Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: Amish and Mennonite Group Visits the Western Wall

A delegation of Amish/Mennonite communities visited Israel in November 2012 to express their commitment to Israel and the Jewish People.

The Jerusalem Post reported:

Although there is no shortage of extraordinary sights at the Wall, the visit by a group of 31 Amish people (29 Americans and 2 Canadians) had people staring in wonder as the group filled the air with their heartfelt hymns. The group came to Israel to apologize to the Jewish people for not previously recognizing the Jews as the chosen people and for not doing more to prevent persecution of the Jews in the past.

The group expressed the purpose of their visit: "We would like to meet and bless the people of Israel, to show our support, especially in the area of repentance, and acknowledgment of our errors, such as having rejected them as God's chosen people."

"We would like to meet with city officials and other leaders who would give us a few minutes of their time. We, the Amish and Anabaptist people turned away from Jewish nation, while they were in their darkest hour of need. We hardened our hearts against them, we left them - never lifting our voices in protest against the atrocities that were committed against them. We want to publicly repent of this and acknowledge our support of Israel."

This video shows the group united in song at the Western Wall.

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 Fortune Teller"

As you may have noticed last Monday, we're expanding the list of weekly joke tellers to include friends who have been good enough to volunteer their services to the cause of increasing laughter in the world.

Today's joke teller is retiree Norm Goldsmith. Here's the setup: At the clubhouse they've got somebody who's telling fortunes. The fortune teller is reading palms and interpreting the length of lines on hands. 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.)

Comedy Showcase: Joel Chasnoff on Bar Mitzvahs and Jewish Food

We've been fans of stand-up comedian Joel Chasnoff since 2010, when we started posting some of his funny routines about traveling, Jewish day school basketball, and Jewish holidays.

After graduating from Penn, Joel served as a tank gunner in the Israel Defense Forces. Joel’s memoir, The 188th Armored Brigade, is a brash and gritty depiction of his year in combat that Kirkus Reviews calls “Horrifyingly hilarious.” 

Joel’s comedy is a smart mix of personal anecdotes and keen observational humor, centered around the theme of the absurdity of modern American life. When he’s not on tour, Joel teaches stand-up comedy at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.

Here's Joel's funny take on Bar Mitzvahs and Friday night food.

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.)

Kosha Dillz Performs Carlebach Standard at Friday Night Live Service in L.A.

For the last five years, Rabbi David Wolpe and Craig Taubman have been leading a Friday Night Live service at Temple Sinai in Los Angeles, the largest Conservative congregation in the US.

In 2014, before passing the leadership baton for the service to a younger team, they invited Rami Matan Even-Esh, the rapper better known by his stage name Kosha Dillz, to perform on the bimah.

After singing an extended version of Shlomo Carlebach's Ki Ba Mo'ed with words from the service, the congregation joined Kosha Dills in placing Shabbat Shalom into the song.

Shabbat shalom to all!

(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.)

Hevenu Shalom Aleichem Around the World - In an Irish Pub in Phoenix

We've been following the trail of the Hebrew song Hevenu Shalom Aleichem in its travels around the world. The song has made appearances in videos in many unexpected places like Germany, Australia, Korea, and Guatemala.

Last month we spotted a version by the group called Traveler who performed it in Seamus McCaffrey's, an Irish pub in Phoenix, Arizona.

Traveler is a multi-ethnic fusion ensemble. Drawing from their own personal backgrounds and borrowing from a wide variety of traditional music from a number of different cultures, Middle Eastern, Greek, Gypsy, Indian, Celtic, coupled with the incorporation of exotic instruments, Traveler’s sound is a fresh and new global sound, catering to people from all backgrounds. Based is Phoenix, Arizona, Traveler is well known for their entertaining the high energy live performances.

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.) 

First International Festival of Jewish Performing Arts - 100 Events in NYC

The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, now with a permanent home at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month. And what a celebration it will be!

KulturfestNYC will consist of 100 events all over Manhattan during the week of June 14-21, including theatre, concerts, film, dance, a symposium, lectures, and workshops.

Over 100 theatre actors, musicians, and scholars will particpate from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, USA, and more countries.

Some of the events are free, and others have a $10 or $18 admission charge. Recognizing that many attendees will not understand Yiddish, all programs in Yiddish will have English subtitles projected on the screen.

One of the free events is Yiddish Soul: A Concert of Cantorial and Chassidic Music, to be performed at 7 pm on Tuesday, June 16, at Summerstage in Central Park. It will feature Avraham Fried, Netanel Hershtik, Yanky Lemmer, Joseph Malovany, and Lipa Shmeltzer

The five cantors made a TV appearance on New York's PIX11 and gave a preview of their concert. 

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.) 

Comedian James Corden Takes a Shift in a Kosher Meat Market

James Corden, the British actor and comedian who was tapped to replace Craig Ferguson as the host of CBS TV's The Late Late Show, has been featuring a segment called Take a Break, in which he takes over the job of a retail store worker for part of his shift to give the worker a break.

Of course the real reason is to give Corden an excuse to engage in some spontaneous fun with customers and other store employees.

Last week, Corden took over the job of a cashier at a Los Angeles kosher market for awhile, resulting in a hilarioius six-minute video of the event.

As Sarene Leeds wrote in The Wall Street Journal,

Corden, decked out in a blue yarmulke and tossing off Yiddish-isms like “kvelling,” made himself right at home behind the counter at Western Kosher. Despite it being a Friday afternoon, traditionally a very busy time for kosher outlets (and Corden knew why, instantly making a reference to that evening’s “Shabbat dinner”), the “Late Late Show” host kept his cool, even staging an impromptu, klezmer-inspired song and dance with the Western Kosher employee keeping an eye on him.

He also found time to put the store’s meat slicer to productive use – Corden put his wife’s credit card in the automatic blade’s line of fire. But nothing beats watching the comic actor doing doughnuts in a forklift, with his Western Kosher mentor holding on for dear life.

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 Golfer"

June is a great month for outdoor sports, and golf is a top choice for pros and amateurs alike. Unfortunately, not everyone has the skills to succeed at the game. 

Today's joke to start the week is about such an individual and the lengths he goes to in order to play well.

Today's joke teller is Jerry Ostrov, founder of The ReThink Israel Initiative, which operates the Facebook site From the Grapevine.

This site was created to provide a fresh perspective on Israel. From the land’s natural beauty to Tel Aviv's vibrant technology scene; from the global culinary world's focus on Israeli food and recipes to the innovative Israelis who are changing the world – FromTheGrapevine covers the bounty of what Israel is about today.

Here's the setup for today's joke: This non-Jew gets on the golf course. He is a crazy golfer. He loves golf more than anything in the world. So he looks out on the course and he sees there is a bunch of Hasidim on the course. 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.)

Comedy Showcase: Wayne Cotter Performs Stand-Up in Israel

Wayne Cotter attended the University of Pennsylvania where he studied electrical engineering. But after working as a computer engineer, he noticed similarities between engineering and comedy as he performed stand-up routines at night.  

He quit his day job and devoted himself to comedy full time, appearing on The Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman, and Politically Incorrect. From 1991 to 1994, he hosted Comic Strip Live, a stand-up comedy series on the Fox television network. 

Cotter was one of the comedians featured in The Aristocrats. He also had a small part in the film Spy Hard. He now performs at corporate events. Some of his routines focus on the connection between the thought processes that go into engineering design and the crafting of jokes.

A few years ago, Cotter was selected by Avi Lieberman to appear in one of his semi-annual Comedy for Koby tours in Israel. Here is a video clip of one of his performances on the tour.

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 Esther Kustanowitz for bringing this video to our attention.)

Musical Showcase: Meet the Y-Studs and Their Rendition of Hashem Melech on Broadway

In addition to introducing our readers to new comedians, from time to time we've been doing the same for new musical groups and highlighting some of their songs. 

Today we're showcasing the Y-Studs, Yeshiva University's a cappella group. Singing contemporary, Israeli, and of course Jewish music, The Y-Studs have performed before more than 1,000 people at YU's most notable events, and also sang throughout the United States and beyond.

But on Broadway? Really? Well, not in a Broadway theatre, but on Broadway (the street) itself. In this video, the ten members of the group sing a rousing version of Hashem Melech, while tourists watch them joined by Spiderman, one of the cartoon characters who walk around the pedestrian mall in New York City's theatre district.

Does the song sound familiar? It's been covered many times, and became very popular in Israel because of a recording by Beni and Gad Elbaz.

But it all started with Vivir mi Vida, a song in Spanish recorded by Marc Anthony in 2013. The song won a Latin Grammy award for Record of the Year. Below the Hashem Melech video you'll find a video of the original song performed by Marc Anthony in the street outside the studio of the Today Show in Rockefeller Plaza.

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.)

 

Comedy Flashback: Gilda Radner Gives Graduation Address as Roseanne Roseannadanna

One of Gilda Radner's most memorable characters was Roseanne Roseannadanna, who appeared on "Weekend Update" in the early seasons of Saturday Night Live, which aired on the NBC network. 

She was the segment's consumer affairs reporter who, like an earlier Radner character Emily Litella, editorialized on current issues. 

Unlike Litella's meek and apologetic character, Roseannadanna was brash and tactless. The character was based on Rose Ann Scamardella, a former anchorwoman on WABC-TV's Eyewitness News in New York City. The character also appeared later in Radner's live one-woman shows.

Today's video clip is a hilarious commencement speech Roseanne gave to the graduates of the Columbia School of Journalism.

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.) 

Jerusalem Festival of Light Starts Today

Starting today, Wednesday, June 3, and running through next Thursday, June 11, the Old City of Jerusalem will be aglow with fantastic colorful lights as it has been for the past few summers.

No, it's not another Jewish holiday. But it's the Festival of Light, an extravaganza that will provide, through the use of light, a dramatic and artistic dimension to the Old City’s nights.

From the illumination of architecture to light statues, the festival will be a public and family oriented celebration that artists from different fields will partake in.

In the last three years artists from Israel and from abroad took part in the festival and used light in order to create statues, installations, performances and artwork. During each year, the festival brought 250,000 visitors to the Old City and succeeded in introducing a new trend in Jerusalem nightlife.
This year the festival has grown and will include ten international artists who will display the best artistic work in the field alongside dozens of performances, tours, artists, sites and more.

Here are a few video clips from previous festivals to give you an idea what to expect this week.

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 Elliot Greene for bringing the festival to our attention.)

Stiller and Meara Computer Dating Skit - The Whole Megillah

Last week we remembered the late Anne Meara with what we thought was a funny skit with her husband and comedy partner Jerry Stiller about a computer match gone awry.

We got a lot of likes, but also requests for more. We didn't realize that what we posted was a minute and a half version of the full 8 minute skit. After a bit of web surfing, we found the whole megillah, which is a lot funnier than the opening excerpt that we shared.

So here is the entire skit. We think it's worth watching, and we hope you'll agree.

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 - "Fornication"

It's the first Monday of June, and it's time for another joke to start the week. This oldie but goodie starts like this:

Little Jason comes home on the school bus, the plays where all kids learn the words that they don't hear at home.

He goes right into the house, 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.)   

Avi Liberman Brings Latest "Comedy for Koby" Stand-Up Tour to Israel

Twice every year since 2002 Los Angeles comedian Avi Liberman brings a new group of three stand-up comedians from the US to major cities in Israel. That's where they are now, completing their current tour with performances Sunday in Gush Etzion, Monday in Jerusalem, and Tuesday in Tel Aviv.

Comedy for Koby has become a fundraising vehicle to support the Koby Mandell Foundation, which was started in 2001 by Rabbi Seth and Sherri Mandell, the parents of Koby Mandell, who with his friend Yosef Ishran was brutally murdered by terrorists near their home in Israel.  
 
The foundation provides a Jewish response to the impact of terror and tragedy— helping bereaved mothers, fathers,widows, orphans and siblings re-build their lives, and create meaning out of suffering.  

Here's a video report on last December's version of Comedy for Koby. The comedians performing this week, in addition to Liberman, are Modi, Joe Matarese, and Brian Kiley.

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.)  

Remembering Anne Meara With a Video Clip on Computer Dating

Anne Meara, the comedy actress wife of Jerry Stiller and mother of Ben and Amy Stiller, died in Manhattan last Saturday at the age of 85.

As the Irish Catholic half of the comedy team of Stiller and Meara, she made many appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and other TV programs.

A lot of their humor focused on their different religious backgrounds, but actually Meara converted to Reform Judaism six years after marrying Stiller.

According to the biographical website NNDB,

She has long stressed that her conversion wasn't at Stiller's request, but because "Catholicism was dead to me", and she simply came to prefer the more "lively" character of Jewish culture. And she took the conversion seriously, studying the faith in such depth that her born-Jewish husband quipped, "being married to Anne has made me more Jewish".

Here is a video clip of Stiller and Meara in a skit about computer dating when it was first introduced.

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 Meyer Berkowitz for bringing this to our attention.)

A New Generation of Jewish Joke Tellers Grows in Brooklyn

After years of associating Jewish jokes with old Jews, it's refreshing to see a new generation of Jewish joke tellers emerge. Where? At the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue Religious School, students can join a Jewish Jokes Chug.

What's a chug? It's pronounced like challah and Chanukah. The Hebrew word actually means a flat circle, but it's used to describe a circle of people engaging in an activity together, as in a class or a club.

At the school, kids can participate in the fellowship of Jewish joke telling. The jokes are supposed to be original, but we recognized a few oldies but goodies. The kids look like they're enjoying themselves, and we may soon have a new crop of funny Jews to keep stand-up comedy alive.

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 Gilda Radner Flashback: It's the Judy Miller Show!

It's hard to believe that it's been 26 years since the death of Gilda Radner, the brilliant Jewish comedy star of Saturday Night Live. Her hilarious characters made the show a must see every week.

Thanks to the Internet, we still have some of her landmark sketches available to watch and laugh. In the coming weeks we'll post some of her other character skits including Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella, Lisa Loopner, and Baba Wawa.

Here's a classic visit to the room of Judy Miller, Gilda's stand-in for every little girl who imagines herself the star of her very own show and acts out every role.

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 Esther Kustanowitz for bringing this video to our attention.)

A Saturday Night Live Flashback: Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy Explains Passover (With a Little Help from Billy Crystal)

As we take leave of Shavuot and return to our humor mix, we came across a Saturday Night Live comedy skit that's only a couple of months old. But it's one that we missed while we were celebrating Passover in Israel. We thought you may have missed it too, so we're posting it now.

In this return of Vanessa Bayer in the role of Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy, one of our favorite characters, Jacob welcomes his father the podiatrist (played by Billy Crystal). Watching Billy in his role, it quickly becomes apparent where Jacob got his quirky and awkward style of reading his script and handling his interviewer.

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.)

Shavuot - The Scandalous Backstory of Ruth and Boaz

The holiday of Shavuot starts this Saturday night. Although the two day holiday (one day in Israel) commemorates the giving and receiving of the Torah, it is the least well known and the least observed of the three pilgrimage festivals.

Shavuot doesn't have the vibrant visual symbolism of Pesach and Sukkot. Besides the festive meals that are part of every Jewish holiday, there is an emphasis on all night study and the reading of the Megillah of Ruth in the synagogue.

Today we came across an explanation of the Megillah of Ruth that we hadn't seen before, describing it as a tale of seduction that has links to similar stories about Lot and his daughters and Judah and Tamar.

The story is told by Rabbi David Fohrman, founder of Aleph Beta Academy, on the Orthodox Union website with the use of animation. It's an interesting take on a story that we thought we knew well.

We'll be spending the two days of Shavuot on Sunday and Monday attending classes at night, eating cheesecake, and reading the Megillah of Ruth with new insight. We'll be back on Tuesday with our usual mix.

Shabbat shalom and chag sameach!

(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.)

Jewish Home at Rockleigh Residents Perform Songs From Tony Award Winning Musicals

The Tony awards for Broadway shows will be presented on June 7. The residents of The Jewish Home at Rockleigh are already in the mood, having just performed a concert titled A Century of Song.


The concert took place last Thursday, May 14, and included many songs from award-winning musicals from 42nd Street to Les Miserables.

Many decades were represented in excerpts from Fiddler on the Roof, Damn Yankees, The King and I, Annie, Man of La Mancha, Cats, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. 

The Jewish Home at Rockleigh, Russ Berrie Home for Jewish Living, is a state-of-the-art, kosher, skilled nursing facility. Situated on a breathtaking 16 acre park-like setting, the 180 resident facility offers exceptional care to its long-term care residents, those suffering from dementia, and those in need of respite care, hospice care, sub-acute care, speech, physical and occupational inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation.

Below is a video clip from the concert, with the residents singing Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King. Here is a link to the playlist if you would like to hear all of the songs.

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 Bissel of Romance From the Jewish Home in Australia

The word bissel means "a little bit" in Yiddish. "A Bissel Of..." is a new series of short videos featuring residents of Jewish Care of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, who give us their answers to a range of questions.

This Bissel of Romance is the fifth video in the series. We previously posted "Bissel" videos with the seniors' answers to questions about Chanukah, Shabbat, food, technology, and Pesach.
In this video the seniors tackle these questions:

1. Do you remember your first kiss?
2. Did you ever date someone your parents didn't like?

You asked for more of this series, so here goes! 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.)

 

Orthodox Jewish Graduate Finds a Kosher Way to Give His Speech on Shabbat

Don Greenberg, a triple major in computer science, finance and math at Binghamton University, was scheduled to speak at the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science graduation ceremony on Saturday.

But there was one problem. The ceremony was scheduled on Shabbat, and Don is an Orthodox Jew whose use of the school's microphone and sound system with lights illuminating a sound board would be a violation of Shabbat.
  
The solution? The school allowed him to videotape his speech three days earlier. So on graduation day Don stood at the podium and watched the video of himself delivering the speech on the jumbo screens on both sides of the podium.

(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 Guru"

Today's joke to start the week is connected to yesterday's post about connections between Judaism and Buddhism. 

It's a very old joke that can stand on its own but makes a lot more sense when you're aware of the Jewish Buddhists and Buddhist Jews who flourished, especially in the fields of arts and entertainment, in the 1960s and 1970s.

Here's the setup: Mrs. Bernstein, an elderly Jewish lady from New York, bounces into her travel agent's office and announces: "I vant to go to India." 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.)

Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: Judaism and Buddhist Meditation

In its series of Yiddish videos, the Jewish Daily Forward reported on elements of Buddhism appearing in some Jewish communities. (There's an old joke about this, but we'll save it for tomorrow's Joke to Start the Week.)

Today we're not joking, but just sharing reporter Shmuel Perlin's observations as a Jew in China. Speaking in Yiddish with English subtitles, Perlin says that in the 1960s and 1970s many Jews were attracted to Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. 

There was a lama from Tibet that remarked that most of his followers were Jews and that they should be called the Oy Vey school of Buddhism. Today there are a few lamas who were born Jews, such as Surya Das, who was born in Long Island as Jeff Miller. He is close to the Dalai Lama and travels, teaches, and leads meditation retreats around the world.

In today's video, Dr. Brenda Shoshanna, author of Jewish Dharma: A Guide to the Practice of Judaism and Zen, and Yael Shy, Co-Director of the NYU Center for Spiritual Life, discuss connections between Judaism and Buddhism.

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.)