Rega Israel: Dalia, the Annoying Israeli, Takes Her Attitude to Australia

Dalia is back again. Yes, our favorite Israeli with an attitude that's unlikely to make many friends has just returned from a trip "down under." This is another episode of the web series Rega Israel.

Portrayed by comedian Deb Kaye from the Jerusalem-based HaHafuch comedy troupe, Dalia searches the streets of Australia looking for kangaroos and restaurants that serve shakshuka, and friendly natives to take her photo. Luckily for her, the good citizens of Australia accept her as a kooky visitor and take her behavior in stride.

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 Bissel of Technology from Seniors in Australia

Ask a group of senior residents at the Victoria Care center in Melbourne, Australia to explain what a portable hard drive is and you'll get unpredictable results. If you ask them to define twitter, hashtag, and other technology terms, the results can be funny.

The word bissel means "a little bit" in Yiddish. "This video is the third of a series posted by Jewish Care of Victoria, which is having fun with short videos featuring residents who give us their answers to a range of questions. 
 
We previously posted the first two videos in the series which asked questions about Chanukah and Shabbat. We hope you'll enjoy this video as much as the first two.
 

(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.)

Americans Review Bamba, Bissli, and Other Israeli Snacks

This week the Jerusalem Post featured a report on BuzzFeed's funny video about popular Israeli snack and how typical Americans might react to them. BuzzFeed, a popular US humor website, was creating a sequel to two of their previous hit videos, The Jewish Food Taste Test, and Hanukkah Explained by Christians.

The new video, called Americans Try Israeli Snacks, zeroes in on some of the most popular Israeli snacks and shows young Americans tasting and reviewing them.

The Jerusalem Post reported that:

The brave tasters all marveled over Elite's milk chocolate bar with popping candies, bewildered by the chocolate treat's tendency to "crackle in your mouth!"; One reviewer was reminiscent of Harry Potter eating the treat, saying "Fred and George Weasley would totally think of something like this."

Bamba was received with some hesitation, as some were disappointed to be greeted with a peanut-buttery flavor as opposed to the cheesey cheetoh flavor they expected, a result of the two snack's similar appearance.

Bissli got rave reviews despite it's unappealing shape which reminded one man  of, "some sort of rodent poo."

Crembo got compared to Pokemon's Diglett character, and, more realistically, to a Malomar, another variation of a chocolate covered marshmallow treat popular in America.

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.)

Flu Tips From a Jewish Mother and Other Shtick From Mendy Pellin's "Jewbellish the News"

Chasidic comedian Mendy Pellin and his Jewbellish crew have come down with the flu. So they invited a Jewish mother to offer advice on preventing and treating this winter malady.

In this episode of Jewbellish the News, Mendy also interviews an El Al spokesperson and a male passenger about the recent incident when a group of Chasidim caused a flight delay by refusing to sit next to female passengers. Oh, so now we understand the real reason for the refusal to sit in an assigned seat.

Enjoy!

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

A Joke to Start the Week - "Mezuzah"

It's Monday again, and if we can believe the weather forecasts, the Northeast U.S. is bracing for one of the biggest snowstorms in a long time. So as we batten down the hatches, we really need a joke to start this week.

Today's joke is another one from the archives of Old Jews Telling Jokes. The joke teller is retired 76-year-old Rabbi Jerry Fisher.

Here's the setup: This wealthy guy builds a brand new mansion, and he's got an appointment on Sunday morning at 10 o'clock with the contractor just to go over last minute details and make the last payment, and then...

Enjoy!

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

Comedy Showcase: Iliza Shlesinger on Eating Around Men

Originally from Dallas, Iliza Shlesinger moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Emerson College. She is the only female and youngest comedian to hold the title of NBC'S Last Comic Standing. Most recently she was the host of CBS's syndicated comedy dating show Excused, in which she filmed 230 episodes.  

Iliza's TV credits include her own half-hour Comedy Central Presents special, as well as NBC'S Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, E! Network's Chelsea Lately and The Soup, NBC'S Last Call with Carson Daily, TBS’ Who Gets the Last Laugh?, and Showtime's Pauly Shore and Friends and Bridging the Gap Comedy Festival.

In this clip from her new comedy album War Paint, Iliza carries on about the unwritten rule that women on dates have to limit their menu choices.

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: Rabbi/Comedian Bob Alper on Weddings

Add caption

We've been following Rabbi Bob Alper since we started this blog in 2009. Over the years we've posted some of his stand-up comedy performances and clips from his DVD.

Alper, 69, started doing stand-up comedy in 1986 in Philadelphia. He's been at it ever since, doing about 60 shows a year across the USA.

He served Reform congregations for 14 years, but now only officiates at High Holy Day services in Philadelphia.

His  DVD runs 102 minutes, and includes a live performance, an interview, and 33 of his best jokes. He bills himself as the only practicing clergyman doing standup comedy...intentionally.

Here's an excerpt from the DVD in which he has the audience laughing about funny experiences he's had while officiating at weddings. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom! 

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

Jon Stewart on Latest Mideast Crisis: Miss Israel Posts Selfie With Miss Lebanon

The decision of Haredi newspaper HaMevaser to remove women from the iconic photo of world leaders marching in Paris last week was an inspiration to comedian Jon Stewart.  

He lost no time in creating a new feature on his Daily Show: "What Picture is Upsetting the Middle East This Week?"

And the photo that wins the prize this week is a "selfie" photo snapped by the Miss Israel contestant at the Miss Universe pageant in Miami. It seems that not everyone was happy to see Miss Israel and Miss Lebanon smiling together in the photo.

Jon milks the controversy for all it's worth on his show. 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: Joel Chasnoff on the Joys and Challenges of Raising Children

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

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

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

Here's Joel performing at the City Winery in New York in a funny riff on the joys and challenges of raising kids.

Enjoy!

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

 

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Abanibi Is Still a Big Hit.....in Thailand

A Ba Ni Bi, a seemingly nonsensical song that won first prize for Israel in the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest, has taken off and found expression in many languages and in many venues that are surely surprising original singer Izhar Cohen, composer Nurit Hirsh, and songwriter Ehud Manor.

The song was the subject of an article in Tablet magazine, in which Marjorie Ingalls reflects on the song's explosion onto the Jewish camp scene where it was and still is a staple of the zimriah and rikudiah (song and dance festvals) that are focal points of the camp season.

A Ba Ni Bi is actually not nonsensical, at least when sung in Hebrew.  It gets a little weird when it's sung in Chinese, Spanish, Thai, and other languages. We have posted previous versions of the song performed in Spain, Malaysia, and Singapore.

As Ingalls, points out, It's cleverly written in S'fat HaBet (B Language,) an Israeli variation of Pig Latin.  The phrase Aba Nibi Obo Hebev Obo Tabach is simply Ani Ohev Otach (I Love You) with the suffixes ba, bi, bo, and beh appended to each syllable.  If it were sung in English, the words would be Iby Lubuve Youboo.  But nobody sings it that way.

Here is a version of the song performed recently in Thailand. The singers can't pronounce the words in the refrain correctly. The verses are either in Thai or in English. Either way, we can't figure them out. If you can, please let us know in your comments.

Just below, we're sharing the original Hebrew version that won the 1978 Eurovision song contest for Israel. 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 - "Portrait"

Here we go again. It's Monday, the start of a new week, and time to start it off with a laugh. Once again, Old Jews Telling Jokes comes through with an oldie but goodie to face the challenges of a cold January. (Unless you're in Florida, where cold doesn't apply.)

For the month of February, we'll be posting our daily entries from Miami Beach, and entertaining groups in Deerfield Beach. If you're in South Florida and looking for a one-hour program of the funniest Jewish videos on the Internet for your club, synagogue, organization, or private function during February, just contact us at akustan@gmail.com and we'll work out the details.

Today's joke teller is 76-year-old Jerry Fisher, a retired rabbi. Here's the setup: This elderly Jewish lady is having her portrait done. And the artist gets done with this beautiful portrait of her. And she says, "OK, now I want you put on a very expensive looking necklace" and then...

Enjoy!

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

The New Comedians: Meet Ronn Blitzer, Jewish Week Comedy Contest Winner

Ronn Blitzer was the winner of The Jewish Week competition for Funniest Comedian in New York in June 2013. 

Two months later, at the premiere of When Comedy Went to School at the JCC in Manhattan, Ronn delivered a stand-up set to warm up the audience for the film, which we previewed on Jewish Humor Central with three video clips.

Here is Ronn's eight minute comedy routine.

Enjoy!

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

Jewish Comedy on Record - "When You're in Love the Whole World is Jewish" - "Discussion in the Airplane"

Of all the comedy albums produced in the era of LP records, our favorite has always been You Don't Have to be Jewish. The album is a collection of blackout bits and extended one-liners which poked fun at the absurdities of American Jewish culture.
 
It was recorded in a studio with a live audience in attendance, as a cast of actors performed scripted material much in the manner of a radio play.
 
Comedy writers Bob Booker and George Foster had the good judgment to assemble a superb cast for this recording, and they transform what could have been ordinary Catskills shtick into something memorable.
 
The performers include Lou Jacobi, Jack Gilford, Betty Walker and Arlene Golonka, and their expert timing and feel for their characters is impeccable. You Don't Have To Be Jewish is a fine sampling of classic Borscht Belt humor performed by a top-notch cast.


The response to the album was so great that the same writers and cast produced a sequel called When You're in Love, the Whole World is Jewish. The two albums are now being sold together as a single CD.

We previously shared two of the funniest routines on the first album. Today we're posting a bit from the second album titled Discussion in the Airplane.

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.)  

From the "Unbelievable But True" Dept. - Haredi Newspaper Erases Angela Merkel and Other Women From Paris March Photo

Every once in a while we come across an unbelievable but true news story that makes us say "You just can't make this stuff up." Over the last few days such a story has been making headlines worldwide.

A small Haredi newspaper in Israel called HaMevaser is getting lots of exposure that they probably weren't looking for when they published an edited version of the now iconic photo of 40 world leaders marching arm in arm at the Paris rally against terrorism on Sunday.

The front row of marchers included German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini. But you wouldn't know it from the HaMevaser photo because the images of all three women were erased.

Papers such as HaMevaser rarely include any women in their photos. The editor was quoted as saying "including a picture of a woman into something so sacred can desecrate the memory of the martyrs." But some members of the Haredi community, like Shmuel Pappenhym, an ultra-Orthodox commentator and educator, said that while the community must preserve its values, the newspaper had gone too far. 

"The Hamevaser newspaper does a thing like this, tomorrow it appears in Germany, it appears all over Europe, the rest of the world. It mocks the Jewish Orthodox community. It makes us look narrow minded. It makes us look obtuse," he said. 

Any obtuseness was compounded by the shoddy photo manipulation. A close look at the photo shows that part of a woman's blue scarf was left on a man's coat and one man's hand is actually a disembodied woman's gloved hand.

The photo gave an opening to an Irish satirical website, Waterford Whispers, to post a version of the photo below with all men cropped out. 

The whole story was told on MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell. The video clip below sums it all up. Enjoy, laugh, or cry. We're doing a little of each.

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

Comedy Flashback: Mel Brooks Reminisces on Dick Cavett Show in 1970

Whenever we need some comic relief, and this week we really need it, we go looking for a video clip of Mel Brooks doing anything. 

We've posted lots of Mel's humor in the last few years, but mostly together with Carl Reiner as the 2,000 Year Old Man and in reminiscences of Sid Caesar and their comedic collaborations.

But Mel keeps on going and going as a producer and director, and last month put in an appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show. We'll share some of his shtick from that show with you in the coming weeks, but today we're posting a clip from his appearance on The Dick Cavett Show back in 1970. Yes, that's 44 years ago.

In this segment, part one of three parts, Mel reminisces about the Oscar that he won and where he keeps it (in his mother's Brooklyn apartment) and his days of stand-up comedy in the Borscht Belt resorts in New York's Catskill mountains.

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

The Real Story of Mordecai and Esther - As Told by Satiric Israeli TV Show "The Jews are Coming"

So you think you know the Purim story of Mordecai and Esther?  Think again. 

The new (and controversial) satire now playing on TV sets in Israel, Hayehudim Ba'im (The Jews are Coming), has a different take on what went on behind the scenes. Just like all the other sketches in the series, it's funny and irreverent.

Here's the episode in Hebrew with English subtitles so you can see what really went on when Mordecai told Esther about his plan to save the Jews of Persia by entering her into a beauty contest so she could become Ahasuerus' new queen.  We plan to bring you other episodes as soon as they are released with English subtitles.

Please remember that this is satire, and clever satire at that. The writers are not being disrespectful, they are simply being funny. We find it to be well within the range of satire and parody that most Jews expect and accept on Purim. We're glad to have a taste of the fun of Purim all year long and applaud the creators of this series for finding humor in these situations.

Enjoy!

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

A Joke to Start the Week - "Clock Shop"

A big shout out to our readers who are making Mondays the days when Jewish Humor Central gets the most views and the most new subscribers. Of course we know the reason --- it's the Joke to Start the Week.

We've been running this feature every Monday for two and a half years. At first we didn't expect to find enough jokes to keep posting one every week. But there seems to be no limit on Jewish jokes, so we'll keep it going as long as we can.

Most of the jokes are video clips from the treasure chest of Old Jews Telling Jokes, but we've also included jokes from other sources and video clips that we recorded ourselves with volunteer joke-tellers at lectures and programs that we've presented at resort hotels and retirement communities.

We'll be doing Jewish humor programs and lectures in Deerfield Beach, Florida in February, and inviting joke-tellers to share some of their favorites with our readers on future Mondays.

Today's joke is an oldie but goodie told by Harold Zapolsky, a 79-year-old retired Physics professor.

Here's the setup: This businessman has been traveling through Europe, and his train stops in Zurich, Switzerland. He knows he's got three hours to make his next connection. So he figures he'll walk around the town for a little bit. So he gets off the train and takes a look at his watch, and then...

Enjoy!

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

Comedy Showcase: Indian-Jewish Stand-up Comedian Samson Koletkar in Chinese Restaurant

What better way to show that comedy is ethnically inclusive than to have an Indian Jewish comedian perform in a Chinese restaurant on Christmas day?

That's exactly what Samson Koletkar did in 2013 as a member of the Kung Pao Kosher Comedy cast at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown.

The show has become a San Francisco institution, having just completed its 22nd season and already promoting its shows for a 23rd season in December 2015. 

Koletkar is the world's only Indian Jewish Stand-up Comedian.  Born and raised in Mumbai, and now living in San Francisco, his comedy is a unique perspective on life as an Indian Jew in the West.

We featured two of his stand-up routines in 2010 and 2013.

In this clip from Kung Pao Kosher Comedy, he focuses on disbelief that he is really Jewish and stereotypical reactions to his unusual ethnic background.

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.)

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Indonesian Choir Sings "Hinei Ma Tov"

Indonesia is a country of 240 million people, 88% of whom are Muslim. Christian religions make up 9 percent of the population, and Hindu, Buddhist, and Animist about 1 per cent each. At last report there were 20 Jews in the country.

So you can imagine our surprise to find a collection of Hebrew songs performed by a chorus at Indonesia's Padjadjaran University.

Earlier this year we posted a video of the same choir singing Hava Nagila, a song that seems to have been adopted by just about every country on Earth, whether or not they know what the words mean. 

We hope that members of the choir know the meaning of the words of Hinei Ma Tov, which are "How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to sit together." 

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.) 
 

United Nations Spokesman Explains Its Obsession With Israel (Satire)

In 2010, a website called No Laughing Matter posted a satiric interview with a "spokesman for the United Nations Secretariat."

The interview focused on the UN's obsession with censuring Israel, an obsession that hasn't changed in the four years since it was posted on the internet. 

The website no longer exists, but the funny interview persists on YouTube where we found it and thought you would get a kick out of it.

Enjoy!

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

The Jew-Off With Zach Braff and Kate Hudson

 

Jewish actors Zach Braff and Kate Hudson (Goldie Hawn's daughter) squared off on MTV After Hours recently to play a game of Jewish trivia and guessing which other actors are also Jewish.

Nothing deep or intellectual in the questions, but they're fun to look at and listen to. And they get most of the questions right, except the spelling of Mayim Bialik's name.

Enjoy!

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

Comedy Showcase: Cory Kahaney on Husbands and Children

A year ago we posted a stand-up comedy routine by Cory Kahaney. She's a veteran of the stand-up comedy circuit and has been on many TV shows. She's also had her own HBO and Comedy Central comedy specials and has appeared at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal.

Cory won the ‘BACKSTAGE’ Bistro Award for best Comedian in NYC and Manhattan Association of Cabaret Award for 'Outstanding Female Comedian'.

Here's another clip of Cory entertaining a TV audience with anecdotes about her two husbands and two children, 20 years apart.

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: Strangers on a Train

It's the first Monday of the new year, and like every other Monday, it's time for a joke to start the week.

Dipping into the joke vault of Old Jews Telling Jokes, we come up with a joke told by Max Weisberg, a 67-year-old life insurance consultant.

Here's the setup: These two men were on a train from Hartford to New York City for many years.

They sat down next to each other every morning but they never so much as said "Hello." Finally this little fellow says to this man "You know, we've been on the train for twenty years, every single day,  and we don't even know each other's name." And then...

Enjoy!

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

"The Wonder Years" Cast Reunites as Complete Series is Released on DVD

From 1988 to 1993, we were glued to the TV screen every week to see the latest episode of The Wonder Years, the award-winning coming-of-age series starring Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, Danica McKellar as Winnie Cooper, Josh Saviano as Paul Pfeiffer, and Daniel Stern as the voice of Kevin as an adult.

Although his religion and ethnicity weren't explicitly mentioned in the series, we couldn't help but assume that Kevin was a nice secular Jewish boy. His best friend Paul was clearly Jewish and one of the episodes focused on his Bar Mitzvah.

Jewish actors on the show included Savage, Saviano, Josh Hervey as Kevin Arnold's brother Wayne, Ben Stein as Mr. Cantwell, and David Schwimmer as Kevin's sister's boyfriend.

Now, after sixteen years, the entire series has been released as a set of 26 DVDs containing all 115 episodes, including a recent cast reunion.

What happened to the young actors when they grew up? Fred is an actor and director, Danica became an actress, math scholar and author of math books, and Paul became an attorney.

Here are video clips of a cast reunion on TV news and the Wonder Years Bar Mitzvah episode.

Enjoy!

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

A Bissel of Shabbat From Seniors in Melbourne, Australia

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

This is the first video in the series themed with questions about Shabbat. Last month we posted another video in the series with the seniors' answers to questions about Chanukah.

We are sure you will enjoy it as much as we do. It is sure to encourage discussion with your friends and family and bring back memories of your own Shabbat experiences. 

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.)

Making Love to Lox - The Last Jewish Slicer at Zabar's

Happy New Year! On this first day of 2015, many of our readers head for the local appetizing store or supermarket counter to pick up the makings of a New Year's brunch. 

The star of the show is often very thinly sliced Nova smoked salmon or salty belly lox, served with a schmear of cream cheese on a bagel fresh out of the oven.

For residents of Manhattan, the most popular destination is Zabar's, which has been serving lox and other delicacies since 1941 at their location on Broadway and 80th Street. 

Last week, the Jewish Daily Forward ran a piece on Len Berk, who they call the last Jewish lox slicer at Zabar's. The 86-year-old Berk took up lox slicing as a new career after retirement. New York Television Channel 5- FOX News also did a report on Zabar's and Berk.

As Paul Berger wrote in the Forward,

Berk has always had an interest in food, especially Chinese food.

After he sold his CPA business in 1992, he led food tours of China. Then, in 1995, a friend sent him a Zabar’s advertisement for a part-time salmon slicer.

Berk had always sliced his own salmon at home. Slicing fish at Zabar’s seemed like the perfect way to keep busy while doing something he loves. He works Thursdays and Fridays, and he always looks forward to it.

Driving the 20 miles to Zabar’s from his home in Pelham, New York, makes him feel like he is “in the middle of what’s going on today,” Berk said.

He begins a typical day at Zabar’s by cutting away the crusty parts of the fish to reveal the undersurface. “I love running my hand across it,” he said. “It’s a very sensual experience.”

Enjoy the FOX News video below!

(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.)