The Year of Allan Sherman Starts With a New Biography and Rare Recordings

Attention all Allan Sherman fans: We know you're out there. This is your year. 

This summer will mark the 50th anniversary of the release of Sherman's classic Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah. The parody, describing a boy's experiences at summer camp and set to the Dance of the Hours from Ponchielli's La Gioconda,  became a surprise novelty hit, reaching second place on the Billboard Top 100 list in 1963. 

Next week Brandeis University Press will publish Mark Cohen's biography of Allan Sherman, the early 1960s Jewish song parodist whose surprise national stardom signaled that assimilation was over and ethnicity was back. The book, Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman (Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture and Life) is now available for pre-order at Amazon  and Barnes & Noble. 

A special feature of the biography is a collection of Sherman's lost Jewish parodies of the great Broadway musicals. He began performing these songs at house parties when he lived in Westchester in the 1950s. 

"What you are about to hear is entitled, Goldeneh Moments from Broadway, is how Sherman introduced these creations. “I said to myself, what would have happened, how would it have been, if all of the great Broadway hits of the great Broadway shows had been written by Jewish people—which they were.” His parodies include "There Is Nothin' Like a Lox," "When You Walk Through the Bronx," "Ollawood" ("Camelot"), "How Are Things With Uncle Morris?" ("How Are Things In Glocca Morra?"), and more.

We've been in touch with the author, who clued us in about the recordings of these lost parodies that he discovered during his research for the book. 

As a tribute to Sherman, we'll be sharing these recordings with you during the next few weeks. Here is the first one, Seventy-Six Sol Cohens, a parody of 76 Trombones from Meredith Willson's The Music Man. It was recorded live on January 18, 1963, in concert at Santa Monica, Calif. (Courtesy of the archive collection of Robert Sherman). 

 Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week: "Drugstore"

Another Monday morning, another joke to start the work week. Once again we dip into the vast reservoir of jokes from Old Jews Telling Jokes and come up with a familiar joke. The joke teller is 96-year-old Al Leiderman, who retired from his laundry business after more than 50 years.

Here's the setup: A 94-year-old man and a 90-year-old woman from his synagogue decided to get married. Last Sunday they went for a walk along the main street in the town where they live and they passed a drugstore. Chaim said to Sadie: "Wait a few minutes. I have to go inside"

And then...

Enjoy!  

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Lag B'Omer - 49 Facts for 49 Days of the Omer

Today is Lag B'Omer, the 33rd day of the period between Pesach and Shavuot. Around the world, the day is celebrated mainly in Jewish schools with children going on picnics and hikes and playing with toy bows and arrows in the field. In Israel, schools are closed for two days.

At a recent Learning Retreat, Moishe House members collaborated with the G-dcast team of creative film developers to produce a short film, 49 Facts for 49 Days of the Omer. It's a fun film filled with facts (both serious and off-beat) and fast action that captures the spirit of the counting period.

Moishe House is a pluralistic international organization that provides meaningful Jewish experiences to young adults in their 20s. Their innovative model trains, supports and sponsors young Jewish leaders as they create vibrant home-based communities for themselves and their peers.

There are 53 houses worldwide to engage more than 60,000 attendees a year. From Shabbat dinners and Learning Retreats to book clubs and sporting events, residents find ways to connect their peers with community, wherever they are. 

 G-dcast is a non-profit production company dedicated to raising worldwide Jewish literacy using the tools and storytelling style that speak to today’s youth.  

Enjoy the results of their collaboration!

Florida Rabbi Celebrates His Bar Mitzvah 47 Years Late

Rabbi Leonid Feldman celebrated his Bar Mitzvah last month in Temple Beth El in West Palm Beach, Florida, the synagogue where he is the spiritual leader. But next week he's turning 60. Why a Bar Mitzvah celebration now?

As Betty Nelander wrote in the Palm Beach Daily News:

As a 13-year-old growing up in the Soviet Republic of Moldavia, Feldman was denied this opportunity since Jews there could not practice or study Judaism or Jewish culture. He never heard of a bar mitzvah, a synagogue or the Holocaust when he was 13 and living under Communism.

“I say to people: ‘It is unusual. Usually you get bar-mitzvahed and then you become a rabbi. I am going backwards,’ ” said Feldman, who has performed hundreds of bar mitzvahs. “To be honest, there is no law that you have to be bar mitzvahed. Think about it: There are 3 million Russian Jews have never heard about bar mitzvah but they are Jews. A million and a half of them live in Israel and they still don’t know anything about it.

“American Jews take it for granted,” said Feldman.

Leaving behind religious suppression in Russia, Feldman went to Israel for three years. He then traveled to Italy for a year, and arrived in America in 1980. He moved to South Florida in 1988, a year after becoming a U.S. citizen. He was the spiritual leader Temple Emanu-El of Palm Beach for 12 years. He then was the rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Miami Beach until 2004.

For the first 6 minutes and 20 seconds, he speaks as the thirteen-year-old he was in Kishinev and how he hates his name and hates being a Jew. Then he abruptly shifts to the present and delivers a moving Bar Mitzvah speech about how he loves Judaism and believes that Judaism is the most beautiful thing ever created. 

Enjoy the video. Shabbat shalom.

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(A tip of the kippah and a copyof our e-book, Jewish Humor on Your Desktop, Volume 3: Humor in Jewish Life, to Jonathan Minsberg for bringing this video to our attention.)

A Fun Session With the Yiddish Chefs: Mamelige and Popcorn

The Yiddish chefs of the Jewish Daily Forward have been entertaining us with Yiddish banter and cooking sessions ever since their Est Gezunterheit video series started in May 2010. 

We've tried to stay current with the videos, but somehow we missed the second episode, a session in which Rukhl Schaechter and Eve Yochnowitz prepare two corn-based dishes, mamelige (cornmeal mush, similar to polenta) and popcorn.

The popcorn is made the old-fashioned way. Not in a microwave, but in a plain pot with a little oil on the bottom, and shaken while over a low flame on the range. And as the video shows, a little dancing while shaking the pot doesn't hurt.

In the middle of the episode, they conduct an experiment, adding popcorn to a full-to-the-top glass of milk, and we watch the popcorn being absorbed by the milk without overflowing. As they mix the mamelige, they get carried away and sing Rumania, Rumania, the classic Yiddish theater song that includes a reference to mamelige.

As usual, we pick up a few new Yiddish words while we're watching.

Cornmeal mush = Mamelige 
Corn = Kukuruze
Rye Bread = Kornbroyt
Whisk = Schum Shlugger
Popcorn = Kakoshes
Popping = Knocken

Try the popcorn and milk experiment with your children and grandchildren, and enjoy!

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Comedy Down Memory Lane: Another Stand-up Routine From Myron Cohen in 1951

In January we posted an old comedy clip by veteran comedian Myron Cohen from a performance in 1978. If you think that was old, take a look at this recently discovered longer routine which Cohen performed on The Kate Smith Show back in 1951.

In this video, Cohen touches on the immigrant experience in New York, Florida, and California, delivering his jokes with thick Yiddish and Italian accents.

Enjoy!

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Funny Israeli Commercials: A Big Hamburger For a Special Visitor

US Secret Service agents rush to a home in Israel and escort a young man living there into a black limousine. Then they enter a movie theater and pull out a young woman. Then it's on to a nightclub where they remove another young woman.

What's going on? It seems that it's after closing time at McDonald's, and a late night opening is needed. All three work there, the destination of the convoy of black limos carrying a special passenger. After checking the meat and the fries, the agents give the go-ahead to the three to serve one of the new Big America hamburgers to the passenger.

Who is he? You've probably guessed by now.

McDonald's operates 170 restaurants in Israel, 40 of which are under kosher supervision. According to Wikipedia, all use kosher beef, but the ones not under supervision are open on Shabbat and Jewish holidays and also serve dairy products.

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(A tip of the kippah to Esther Kustanowitz for bringing this video to our attention.)

A Joke to Start the Week: "Generosity"

It's been a few weeks since we had a joke to start the week. Our tradition of a new old joke every Monday was interrupted by Passover and holidays in Israel, but now it's back to our regular schedule.

Today's joke, like most of the others we've run, comes from Old Jews Telling Jokes. The joke teller is Larry Zicklin, a 76-year-old Clinical Professor at New York University's Stern School of Business.

Here's the setup: Max finishes playing a round of golf at his golf club. He showers, shaves, and is getting dressed when the cell phone next to him rings. And then...

Enjoy!

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A Nostalgic Look Back at Jewish Comedy On Second Avenue

In 2005 the Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre staged a tribute to the Jewish comedy performed in the early twentieth century on Second Avenue on the Lower East Side of New York City. The show included some classic skits from the Yiddish theatre.

On Second Avenue was created by Moishe Rosenfeld and Zalmen Mlotek. The bi-lingual English-Yiddish musical revue also starred Joanne Borts, Lisa Fishman and Robert Abelson. It featured the songs of Yiddish composers such as Abraham Goldfaden, Sholom Secunda, Alexander Olshanetzky and Yosef Rumshinsky, and excerpts from landmark shows.

Videos of these skits are rare, but we found one featuring Lisa Fishman as a friend visiting Mr. Blitz in the hospital. This is the hospital visit from hell, one that we don't wish on anybody. But it's funny.

Enjoy!
 
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Maccabeats Channel Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah in Lecha Dodi

The Maccabeats, the Yeshiva University a cappella group, has become known for its high quality singing, especially around the Jewish Holidays. But their repertoire also includes liturgical music, such as this beautiful rendition of Lecha Dodi, the focal point of the Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming of the Sabbath) service.

We referenced this song, the Maccabeats' breakthrough hit, in previous posts, but never actually posted a video of it in an on-stage performance. It has been set to many melodies. So here it is, channeling Leonard Cohen's signature song, Hallelujah. 

We find this combination of words and music particularly inspiring, and we hope you'll enjoy it too as we welcome Shabbat tonight. Scroll down below the video to see the lyrics in Hebrew, English, and in transliteration.

Shabbat shalom.

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	English translation	Transliteration	Hebrew
Chorus:
1	Let’s go, my beloved, to meet the bride,	Lekhah dodi liqrat kallah	לכה דודי לקראת כלה
2	and let us welcome the presence of Shabbat.	p'nei Shabbat neqabelah	פני שבת נקבלה
Verse 1:
3	"Observe" and "recall" in a single utterance,	Shamor v'zakhor b'dibur eḥad	שמור וזכור בדבור אחד
4	We were made to hear by the unified God,	hishmiʿanu El hameyuḥad	השמיענו אל המיחד
5	God is one and God’s Name is one,	Adonai eḥad ushemo eḥad	יי אחד ושמו אחד
6	In fame and splendor and praiseful song.	L'Sheim ulitiferet v'lit'hilah	לשם ולתפארת ולתהלה
Verse 2:
7	To greet Shabbat let’s go, let’s travel,	Liqrat Shabbat lekhu v'nelekhah	לקראת שבת לכו ונלכה
8	For she is the wellspring of blessing,	ki hi maqor haberakhah	כי היא מקור הברכה
9	From the start, from ancient times she was chosen,	merosh miqedem nesukhah	מראש מקדם נסוכה
10	Last made, but first planned.	sof maʿaseh b'maḥashavah teḥilah	סוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה
Verse 3:
11	Sanctuary of the king, royal city,	Miqdash melekh ʿir melukhah	מקדש מלך עיר מלוכה
12	Arise! Leave from the midst of the turmoil;	Qumi tze'i mitokh ha-hafeikhah	קומי צאי מתוך ההפכה
13	Long enough have you sat in the valley of tears	Rav lakh shevet b'ʿeimeq habakha	רב לך שבת בעמק הבכא
14	And He will take great pity upon you compassionately.	v'hu yaḥamol ʿalayikh ḥemlah	והוא יחמול עליך חמלה
Verse 4:
15	Shake yourself free, rise from the dust,	Hitnaʿari me'afar qumi	התנערי מעפר קומי
16	Dress in your garments of splendor, my people,	Livshi bigdei tifartekh ʿami	לבשי בגדי תפארתך עמי
17	By the hand of Jesse’s son of Bethlehem,	ʿAl yad ben Yishai beit ha-laḥmi	על יד בן ישי בית הלחמי
18	Redemption draws near to my soul.	Qorvah el nafshi g'alah	קרבה אל נפשי גאלה
Verse 5:
19	Rouse yourselves! Rouse yourselves!	Hitʿoreri hitʿoreri	התעוררי התעוררי
20	Your light is coming, rise up and shine.	Ki va oreikh qumi ori	כי בא אורך קומי אורי
21	Awaken! Awaken! utter a song,	ʿUri ʿuri shir dabeiri	עורי עורי שיר דברי
22	The glory of the Lord is revealed upon you.	K'vod Adonai ʿalayikh niglah	כבוד יי עליך נגלה
Verse 6:
23	Do not be embarrassed! Do not be ashamed!	Lo tivoshi v'lo tikalmi	לא תבושי ולא תכלמי
24	Why be downcast? Why groan?	Mah tishtoḥai umah tehemi	מה תשתוחחי ומה תהמי
25	All my afflicted people will find refuge within you	bakh yeḥesu ʿaniyei ʿami	בך יחסו עניי עמי
26	And the city shall be rebuilt on her hill.	v'nivnetah ʿir ʿal tilah	ונבנתה עיר על תלה
Verse 7:
27	Your despoilers will become your spoil,	V'hayu limshisah shosayikh	והיו למשסה שאסיך
28	Far away shall be any who would devour you,	V'raḥaqu kol mevalʿayikh	ורחקו כל מבלעיך
29	Your God will rejoice concerning you,	Yasis ʿalayikh Elohayikh	ישיש עליך אלהיך
30	As a groom rejoices over a bride.	Kimsos ḥatan ʿal kalah	כמשוש חתן על כלה
Verse 8:
31	To your right and your left you will burst forth,	Yamin usmol tifrotzi	ימין ושמאל תפרוצי
32	And the Lord will you revere	V'et Adonai taʿaritzi	ואת יי תעריצי
33	By the hand of a child of Perez,	ʿAl yad ish ben Partzi	על יד איש בן פרצי
34	We will rejoice and sing happily.	V'nismeḥah v'nagilah	ונשמחה ונגילה
Verse 9:
35	Come in peace, crown of her husband,	Boi v'shalom ateret baʿalah	בואי בשלום עטרת בעלה
36	Both in happiness and in jubilation	Gam b'simḥah uvetzahalah	גם בשמחה ובצהלה
37	Amidst the faithful of the treasured nation	Tokh emunei ʿam segulah	תוך אמוני עם סגלה
38	Come O Bride! Come O Bride!	Boi khalah boi khalah	בואי כלה בואי כלה

A Comedy Classic: Woody Allen Standup From 1965

After a wonderful month in Jerusalem, we're back home. We hope you enjoyed the posts that focused on Passover, Israeli holidays, Israeli music and dance and food. We'll be back with more of that as part of our mix, but it's time to get back to our roots -- Jewish humor.

What better way than to revisit some of the classic comedy routines by Jewish comedians (are there any other kind?).

Many of us know Woody Allen as an actor, producer, and director, but don't remember his origins as a standup comedian. We discovered this rare video of Woody performing one of his routines in 1965. Not only is this a classic ten minutes of nonstop comedy, but it includes one of his most famous routines, telling of how he shot a moose. It starts at seven minutes into the routine, and is really worth watching.

Enjoy!

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Mystery Solved: When and Why Haredi Man Flew in Plane Covered in Huge Plastic Bag

Photo: Reddit

At Jewish Humor Central we strive to report funny news when it occurs, and at the same time we strive to be respectful of all aspects of Judaism (and other religions as well.) But when an incident occurs that fits the "unbelievable but true" category and validates our saying that "you just can't make this stuff up" we feel duty bound to share it, especially when it goes viral over the internet in a matter of hours.

In the last few days, major, minor, and internet media have all printed and posted a photo of a Haredi man on a plane completely covered in a plastic bag, which some media have characterized as a full body condom.

At first it was reported that the reason for the plastic bag was that he wanted to avoid any contact with women, but later reports indicated that he is a Kohen, and did it to comply with a halachic ruling by the late rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv that Kohanim must cover themselves in plastic when flying over a cemetery to avoid becoming tamei, or impure.

For a few days, conflicting stories were being told about the incident. One said the plastic bag was to avoid contact with women. Another said it was to prevent him from coming in contact with bread on Passover. An El Al spokeswoman said that the photo was likely ten years old but didn't deny that it was a real photo. About ten years ago there was a similar incident that led El Al to decide not to allow ultra-Orthodox Jews of priestly descent to "hermetically seal themselves in plastic bags when flying over the Holon cemetery in order to avoid ritual impurity."

El Al stated "flight safety considerations do not allow for passengers to board while covered in sealed plastic bags."

Nevertheless, in 2002 a flight crew got into a heated dispute with a Haredi passenger who attempted to fly wrapped in plastic, according to Haaretz. The confrontation eventually led the pilot to turn the plane around.

The mystery appears to have been solved yesterday when the man in the story gave an interview to YnetNews.com, the internet site of the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot. In the interview, he acknowledged that the photo is real, the flight to Israel took place before Passover, and that he wrapped himself in plastic simply to follow his rabbi's orders not to fly over cemeteries.  

As Itzchak Tessler reported,

The Kohen, formerly a secular Jew who embraced Orthodox Judaism and asked to remain anonymous, told Ynet of his long service in the Israel Defense Forces, where he held sensitive posts. In 1983, as a show of appreciation, the Air Force commander gave him the "opportunity to study in a yeshiva at the expense of the Air Force, which paid my salary for the two and a half years I studied in the yeshiva."

After his studies, he returned to the army for 10 more years – "an unprecedented move in the Air Force," he says.

Join Us in Celebrating Israel's 65th Independence Day

Tonight we join lovers of Israel worldwide as the solemnity of Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) transitions to the celebration of its 65th anniversary. Parties and barbecues will be going on all over Israel on Wednesday, as its residents take the day off to focus on flag waving and outdoor activities.

Musical tributes to Israel are all over the internet, and we picked a few to share with you that we think represent the essence of the day.

Stand With Us has produced a video called 65 Things We Love About Israel in 65 Seconds.

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But Israel is not just a place with great food, fun, and fashion. It is a country of amazing achievements, as shown in the video by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 65 years it absorbed massive immigration, made the desert bloom, invented the solar water heater, built the land, helped other countries, won Nobel prizes, reunified Jerusalem, achieved peace with Egypt and Jordan, pioneered in the space industry, produced world class award-winning movies, and became a high-tech nation.



Happy Birthday, Israel!

A Tribute to the Israel Defense Forces on Yom Hazikaron

This evening marks the start of the most solemn day of the year in Israel - Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Memorial Day, the day that all Israel remembers the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces who fell in its wars in defense of the country. This day is different in its character and mood from the American Memorial Day. For 24 hours (from sunset to sunset) all places of public entertainment (theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, pubs, etc.) are closed. 

The most noticeable feature of the day is the sound of the siren that is heard throughout the country twice, during which the entire nation observes a two-minutes "standstill" of all traffic and daily activities. The first siren marks the beginning of Memorial Day at 8:00 P.M., and the second is at 11:00 A.M., before the public recitation of prayers in the military cemeteries. All radio and television stations broadcast programs portraying the lives and heroic deeds of fallen soldiers. Most of the broadcasting time is devoted to Israeli songs that convey the mood of the day.

Today we're participating in the spirit of Yom Hazikaron with a video tribute to the soldiers of the IDF. Tomorrow our mood will change to one of rejoicing as we join with the people of Israel and Jews around the world in celebrating Israel's 65th Independence Day.

Here is the prayer said every Shabbat in most synagogues around the world for the welfare of the IDF soldiers:
 

Prayer for the Welfare of Soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces

May He who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, bless the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces who keep guard over our country and cities of our Lord from the border with Lebanon to the Egyptian desert and from the Mediterranean Sea to the approach to the Arava, be they on land, air or sea. May the Almighty deliver us our enemies who arise against us, may the Holy One, blessed be He, preserve them and save them from all sorrow and peril, from danger and ill. May He send blessing and success in all their endeavors, may He deliver to them those who hate us and crown them with salvation and victory, so that the saying may be fulfilled through them, “For the Lord, your God, who walks with you and to fight your enemies for you and to save you”, and let us say, Amen. 

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Postcard From Israel - Shabbat Shalom From Emek Refaim

For the last month Jewish Humor Central has been coming to you from our Jerusalem Bureau in the beautiful upscale residential German Colony neighborhood of Jerusalem. The area is also known as Emek Refaim, the name of the street that defines this section of the city. 

Filled with restaurants, cafes, boutiques, bookstores, markets, synagogues, and an Olympic size six lane swimming pool, the main street and the side streets are always bustling with residents and tourists.

As we get ready to pack for our return to the East Coast of the USA next week, we wanted to share with you a glimpse of the sights and sounds of this charming enclave in the center of the most talked-about city in the world as it goes about its business on a Friday morning.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: The Tribe of Menashe, a Lost Tribe of Israel, Returns

The Bnei Menashe (sons of Manasseh) claim descent from one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, who were sent into exile by the Assyrian Empire more than 27 centuries ago.

Their ancestors wandered through Central Asia and the Far East for centuries, before settling in what is now northeastern India, along the border with Burma and Bangladesh.

Throughout their sojourn in exile, the Bnei Menashe continued to practice Judaism just as their ancestors did, including observing the Sabbath, keeping kosher, celebrating the festivals and following the laws of family purity. And they continued to nourish the dream of one day returning to the land of their ancestors, the Land of Israel.

In recent years, Shavei Israel has brought some 1,700 Bnei Menashe back home to Zion. Another 7,200 still remain in India, waiting for the day when they too will be able to return to Israel and the Jewish people. 

The video below shows scenes of the Bnei Menashe arriving at Ben-Gurion airport in Tel Aviv and their daily activities in communities around Israel.

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Fountainheads Kick Off Israel Independence Week With Song of Hope

Report from Jerusalem: 

Yom Ha'atzmaut -- Israel Independence Day. It's coming up next Tuesday, and Jerusalem is all aglow with anticipation. It's the 65th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, and at the age of 65, the country is not ready for retirement. Cranes are visible all over, new apartment houses are going up, and everyone is in high spirits.

Israeli flags are being distributed in the streets and sold in supermarkets, and many cars are already flying the small flags that attach to the car windows.

It's a national holiday, the kids are off from school, and barbecues are being planned everywhere. So it's not surprising that music videos are beginning to appear on the internet.

We're starting off today with a performance by our favorite musical group, the Fountainheads of Midreshet Ein Prat, who have been featured on Jewish Humor Central for the last few years with their innovative, ebullient singing and choreography for the major Jewish holidays. This week they released a new video, Hope, just in time for Israel Independence Day.

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.)     

Actress and Comedian Annie Korzen Gets Funny and Wistful About Her Son's Wedding

Annie Korzen, comedian, actress, writer, and lecturer, is also a regular at spoken-word performances at Los Angeles literary salons. In February we posted a video clip from Yenta Unplugged, her solo show, and we got requests from many readers for more. 

Annie is also a regular on the Old Jews Telling Jokes website, so we considered posting some of her jokes. But our family-friendly language policy keeps us from sharing them.

So we found another way to bring you some of her humor. Annie's only son got married recently and she wrote an essay sharing her mixed feelings about this major milestone in their lives. Alternately happy and wistful, she comes to grips with her reservations about the formality and Jewishness of the affair, and expresses some discomfort with the proceedings. But in the end, she acknowledges the benefits of tradition and gaining a daughter, even though her son is leaving his mother for another woman.

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.)