A Joke to Start the Week - "A Fish Story"

It's the last Monday in August, the school year is about to begin, and summer vacations are ending. But there's always time for a joke to start the week, and today is no exception.

Mel Bleemer, the retired CPA, is back with us to deliver another oldie but goodie.

Here's the setup: Two fisherman are sitting on a park bench on the west coast of Florida looking into the Gulf of Mexico and swapping fish stories. 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.)  

JewishTraces in Unexpected Places: Lithuanian a Cappella Group Sings Hebrew Song From Psalms

The location: St. Kotryna's Church in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The singers:  Quorum, the only professional male a cappella group in Lithuania. 
The song: Im Hashem Lo Yivneh Bayit, composed by Los Angeles philanthropist Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz. 

We don't know how Im Hashem Yivneh Bayit found its way into Quorum's 10th anniversary concert in St. Kotryna's Church, but we're glad it did.

The song debuted with a performance by Mordechai Ben David during Sukkot 5774/2013 at Congregation Shaarei Torah of Los Angeles, CA, and has been performed by other Jewish groups since then, including the Chasidic Shira Choir.

The words of the song come from Psalms 121 and 127

אִם־יְהוָה לֹא־יִבְנֶה בַיִת, שָׁוְא עָמְלוּ בוֹנָיו בּוֹ
אִם־יְהוָה לֹא־יִשְׁמָר־עִיר, שָׁוְא שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר
הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל


Im HaShem lo yivneh vayit shav amlu vonav bo
Im HaShem lo yishmar ir shav shakad shomer
Hineh lo yanum ve lo yishan Shomer Yisra’el

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;
Unless Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
(Psalm 127:1)
Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
(Psalms 121:4)

Here is the song from the concert performance by Quorum, followed by an earlier rendition by the Shira Choir:

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.)  

Americans Try Snacks From Israel and React to Their Taste

Two Americans from the midwest have been posting videos of their reviews of a service that sends monthly boxes of local snacks from countries around the world.

In this video they taste products for the first time that we and many of our readers have tasted on visits to Israel or in the Israeli products aisle in local supermarkets. 

Bamba, Bissli, Elite, Pesek Zman...Yum!

These two are obviously not regular visitors to Israel or shopping in local stores that carry Israeli products. Their reactions are fresh (like the food, we hope) and candid.

Do you agree with their love of Bamba with hazelnut filling and distaste for halvah?

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 Midweek Joke From Rabbi Bob Alper - "The Logger"

Rabbi Bob Alper's standup sets have made frequent appearances on Jewish Humor Central.
 
We've been watching his funny DVD and just can't resist sharing some of his jokes with you, especially since he gave us permission to spread the joy that his humor brings to live audiences and to viewers of the DVD.

The DVD contains his 50 minute standup set and a collection of jokes that we're just starting to tap into. Here's one that we call "The Logger."

 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.)

Two Jewish Boys Help Fallen Sponge Bob in Prank on Jimmy Kimmel Show

Jimmy Kimmel, the late night TV talk show host, periodically plays a game with unsuspecting people on the street called How Long. It's a social experiment to see how much time goes by between someone falling down in the street in obvious distresss and a kind bystander coming to their rescue .
 
For this experiment, an actor who regularly wears a SpongeBob SquarePants costume on Hollywood Boulevard suddenly collapsed in the middle of his act and lay on his back calling out that he's fallen and can't get up.

The countdown timer ticks off the seconds and minutes as runners jump over him and one man pauses to take a photo of the fallen character with his smartphone. Lots of people pass by without offering help. 

Finally after almost seven minutes, a pair of young Jewish boys wearing black kippot and hoodies walk by and help SpongeBob to his feet. Then, joined by two of their friends, the group of five launches into a Hava Nagila song and dance. Kimmel comments "It's turning into a Bar Mitzvah out there."

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 Great Jewish Comedians: Jackie Mason on Being Too Jewish

No list of the great Jewish comedians can be complete without Jackie Mason. The 84-year-old veteran of stand-up comedy is still performing with bookings scheduled for 2015 and 2016 in New York and in Florida.

Born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin as Yacov Moshe Maza, Jackie Mason was raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan surrounded by rabbis. 

His father, grandfather, great grandfather, and great, great-grandfather were all rabbis, as are his three brothers. No surprise that at age 25, Jackie Mason was ordained a rabbi.

Three years later, he quit his job in a synagogue to become a comedian because, as he says, "Somebody in the family had to make a living."
From humble comic beginnings in New York, the Borscht Belt, and comedy clubs around the country, Jackie Mason rose to be one the hottest comics in America in the early 1960's. 

He reached the apex of American entertainment culture when he became a regular performer on the nation's preeminent television variety program, "The Ed Sullivan Show," only to fall into Sullivan's disfavor over the interpretation of a now legendary hand gesture during a live performance in 1962, an incident which cast a shadow over Mason's career for more than a decade.

Mason first emerged from that shadow in Los Angeles, where his one-man show, "The World According to Me" originated in 1984 to wide acclaim. Yet the great triumph was his return to New York a nd his extraordinary success as a one-man show on the Great White Way.

In 2008 he filled a large theater on Broadway with his one-man show, The Ultimate Jew. Here is a video clip from that show in which he shares his observations on how many Jews try to conceal their heritage and blend in to the general population.

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 - "A Good Deal"

Another Monday, another joke to start the week. Today we're bringing back Mel Bleemer, the retired CPA who was our joke teller two weeks ago.

Here's the setup for today's joke: A fella is walking down the street one day, and all of a sudden he hears a voice, 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.) 

Musical Showcase: Introducing Nefesh Mountain - Blending Bluegrass Music and Jewish Spirit

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

Today we discovered the new bluegrass group called Nefesh Mountain. Founded by husband and wife team Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff, Nefesh Mountain is pioneering this blend of Jewish Americana throughout the country, bringing their unique knowledge and passion for both Jewish and Bluegrass traditions to the fore, singing English and Hebrew songs alike. 

As a duo, Doni and Eric alternate lead and harmony vocals while switching between instruments, using the drive of the banjo, intrigue of the guitar, nuance of the mandolin, and visceral sound of the dobro.

You may recognize Doni Zasloff as Mama Doni, the role she has played in producing CD and DVD albums of children's songs. In 2012 we featured her video Mission Immatzoble as one of our Passover posts.

Nefesh Mountain conducts Shabbat and holiday services around the USA. Their first album will be released later this year.

Here is one of the songs from the album, Hinei Ma Tov. 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.)

Classic Comedy Moments: Andy Kaufman's First Appearance as Elvis on the Johnny Carson Show

Andy Kaufman was an eccentric comedian and as he liked to call himself, a performance artist.

One of his most beloved characters was known as "Foreign Man." In that role he was introduced as an impressionist. 

He would do a few very bad impressions, setting a low level of expectation from his audience. Then announcing that he will imitate "The Elvis Presley," he turned his back to the audience, made a few changes to his appearance, and launched into what is probably the best Elvis impression ever seen.

Last year we posted a tribute to Kaufman on his 30th Yahrzeit that included his famous "Mighty Mouse" routine that he performed on Saturday Night Live's first show, and  a full (23 minute long) episode of Taxi where as Latka Gravas, he marries his girlfriend Simka in a hilarious wedding ceremony that's a sendup of all ethnic ritual ceremonies. Both of these hilarious videos are worth a second look.

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.) 

A Midweek Joke From Rabbi Bob Alper - "Marriage Therapy"

Rabbi Bob Alper's standup sets have made frequent appearances on Jewish Humor Central.

We've been watching his funny DVD and just can't resist sharing some of his jokes with you, especially since he gave us permission to spread the joy that his humor brings to live audiences and to viewers of the DVD.

The DVD contains his 50 minute standup set and a collection of jokes that we're just starting to tap into. Here's one that we call "Marriage Therapy."
 
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 Great Jewish Comedians - Myron Cohen on The Kate Smith Evening Hour

Myron Cohen (1902-1986) was a top nightclub headliner in the 1950s and a frequent guest performer on The Ed Sullivan Show. 

He became famous as a stand-up comedian specializing in jokes told in a heavy Jewish dialect. But offstage, he spoke perfect, cultured English. Unlike many star performers of his time, he was very affable and approachable in public.

His path to comedy started in New York City's garment district, where he worked as a salesman. When calling on customers, before showing his samples, he would tell a joke to put everyone at ease and establish a friendly mood. Cohen’s jokes were often more popular than his garment samples, and his customers urged him to become a professional comedian.

Here's a selection from Cohen's 1952 appearance on The Kate Smith Evening Hour. 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 Higher Authority? Hebrew National Posts Videos Combining Its Kosher Franks With Bacon, Cheese, and Mussels

JTA reports that Hebrew National, makers of hot dogs that generally win consumer contests for best tasting frankfurters, but are eschewed by many Orthodox Jews who don't trust their triangle K kosher certification, has been running short videos on its home page that show its hot dogs on skewers with cheese and shaved bacon.

As Uriel Heilman writes in the JTA article,

Dan Skinner, a public relations manager for Hebrew National, told JTA he doesn’t see any problem with the videos, which were produced in partnership with Tasting Table, which produces content for food companies and runs a culinary website.

“Our hot dogs follow very strict kosher standards in terms of the preparation of the hot dogs themselves, and keeping that kosher process is very important to us,” Skinner said. “But our consumers eat the hot dogs for a number of reasons. Some stick to our hot dogs for kosher reasons, and some eat our hot dogs for reasons of taste and preference. For those consumers we have presented recipe options that are not necessarily kosher recipes in the strictest sense.

The article cites a survey that shows that only 14 percent of consumers polled in that survey said they seek out kosher for religious reasons. 

Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of the kosher division of the Orthodox Union, told JTA that in general there is no inherent problem with companies advertising the use of their kosher products in non-kosher recipes — but there are some exceptions.

“It depends on the context,” Genack said. “A kosher product that’s sold to the general population, if it’s not confusing in any way, that would be OK. If it’s a company that’s selling kosher meat and there’s a real potential for confusion, that would be a problem.”Granting of O.U. certification is not dependent only on the food, Genack said.

The O.U., the largest kosher certifier in the country, does not offer certification to restaurants or caterers that violate the Jewish Sabbath, and it would not certify an establishment whose ambiance does not comport with Orthodox values, such as a strip club, even if the food were strictly kosher. He also noted that the O.U.’s contract with food companies includes a clause that places limits on advertising that might damage the O.U. brand.

“Kosher supervision does not only relate to the kosher food; it’s also the ambiance,” Genack told JTA. “A lot of these things are judgment calls.”

But judgments can be subjective. It didn't take long for us to find a couple of products certified by the O.U. that could give the wrong impression that ham and pork are kosher because Mrs. Schlorer's Ham Glaze and Sauer's Pork Rub are shown with the OU on their labels and described as exclusively seasoning those treif meats. 

(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 - "Mrs. Cohen and the Gorilla"

We thought that we had used all the jokes from the Old Jews Telling Jokes collection. And then we found Old UK Jews Telling Jokes. So today's Joke to Start the Week is being told with a British accent.

The joke teller is British entrepreneur Alan Solloway.

Here's the setup: Mrs. Cohen lost her husband some while back and the children wanted to give her a lovely outing. So they decided to send her on a safari. 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.) 

Introducing a New Series - The Great Jewish Comedians: Alan King on Airline Travel on The Carol Burnett Show

It's no secret that the greatest comedians are Jewish, and most of them achieved their fame by entertaining audiences without having to resort to using foul language, like many of today's younger comics.

Today we're starting a new series on Jewish Humor Central that we're calling "The Great Jewish Comedians." In the coming weeks and months we'll be posting some of the funniest routines by the funniest comics, along with some biographical information taken from The Encyclopedia of the History of Jewish Comedy by Harvey Sheldon.

Alan King (1927-2004) was born Irwin Alan Kniberg in New York City. King began his comedy career with one-liner routines and other material concerning mothers-in-law and Jews. Over the years he appeared in films, on TV, in nightclubs and in concerts -- as a headline act often, but also opening for many legendary singers, including Judy Garland at the Palace and the London Palladium.

In this video clip, King appears on the Carol Burnett Show and delivers a stand-up set about airlines and the way they handle (and mishandle) luggage.

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: Are the Gogodala of Papua New Guinea a Lost Tribe of Israel?

Papua New Guinea is about as far from civilization as you can get. And yet members of the Gogodala tribe in that distant island insist that they are descendants of one of the ten lost tribes of Israel.

Florida International University Religious Studies Professor Tudor Parfitt visited the Gogodala people of Papua New Guinea, a tribe of former headhunters who claim to be one of the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Back in 2011 we posted a video of Papua New Guinea tribesmen reciting the Sh'ma Yisrael prayer.

The leaders of the tribe say their ancestors told them that they came to Papua New Guinea from Jerusalem in canoes. So far the DNA tests conducted by the FIU professor have beeen inconclusive, neither confirming or denying their identity claim. 

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.)

Meet the Many Voices of Manny Silver - Cantor, Impressionist, Singer, Comedian

Manny Silver's day job is singing cantorial music and preparing children for their Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah at Temple Beth El in Hollywood, Florida. But when the lights go down low, he turns into a comedian, impressionist and singer. 

Silver has a talent for mastering the cadence and inflection of many performers and politicians. In the six minute video below, he gives his impersonations of Johnny Cash, Bill Clinton, Kermit the Frog, Rodney Dangerfield, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Neil Diamond, Larry the Cable Guy, Judge Judy, Dr. Phil, Placido Domingo, Charlie Rich, The Big Bopper, Tony Bennett, and Jackie Mason.

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.) 

What London Residents Think When They First Hear the Word "Jew"

From London comes a social experiment reported on this week by the Jewish News, Britain's biggest Jewish newspaper.

It's a word association game, a device that has long been used by psychologists to reveal a person’s true feelings. 

The Israel Advocacy Movement used this tried and tested formula to discover what shoppers at Brent Cross thought when they heard the words Peter Andre and Katie Price (popular singers in Britain) to hipsters, Hindus, pizza…. And Jews.

The responses were mixed to say the least, with the first respondent having to ask a friend, before blurting out ‘money’.

Then ensued a steady stream of predictable stereotypes such as money, gold and Israel, in addition to ‘Holocaust’ and Hitler.

Others resorted to more ‘out-the-box’ responses, such as ‘Jesus’, Christians, ‘really got f****d up’, Ancient, ‘been in the country and in the world for a long time’.

The Israel Advocacy Movement seeks to counter hostility to Israel in Britain by training groups of volunteers and providing them with promotional material at the street level.

Although not all of the spontaneous responses to the question were negative, those that were reveal that the IAM has their work cut out for them.

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.)  

Sammy Davis Jr. Sings "If I Were a Rich Man" from "Fiddler on the Roof"

Last week Matthue Roth wrote in Jewniverse about the discovery of a rare video of Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990) singing If I Were a Rich Man, from Fiddler on the Roof. 

As Roth reported, 

The singer, tap-dancer, and entertainer, converted to Judaism in 1961, at the age of 36. He was passionate about his adopted religion, and remained so his entire life.

Nevertheless, he always had a sense of humor about his conversion, too. While hosting the Academy Awards in 1971, he told the crowd, “Tonight, the Academy honors both my peoples–with Fiddler on the Roof and Shaft.” It wasn’t just empty boasting–Davis has also performed, in full shtetl drag, the song “If I Were a Rich Man.”

How did Sammy Davis Jr. come to embrace Judaism in the first place? According to the Jewish Virtual Library,

In 1954 he almost died in a car accident where he lost his left eye. While in the hospital, his friend Eddie Cantor enlightened him on the similarities between the Jewish and black cultures. Davis converted to Judaism after reading Paul Johnson's A History of the Jews in the hospital. One paragraph about the ultimate endurance of the Jewish people intrigued him in particular: "The Jews would not die. Three centuries of prophetic teaching had given them an unwavering spirit of resignation and had created in them a will to live which no disaster could crush."

Roth's Jewniverse article ends with this anecdote:

In his 1965 autobiography Yes I Can, Davis devotes several meaty chapters to talking about the philosophical role of Judaism in his life. And as much as his religion inspired him, it also caused him even more tzuris than he’d already encountered: he was fond of telling how, once, he took a public bus in the South and was told that Black people had to sit in the back. “But I’m Jewish,” he told the driver, who replied: “Then get off!”

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 - "Betting on Mishegas"

It's another hot summer Monday, and we're cooling off by posting another joke to start the week. Tonight we'll take in some cool mountain air when we present an hour of the funniest Jewish videos to a group of Catskills vacationers at the Honor's Haven resort in Ellenville, New York (formerly the Fallsview Hotel). 

Today's joke teller is new to Jewish Humor Central. He's Mel Bleemer, a retired CPA from New Jersey. We'll be seeing more of him in the coming months.

Here's the setup for today's joke: Two Miami Beach ladies, after a day of shopping on Collins Avenue, are ready to board the bus to go home. They're talking and comparing what they bought, and they get on the wrong bus. 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.) 

Pete Seeger and the Story of "Tzena Tzena"

Back in 2011, we wrote about the origins of Tzena Tzena, the Hebrew song that rode to the number 2 position on Billboard's Top Hit List when it was recorded by Pete Seeger and The Weavers. We also included a funny, fanciful version of its origins told by Arlo Guthrie.

Last year, when Seeger died at the age of 94, we made a brief reference to his role in popularizing this song. Now we discovered a short documentary from The Milken Archive of Jewish Music that remembers Seeger and his connection to Tzena Tzena and its Israeli composer, Issachar Miron.

It's a moving story featuring Seeger and Miron, as they lead a performance of a new trilingual version of the song that includes verses in Arabic, as well as in Hebrew and English. 

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 - 2000 Jewish Athletes Compete at Maccabi Games in Berlin

From July 27 to August 5, 2015, the 14^th European Maccabi Games were held in Berlin.

Europe’s biggest Jewish sports event took place in Germany for the first time in its history.

Where Jewish athletes were excluded from the Olympic Games in 1936, thousands sent a message for tolerance and openness and against anti-Semitism and racism this summer.

During the games, more than 2.000 Jewish sportswomen and sportsmen from more than 36 countries competed against each other in 19 disciplines in Berlin’s Olympic Park.

As Yermi Brenner wrote in The Jewish Daily Forward,

In a statement published leading up to the Games, German chancellor Angela Merkel wrote: “In view of the past, Germany may truly be thankful for the restored diversity of Jewish life in our country and for the renewed trust of the guests from abroad.”

The Games’ opening ceremony took place in Berlin’s Waldbühne – an amphitheatre built in the 1930’s at the request of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. The ceremony’s guest of honor was German president Joachim Gauck, who said he was very happy and moved by the fact that Berlin, which once discriminated against and humiliated Jewish athletes, is now hosting a Jewish sporting event.

 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.)

A Midweek Joke From Rabbi Bob Alper - "Air Conditioning"

Rabbi Bob Alper's standup sets have made frequent appearances on Jewish Humor Central.
 
We've been watching his funny DVD and just can't resist sharing some of his jokes with you, especially since he gave us permission to spread the joy that his humor brings to live audiences and to viewers of the DVD.
 
The DVD contains his 50 minute standup set and a collection of jokes that we're just starting to tap into. Here's one that we call "Air Conditioning."
 
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 Jury" - A Classic Comedy Gem From Our Favorite Record Album

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 Catskill 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.
 
We previously posted two tracks from the album: The Reading of the Will and The Housewarming.

Today we're sharing another classic track: The Jury. Stay tuned for more tracks from the album in the weeks to come.

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.)