Tisha B'Av Starts Tonight - A Time for Reflection on the Destruction of the Holy Temples

There is no day during the year when we can't find an opportunity to laugh, chuckle, guffaw, grin, or maybe just crack a smile.  Without humor, the world would be a much grimmer place.  Even during the High Holy Days and on fast days, most of us find a moment to share an anecdote or witty comment with friends.   Tonight and tomorrow are no exception, but the overall mood of the elongated day is much more sorrowful than any other.  The reason, of course, is that tonight we begin the observance of Tisha B'Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, which lasts until Tuesday night. Tisha B’Av is a fast day that commemorates the destruction of the two Temples. It also happens to be the day that many other calamities have befallen the Jewish people, some of which are listed below: 587 BCE (3338)- The First Temple is destroyed by the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews are sent into what later became known as the Babylonian Exile. 70 CE (3830)- The Second Temple is destroyed by the Romans, led by Titus. 135 CE (3895) - The Romans defeat Bar Kochba's last fortress, Betar, and destroy his army. Bar Kochba himself is killed along with more than 100,000 other Jews. The Roman Emperor Hadrian turns Jerusalem into a Roman city. 1290 (5050) - King Edward I of England signs an edict expelling all Jews from England. 1492 (5252) - The Alhambra Decree takes effect, expelling the Jews from Spain and from all Spanish territories. 1914 (5674) - World War I begins when Germany declares war on Russia, setting the stage for World War II and the Holocaust. 1940 (5700) - Himmler presents his plan for the "Final Solution" to the Jewish problem to the Nazi Party. 1942 (5702) - Nazis begin deporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto.  On Tisha B'Av, Jews gather in darkened synagogues to read Eicha (The Book of Lamentations) and reflect on the tragedies that befell our people through the millennia. So we won't post any jokes or hilarity today and tomorrow, but we'll share a couple of videos of singing at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Today's post is a video taken at the Kotel in Jerusalem in 2015, when hundreds swayed in unison as they sang the prayer Acheinu.

Acheinu kol beit yisrael, han'tunim b'tzara uvashivyah, haomdim bein bayam uvein bayabasha. Hamakom Y'racheim Aleihem v'yotziem mitzra lirvacha um'afaila l'orah umishiabud lig'ulah, hashta ba'agala uvizman kariv.V'nomar: Amen

אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַנְּתוּנִים בְּצָרָה וּבַשִּׁבְיָה, הָעוֹמְדִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְוָחָה, וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה, הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב.

Translation: As for our brothers,​ the whole house of Israel, who are given over to trouble or captivity​, whether they abide on the sea or on the dry land: May the All-prese​nt have mercy upon them, and bring them forth from trouble to enlargeme​nt, from darkness to light, and from subjectio​n to redemptio​n, now speedily and at a near time; and let us say, Amen.  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 Great Jewish Entertainers: Borrah Minevitch and His Harmonica Rascals

Borrah Minevitch, born Boruch Minewitz in Kiev, Ukraine, was a notable harmonica player, actor, and leader of his group The Harmonica Rascals.

The Harmonica Rascals, an ensemble of approximately ten pieces, recorded for Brunswick Records in 1933, and later for Decca Records where Minevitch hired Richard Hayman as an arranger for the Rascals. (Hayman later worked as an arranger for MGM and the Boston Pops Orchestra.)

In 1923, Minevitch sold the rights to his work on the chromatic harmonica to Hohner for one million dollars and the company subsequently made a successful "Borrah Minevitch" line of harmonicas. He spent the rest of his career as a music hall performer, comedy film actor, impresario, film financier, and film distributor.

Here is a scene with Minevitch and the Rascals from One in a Million, a 1936 American film which marked the Hollywood debut of Sonja Henie. It features footage from the 1936 Winter Olympic Games.

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.

Welcoming Shabbat with Shalom Aleichem by Israel's Soul Key Choir

Somewhere in Israel there is an a cappella singing group called the Soul Key Choir. So far we've been unable to find anything about them on the Internet, except for a few videos that they made in 2014 and that are available on YouTube.

We can't say much about them here, but we do like their singing, and today we're sharing their rendition of the Kabbalat Shabbat song Shalom Aleichem with you. If you know anything about their story, please share it with us in the comments for this post.

We wish you a Shabbat shalom. 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.

Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris in "The Principal's Office"

Some of the best classic skits from Caesar's Hour are finding their way back to the Internet and we're always glad to share them with you. Today we're reminiscing about one of the rare skits titled The Principal's Office. It features Howard Morris as the principal of an elementary school and Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner as the fathers of two 8-year-old-boys who were involved in a hallway fight.

The fathers exchange pleasantries in the office while waiting for the principal to arrive, not arguing about which boy was to blame as the bully, and saying that "boys will be boys."

Once the principal arrives, the situation takes a more sinister turn with each father defending his son and demonstrating what one boy did to the other by pummeling the poor, helpless principal.

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.



#Throwback Thursday    #TBT

Comedy Showcase: Jon Fisch - Still Single and Living Jewish in New York

A couple of years ago we introduced you to standup comic Jon Fisch, performing on the David Letterman Show. Well, Jon is still doing standup, and recently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

A prolific monologist with universal appeal, Jon focuses on the idiosyncrasies of city living. Shortly after moving to NYC from his native Boston, he was chosen as one of Comedy Central’s Fresh Faces of Comedy and named one of Back Stage Magazine’s 10 Standout Stand-ups.

In this video clip, Jon weighs in on living the single life in New York and reconnecting with his many divorced friends.

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 Womens' Balcony" Adds Delightful Comedy to Israel Film Festivals

The Women's Balcony (Hebrew title: Yismach Chatani) a comedy from Israel, has been playing to sellout audiences at Jewish Film Festivals from Maine to California. We saw it on Sunday night at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal, New Jersey. We recommend it highly. Here is a synopsis:

Women fight for their rights in unexpected ways in this warm and funny film. When the women’s balcony in an Orthodox synagogue collapses, leaving the rabbi’s wife in a coma and the rabbi in shock, the congregation falls into crisis.

Then young rabbi David arrives and they think they’ve found a savior. But when he starts pushing fundamentalist ways – suggesting the women’s immodesty might have caused the accident – a rift emerges between the sexes!

This intimate portrait of a community trying to maintain its traditions while resisting extremism, set to a lively soundtrack amid the evocative back alleys of old Jerusalem, is sure to leave you smiling.

The film, in Hebrew with English subtitles, was made in the Bukharian quarter (Shechunat Habucharim in Hebrew) a neighborhood in the center of Jerusalem. 

This trailer will give you a taste of the film, but we urge you to find it and see it for a delicious evening of  Jewish humor at its best. It's playing now at the Lincoln Center Cinema in New York City and other selected theaters. Be sure to watch for it at a theater or at a Jewish/Israel Film Festival near you.

Enjoy!

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A Joke to Start the Week - "The Frog Princess"

It's Monday again, so here we go with another Joke to Start the Week. If we're counting correctly, this is our 178th joke in our start the week series. 

If you want to see them all, just go to the left column and scroll down until you see "Keywords." Scroll down the alphabetical list of keywords until you see "Joke to Start the Week." Click on it and you'll be laughing for at least three hours.

Today's joke comes from the archives of Old Jews Telling Jokes and the joke teller is pianist Leon Arp. 

Here's the setup:  There's an old guy sitting on a park bench. A frog jumps up onto the bench and starts to talk to him. 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.

"Amerike - The Golden Land" - A Must See Musical Off-Broadway Now Through August 20

Last Wednesday we attended the best example of off-Broadway theatre in New York City. The musical play was Amerike - The Golden Land by Moishe Rosenfeld and Zalmen Mlotek, staged  by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at its new home at the Museum of Jewish Heritage at Manhattan's Battery Park.

Amerike is an expanded version of the play that was originally staged in 1982 and updated in 2012. The acting ensemble has grown from six to twelve, and the new play is entirely in Yiddish with English and Russian supertitles.

As the authors explain in the shows playbill,

We unearthed gems from Yiddish theater and the folklore that brought these experiences to life in a moving musical chronology. We interlaced the songs with dramatic moments that gave the program a theatrical context.

The show includes 41 songs and runs 90 minutes without an intermission. Originally scheduled to run from July 4 through August 6, it has just been extended through August 20. We recommend it highly.

As David Finkle wrote in The Huffington Post,

Before the hour-and-a-half has elapsed, 12 excellent cast members, directed by Brynna Wasserman (with Merete Muenter covering movement), 41 songs by any number of songwriters float by. There’s much pertinent dialogue written by Moishe Rosenfeld and the always-expert music director Zalmen Mlotek.

As the best Manhattan musicals on view these days are listed, Amerike The Golden Land should—and will be—among them.

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.

Kol Esperanza Sings Shlomo Carlebach Medley with Guest Dudu Fisher

Kol Esperanza is a new young operatic pop trio, founded as a power-vocal group to perform classical songs, opera great hits, standards, Broadway hits and music that can bridge different generations and audiences around the world.

Nimrod, Nadav and Omer joined forces under the direction of musical director Tomer, working on a rich concert program.

The group started performing on 2014 and have been touring worldwide. We saw them last February during our winter tour of South Florida. They will be performing again in South Florida next winter.

In this video clip, Kol Esperanza goes onstage with a medley of Shlomo Carlebach hits, joined by singer Dudu Fisher on the big screen.

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.

Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Jack Benny, Mel Blanc, and the Tijuana Troubadors

One of Jack Benny's funniest sidekicks was Mel Blanc, the man of a thousand voices who went on to become the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, and the Tasmanian Devil.

Blanc made frequent appearances on Jack Benny's TV show. In this video clip he's the leader of the Tijuana Troubadors, a musical group from Mexico whose vocabulary is limited to Si, Sy, Sue, and Sew.

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.

 

#Throwback Thursday #TBT

Comedy Showcase: Al Katz on Doctor's Office Visits

Al Katz is a classical comedian with a cynical twist who observes the hostilities in life and turns them into humor.

Katz has headlined comedy clubs for over twenty years, which includes Zanies, The Funny Bone, The Improv, The Comedy Zone, and many more as well as developed a demand in corporate, college, and cruise ship performances. He has worked with many greats like Jay Leno, Dennis Miller, and Robin Williams.

In this video clip, Katz focuses on the indignities and annoyances of waiting in doctors' examining rooms. 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.