Jewish Humor Central is a daily publication to start your day with news of the Jewish world that's likely to produce a knowing smile and some Yiddishe nachas. It's also a collection of sources of Jewish humor--anything that brings a grin, chuckle, laugh, guffaw, or just a warm feeling to readers.
Our posts include jokes, satire, books, music, films, videos, food, Unbelievable But True, and In the News. Some are new, and some are classics. We post every morning, Sunday through Friday. Enjoy!
Jewbalaya plays a good-time mixture of Klezmer and Traditional New Orleans Jazz.
With a horn section, drums, banjo, accordion and vocals, Jewbalaya
offers a shmaltzy stew of funky beats and Yiddish treats. Jewbalaya has
performed recently at the Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mall of America, The
Slavic Experience Festival, and more.
Jewbalaya's vocalist is Lea Kalisch. From Rap to Rumba, Folk to Feminism, Lea blends styles and languages like a smoothie. Lea is a Swiss Jewish
international entertainer who gives tradition a facelift. Yiddish
Theater, forgotten melodies, original songs, and mashups—all delivered
with young, zestful energy. She slips into different characters to make
you laugh with one eye and cry with the other.
In this video, Lea and Jewbalaya sing and play the Yiddish classics Az Der Rebbe Zingt and Bim Bam.
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.
Will people waiting in line at a ticket booth stay in their place or
will they follow the crowd to unknown locations and conform to their
actions? The Candid Camera crew conducted such an experiment and found
that the subjects were only too willing to blindly follow the others in
line without questioning their motives or destinations.
This Candid Camera episode took place 63 years ago in 1962.
In 2020 the Forverts launched a daily series of
short informal video clips called Yiddish Word of the Day.
The series,
written and narrated by Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter, aims to give
non-Yiddish speakers an introduction to familiar Yiddish words and phrases and
how they might be used in everyday situations.
Schaechter, who was appointed the new editor of the Forverts in 2016, is
the first woman to helm the paper in its 119-year history, its first
editor to have been born in the United States, and likely its first editor
who is shomeret Shabbat.
We posted the
first
of this series in May 2020. Now that the Forverts is continuing the
series, we'll continue sharing some of the words and phrases as a regular feature of
Jewish Humor Central. Today
we get to learn the Yiddish word for hands and lots of related expressions.
It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today Mickey Greenblatt is back with another good one.
Marshal (Mickey) Greenblatt received degrees from Columbia (BA and BS in Flight Sciences), a DC from Von Karman Institute (1963) and his PhD from Princeton in Aerospace Sciences. He worked as a researcher for NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory.
With four other scientists, he founded Fusion Systems Corporation, which invented microwave-powered UV lamps for drying coatings. He founded and served on the boards of technology companies and is active in volunteer work. He served on the executive committee of the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington for many years.
Mickey
also loves Jewish jokes and sent us this one to share with you. Here's
the setup: About five men were in the locker room of the golf club, showering after a really warm day and a cell phone that's lying on one of the benches rings. And then...
In her speech at the event, Gadot referred several times to her Israeli
roots. “I’m just a girl from Israel,” she said, drawing loud cheers
from her supporters in the audience. “To all the young people,
especially the young girls, if a girl from Rosh Ha’ayin can get a star
on Hollywood Boulevard, anything is possible.”
Gadot also addressed her Israeli family in Hebrew, saying that she loves them, even though they are far away.
Mr. Tambourine Man is a song written by Bob Dylan, released as the first track of the acoustic side of his March 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home.
The song's popularity led to Dylan recording it live many times, and it
has been included in multiple compilation albums.
It has been
translated into other languages and has been used or referenced in
television shows, films, and books.
It's also been adopted by Congregation Shir Shalom in Buffalo, New York as the musical background for Mi Chamocha, part of the Shabbat service.
So today we're joining Shir Shalom in welcoming Shabbat with an unconventional melody for the morning service.
Voted one of the top 10 comedians
in New York City by the Hollywood Reporter and BackStage, Modi is one
of the comedy circuit’s most sought after performers.
Featured on HBO, CBS,
NBC, ABC.Comedy Central, Howard Stern and E! Entertainment, Modi has received
rave reviews in the New York Times, Time Out NY and the New York Post.
Born in Israel, MODI
moved to the United States when he was seven. After college, MODI
worked as an investment banker and had no plans to become a stand up
comedian. But one open mic changed everything.
In
this performance at the Comedy Cellar in New York's Greenwich Village,
Modi gives his impressions of the way millennials speak and his experience in shopping at Trader Joe's.
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.
Today
we're sharing a classic episode from 1963 in which the Candid Camera
crew set up a phone to start smoking whenever a person tried to use it to talk someone through the process to deal with a malfunctioning fireplace.
Rabbi Gavriel Bellino is a frequent guest on comedian Modi Rosenfeld's blog, "And Here's Modi." The blog is an inside look at
the man behind the microphone. Hosted by Modi, And Here's Modi features a raw and unfiltered side of the comedian rarely seen on
stage.
A native of Lower Manhattan, Rabbi Bellino grew up attending the Young Israel of Fifth Avenue, and after graduating from Ramaz, studied at Yeshivat Shalavim outside of Yerushalayim before getting his degree in Psychology, Philosophy and Women’s Studies from Brandeis University. He pursued his smicha at RIETS before returning to his childhood community in 2006 to lead the Sixteenth Street Synagogue (formerly the Young Israel of Fifth Avenue).
In a recent episode he traced the origin and usage of the Yiddish term Oy, a Broch.
It's Monday again, and at Jewish Humor Central that means only one thing -- it's time for another joke to start the week.
Today's joke is from our collection of jokes from Toronto's Jewish Folks Telling Jokes, a major contribution to Jewish humor by Jewish Family and Child Service, one of the foremost Jewish service agencies in North America. Most jokes in this series are oldies but goodies. You've probably heard them before, but it's always good to hear them again, especially when retold by new joke tellers.
Here's today's setup for the joke told by Doreen Glick: A very young and very very naive Orthodox couple had an arranged marriage. And after the wedding they found themselves in their bridal suite. And then... Enjoy!
We've noticed that our Monday feature "A Joke to Start the Week" is getting the most views of all our posts. While we will continue our mix of videos of jokes, stories, music, and other elements of Jewish life, we're going to try to post more clips of standup comedy.
Matt Ruby is a comedian from New York City. His smart and dark brand of standup is "button-pushing" and "funny" according to the NY Times. His comedy has been filmed by Comedy Central, MTV, NBC/Seeso, and FOX. His newsletters (The Rubesletter and Funny How) have over 17,000 subscribers combined. He also hosts the podcast Kind of a Lot with Matt Ruby.
Today we're sharing a clip from a Matt Ruby performance on why Goldilocks should be considered a Jewish superhero.
It's Friday again and time to welcome another Shabbat. This week we're sharing our 70th version of Lecha Dodi, this time with cantors Azi Schwartz and Shiree Kidron.
We're all familiar with the inspiring voice of Azi Schwartz, lead cantor at the Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan. Over the years cantor Schwartz has appeared 26 times on this site with renditions of many parts of the Shabbat services.
Cantor Shiree Kidron is a unique and
versatile vocalist who appears locally and internationally as a
classical singer, as well as oratorio and as a Jewish classical and folk
music performer.
She received her Master of Music at the
Manhattan School of Music and her Bachelor in Music at the Rubin High
Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem. .
Cantor Kidron currently serves as the Cantor at Or Olam, The East 55th Street Synagogue.
She is proud member of the Cantors Assembly. She has been the senior
Cantor at Bet Shira Congregation in South Miami and a Cantor at the Park
Avenue Synagogue in New York City.
Today our Throwback Thursday time machine takes us back 64 years to 1961 when the Barry Sisters appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show to sing the ballad Nevertheless, written in 1931 by Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar.
Born
in the Bronx to Yiddish speaking immigrants from Kiev, Clara and Minnie
Bagelman started out in show business using their real names as The
Bagelman Sisters, but after awhile, Clara became Claire, Minnie became
Merna, and Bagelman became Barry. They performed songs in nine
languages. Looking
glamorous and sparing no expense for their orchestrations, they sang to
a full house at the Concord and other Catskills resorts.
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.
Twenty-four
years ago the Candid Camera team went behind the counter at a Pizza shop. When customers showed up to claim their order, they were told that they were out of boxes to take home. Let's watch the reactions of these unsuspecting
customers when they opened the box and when they were told they're on
Candid Camera.
Social media sensation Yohay Sponder has gone viral with his charming
and unapologetic comments on Jews in general, Israeli Jews
specifically, and overall audience interaction on topics ranging from
political correctness (or not), Muslims, women, terrorists, gays, and
the Holocaust — many things people are feeling, but stand back from
expressing.
Since 2016, Sponder has been producing “Funny Monday,” an Israeli standup comedy
show in English that, among other things, touches upon current events
from an Israeli-Jewish point of view.
In
this video, Sponder tries to explain why Jews dress up in costume on Purim.
It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today's joke is being told by actor and writer Harvey Fierstein.
Harvey Fierstein is an American actor, playwright,
and screenwriter, known for his distinctive gravelly voice. He gained
notice for his theater work in Torch Song Trilogy, winning both the Tony
Award for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play.
Here's the setup: This old man is walking down the road with a chicken under his arm, when a Nazi stops him. "Where are you going with that chicken?" asks the Nazi. And then...
In 2020 the Forverts launched a daily series of
short informal video clips called Yiddish Word of the Day.
The series,
written and narrated by Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter, aims to give
non-Yiddish speakers an introduction to familiar Yiddish words and phrases and
how they might be used in everyday situations.
Schaechter, who was appointed the new editor of the Forverts in 2016, is
the first woman to helm the paper in its 119-year history, its first
editor to have been born in the United States, and likely its first editor
who is shomeret Shabbat.
We posted the
first
of this series in May 2020. Now that the Forverts is continuing the
series, we'll continue sharing some of the words and phrases as a regular feature of
Jewish Humor Central. Today
we get to learn the Yiddish word for disappointment and some related expressions.
Frieda Vizel is a Brooklyn tour guide with Satmar ancestry, who leads walking tours in Borough Park and Williamsburg.
Until she was 25, Vizel lived in the Satmar Hasidic community. This
experience – and her interest in how society works on a systemic level –
informs her work. She draws from all sorts of disciplines, like urban
studies, history, sociology, and cultural criticism.
Today she visited Brooklyn Hasidic communities as they let themselves go with Purim costumes, charitable giving, exchanging Mishloach Manot (gifts of food), drinking, and dancing in the streets. Its the one day each year when these ultra observant Jews take a break from serious study and meticulous observance.
Let's join them in taking a day off and having a good time. And when the day is over, it's time to welcome another Shabbat.
Anchored by a strong Jewish identity and driven by a mission to connect Jews around the globe with their heritage through music, professional Jewish a cappella group Six13 are the originators of today's Jewish a cappella sound.
They've performed to rave reviews at the White House, and many more at synagogues, religious schools, JCCs, fundraising events, B'nai Mitzvah and private affairs alike. They’ve appeared all over mainstream media, been cited by Billy Joel and Bruno Mars, received numerous awards for their eight best-selling CDs, been selected as finalists for casting in NBC's "The Sing-Off", and garnered more than 20 million views online.
Six13 helps us to get ready for the reading of Megillat Esther tonight and tomorrow with a rousing medley of songs for Purim.
Ari
Lesser is an American Orthodox Jewish rapper, singer, songwriter, and
spoken word artist. Since 2010, he has released thirteen albums and has
collaborated with artists like Gad Elbaz, Lipa Schmeltzer, Kosha Dillz,
and C Lanzbom. After
graduation from the University of Oregon, Lesser worked as a musician
in Los Angeles, where he became known in the "hippie jam band" scene.
While working on his first album there, his financer, a Rastafarian
selling Medical Marijuana, gave him a copy of Psalms. Lesser
found that he related to King David as a songwriter and started rhyming
the psalms; this ultimately led him to a deeper interest in Torah and his Jewish roots, and he became a baal teshuva. He visited Israel on a Taglit-Birthright trip that he ended up extending to
ten months, during which he studied at Yeshiva Temimei Darech in Safed
and Mayanot in Jerusalem.
In
this Purim video "I'm a Jew Like Mordecai", Ari retells the story of Purim and calls on his listeners to fulfill all of the mitzvot of Purim. Enjoy!
In three days we will be celebrating Purim, and Megillat Esther will be read on Thursday night and Friday morning.
Our countdown to Purim begins today and we're starting the festivities with a performance by Israeli singer Avi Ilson of the joyous expression at the end of the Megillah after the Jews of Persia rose up and conquered Haman and his followers.
La'Yehudim Hayta Orah v'Simcha v'Sasson vi'Ykor.
And the Jews basked in light and happiness, joy, and great honor.
It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today Mickey Greenblatt is back with another good one.
Marshal (Mickey) Greenblatt received degrees from Columbia (BA and BS in Flight Sciences), a DC from Von Karman Institute (1963) and his PhD from Princeton in Aerospace Sciences. He worked as a researcher for NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory.
With four other scientists, he founded Fusion Systems Corporation, which invented microwave-powered UV lamps for drying coatings. He founded and served on the boards of technology companies and is active in volunteer work. He served on the executive committee of the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington for many years.
Mickey
also loves Jewish jokes and sent us this one to share with you. Here's
the setup: An elderly woman walked into the synagogue. An usher came by to help her up the steps and asked her where she would like to sit. And then...
In
the U.S. we get our political satire from Saturday Night Live and The
Daily Show. Israelis, who have a lot of politics to parody, have their
own outlet for making fun of the daily comings and goings of politicians
and celebrities. It's a weekly TV show called Eretz Nehederet (Hebrew: ארץ נהדרת, literally "Wonderful Country.")
It's pure satire, featuring references
to current affairs of the past week through parodies of the people
involved, as well as the thoughts of recurring characters. The program
is one of the most watched and influential shows on Israeli television.
Here's a recent sketch mocking the United Nations "Peacekeepers" in Lebanon.
The Shvesters (Chava Levi and Polina Fradkin) are a Yiddish vocal duo
hailing originally from Detroit, Michigan. They gained a reputation on
social media for their perfectly synchronized voices (and signature
matching outfits) — and have won the hearts of audiences from all
backgrounds.
The Shvesters transform classic Yiddish melodies and Hebrew prayers into sophisticated, contemporary harmonic jazz arrangements.
In this video the Shvesters welcome Shabbat with a rendition of Yedid Nefesh.
Alex Edelman (born March 20, 1989) is an American stand-up comedian. He was named Best Newcomer at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe for his show Millennial.He has toured three shows since 2014: Millennial (2014–2015), Everything Handed to You (2015–2016), and Just for Us (2018–2020; 2023–2024).
Just for Us opened Off-Broadway in 2022 before premiering on Broadway in 2023 at The Hudson Theatre; it was named a NYT Critic's Pick both times and earned him a 2024 special Tony Award and an Emmy Award. In 2024 he was named to the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people.
In this video clip Alex tells about an interesting encounter he had with a professional sword swallower at a music festival in Scotland.
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.
Twenty-four
years ago the Candid Camera team set up a 9-year-old boy to claim a regular city parking space as his own parking business, charging a $1 fee to anyone who tried to park there. If they refused to pay, he removed the box that he had placed over a fire hydrant, exposing the space as an illegal one. Would you give him $1 for a parking spot?
Comedians Yohay Sponder and Shahar Hason
got their start as comedians in Israel catering exclusively to
Hebrew-speaking audiences. As the two became more and more well-known to
Hebrew speakers throughout Israel, they noticed a huge demographic in
the country that was missing out on the laughs.
Sponder and
Hason took the risk of crafting and re-writing their material from
Hebrew to English (and from Israeli humor to American humor), all the
while unsure whether or not they would even get a laugh out of an
English speaking crowd. Their hard work and dedication to broadening the
audience of one of Israel’s most unique cultural elements has launched
the growing scene of Israeli Stand-up in English. Sponder,
Hason, and some of their friends carry on each Monday at the Comedy Bar in Tel Aviv with
their standup comedy show, Funny Monday. Here is a recent performance by Shahar Hason on the subject of peace in the Middle East.
It's another Monday and it's time for another Joke to Start the Week.
Bob Alper is an ordained 78-year-old Reform rabbi from Vermont who served congregations
for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton
Theological Seminary. But he's also a stand-up comedian with a thirty year comedy
career. He presents wonderfully unique material in a way that's
intelligent, sophisticated, and 100% clean. Since
2010 we have posted more than two dozen video clips of his stand-up
routines. We keep finding new clips, some of which we'll use as Jokes to Start the Week.
Here's
one about the time when he was offered one of his first positions as a congregational rabbi. The first call he made after accepting the job was to his mother-in-law. And then...
In 2020 the Forverts launched a daily series of
short informal video clips called Yiddish Word of the Day.
The series,
written and narrated by Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter, aims to give
non-Yiddish speakers an introduction to familiar Yiddish words and phrases and
how they might be used in everyday situations.
Schaechter, who was appointed the new editor of the Forverts in 2016, is
the first woman to helm the paper in its 119-year history, its first
editor to have been born in the United States, and likely its first editor
who is shomeret Shabbat.
We posted the
first
of this series in May 2020. Now that the Forverts is continuing the
series, we'll continue sharing some of the words and phrases as a regular feature of
Jewish Humor Central. Today
we get to learn the Yiddish word for ceasefires and some related expressions.
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.
Twenty-three
years ago the Candid Camera team went into a coffee shop and stuck everything together, and we mean everything -- the cups, lids, stirrers, and napkins. Let's watch the reactions of these unsuspecting
customers when they tried to put these elements together in pursuit of their daily cup of coffee.
The Yiddish folk love song Tumbalalaika
originated in Eastern Europe in the 19th century, but its exact origin
is hard to pinpoint. That hasn't prevented it from being sung and played
over and over, not only in places where Yiddish songs are sung, but
just about everywhere in the world, in vocal and instrumental versions,
in cabarets and in the movies.
Just as we have followed the songs Hava Nagila, Adon Olam, Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, and Abanibi
as they took different forms as interpreted by a wide variety of
singers, musicians, and dancers, we're continuing the series today that
we started back in 2012, sharing our 26th version of this
universal courting and love
song.
Today we're sharing a version by Israeli singer Einat Betzalel. She grew up on a kibbutz near Zichron Ya’acov and at the age of 18
joined a military band. That experience, she says, “was a great learning
experience for me. We were performing almost every day throughout
various countries.”
After
the army Betzalel attended the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary
Music and started to work with top artists in Israel, among them Alon
Olearchik, who is best known for being one of the founding members of
Kaveret.
In this video the words appear in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian.
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Just Published: The Kustanowitz Kronikle - 35 Years of Purim Parody
Every Purim for the past 35 years we have published a Purim parody edition of The Kustanowitz Kronikle, covering virtually every aspect of Jewish life, and including parodies of hundreds of popular movies. This year we decided to retire the series and capture all the fun in a book that's just been published and is available at Amazon.com. It has every Purim issue of The Kustanowitz Kronikle from 1988 through 2022 in a full-color, full-size paperback book with hilarious headline stories and parody movie picks. Here are a few examples: TRUMP, NETANYAHU SWAP ROLES, COUNTRIES; NEW TALMUD VOLUME "VOTIN" FOUND IN IRAQ; JOINS "FRESSIN", "NAPPIN", TANTZEN","PATCHEN"; "JUDAICARE" PROGRAM PLANNED TO ENSURE THAT ALL JEWS HAVE SYNAGOGUE MEMBERSHIP; RABBIS CREATE TALMUD AMERICANI; NEW LAWS EXTEND HALACHA TO THANKSGIVING AND JULY 4; JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE UNITE TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING; FOCUS ON REDUCING HOT AIR; RABBIS TO REQUIRE SHECHITA FOR MANY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Jewish Humor Central Staff
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief:
Al Kustanowitz Food and Wine Editor:
Aviva Weinberg Israel Food and Wine Consultant Penina Kustanowitz Reporter and Photographer:
Meyer Berkowitz Reporter Phyllis Flancbaum
Now You Can Book Program and Lecture Dates for 2025 and 2026 in Person and Via ZOOM
Now is the time to book our Jewish humor programs and lectures for your 2025 and 2026 events in person and via ZOOM anywhere in the world. Book any of our 22 popular programs including "The Great Jewish Comedians", “Israel is a Funny Country”, and "Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places." Click above for details and videos. To book a program with Al, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com
"Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places" is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions
This book presents 150 anecdotes and associated video clips that reveal the myriad ways that Jewish culture, religion, humor, music, song, and dance have found expression in parts of the world that, at first glance, might not seem supportive of Jewish Life. It includes 50 videos of Hava Nagila being performed from Texas to Thailand, from India to Iran, and from Buenos Aires to British Columbia. Also highlighted are 34 international versions of Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, Adon Olam, Abanibi, and Tumbalalaika. Whether you’re reading the print version and typing in the video URLs or reading the e-book version and clicking on the links, you’ll have access to 150 video clips totaling more than 10 hours of video. Enjoy!
"Israel is a Funny Country" is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions
This book explores the multifaceted nature of humor in Israel, some of which is intentional and some of which is unintentional. Either way, the quirks of Israeli life contribute to making that life interesting and fulfilling. In the pages of this volume, we take a look at humorous slices of Israeli life, Israeli comedy, satire and parody, funny TV commercials, unusual stories about food, surprising rabbinic bans on daily activities, simchas as they can only be celebrated in Israel, and endearing aspects of Israeli culture. There are more than 120 anecdotes and links to video clips totaling more than six hours of video. We hope that these anecdotes and video clips give you a new and different insight into life in Israel, and encourage you to join in the fun by planning a visit to the land flowing with milk and honey.
Now is the time to book our Jewish Humor Shows and Lectures in person or on ZOOM.
Bring Al's Jewish humor lectures and comedy programs with the funniest videos on the Internet to your community and your synagogue, club, JCC, organization or private event in person or via ZOOM. We're taking reservations now for 2025 and 2026 dates in your community. Click above for details. To book a program with Al, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com.
Now Open: The Jewish Humor Central Gift Shop
Jewish Humor Central logo merchandise is now available. Click on the image above to see the complete collection -- More than 100 items from tote bags, baseball caps, mugs, aprons, drinkware, T-shirts and sweatshirts, to pajamas and underwear.
The Best of Jewish Humor Central - Now Available in eBook and Paperback at Amazon.com
The Best of Jewish Humor Central - More than 400 video clips, including music and comedy videos for all the Jewish holidays. View them on Your PC, Mac, Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, iTouch, Android Tablet and Smartphone. Click on the image above to peek inside and download a free sample. And now, a paperback edition for anyone who prefers a traditional book and doesn't mind typing the URLs instead of clicking on them.
About the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
A long-term devotee of Jewish humor, Al Kustanowitz has been collecting and sharing it even before there was an internet. In 2009, after a 36-year career at IBM managing new technology projects, he founded Jewish Humor Central (jewishhumorcentral.com. Through the blog he brings a daily dose of fun and positive energy to readers who would otherwise start the day reading news that is often drab, dreary, and depressing (subscribing is free). He has published 12 books on humor based on his more than 4,000 blog postings, each of which includes a video clip and his commentary.
He has presented more than 100 programs in South Florida and the Northeast on topics that include the great comedians and entertainers of the 20th century, funniest moments in film and television, flash mobs around the world, and composers and lyricists of the Great American Songbook.
He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the City University of New York and taught computer science courses at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the International Association of Yiddish Clubs.
You can contact Al via email at akustan@gmail.com.
Daily Reyd
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• YU Pesach to Go • The Forward’s take – Rabbis revolt over LGBTQ club,
exposing fight over queer acceptance at Yeshiva University • As Gruss Life
sunsets,...
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This is Sali, the LSW posting for Yaakov. Yaakov is recovering from a stoke
that he had about a month ago. Thank you all so very much for your good
wishes,...
Thoughts on the Haggadah by Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum
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We just recently were able to find the latest version of my fathers, Rabbi
Eli Teitelbaum Z”L, thoughts on the Haggadah and conve...
Hamantaschen: The Symbolism behind Purim Cookies
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Purim is a celebration of masquerade, Mishloach Manot, Hamantaschen and
book of Esther reading. Every Jewish holiday focuses on a special dish and
the tria...
Thank you for your support!
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Thank you very much for supporting our work at The Muqata. We appreciate
your contribution and hope to be able to keep bringing you the most up to
date ...
Boarding School Massachusetts
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Every fall the Massachusetts Health Connector provides information
concerning the public higher education institutions and designed to prevent
offenders ...
A chat with some protesters…
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Originally posted on don of all trades:
Hi protesters, it’s me, Don. Do you remember me? No? I’m a police officer.
We’ve met before. Excuse me? Did you say...
Jerusalem Walking Tours for Sukkot
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It is about time that I brought back my “Jerusalem: Meet Jerusalem” walking
tour series. And while I am nearing completion on a few new ones that I
hope to...
Trayf of the Week: Bacon Jam
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Just when you thought it was safe to eat your bagels in mixed company,
comes this devilish concoction. Next time a Goyishe friend offers you a
shmear, mak...
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