addressed a group of students attending the MASA Israel Leadership summit. MASA Israel connects Jewish young adults (ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. We previously published his funny recollections of learning Hebrew at a Jewish American summer camp, and the mismatch of the Hebrew taught in camp and the everyday Hebrew spoken in Israel.

In today's video clip, Benji focuses on the Shuk, the open-air fruit, vegetable, and everything market (both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have big ones), and goes through an imaginary interview to find qualified applicants to sell products at the shuk.

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.) 

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

Masa Israel Journey connects Jewish young adults
(ages 18-30) to gap year, study abroad, post-college, and volunteer programs. - See more at: http://www.masaisrael.org/#sthash.jBUT7d8d.dpuf

The Ultimate Chasidic Food Taste Test

There seems to be a surge of videos showing reactions of non-Jews to eating Jewish food for the first time. 

We've already run a few of them in previous months, but we keep seeing new attempts by different posters to introduce these dishes to people who haven't a clue as to what they are and what they taste like.

Here's one of the latest videos called The Ultimate Chasidic Food Taste Test. We wouldn't categorize schmaltz herring, p'tcha (which they call gala), gribenes (which they call grieven), cholent (which they call yapchik), Yerushalmi kugel, and kishke as Chasidic, but simply as Jewish food from the old country. But if they want to call these delights Chasidic food, it's OK with us.

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: "Strawberries and...."

It's beginning to feel a lot like summer here in New Jersey. But summer or winter, rain, snow or shine, when it's Monday, it's time for another Joke to Start the Week.

Still thinking of our February in Florida, we're telling a joke today that's set in South Florida.

Here's the setup: Morris retires and goes on a vacation to South Florida. He finds himself a nice little hotel just outside of Miami. 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.) 

"It Shoulda Been You" Comes to Broadway With Singing and Kvetching

Broadway has a new musical hit show based on an old familiar theme, a Jewish-gentile marriage. Reviews of It Shoulda Been You have been mixed, and Ben Brantley of The New York Times didn't like it, summing up his critique as ""Oy." 

We haven't seen the show yet, but when it comes to Jewish themed productions, we tend not to see eye-to-eye with The New York Times, and look to other voices instead.

As Frank Scheck wrote in The Hollywood Reporter,

That old popular-comedy chestnut Abie's Irish Rose is given a modern twist in the new musical It Shoulda Been You, which plays like vintage dinner theater infused with a Borscht Belt sensibility. That it nonetheless manages to be truly amusing is a testament to the talent both on and offstage .

The plot concerns the impending nuptials of the Jewish Rebecca (Sierra Boggess) to the Catholic Brian (David Burtka), with family tensions inevitably rising to the fore. Rebecca's zaftig older sister Jenny (a charming Lisa Howard), while happy for her sis, wonders if she'll ever find similar happiness. Meanwhile, matriarchs Judy (Daly) and Georgette (Harris) are consistently at odds, with their hapless husbands (Chip Zien, Michael X. Martin) helplessly watching from the sidelines.

In USA Today, Elysa Gardner wrote:

This new musical, this Broadway season's freshest and funniest to date, defies skepticism, both in its wacky humor and its big, buoyant heart. Book writer and lyricist Brian Hargrove and composer Barbara Anselmi have taken a familiar premise — that of lovers from different backgrounds uniting — and crafted something that is both endearingly old-fashioned in spirit and decidedly cIontemporary in execution.

Under the whip-smart direction of David Hyde Piece (Hargrove's husband), the 100-minute Shoulda Been can feel like a revival of some lost screwball classic. But Hargrove's hilarious lines, in song and dialogue, take liberties that wouldn't have flown back in the day. The bride's parents express their frustration in Yiddish, while the groom's mom confesses to vaguely inappropriate feelings for her son.

The message underlying this madness has to do with the importance of viewing others — as individuals, in families and relationships — with eyes wide open. And Pierce and his superb cast serve it with a delicacy befitting a fine soufflé.

A couple of weeks ago the cast of It Shoulda Been You made an appearance on the Today show. Here's a video of that appearance that should give you a good idea of what it's all about.

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.) 

Mort Sahl Retells a Joke From Menachem Begin's Visit to the Reagan White House

Mort Sahl, the Canadian-born American comedian, will celebrate his 88th birthday on Monday. 

Sahl is widely considered the first modern stand-up comedian. He was the first comedian to dress casually and speak about current events in a matter-of-fact style.

During the Reagan years, Sahl was a guest at a White House dinner for Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Years later, on the Merv Griffin show, Sahl recalled the events of that evening, including the menu.

He related to Griffin that Begin told Reagan the joke about the telephone call to God. It's an old joke and you've probably heard it, but it's still funny every time we hear 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.) 

Comedy Flashback: Jackie Mason on Smothers Brothers TV Show

Jackie Mason has been featured on Jewish Humor Central many times over the years and we always get a lot of likes whenever we post some of his shtick.

Today we're sharing a video clip of one of his performances on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour back sometime between 1967 and 1969.

In this video Jackie focuses on topics that were in the news at that time, such as the Vietnam War, President Nixon, Brotherhood, race and color.

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.) 

Musical Flashback to 1960: Harry Belafonte Sings Hinei Ma Tov

Hinei Ma Tov is one of those songs, like Hava Nagila and Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, that has broken out of the world of Jewish music to achieve popularity in the general culture. 

Its lyrics are the first verse of Psalm 133, which reads, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"
הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אָחִים גַּם יַחַד

We found versions of the song in some unexpected places including Indonesia, where a college choir gave a performance that we shared here a few months ago.

In the 1977 television film Raid on Entebbe, Yonathan Netanyahu and Sammy Berg lead the Israeli commandos in singing the refrain while the commandos' plane is en route to rescue the hostages. It is also played during the closing credits. 

In 1960 Harry Belafonte performed Hinei Ma Tov on a TV program in England that was captured and uploaded to YouTube. We hope you'll enjoy this version.

(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.) 

Comedy Flashback: Early Jerry Seinfeld Stand-Up on Why People Have Pets

Before Jerry Seinfeld scored big with his long-running TV series Seinfeld, he was a regular on the New York stand-up comedy circuit.

In this undated video clip of an early stand-up performance, Jerry explains his theory of why people have children, and then follows up with the reasons why people acquire dogs as pets.

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.)

A Joke to Start the Week - "The Talking Dog"

It's a beautiful Monday in New Jersey and we hope the weather is just as beautiful where you are. And wherever you are it's time for a joke to start the week.

Since we ran out of family-friendly joke videos on the Internet, we've been making our own with better equipment each time and we thank you for bearing with us while we improve the video and sound quality. 

In the coming weeks we plan to recruit a new team of joke tellers and keep our Monday specials going. Here's the setup for today's joke:

This guy gets a new dog and he trains him. And he's so proud of the dog that he calls his best friend over, and then...

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.)

Israel Philharmonic and Bobby McFerrin Have Fun With William Tell Overture

Bobby McFerrin, the singer and conductor best known for his song Don't Worry, Be Happy, has been a guest conductor for many symphony orchestras. In 1995 he conducted a concert in Tel Aviv with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

If you thought that the Israel Philharmonic played only classical music, you would be wrong because this concert was more like a Boston Pops production. McFerrin fooled around with the orchestra and with the audience, and the more serious pieces were the overture from Carmen and the suite from West Side Story.

But the highlight that captured the audience's applause the most was the William Tell Overture by Rossini. After what seemed like an ordinary introduction, instead of playing their instruments, the members of the orchestra launched into an a cappella version, mimicking their instruments with only their voices.

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 tip of the kippah to Sharon Mosenkis for bringing this video to our attention.)

Musical Showcase: Meet Hooshir - Indiana University's a Cappella Group Singing Lecha Dodi

Music is an important part of our mix at Jewish Humor Central. 

Jewish a cappella singing has been growing in popularity in recent years. Most groups originated as an extracurricular college activity, with some continuing as professional groups after college.

In our sporadic series bringing new musical groups to your attention, we're introducing you to Hooshir, the Jewish a cappella group of Indiana University. (Hooshir=Hoosier; get it?)

Recently, Hooshir had the honor of sharing the stage with Six13 and The Maccabeats, as well as opening for Matisyahu in April 2015.

The group was formed in 2006 after the White House called Rabbi Sue, the rabbi at Indiana University’s Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, to ask whether IU had a Jewish A Cappella group that could perform at the White House Hannukah party. Rabbi Sue replied that such a group did exist. It did not. Singers from Straight No Chaser and Ladies First, the all-male and all-female IU a cappella groups at the time, were brought together to form Hooshir.

Hooshir sings a mix of Jewish music, secular Israeli pop music, and American pop music and standards. Groups such as Pentatonix and Tizmoret have served as inspirations for Hooshir. The members of Hooshir are linked by a desire to share their love of song.

Let's sing along with Hooshir as they belt out an energetic version of Lecha Dodi to welcome Shabbat.

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.)

Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: Pope Francis Confers Catholic Knighthood on Orthodox Rabbi

Photo: Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

Rabbi Arthur Schneier, whose Park East Synagogue in Manhattan was the site of a visit by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, was named a papal knight of St. Sylvester, the oldest Catholic order of knighthood on Monday.

The 85-year-old Orthodox rabbi, a Holocaust survivor, has led his synagogue since 1962.

As James Barron reported the The New York Times,

Rabbi Schneier has been a presence at conferences in world trouble spots to promote tolerance and resolve ethnic and religious conflicts. He founded the interfaith Appeal of Conscience Foundation in 1965.

“You know this award to our beloved Rabbi Schneier comes from Pope Francis,” Cardinal Dolan said before pinning a Knight’s Cross on the rabbi. “It’s Pope Francis’s very touching, very tender way of confirming him in the good works that he’s done on behalf of religious freedom, international peace and justice.”

A crowd of dignitaries looked on. Among them were former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger; former Mayor David N. Dinkins; United States Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat of New York; and Raymond W. Kelly, the former police commissioner.

Several religious leaders and officials also attended the ceremony, including Archbishop Demetrios, the spiritual leader of Greek Orthodox Christians of America; Archbishop Khajag Barsamian of the Armenian Church of America; Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid of the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood; Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, the executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis; Abraham H. Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League; and Rabbi Michael Miller, the executive vice president and chief executive of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Rabbi Schneier’s son, Rabbi Marc Schneier, also attended.

(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.) 

A Visual Guide to Chassidic Wedding Dances

Did you ever attend a Chassidic wedding and feel like an outsider because you didn't know the steps or even what the names of the dances were?  

Now AMK Productions and Chony Milecki Music have provided a video reference guide so you can impress your friends with your newly acquired knowledge.

Maybe you'll feel like such an expert after watching the video a few times that you'll even be willing to try a few steps.

The video includes such favorites as Od Yishama, Hup Cossack, Choson on the Table, The Chassidic Running Man, Penguin Dance, Mitzvah Tantz , Na Nach Nachman Style, and that perennial favorite, Hand on Your Friend's Shoulder as You Walk in a Circle.

And all that before the main course is served. Oy, are we tired.

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.)  

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: A Rousing Medley of Hebrew Songs by Texas Church Choir

Back in November 2009, when Jewish Humor Central was just getting started and we had just a handful of subscribers, we posted a spirited version of Hava Nagila performed by the Cornerstone Orchestra and Choir. 

The musicians are members of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), based in San Antonio, Texas, home of Pastor John Hagee's Cornerstone Church

CUFI has held Nights to Honor Israel in cities all across America since February 2006. The evenings attract thousands of Christians who rally to support Israel and contribute millions of dollars every year to Israeli charities.
Today we found the complete medley of Hebrew songs that ended with the rendition of Hava Nagila. Here is a medley that's unlike any you've heard. Besides Hava Nagila, it includes Mayim Mayim, Eleh Chomdo Libi, David Melech Yisrael, Nigun Atik, and Hevenu Shalom Aleichem.

Wanna get pumped up and start your day on a bright and sunny note? Just click below and 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.) 

A Joke to Start the Week - "A Healthy Country"

It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. We're starting our week by heading to the airport and flying back to the US after a month in Israel.

During the month, we've been posting more Israel-related videos than usual because this March-April period (Nisan-Iyar) has been filled with lots to report on with four major holidays all taking place in a three-week span (Passover, Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom HaAtzmaut). Then there was our interview on Voice of Israel radio and a few Jokes to Start the Week with a special Israel focus.

Tomorrow we'll be back posting funny and happy videos from North Jersey, including videos from Israel and around the world.

Here's the setup for today's joke: Izzy is visiting Israel for the first time. As soon as his plane lands, he finds himself a taxi and starts a lively conversation with the taxi driver. And then...

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.)

Rare Video: Ray Charles and David Ben Gurion Sing Hava Nagila

In 1973 Ray Charles performed a concert in Tel Aviv. The concert film "Ray Charles: Soul of the Holy Land August 1973" documents the legendary performer's historic Tel Aviv concert and includes footage of him visiting some of the most renowned religious sites in the world.

The 17-song set list includes many beloved hits including a cover of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road," "Let the Good Times Roll," "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "Yesterday."

During the concert, Charles met with David Ben Gurion, and the two sang Hava Nagila together. Here's a rare look at two very successful people in two very different fields coming together to celebrate Israel through one of its most popular songs.

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.)

Comedian Elon Gold Re-enacts the Immigrant Experience at Ellis Island

You may have missed it, as we did, but last June was the first Immigrant Heritage Month in the United States.

It was started by Welcome.us, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating a United States that is fueled by an immigrant tradition. 

During the month, they focused on telling some of the stories that shaped this country.They included partnerships with corporations, media outlets, organizations, celebrities,athletes, faith, civic and political leaders.

To kick off the project, they enlisted comedian Elon Gold to comment on the Ellis Island process of admitting new immigrants to the US, using his mother's experience of arriving there with her mother.

Filmed on location, Gold shmoozes with visitors to Ellis Island, and tries to re-enact some of the procedures used in admitting newcomers to the US shores.

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.)

Live From Jerusalem - It's Yom HaAtzmaut!

If you're not in Israel today, it's likely that your streets are not teeming with throngs of happy people noisily inching their way through crowds, hitting each other with plastic hammers and axes, and spraying everyone with artificial snow and silly string.

If you happen to be in Israel, you know what we're talking about. After a day of sadness and sober recollection of lives lost in battles and terror attacks, Israel's Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) gives way to the joy of celebrating another anniversary of the country's founding.

Sure, you can find video clips of formal ceremonies with speakers praising the great accomplishments of this tiny country, but that's not the way most of the population celebrates Yom HaAtzmaut. What they do is go to parties and celebrate in the streets with music and food.

Not wanting to be left out, we hit the streets of downtown Jerusalem last night to see the partying first hand. With two young grandsons in tow, we couldn't stay out very late, but just late enough to capture some of the excitement.

Today's video shows one of the bands playing all night at two outdoor stages set up about a half-mile apart, and the scene as you walk up the Ben Yehuda Street mall connecting them.

The celebrations continue today until nightfall, with the smoke and aromas of barbecues filling the air.

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.)
 

Yom HaAtzmaut 2015 - So Many Reasons to Love Israel

Tonight is the start of Yom HaAtzmaut, the day that Israel celebrates its 67th year as an independent state, a year in which immigration is expected to set a new record.

Jewish immigration to Israel hit a ten-year high in 2014, with over 26,500 people making aliyah over the course of the year, according to figures released by the Jewish Agency. This represented a 32% rise compared to 2013, and the highest immigration rate since 2002, when 33,539 made aliyah.

For the first time since the founding of the state, France topped the list of countries from which immigrants moved to Israel this year, with over a quarter — about 7,000 people — making the move. It was the largest single-year movement of French Jews to Israel since the founding of the state. Half that many moved to Israel in 2013.

Nefesh B'Nefesh, the organization that facilitates aliyah to Israel in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL), and JNF-USA. reports that a total of 3,762 Jews from the US and Canada and 525 from the UK fulfilled their dream to immigrate to Israel in the past year.

Among the top cities to welcome olim in 2014 were Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beit Shemesh and Ra'anana. 

According to Central Bureau of Statistics data, emigration rates are also declining. The figures released in recent months suggest that Israelis are much less inclined to permanently leave the country than they were 10 or 20 years ago, with 2012, the last year for which figures on long-term emigration are available, showing the lowest emigration rates since the founding of the state in 1948. 

To celebrate the day, we're sharing a new video just released by Nefesh B'Nefesh showing the wide-range of reasons that bring these new immigrants to Israel.  The individuals shown in the video are profiled in a link from the video in which they tell their personal aliyah story and what they love about Israel.

Their stories and occupations are interesting and varied. They include Jamie Shear, an  artist, calligrapher, and creator of all forms of Judaica in Jerusalem, Jeremy Welfeld, founder of Jem's Beer Factory in Petach Tikva, and Mia Pava, a dress designer who opened a bridal studio in 2014.

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.) 

On Israel's Memorial Day, a Prayer for the Soldiers of the IDF

All Israel has been busy this week preparing for the coming together of two major annual observances, Yom HaZikaron (Israel's Memorial Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day). We're making a practice of extending our annual Passover visit to Jerusalem to include these special days.

All schools have special plays and ceremonies on Yom HaZikaron, outdoors if the weather cooperates, to remember the soldiers who fell in Israel's wars and the victims of terrorism. As the sad day ends, the country is transformed at nightfall into all night partying that lasts through the following day to commemorate the founding of the state 67 years ago.

At many of the memorial ceremonies, names are read, photos projected on screens and walls, prayers are read and appropriate songs are sung. 

We're doing our part at Jewish Humor Central on Yom HaZikaron, which starts tonight, by abstaining from humor for the day and posting a beautiful rendition of the Prayer for the Welfare of Soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) by Shai Abramson, the Chief Cantor of the IDF. (How many other countries do you know of whose army has a position of Chief Cantor???)

(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.) 

A Joke to Start the Week - "God Will Provide"

A happy Monday to all of our readers. We're happily enjoying the festive atmosphere in Jerusalem as the country prepares for its Independence Day, Yom HaAtzmaut. The holiday starts Wednesday night and lasts into Thursday, a day for celebrations, concerts, lots of flag waving, and outdoor barbecues.

But not even Israel Independence Day can prevent us from coming up with another (old) joke to get the week off to a good start. We're working on improving the video quality as we create these joke clips in our makeshift Jerusalem studio. We hope to upgrade to better equipment soon.

Here's the setup for today's joke: A young woman brings her fiance home to meet her parents for the first time. And then...

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.)