Rosh Hashanah - Time to Get Clarity With the Aish.com Breakdancers

Aish HaTorah, the Israel-based outreach organization, has been using breakdancing as a vehicle for spreading their message. Two years ago they collaborated with a professional breakdance group to record a popular Rosh Hashanah video greeting. This year it looks like they've learned the moves as they create a new breakdance video greeting.

Headquartered in Jerusalem near the Western Wall, Aish.com is a division of Aish HaTorah, an apolitical network of Jewish educational centers in 35 branches on five continents. This partnership enables Aish.com users to experience the richness of community at an Aish branch.
 
The name Aish HaTorah literally means "Fire of Torah." As Elie Weisel said: "Aish HaTorah means to me the passion of teaching, the passion of learning. The study of Torah, the source of Jewish values, is the way to Jewish survival."
  
(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.) 

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Street Shofar Man Takes His Shtick to Israel

OK, you can argue that Israel is not an unexpected place to hear the shofar, unlike the streets of Los Angeles and New York, where Street Shofar Man blew his horn before Rosh Hashanah last year. 

At the Western Wall, OK. But in a Bedouin camp? In a Tel Aviv night club?

Last September we posted two visits of Michael Braus, who calls himself Street Shofar Man, to the streets of Los Angeles and New York as a wake up call to what's possible for ourselves and our world at the start of the Jewish new year. 

Now Street Shofar treks across Israel -- from Jerusalem's Old City to military bases, from Bedouin villages to posh suburban parks and hot Tel Aviv night clubs -- bringing the shofar's eternal message of peace, understanding, and new possibilty. Isn't it the time of year for us to ask ourselves what we stand for?

The videos were produced by IKAR, a progressive, egalitarian Jewish community in Los Angeles.

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.)

Apples and Honey: A Rosh Hashanah Music Video From Vancouver, British Columbia

From across our Canadian border, we welcome a new Rosh Hashanah music video enthusiastically performed by the clergy, educators and staff at Temple Sholom in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Temple Shalom, under the leadership of Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, is a traditional Reform Congregation that honors and sanctifies each and every person, integrating a deep sense of Jewish tradition with contemporary life. And they also know how to move to the music.

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.) 

Here Come the Rosh Hashanah Music Videos: Julie Geller with "Gates of Love"

We're in a Rosh Hashanah countdown, with the holidays coming earlier this year than they have since 1899. Looking for an explanation, we found one on the website of Chicago's Spertus Institute.

Though the holidays fall on the same dates every year on the Hebrew calendar, their placement varies widely on the Gregorian (or Western) calendar. This is because the Gregorian calendar is solar and the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, meaning it is regulated by the movement of both the moon and sun. This year's Rosh Hashanah marks the earliest possible date on which the holiday can occur. It has been 115 years since Rosh Hashanah was observed on this date and it won't happen again until 2089.

There are many traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah, most of them going back to ancient times. But there's a new one that's only a few years old -- the appearance of music videos on the Internet specific to the holiday.

We've got seven more posting days until the three days of Yom Tov and Shabbat start, and we've received more than seven music videos. So we'll try to pick a few of the best to share with you. Today we're sharing the work of Julie Geller, a singer and songwriter we hadn't been aware of until now. 

Julie, raised in Colorado where she now lives with her family, also spent time in Boston, San Diego, and Israel. She has taken on a mission to bring love and healing into the world through her music.

Her unique blend of original Hebrew and inspiring English music has been hailed as "powerful and refreshing." She does this by setting ancient Hebrew texts to music or by - in the words of one music critic - "marrying quality lyrics with soothing music."  She has released four CDs and two singles.

Julie is a graduate of Harvard University and the New England Conservatory of Music. She studied at Bar Ilan University and Midreshet Lindenbaum in Israel. 

Here is her newest music video, Gates of Love,  just released in time for Rosh Hashanah.

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)

A Joke to Start the Week - "Waiting for the Czar"

It's Monday morning again -- time for another joke to start the week.

Now that we have our own source of new jokes (actually old jokes retold, because as we often say, there's no such thing as a new Jewish joke) we're sending another one your way from our collection of videos that we've been making at hotels and communities where we present Jewish Humor on Your Desktop - a Unique Comedy Experience.

Here's another one from Monroe Township, New Jersey, where we put on a show at a comedy brunch in late July. The Jokester this time is Art Nash.

Here's the setup: In Old Russia, two Jews decide they want to assassinate the czar. So they wait in hiding and then...

Our apologies once again for the background noise. The crowd was just having too much fun. In future audience participation joke sessions, we'll try to find a quiet corner to capture the jokes.

Amidst all the noise and laughter as people were leaving, we lost the piece of paper on which we wrote Art's profession. Art, if you're reading this and want it added, please send an email or mention it in the comments below.

If you like the series, let us know with a "like" or "more jokes" entry in the comments section, and we'll continue collecting Jersey jokes and jokes from other locations where we are booked for fun events.

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.)  

Dipping Apples in Honey on Rosh Hashanah? Israel's Technion Invents a New Approach

You can always rely on the Technion, Israel's Institute of Technology in Haifa, to come up with unusual and complicated solutions to easy problems. 

For Rosh Hashanah this year, they're using two helium balloons to support a smaller balloon filled with honey. 

Then an archer aims a crossbow on which an apple slice is perched, and fires it into the honey-filled balloon. This all takes place in an open field where the president of the school is waiting to catch it and wish us a Happy New Year.

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.)

Rosh Hashanah With the Israel Defense Forces Chief Cantor, Choir, and Orchestra

There's still another week left to August, so it's hard to believe that Rosh Hashanah is only 12 days away. But this is a strange year calendar-wise, a year in which the first day of Chanukah falls on Thanksgiving Day in November.

In the coming month we'll be focusing on the Chagim, the Jewish holidays that include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah. As usual, we'll be emphasizing humor and fun, including the Monday Joke to Start the Week, and we'll be looking for and sharing the best of the music videos and parodies that seem to be becoming a part of the holiday experience.

But we are in the middle of the month of Elul leading up to the most serious days in the Jewish calendar. Whether you call them the High Holidays, Days of Awe, or just Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, these special days also give us a chance to share some posts that reflect the spirituality of the season.

How many armies do you know of that have a chief cantor? We know of one, and of course it's Israel. And Israel is the only country where you'll see its chief cantor, Shai Abramson, in military uniform singing with a similarly dressed choir of soldiers and a formally dressed Raanana Symphonette orchestra. This video was recorded last year in Tel Aviv's Great Synagogue. The selection is Unetaneh Tokef, a powerful liturgical poem that is the core element in the Musaf service on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

The video features footage of the Yom Kippur War and one of its heroes, Brig. Gen. (res.) Avigdor Kahalani, who was a battalion commander in the Armored Brigade, fought in the battle of the Valley of Tears and was awarded a Medal of Valor.

Enjoy, and repent. 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.)

Shticks and Stones - Eleven Song Parodies from the Hilarious World of Allan Sherman

We've been paying a lot of attention to Allan Sherman this summer because it's the 50th anniversary of the release of Hello Mudddah, Hello Faddah, his classic funny tribute to the agonies and joys of summer camp.

Today we're posting Shticks and Stones from Sherman's record My Son, The Folksinger (1962). It's hard to believe this album is 50 years old.. The references are so outdated, yet somehow still so hilariously clever.

It's a collection of eleven partial songs that could have been a whole new album, but instead, Sherman combined them into a five minute long medley. In his prime, Sherman was bursting with puns and ideas for song parodies. In his world view, Jews tended to be in the garment business, manufacturing, retailing, or sales, either as owners or workers, and his songs reflect the seasonal nature of those businesses.

His timing was impeccable, and his delivery was always timed to make a direct hit on the funnybone.

This medley includes two of our favorites, I Gave My Love a Cherry, a takeoff on The Riddle Song, one of the oldest English folksongs, and I'm Melvin Rose of Texas, a takeoff on The Yellow Rose of Texas. Here are some of the lyrics:

I gave my love a chicken; it had no bone.  
I gave my love a cherry; it had no stone. 
I gave my love a baby, and then you see, my love got very angry and she said to me:
I didn't mind the chicken without the bone.
I didn't mind the cherry without the stone.
But when you give a baby there's just one thing...
You ought to give at least an engagement ring.

Oh I'm Melvin Rose of Texas, and my friends all call me Tex.
When I lived in old New Mexico, they used to call me Mex.
When I lived in old Kentucky, they called me old Kentuck.
I was born in old Shamokin, which is why they called me Melvin Rose.

Thanks to Jerry Funk for posting this gem on YouTube.

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 Comedy Classic: Jackie Mason on Hospital Forms and Indian Doctors

As our readership grows and more of you are commenting and telling us your likes and dislikes, we're fine tuning the daily blog posts to be more in line with your interests. We'll never go entirely to jokes or music or Yiddish or nostalgia or food reports, but the more we know about your preferences the more we hope you'll enjoy the daily mix that is Jewish Humor Central.

One of the comedians you like a lot is Jackie Mason, and we've also heard it from audiences at our comedy shows. So today we're sharing another one of Jackie's most popular routines, from his 2008 Broadway show, The Ultimate Jew.

In this video clip, Jackie carries on about the unimportant and unnecessary questions posed to patients entering a hospital for treatment, and launches into a very politically incorrect but very funny bit about how most doctors in hospitals today are Indian. 

In his routine, Jackie adopts an Indian accent as he tries to convey the communication problems that emerge when an accented doctor tries to explain medical procedures to a patient who can't understand a word of what he's being told.

Enjoy, and please share your likes, dislikes, and opinions with us each day.

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)

Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: Hasidic Musicians Sing Pink Floyd in Jerusalem

About five weeks ago we shared a video of two Hasidic guitarists playing a Beatles song in a Jerusalem mall. We since learned their names, at least their first names. They're Gil and Arie, and one source says they're Breslover Hasidim. That's all we know about them.

They play in the Mamilla Mall, but mainly on Yafo Street along the route of the new light rail system. Whenever they play, they attract tourists, many of whom record their jam sessions on their cameras and smartphones. As a result, we're able to share some pretty good music, from unexpected sources.

Today's video shows them playing Wish You Were Here, a song by the 1960s psychedelic British group Pink Floyd.

We're usually surprised to find traces of Jewish life in far-flung places around the globe, which we call Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places. But we find it equally surprising to find very non-Jewish traces in musical performances by deeply religious Jews in Jerusalem, something we call Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places.

If you'd like to hear the original song by Pink Floyd with lyrics included, it's right below the Hasidic version.

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)

A Joke to Start the Week - "A Golfing Accident"

It's Monday morning again -- time for another joke to start the week.

Now that we have our own source of new jokes (actually old jokes retold, because as we often say, there's no such thing as a new Jewish joke) we're sending another one your way from our collection of videos that we've been making at hotels and communities where we present Jewish Humor on Your Desktop - a Unique Comedy Experience.

Here's another one from Monroe Township, New Jersey, where we put on a show at a comedy brunch in late July. The Jokester this time is Lou Goldstein, a retired lumberman.

Here's the setup: A fellow is playing golf and he's ready to hit the ball. All of a sudden a ball comes down and hits him and then...

Our apologies once again for the background noise. The crowd was just having too much fun. In future audience participation joke sessions, we'll try to find a quiet corner to capture the jokes.

If you like the series, let us know with a "like" or "more jokes" entry in the comments section, and we'll continue collecting Jersey jokes and jokes from other locations where we are booked for fun events.

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.) 

Comedy Showcase: Johnny Lampert on Teaching Kindergarten

Johnny (Jonathan) Lampert is a Jewish comedian who specializes in performing Jewish comedy at temples, JCCs and other Jewish events all over the USA. We shared one of his comedy bits with you back in February. 

He is a regular at New York City's and Los Angeles' best comedy clubs including The Comic Strip, Caroline's Comedy Club and The Improv. Johnny has also made numerous television appearances on MTV, A&E's Caroline's Comedy Hour, Comedy Central, and HBO Comedy Showcase.
 
In this video clip, Johnny talks about his wife's job as a kindergarten teacher and tries to understand why she works so hard preparing curriculum for 5-year-olds.

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.)

Live, From the Catskills...It's Jeff Krolick at the Keyboard

The Catskills may not be as active as they were in their heyday, but that's not stopping the surviving hotel from entertaining its guests with lively shows. We're talking about Kutsher's Resort, which seems to be the only hotel left still operating as it did years ago, although on a somewhat smaller scale.

On Wednesday night we performed our sixth show of the summer at Kutsher's, bringing the jokes and funny videos of Jewish Humor Central to the audience in the Stardust nightclub. We shared the big stage with Jeff Krolick, a veteran performer with many years of Catskills entertainment behind him.

In addition to the 9pm to midnight entertainment, the daily activities sheet for Wednesday included Aerobics, Arts & Crafts, Pilates, Line and Folk Dancing, Tai Chi, Musical Quiz, Jewelry Making, Chair Yoga, lectures on parenting and Jewish topics, as well as Daf Yomi, Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv, and of course, three meals.

Jeff spent many years as the musical director and entertainment director at the Nevele Hotel in Ellenville, which closed its doors in 2009.

You may have seen him in Florida, in the Poconos, or performing with renowned singers. If not, you have probably heard his music performed by dozens of other talented artists for whom he has arranged and written unique works. Last night, he showed how to create a musical arrangement, and played his condensed version of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and a medley of Yiddish and Hebrew songs.

Here is a sampling of what Jeff has been bringing to the Catskills.

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.)
 

Meet Gad Elmaleh - French Jewish Moroccan Stand-up Comedian

Gad who? Gad Elmaleh. If you're one of our French readers, you already know him, but for most of our English speaking readers he's not very well known. Gad has been called the French Jerry Seinfeld, and in fact the two of them are friends. Most of his comedy routines are in French, and most without English subtitles.

But if you look hard enough, you'll find a few. We found one that we're sharing today. It's a parody of how French students are taught English in school. If you've studied French or Spanish or any language in school, you'll recognize the silly sounding sentences aimed at labeling the environment, e.g. "Where is the pencil? The pencil is on the table. Where is the book? The book is on the shelf."

Elmaleh gets a nod of recognition from his audience as he gives the French equivalent: "Where is Brian? Brian is in the kitchen. Where is Jenny? Jenny is in the bathroom." But it's his inflection and timing that make it funny.

Elmaleh is in the news this week because he is set to marry into the royal family. No, not that royal family. It's the royal family of Monaco. Wedding plans are in place for Elmaleh and Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline and granddaughter of Grace Kelly to tie the knot later this year.

You may have seen Elmaleh as the detective in Woody Allen's film Midnight in Paris.

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.)

World's Only Indian-Jewish Stand-up Comedian Stands and Delivers

Back in November 2010 we introduced you to Samson Koletkar, the world's only Jewish Indian stand-up comic. In that post we shared a video clip of his logical analysis and proof that there are no Jews in the world.

Today we found another video clip of Samson to share with you. In this one, he talks to the audience about the baby that he and his Hindu wife (and convert to Judaism) are expecting, 

Samson jokes about the sex of the baby and throws in some stereotypical comments about Indians and Jews.

Enjoy!

P.S. Tonight we're doing some stand-up comedy of our own on stage at Kutsher's Stardust nightclub in Monticello, New York, as part of our presentation, Jewish Humor on Your Desktop - a Whole Lot More than Catskills Comedy.  If you're going to be in the area, stop in and say hello! If not, take a look at the opening monologue of this presentation, in the video clip in the left column. We're now taking reservations for bringing the act to synagogues and JCCs this winter, especially in South Florida and California.

(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 the Songs and Humor of Eydie Gorme

On Sunday we noted with sadness the passing of Eydie Gorme, half of the always happy, always ebullient singing team of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. Through the decades we enjoyed their song stylings, their comedy skits, and their serving as a model of a happy and proud Jewish couple committed to each other for life.

JTA's report included a quote from Steve Allen, host of the show that became The Tonight Show, which regularly featured the duo, on what made them so successful.

“What has been the nature of their success?” Allen said in a 1996 Times story. “First, the fact that they are a couple has something to do with it.

Secondly, they are damned good singers. And thirdly – this has both hurt and helped them – they concentrated for the most part on good music. This lost them the youthful audience, who prefer crap to Cole Porter’s music. But it endeared them to people with sophisticated taste.”

Gorme was born August 16, 1928, in the Bronx, New York, to Sephardic Jewish immigrants. Her father was a tailor from Sicily and her mother was from Turkey. Before her singing career took off, Gorme worked as a Spanish-language interpreter.

We never met Steve and Eydie in person, but they always seemed part of the family, and we followed their appearances on stage, on TV, and in records.

There are so many video clips of Eydie singing by herself and with Steve that we could share, but we settled on the following three:

1. Black and white newsreel footage of their wedding, with Steve in a black hat under the chuppah, and Steve feeding wedding cake to Eydie and to comedian Joe E. Lewis.

2. An audio clip from one of our favorite Steve and Eydie productions, a made-for-TV special called What it Was, Was Love by Gordon Jenkins, a story of a couple who meet, fall in love, marry and grow old together, told entirely in song.

3. An audio recording of Steve and Eydie singing Bashana Ha'ba'ah in Hebrew and English (lyrics and translation below the video), as we look forward to the start of another Jewish New Year.

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.)








HEBREW LYRICS TRANSLITERATED:
Bashana haba'ah neshev al hamirpeset
Venispor tziporim nodedot
Yeladim bechufsha yesachaku tofeset
Bein habayit ulvein hasadot

Od tireh od tireh
Kama tov yiheyeh
Bashana bashana haba'ah

Anavim adumim yavshilu ad ha'erev
Veyugshu tzonenim lashulchan
Veruchot redumim yisu el eim haderech
Itonim yeshanim ve'anan

Od tireh od tireh
Kama tov yiheyeh
Bashana bashana haba'ah 

TRANSLATION:
Next year we will sit on the porch
And count all the wandering birds
Children on vacation will play catch
Between the house and the fields

You will see how good it will be
Next year

Red grapes will ripen by evening
And be served cold to the table
Pleasant breezes will blow on to the roads
Old newspapers and clouds
 
ENGLISH LYRICS:
Seasons come, seasons go
but people never seem to know
how long it will rain, or it will shine
Let them ask what will be,
it doesn't mean a thing to me,
I know what will be when you're mine.

A Joke to Start the Week: "A Rabbi Eats Out"

We know you've been eagerly anticipating the appearance of today's blog post in your email, Facebook, or Twitter feed because it's Monday - and time for a joke to start the week.

Now that we have our own source of new jokes (actually old jokes retold, because as we often say, there's no such thing as a new Jewish joke) we're sending another one your way from our collection of videos that we've been making at hotels and communities where we deliver lectures/shows/presentations.
Here's another one from Monroe Township, New Jersey, where we put on a show at a comedy brunch in late July. The Jokester is Arnie Brown, a dentist.

Our apologies for the background noise. The crowd was just having too much fun. In future audience participation joke sessions, we'll try to find a quiet corner to capture the jokes.

If you like the series, let us know with a "like" or "more jokes" entry in the comments section, and we'll continue collecting Jersey jokes and jokes from other locations where we are booked for fun events.

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.)

19th Maccabiah, Largest Sporting Event in Jewish History, Comes to a Close in Jerusalem

 

Every four years since 1932, thousands of Jewish and Israeli athletes from 65 countries including Mongolia, Luxembourg, Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, and Zimbabwe, have gathered in Israel to participate in the Maccabiah Games.

Last month an especially festive celebration marked 80 years since the first games were held. The opening ceremony took place on July 17, and the games ran from July 18 through July 30.

The Maccabiah is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition, emphasizing the centrality of the State of Israel in the life of the Jewish people. "The Jewish Olympics" as they are often called, are the Maccabi World Union's largest and most famous enterprise. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added jokingly that this is the best dating gathering in the Jewish world.

Last year we posted two videos on the origins and history of the Maccabiah Games and a tribute to the 80 years of games.

 

Today we're sharing a JN1 TV report on the opening ceremony, including interviews with Jewish athletes from all over the world, all expressing joy and anticipation as they prepared to march into Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.  

 

So who won the most medals? Here's the final count.

 

1	Israel	150	135	123	411
2	United States	77	60	59	196
3	Hungary	3	1	1	5
4	Canada	2	3	4	9
5	Azerbaijan	2	0	1	3
6	South Africa	1	3	8	12
7	Australia	1	3	4	8
8	Russia	1	0	6	7
9	Germany	1	0	4	5
7	Georgia	0	2	3	5
8	Australia	0	1	2	3
9	Netherlands	0	1	0	1
10	Cuba	0	0	2	2
11	Great Britain	0	0	1	1
	Ukraine	0	0	1	1
	Brazil	0	0	1	1

 

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.)