Brooklyn Women Bake World's Longest Challah Certified By Guinness World Records

Two years ago, South Africa's Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein had an idea. Wouldn't it be wonderful if most South African Jews kept one Shabbat together, publicly? We posted the story last year, when the idea expanded into a worldwide Shabbat observance, The Shabbos Project.

Last week, the event was repeated in Cape Town, with 1,700 women baking challah. They were joined by women at similar events in 560 cities around the world, including Brooklyn, where women in the Park Slope neighborhood set an official Guinness world record for the world's longest braided bread measuring 20 feet long.

As Brian Pellot wrote for Religion News Service,

Goldstein attributes the movement’s enormous growth — from 1,800 partner groups around the world in 2014 to 5,000 this year — to its grass-roots nature and social media appeal.

“What’s given the project real space to move at such a rapid rate is that it belongs to the people. It’s not a hierarchical organization,” he said on the phone from Israel, where he helped lay the groundwork for community events before returning to Johannesburg on Wednesday.

This week’s global Shabbos Project features yoga events and picnics in San Diego, a 3,000-person street dinner in downtown Los Angeles and major events in 560 cities around the world. In Johannesburg, 5,000 women registered for a challah bake Thursday featuring a live video link with thousands of women in Tel Aviv.

Here's a video of the Guinness official measuring the challah and certifying its length, followed by a video of the mega challah bake in Boca Raton, Florida last week.

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.)  

The Great Jewish Comedians: Victor Borge in a Hilarious Opera Satire

Victor Borge (1909-2000) was a Danish comedian, conductor and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the United States and Europe. His blend of music and comedy earned him the nickname "The Clown Prince of Denmark","The Unmelancholy Dane", and "The Great Dane."

He was born as Borge Rosenbaum to a Jewish family in Copenhagen. His parents were both musicians. He began piano lessons at the age of two, and it was soon apparent that he was a prodigy. He gave his first piano recital when he was eight years old, and in 1918 was awarded a full scholarship at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.
 
When the Nazis occupied Denmark during World War II, Borge was playing a concert in Sweden, and managed to escape to Finland. Even though Borge did not speak a word of English upon arrival, he quickly managed to adapt his jokes to the American audience, learning English by watching movies. He took the name of Victor Borge, and, in 1941, he started on Rudy Vallee's radio show, but was hired soon after by Bing Crosby for his Kraft Music Hall program.

Most of his humor centered on his relationship with his beloved piano and the funny variations on classical music that he created and performed to the delight of his audiences.

In this video clip, Borge takes us through his hilarious satire of an opera performance.

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 Humor" Author Rabbi Joseph Telushkin Analyzes and Tells Five Jewish Jokes

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin is an ethicist and best-selling author of many books including Jewish Literacy,  Biblical Literacy, and The Book of Jewish Values. He is also the author of Jewish Humor: What the Best Jewish Jokes Say About the Jews. 

Rabbi Telushkin has been delivering lectures about the evolution of Jewish humor, explaining how humor in the Jewish culture has shaped the language and other aspects of Jewish life.

Larry Gelbart, author of Mash and Tootsie said that “I don’t know if Jews are really the chosen people, but I think Joseph Telushkin’s book makes a strong argument that we’re the funniest.”

Today we're sharing a video clip from one of Rabbi Telushkin's lectures on Jewish humor, in which he delivers five classic Jewish jokes.

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.)

Jimmy Kimmel Plays "Hipster or Hasidic" Game With His Audience Again

Back in November 2012, late night show host Jimmy Kimmel introduced a new audience participation game show called "Hipster or Hasidic." We called our readers' attention to it then, but it has since been purged from YouTube. So we were happy to see that Kimmel played the game again with his studio audience last Thursday and posted it to YouTube.

Why "Hipster or Hasidic?" Because the Hasidic enclave of Williamsburg in Brooklyn has in recent years seen an influx of artists and musicians who tend to have a hipster look. What the men in both groups share is the avoidance of cutting their facial hair.

Shooting video closeups of faces of Brooklyn residents, focusing on the beard and mustache, and then panning out to see the whole person, Kimmel asked whether the audience thought the subject was a hipster or a Hasidic Jew.

It was all in good clean fun, and the hipsters and Hasidim seemed to be enjoying themselves. One bearded participant turned out to be a little of both hipster and Hasidic, and one surprised the audience by being in a third category. 

 
We played the game, and got half of the eight right. One really fooled us.
So try your luck and play the game. How many did you get right?

 
(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 - "At the Ballet"

Another Monday, another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're bringing back Bob Hertzendorf, the certified hypnosis counselor from New Jersey, to deliver today's gem.

Here's the setup: Bob's old aunt Rose was reaching her 90th birthday, and she'd never really been anywhere. So he said he's going to take her someplace nice, 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.)  

Funny Life in Israel: Episode 1 - With the Soldiers

We always say that Israel is a funny country. We wrote a book on the subject and created an hour-long comedy lecture with video clips to drive the point home.

Now we find that we have company in bringing the funny side of Israel to an audience that enjoys funny video clips about life in the Holy Land.

Jacob Barbasch, (Aika) Ignez Francesca Belgica and Dotan Jakoby created, wrote, and filmed a series of three short videos that show the funny side of being in Israel with this amusing guide to survival as a foreigner in the Holy Land. The videos are offbeat and show how cultures collide as they take an outsider's look at Israeli society.

The first video in the series takes a funny look at aspects of being a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces.

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: Avi Liberman on Jewish Holidays and Traveling to Israel

Avi Liberman spends a lot of time recruiting American stand-up comics to travel to Israel with him twice a year to perform comedy shows in support for the Koby Mandell Foundation. 

We have posted excerpts of some of the shows over the last few years featuring a variety of comedians that Avi accompanied to Israel, most of them visiting Israel for the first time.

But the Israeli-born and Texas-raised Liberman is a stand-up comedian on his own, and his family-friendly performances have special appeal to Jewish audiences.
 
Here is one of his routines, as delivered to a very responsive Jewish audience at the City Winery in New York,  explaining Jewish holidays to gentiles, and making funny observations about flying to Israel and buying Marzipan rugelach in the market.

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.)

Kinder -- The Jewish Tinder App -- Brings Jewish Mothers Into the Dating Game

By now you've probably heard of Tinder, the newest entry into the world of online dating. A smartphone app, it makes it easy for people to meet potential matches based on photos and proximity. A quick swipe right means you're interested and a swipe left means a lack of interest. If both swipe right, it's a match!

Now Hasidic comedian Mendy Pellin of the Jewlicious website has come up with Kinder, a Jewish parody of Tinder, which puts Jewish mothers in the center of the dating process. In this video, Mendy interviews the founder of the new popular dating app for Jewish singles.

There really is a similar application called JSwipe, which has just merged with JDate, but it doesn't put Jewish mothers in the role of uploading their childrens' photos, as the fictional Kinder does.

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.)  

Jose Jimenez Revisited: How a Jewish Comedian Became a Bolivian Santa Claus Instructor

Last week we wrote about Bill Dana, the comedian who brought laughter to so many viewers while appearing on TV shows with Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, Steve Allen, Danny Thomas, Imogene Coca, and Martha Raye.
 
We had a good reaction to the post and requests for more like it, so here's a follow-up. How did a Jewish comedian come up with the idea to invent a Bolivian character who spoke with a Spanish-like accent? 

We found the answer on YouTube. Before he gained fame as the reluctant astronaut in his most frequent role on TV and records, Dana was head writer for the Steve Allen Show. In 1959 he debuted the Jose Jimenez character in a skit as a sidewalk instructor teaching new Santa Claus recruits how to say "Jo Jo Jo" (Ho Ho Ho.)

In an interview 52 years later, Bill Dana revealed the origin of the Jose Jimenez character and explained the nuances of his accent.

Here's the Santa Claus instructor clip followed by the interview.

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: Jack Benny and How He Met His Wife, Mary Livingstone

No list of great Jewish comedians would be complete without Jack Benny, who was one of America's most beloved entertainers from the 1930s to the 1970s in vaudeville, radio, and television.

Born Benjamin Kubelsky in 1894, he used his comedic talents to create what many consider to be the first situation comedy that gave rise to the sitcom format that's been so popular for decades.

Benny portrayed his character as a miser, playing his violin badly. In character, he would claim to be 39 years of age, regardless of his actual age.

Benny was known for comic timing, and the ability to create laughter with a pregnant pause or a single expression, such as his signature exasperated "Well!" 

Benny's biography is much too long to reprint here, so we suggest looking at his Wikipedia entry for all the details. In 1927 he married Sadie Marks, who changed her name to Mary Livingstone, and appeared with him as his comedic foil on radio and TV. 

They met while she was working in the hosiery department at The May Company department store in Los Angeles, and today we're posting one of Benny's sitcom episodes that focused on their meeting. 

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 - "The Partners"

It's Monday again, and that means it's time for our weekly feature, A Joke to Start the Week.

Once again our joke teller is retired CPA Mel Bleemer.

Here's the setup: Two partners are clothing manufacturers. One is the outside man -- he's the salesman. The other one is the inside man. He's the cutter. He cuts, he presses, he puts them together. The salesman loves to dress. The boys hit it big, 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.)

Vanessa Bayer Shares the Origin of Her "Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy" Character on Saturday Night Live

We have a family Bar Mitzvah coming up this week, so we think it's appropriate to share an interview with comedian Vanessa Bayer, who created the "Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy" character as a recurring feature on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update.

The interview was with Scott Rogowsky on the Running Late program taped last November at Caroline's on Broadway. In it, Bayer explains the origin of the Jacob character, and talks about her own Bat Mitzvah in Israel.

We previously posted video clips with Bayer explaining Shabbat and Passover as she engaged in awkward conversations with news anchors Seth Meyers and Michael Che. If you missed the Passover video, which also included Billy Crystal as Jacob's dad, here it is again, followed by the interview.

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.)

Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: Adon Olam (Pharrell Williams' "Happy") in Paris Synagogue

Since Pharrell Williams' hit song Happy was nominated for an Academy Award in 2014, it's been the basis for many parodies. We posted a few, including exuberant dance moves by residents of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Efrat.

We even posted a Sukkah hop version of the song last month. But we were unprepared for its appearance as the melody for a new version of Adon Olam in the La Victoire Great Synagogue in Paris.

This is a video that we just had to post because it fits perfectly into two series that we've been running over the last few years, Adon Olam Around the World and Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places.

So if you feel especially happy as you leave your synagogue tomorrow, why not surprise your friends by launching into a few choruses of this up to date version of a Shabbat classic?

If you missed the performance of the original Happy song at the 2014 Oscar awards show, you can see it by clicking here.

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.)

The Great Jewish Comedians: Bill Dana (Jose Jimenez) Joins Milton Berle as a Karate Expert

We'll bet you didn't expect Bill Dana to be included in this list of the great Jewish comedians, but we think he deserves a place in this exclusive group.

Bill Dana, who celebrated his 91st birthday last week, was a very popular comedian in the 1960s. 

He often appeared on television shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Danny Thomas Show, The Steve Allen Show, and his own sitcom, The Bill Dana Show, usually as a heavily accented Bolivian character named José Jiménez. Dana often portrayed the Jiménez character as an astronaut.

Dana was born William Szathmary in Quincy, Massachusetts. He is of Hungarian-Jewish descent. He took his stage name "Dana" after his mother's first name "Dena" as he felt "Szathmary" was unpronounceable. 

He occasionally incorporated a Hebrew or Yiddish word or phrase into his roles. Here's a video clip from an appearance he made with Milton Berle on The Hollywood Palace in 1965 as one the world's great authorities on karate and jiu-jitsu. Listen carefully as he inserts a phrase that will be familiar to you in the last few seconds of the clip.

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.) 

Tumbalalaika Around the World - In a Mexican Cafe

The Yiddish folk love song Tumbalalaika originated in Eastern Europe in the 19th century, but its exact origin is hard to pinpoint. 

That hasn't prevented it from being sung and played over and over, not only in places where Yiddish songs are sung, but just about everywhere in the world, in vocal and instrumental versions, in cabarets and in the movies.

Just as we have followed the songs Hava Nagila, Adon Olam, Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, and Abanibi as they took different forms as interpreted by a wide variety of singers, musicians, and dancers, we're continuing this series that we started in 2012 that will bring you many interpretations of this universal courting and love song.  We'll post other versions from time to time.

 This version was recorded by the instrumental group Trio Nu in the Idish Cafe in Mexico. 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: Shelley Berman's Classic Office Telephone Sketch

Shelley Berman, the comedian, actor, writer, teacher, lecturer, poet, and philanthropist, celebrated his 90th birthday in February. He merits a place in our list of the great Jewish comedians of our time.

Berman started as a straight actor, receiving his training at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, honing his acting skills in stock companies in and around Chicago and New York City. 

In the mid-1950s, he became a member of Chicago's Compass Players, which later evolved into The Second City. While performing improvised sketches with Compass, Berman began developing solo pieces, often employing an imaginary telephone to take the place of an onstage partner.

He went on to star in plays, movies, TV, and has been involved in virtually every form of entertainment including records and books. 

He's been performing on TV as recently as 2009 in the role of Larry David's father in Curb Your Enthusiasm, a role which earned him an Emmy nomination.

We previously posted one of his telephone sketches in which he speaks with a hotel clerk. 

You asked for more, so here's another classic example of Berman's comedy from a Judy Garland Show episode in January 1964. The scene takes place in an accounting office one minute from the 5 pm closing time. 

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 - "Wall Street Journal Cover-Up"

After a few weeks of skipping our Monday week-starting joke because we didn't post on Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, and Shemini Atzeret, we're back with our most popular feature, the joke to start the week.

This week we're introducing another Jersey Jewish joke teller who's new to Jewish Humor Central. Bob Hertzendorf, a certified hypnosis counselor, contacted us and offered some of his funny material for inclusion in our postings. It didn't take long for us to recognize his joke-telling skills, so here is the first of a few of Bob's stand-up deliveries.

Here's the setup: The scene is Miami Beach. The poolside. The condominium. This elderly gentleman comes down. He's wearing a bathrobe, carrying his Wall Street Journal. He plops down on the chaise lounge and starts reading. 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.)

"Red Oaks" Jewish Country Club Comedy Debuts on Amazon Prime Featuring Comic Actor Freddie Roman and "Dirty Dancing" Star Jennifer Grey

Craig Roberts and Jennifer Grey in "Red Oak", now streaming on Amazon

Jennifer Grey is back! Not as Baby Houseman in a sequel to Dirty Dancing, but in a new streaming series called Red Oaks. 

It's set in New Jersey, not the Catskill mountains of New York. This time Grey, hardly recognizable after facial surgery, is playing the mother of a young college student and assistant tennis pro at a Jewish country club called Red Oaks.

A word of warning to our readers who are sensitive to salty language and adult situations: This is not a PG movie, but hardly worth an R rating. It's, shall we say, realistic, about life in Jewish country clubs in the summer of 1985. It's very funny and worth watching. You can stream the entire series right now on Amazon, if you're an Amazon Prime member.

Besides Grey, the series stars Paul Reiser, Craig Roberts as the young assistant tennis pro, veteran standup comic Freddie Roman, and comic actor Richard Kind.

Here's a trailer to give you a flavor of the series. 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.)

16th Annual Rutgers Jewish Film Festival Opens October 28 With David Broza Musical Film

For the 16th year in a row, the Bildner Center at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, will be sponsoring a Jewish Film Festival. This year's program, running from October 28 through November 8, will feature 15 new films with a variety of Jewish themes.

We will be attending the opening night film, East Jerusalem West Jerusalem, starring Israeli singer/songwriter David Broza. In this film, Broza journeys to East Jerusalem to record his latest album with Israeli, Palestinian, and American musicians. Broza hopes that bridging cultures through music can be one small step toward peaceful coexistence. The film weaves together soulful music and personal conversations of hope in a time and a place where hope is most needed.

Other films shown at the festival will be Apples From the Desert, a film adaptation of an award-winning Israeli play, documentaries about the rise of Zionism, the lost wooden synagogues of Poland, and Julius Rosenwald, the philanthropist and top executive at Sears and Roebuck.

David Broza will appear on opening night which will have a question and answer session as well as Broza performing live music. Ticket information is available at the Rutgers website. Last year tickets sold out early for many of the films, so don't wait until the last minute if you plan to attend. 

Here's the trailer for East Jerusalem West Jerusalem, featuring Broza and Haitian musician and actor. 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.)

Rabbi Bob Alper Wins "Joke With the Pope" Contest, Becomes "Honorary Comedic Advisor" to Pope Francis

Rabbi Bob Alper, the retired Reform rabbi and stand-up comic from Vermont whose jokes have appeared many times on Jewish Humor Central, got a big surprise yesterday morning when he was notified that he is the winner of the "Joke With the Pope" contest. 

With his joke selected from the more than 4,000 that were submitted during Pope Francis' visit to the USA, Alper was awarded the title of "Honorary Comedic Advisor" to the Pope by the Catholic organization that sponsored the contest, the Pontifical Missions Societies.

As Steve Lipman writes in this week's issue of The Jewish Week,

The rabbi, who lived in East Dorset, Vt., “was kind of shocked and delighted.” A veteran of ecumenical performing, having appeared in comedy shows for more than a decade with Muslim and Protestant colleagues, his 27-second video featured a mild joke he tells about him and his wife of 46 years. The rabbi, in the joke, pokes fun at himself.

“The joke is one of the best I’ve ever written,” Rabbi Alper told The Jewish Week in a telephone interview. “It’s reality. It’s something with which people can identify. It exemplifies the Pope’s values, which are family, humor, warmth.”

The contest was an extension of the Vatican’s increasing use of social media and a reflection of Francis’ accessible personality, said Father Andrew Small, national director of PMS.

He “shopped the idea around” in church circles. Some people were nervous. Was it disrespectful to the Pope? Then Francis, who had heard about the proposal, sent a letter of approval in his native Spanish. “ I like to laugh – a lot. It helps me to feel closer to God and closer to other people in my life,” the Pope wrote. “I invite you to share your happiness, your joy and your laughter with one another and with the whole world. Share your jokes and your funny stories: the world will be better, the Pope will be happy and God will be the happiest of all.”

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.)

Hasidic Israeli Super Fiddler With Secular Roots Performs With Boundless Energy

We've been following the career of the amazing Hasidic Israeli fiddler Daniel Ahaviel ever since we discovered one of his early YouTube videos five years ago and posted it on Jewish Humor Central.

His fame and his audiences keep growing as does our amazement at his boundless energy, his synthesis of Jewish, Irish, and bluegrass music, and finding that his talent comes from British secular musical roots.

All over the world yesterday was Simchat Torah, the last day of the month of holidays that began in September with Rosh Hashanah. But in Israel, Simchat Torah ended on Monday because the holiday is only seven days long in Israel.

Not to be denied an extra day of exulting in the presence of many Torah scrolls, Israelis in Jerusalem extended the celebration in a way that they couldn't on the actual holiday, by bringing in a brass band and Ahaviel and his violin to entertain a crowd on what's called Isru Chag, a day meant to ease the transition from a religious festival to everyday life.

We're not posting the celebration here because it's too long for our Jewish Humor Central format, but here's a link to it if you want to take the time to watch for a half hour. 

We are posting below a video of Ahaviel in a performance last year at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City's Lincoln Center. We came across an article in Mishpacha magazine that details Ahaviel's journey from growing up in Northwest London.

As Rachel Ginsberg wrote in the article,

He was born in northwest London 48 years ago as Daniel Wistrich, to left-wing, idealistic, forward-thinking parents who had exchanged all vestiges of their Judaism for a commitment to a progressive England and a united Europe. His father, Ernest Wistrich — originally Wistreich, son of a well-off, assimilated family in prewar Poland — managed to get on the last train out before the Nazi invasion.

He quickly acclimated to the surrounding English culture and Anglicized his name. As an accomplished social activist, he lobbied for Britain to join the European Union and for the creation of the euro currency. Daniel’s mother is a retired academic and local Labour councillor.

“I knew nothing about Judaism except that Jews died in the Holocaust,” Daniel says. The family didn’t go to shul on Yom Kippur, and he didn’t have a bar mitzvah. “Three-quarters of my family on both sides perished in Poland, and I grew up thinking Judaism as a relevant spiritual force was dead.”

Daniel’s musical talent developed almost accidentally, and under unfortunate circumstances. His mentally disabled older brother — who passed away as a teenager — was sent to a music therapist, and little Daniel was his escort. Daniel was enchanted by the music, and the teacher encouraged his parents to develop his talents. She even predicted he would one day become a great concert violinist.

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 Modern-Day Wise Men of Chelm Build a Sukkah

Today is Hoshanah Rabbah, the last day of Chol Hamoed Sukkot, and the last day that we'll be posting videos about Sukkot. So here we go one more time...

In East European Jewish folklore, the mythical town of Chelm was a town of fools, who came up with ingenious but ridiculous solutions to their everyday problems. In reality, there is a town named Chelm, but that's another story...

So Chelm had its shlemiels, shlemazels, shmegegges, and shmendriks. But that was a long time ago. In the spirit of Chelm, Joel Alpert and Gidon Sobol decided to pay homage to the old stories by building a sukkah the way they imagined the Wise Men of Chelm Construction Team would build a sukkah today.

We promise this is the last Sukkot post for this year. We'll be observing Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah on Monday and Tuesday, so there won't be any posts until Wednesday, when we'll resume our usual mix of humorous videos.

Chag Sameach!

(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: A Joel Chasnoff Stand-up Performance

We're always delighted to find another video clip of comedian Joel Chasnoff performing before a live audience.  We just found one of his stand-up routines that he performed in 2013 at a Union for Reform Judaism biennial meeting.

We've been following Joel's comedy since 2010, when we started posting some of his funny routines about traveling, Jewish day school basketball, and Jewish holidays.

Joel’s comedy is a smart mix of personal anecdotes and keen observational humor, centered around the theme of the absurdity of modern American Jewish life.

Joel, a former Lone Soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, will be performing at a comedy night in Englewood, New Jersey on Thursday night, October 29, to benefit The Lone Soldier Center.

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.)