Jewish Humor Central is a daily publication to start your day with news of the Jewish world that's likely to produce a knowing smile and some Yiddishe nachas. It's also a collection of sources of Jewish humor--anything that brings a grin, chuckle, laugh, guffaw, or just a warm feeling to readers.
Our posts include jokes, satire, books, music, films, videos, food, Unbelievable But True, and In the News. Some are new, and some are classics. We post every morning, Sunday through Friday. Enjoy!
The last of the Red Hot Mamas, the great Sophie Tucker is seen here on
her final network television appearance originally broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show in October
1965 in color.
Sophie lived until February of the next year. By this time, her voice was not what it used to be, so she talk/sang her songs, but her showmanship was unsurpassed. With their photos set in frames on the studio's grand piano, Sophie sings the most popular songs of Ted Lewis, Fannie Brice, George M. Cohan, Eddie Cantor, Maurice Chevalier, and her own special song, Some of These Days. So take a 54 year stroll down memory lane and enjoy! A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:
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Eitan Levine is a New York based writer and comedian/human theme park .
Through articles, videos, a documentary series and live broadcasts his
work has been seen by tens of millions across the globe.
He writes for Elite Daily, an American online news platform founded by David
Arabov, Jonathon Francis, and Gerard Adams. The site describes its
target audience as millennials.
Levine was born and raised in Springfield, NJ. He attended an all boys
Jewish school and studied in Israel for a year. He has been doing stand
up since the age of 15. One of his most impressive attributes is the
title of "Funniest Comic in Israel" during his year abroad. He has
opened for comics such as Judah Friedlander and Daryl Hammond, and has
appeared at Carolines comedy club in New York.
Here's Eitan in a recent comedy club standup set. Enjoy!
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For 900 years there has been a small Jewish community in Cochin on India’s Malabar
coast, living at peace with their Hindu, Muslim and Christian
neighbors. It’s been a model of interfaith tolerance.
But, as Fred de
Sam Lazaro reports, the community has dwindled since the state of Israel
was established and now one of the last Jewish survivors, who maintains
the synagogue, says he plans to leave in a few years – for Israel.
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It's the last Monday in February, and we hope the Northeast is seeing the last of the cold, snow, and ice that's been causing flight cancellations and power outages.
But since it's Monday, it's also time to start the week off with another old joke. This one is told by Marketing Consultant Stuart Bochner from the archives of Old Jews Telling Jokes. Here's the setup: Mrs. Rabinowitz goes into Zabar's and says "I want some lox." And they say "How much do you want, Mrs. Rabinowitz?" So she says "You slice and I'll tell you when I'm finished." And then... Enjoy! A
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In 2014 Israeli
satire on TV took a bold step forward with the airing of a new
series of sketches called HaYehudim Ba'im (The Jews Are Coming).
Written
by Natalie Marcus and Asaf Beiser, the show asks questions about
everything, from the Bible to Ben Gurion to the Ashkenazi leadership.
Their approach is to go into the texts and make you think. They say
that they give all their subjects a critical look, but they're not
attacking, just giving the story a fresh,
modern look.
The
series ran for three seasons on Israeli TV, all in Hebrew. Some of the
half-hour episodes were divided into video clips and published on
YouTube with English subtitles. Here's one about the Golem from Prague.
eyond the sensational aspects of these sketches, there is a deep
passion for uncovering tradition and taking ownership of Jewish
history. “Traditionally, there is a separation between the secular and
religious,” Marcus says. “They [the religious] have the ownership on
this story, but they are our stories as well. This is our heritage and
no reason we can’t deal with and dig into the material of what made us,
our DNA. It’s time for secular people to own the stories and tradition
again.”
This call for secular reclamation of Jewish identity and heritage is part of a national trend in Israel. In Jerusalem,
the New Spirit youth movement is working to transform Jerusalem into a
pluralistic and creative community. Tel Aviv, the stronghold of secular
Israeli life, now offers beachside Friday night services by Beit
Tefillah Israeli and course offerings at Alma, a secular yeshiva
(founded by now-Knesset member Ruth Calderon).
In these and other spaces, today’s young secular Jews reclaim their
identity, and see Judaism as part of their heritage, even if their mode
of connection would never get an Orthodox stamp of approval.
This
video clip, like all the others in the series, may offend some readers
who are not open to satirical interpretations of the scriptures and
satirical views of Jewish life through the ages, but with Purim just a
few days away, we hope you'll have a few good laughs
as we continue the levity.
Enjoy!
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Once again we welcome Shabbat with another version of the Friday Night prayer Shalom Aleichem.
This one comes from a Russian source and is set to a film chronicling the sights of Israel from its founding days to the present day.
Enjoy and Shabbat shalom! A SPECIAL
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It's
Throwback Thursday again and today we get another chance to go back 69 years to 1950 and another episode of The Hickenloopers on Your Show of Shows.
Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca starred in many episodes of the hilarious marital tribulations of Doris and Charlie Hickenlooper.
In
this sketch, Sid Caesar plays a frustrated husband trying to get his wife (Imogene Coca) to get ready for an evening at the theater.
Enjoy!
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Jewish, Welsh and a stand-up comedian, Bennett Arron says he 'has a
dragon on one shoulder and a Rabbi on the other'. This is Bennett's
personal journey and mission to discover what happened to the Jews who
once lived in great numbers in Wales.
Originally from Port Talbot and
the last Jew to attend Port Talbot's Glan Afan comprehensive, Bennett's
back in his home town to perform his critically-acclaimed 'Jewelsh'
comedy show. The journey takes Bennett through South Wales, revealing
both a strong Jewish-Welsh heritage and examples of Welsh anti-semitism.
In this two-part video, Arron visits his homeland to research his roots from the days when his grandfather, Benjamin Aronovitch, came to Wales from Kovno, Lithuania in 1913 to find a better way of life in the booming steel town of Port Talbot. A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:
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Today is Purim Katan, or little Purim. It is the 14th day of Adar, but since this is a Jewish leap year, it's Adar I. Whenever we have a leap year, Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of Adar II. But that's not a reason to defer all merrymaking until March. As the saying goes, Mishenichnas Adar marbim b'simcha (When Adar arrives, we increase our happiness.) But why wait for Adar II when we can get off to a happy start in Adar I? That's exactly what happened at Le Club in Deerfield Beach's Century Village in South Florida last night. As Purim Katan arrived, the 300+ Canadian residents who winter in Deerfield Beach reacted to the invitation of Cantor Adam Stotland to take to the dance floor and join him and Rabbi Aubrey Glazer of Montreal's Shaarei Zion Congregation in singing and dancing to Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, L'Shana Tova BiYerushalayim and Oseh Shalom Bimromav. We're still in South Florida doing Jewish humor lectures and performances and we'll still be here in March when Purim arrives. After last night's preview, we know where to be for the real thing. Enjoy!
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Another Monday, another joke to start the week. Once again we go to our favorite joke source, Old Jews Telling Jokes.
This week we found another oldie but goodie told by retired bookkeeper Marvin Nissenbaum.
Here's the setup: A man and his wife are driving in the car, and they're going 85 miles an hour on a highway that has a speed limit of 55 miles an hour. And then...
Enjoy! A
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But the clips keep coming and we'll keep posting them.
How would Irish people who have never experienced the taste of matzo ball soup, bourekas, brisket, and maror react to their first taste? Watch the video and their reactions. Enjoy!
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Wasn't it erev Shabbat just a few days ago? Seven, to be exact, and here it is again. This week we're getting ready to welcome another Shabbat in sunny Florida. To get in the mood, we're posting our 26th version of Shalom Aleichem, this one by the BaRock Orchestra, a Teaneck, New Jersey based group of musicians. BaRock ' s talented musicians come from a broad range of musical backgrounds and each one contributes something special and unique. BaRock Orchestra's dedicated teams of musicians bring energy to today's world of Jewish simcha music. Enjoy and Shabbat shalom! A
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Stand-up comedian Jackie Mason was back in rare form on The Dean Martin show 52 years ago in 1967, three years after the finger-pointing incident on The Ed Sullivan Show that caused Sullivan to ban him from future appearances. As is evident from this video clip, Mason had fully recovered his timing and comedic talents, putting on a masterful performance, with commentary on government spending, President Johnson, taxation, his psychiatrist, and a brief reference to the Sullivan incident. Enjoy this nostalgic look back with the original Jackie Mason. A
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Ari Ginsberg is an accountant from Teaneck, New Jersey, who likes to make people laugh. He has performed at New York's Gotham Comedy Club and in area synagogues. As Cecilia Levine wrote in the Teaneck Daily Voice,
Comedy allows Ginsberg to better express himself.
"I talk about my childhood," he said. "I was so bad at sports I got picked last — and I went to the Jewish school."
"I have a cynical type of view on some of the things in the Orthodox
world. The materialism bothers me, so this is an outlet to be more
expressive in a humorous way."
Here's Ari at the Gotham Comedy Club. Enjoy! A
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The Super Bowl, the pinnacle of football frenzy, has made its way to the top of USA sports. But the rest of the world, including Israel, just couldn't care less. Everywhere else, people who are interested in sports, look to soccer, known to them as football or futbol, as their favorite sport. So the Jewish Agency for Israel posted a video featuring five Israeli men and women trying to answer some basic American football questions:
- What does NFL stand for? - What happens in a football game? - How many points do you get for a touchdown? A field goal? - What is a line of scrimmage? - What is a quarterback?
Enjoy!
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It's always our pleasure to help you start the week off with a smile, and this Monday is no exception. Once again we find a classic joke from the archives of Old Jews Telling Jokes. Today's joke teller is Mike Frenkel. Here's the setup: Morris and Sue live in Brooklyn. Sue says to Morris "You know Morris, I'm sick and tired of the chickens that I'm getting from the chicken market. That kosher market all they give me is them skinny chickens. All I get is a lot of bones." And then...... Enjoy! A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:
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If New York's Catskill Mountains were ever a part of your life, you should be spending this month at the Levis Jewish Community Center in Boca Raton, Florida, where the Catskills are coming alive in a month-long series of programs centering on Catskills nostalgia. With 15 lectures, four live performances, nine feature films, and a museum gallery exhibition, Greetings from the Catskills, now underway through March 1, is a nostalgic trip down memory lane that you will treasure. You'll find all the details on pages 4 and 5 of the JCC brochure. If you can't be in Boca Raton this month you can join in the fun by watching the featured movies. You can find them on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or borrow them from your local library. Here's the list of Catskills movies: Sweet Lorraine Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort Marjorie Morningstar When Comedy Went to School A Walk on the Moon Dirty Dancing The Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt Four Seasons Lodge When Jews Were Funny To get you started, here's the trailer for the 1987 film Sweet Lorraine, starring Freddie Roman, Maureen Stapleton, and Trini Alvarado.
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Alex Michoel Tavares is the new Jewish Music sensation in Brazil. His new
single (cover) music video of Adon Olam was shot at the Synagogue Shaar Ha Shamayim
in Belem, Para – Brazil.
Adon Olam (Hebrew: אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם;
“Eternal Lord” or “Sovereign of the Universe”) is a strictly metrical
hymn in the Jewish liturgy written in lines of eight syllables; more
precisely, each line is composed of two segments of one yated and 2
tenu’ot, which indeed makes 8 syllables. It has been a regular part of
the daily and Shabbat (Sabbath) liturgy since the 15th century.
Its authorship and origin are uncertain. It is often attributed, as
least tentatively, to Solomon ibn Gabirol (1021–1058), who is known for
his Hebrew poetry, but there is no solid evidence apart from the quality
of this hymn and the language appears to be older. It has also been
attributed to Rav Hai Gaon (939–1038) and even to the Talmudic sage
Yohanan ben Zakkai. Although its diction indicates antiquity, it did not
become part of the morning liturgy until the 15th century.
Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!
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On this Throwback Thursday, we're going back 55 years to 1964 when Peter, Paul, and Mary appeared as guests on The Jack Benny Program. On January 14, 1964 Peter, Paul and
Mary sang Blowin' in the Wind. To show that a folk song can be written
from any bit of folklore, they performed Waukegan, a song they wrote
based around Jack's age, cheapness, and other faults.
Enjoy!
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We've been big fans of Rita Rudner ever since she started to appear on late night TV in the 1980s. One
of the hallmarks of her comedy is that it's clean, free from the
vulgarity and shouting that many stand-up comics find necessary. Her
delivery is demure, tasteful, full of wry observations, and
very funny.
Rudner
started her career as a dancer, then switched to stand-up comedy about
her dating experiences. She married British producer Martin Bergman
about 30 years ago and they have a daughter. She is fond of Jewish
humor but generally reserves it for when she performs for Jewish
audiences.
Here's a video clip of a performance by Rita in London where she explains what's the point of marriage.
Enjoy!
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With all the news
sites that we check daily to find gems for posting on Jewish Humor Central, we
somehow missed the obituaries for Ricky Jay, the master magician, sleight of
hand artist, actor, and writer who died last November at the age of 72.
Born Richard Jay Potash in Brooklyn and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Jay
was known for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter.
He also wrote extensively on magic and its history.
Mr. Jay could hit
a target with a single playing card at 190 feet and could aim multiple cards at
a fresh watermelon, piercing its flesh time after time. But even moviegoers and
television viewers who had little interest in magic had opportunities to see
Mr. Jay in his 40 or so film and TV roles.
Over the decades
he was a regular on talk shows hosted by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Dinah
Shore, Johnny Carson, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien and on various
incarnations of “The Tonight Show,” beginning in the Carson era.
In this video he
entertains an audience with his Cups and Balls routine, the oldest effect in
the history of magic, while delivering a history lesson on the origin of the
game.
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Born Richard Jay Potash
in Brooklyn and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Jay had parents
ill-suited to the sort of obsessive, imaginative, erudite, and talented
performer and writer he would grow up to be. He stated in the
biographical documentary film “Deceptive Practice” (2012)
that the “only kind memory” he retained of his parents, Samuel Potash
and Shirley Katz, were from the time of his bar mitzvah. They asked what
entertainment he would prefer for his bar mitzvah party. He requested Al Flosso, a Jewish magician born Albert Levinson, who headlined at Grossinger’s and other Catskills resorts.Read more: https://forward.com/culture/theater/414750/ricky-jay-performs-his-final-vanishing-act/
Born Richard Jay Potash
in Brooklyn and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Jay had parents
ill-suited to the sort of obsessive, imaginative, erudite, and talented
performer and writer he would grow up to be. He stated in the
biographical documentary film “Deceptive Practice” (2012)
that the “only kind memory” he retained of his parents, Samuel Potash
and Shirley Katz, were from the time of his bar mitzvah. They asked what
entertainment he would prefer for his bar mitzvah party. He requested Al Flosso, a Jewish magician born Albert Levinson, who headlined at Grossinger’s and other Catskills resorts.Read more: https://forward.com/culture/theater/414750/ricky-jay-performs-his-final-vanishing-act/
Born Richard Jay Potash
in Brooklyn and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Jay had parents
ill-suited to the sort of obsessive, imaginative, erudite, and talented
performer and writer he would grow up to be. He stated in the
biographical documentary film “Deceptive Practice” (2012)
that the “only kind memory” he retained of his parents, Samuel Potash
and Shirley Katz, were from the time of his bar mitzvah. They asked what
entertainment he would prefer for his bar mitzvah party. He requested Al Flosso, a Jewish magician born Albert Levinson, who headlined at Grossinger’s and other Catskills resorts.Read more: https://forward.com/culture/theater/414750/ricky-jay-performs-his-final-vanishing-act/
Born Richard Jay Potash
in Brooklyn and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Jay had parents
ill-suited to the sort of obsessive, imaginative, erudite, and talented
performer and writer he would grow up to be. He stated in the
biographical documentary film “Deceptive Practice” (2012)
that the “only kind memory” he retained of his parents, Samuel Potash
and Shirley Katz, were from the time of his bar mitzvah. They asked what
entertainment he would prefer for his bar mitzvah party. He requested Al Flosso, a Jewish magician born Albert Levinson, who headlined at Grossinger’s and other Catskills resorts.Read more: https://forward.com/culture/theater/414750/ricky-jay-performs-his-final-vanishing-act/
Born Richard Jay Potash
in Brooklyn and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Jay had parents
ill-suited to the sort of obsessive, imaginative, erudite, and talented
performer and writer he would grow up to be. He stated in the
biographical documentary film “Deceptive Practice” (2012)
that the “only kind memory” he retained of his parents, Samuel Potash
and Shirley Katz, were from the time of his bar mitzvah. They asked what
entertainment he would prefer for his bar mitzvah party. He requested Al Flosso, a Jewish magician born Albert Levinson, who headlined at Grossinger’s and other Catskills resorts.Read more: https://forward.com/culture/theater/414750/ricky-jay-performs-his-final-vanishing-act/
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Just Published: The Kustanowitz Kronikle - 35 Years of Purim Parody
Every Purim for the past 35 years we have published a Purim parody edition of The Kustanowitz Kronikle, covering virtually every aspect of Jewish life, and including parodies of hundreds of popular movies. This year we decided to retire the series and capture all the fun in a book that's just been published and is available at Amazon.com. It has every Purim issue of The Kustanowitz Kronikle from 1988 through 2022 in a full-color, full-size paperback book with hilarious headline stories and parody movie picks. Here are a few examples: TRUMP, NETANYAHU SWAP ROLES, COUNTRIES; NEW TALMUD VOLUME "VOTIN" FOUND IN IRAQ; JOINS "FRESSIN", "NAPPIN", TANTZEN","PATCHEN"; "JUDAICARE" PROGRAM PLANNED TO ENSURE THAT ALL JEWS HAVE SYNAGOGUE MEMBERSHIP; RABBIS CREATE TALMUD AMERICANI; NEW LAWS EXTEND HALACHA TO THANKSGIVING AND JULY 4; JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE UNITE TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING; FOCUS ON REDUCING HOT AIR; RABBIS TO REQUIRE SHECHITA FOR MANY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Jewish Humor Central Staff
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief:
Al Kustanowitz Food and Wine Editor:
Aviva Weinberg Israel Food and Wine Consultant Penina Kustanowitz Reporter and Photographer:
Meyer Berkowitz Reporter Phyllis Flancbaum
Now You Can Book Program and Lecture Dates for 2024 and 2025 in Person and Via ZOOM
Now is the time to book our Jewish humor programs and lectures for your 2024 and 2025 events in person and via ZOOM anywhere in the world. Book any of our 22 popular programs including "The Great Jewish Comedians", “Israel is a Funny Country”, and "Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places." Click above for details and videos. To book a program with Al, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com
"Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places" is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions
This book presents 150 anecdotes and associated video clips that reveal the myriad ways that Jewish culture, religion, humor, music, song, and dance have found expression in parts of the world that, at first glance, might not seem supportive of Jewish Life. It includes 50 videos of Hava Nagila being performed from Texas to Thailand, from India to Iran, and from Buenos Aires to British Columbia. Also highlighted are 34 international versions of Hevenu Shalom Aleichem, Adon Olam, Abanibi, and Tumbalalaika. Whether you’re reading the print version and typing in the video URLs or reading the e-book version and clicking on the links, you’ll have access to 150 video clips totaling more than 10 hours of video. Enjoy!
"Israel is a Funny Country" is now available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions
This book explores the multifaceted nature of humor in Israel, some of which is intentional and some of which is unintentional. Either way, the quirks of Israeli life contribute to making that life interesting and fulfilling. In the pages of this volume, we take a look at humorous slices of Israeli life, Israeli comedy, satire and parody, funny TV commercials, unusual stories about food, surprising rabbinic bans on daily activities, simchas as they can only be celebrated in Israel, and endearing aspects of Israeli culture. There are more than 120 anecdotes and links to video clips totaling more than six hours of video. We hope that these anecdotes and video clips give you a new and different insight into life in Israel, and encourage you to join in the fun by planning a visit to the land flowing with milk and honey.
Now is the time to book our Jewish Humor Shows and Lectures in person or on ZOOM.
Bring Al's Jewish humor lectures and comedy programs with the funniest videos on the Internet to your community and your synagogue, club, JCC, organization or private event in person or via ZOOM. We're taking reservations now for 2024 and 2025 dates in your community. Click above for details. To book a program with Al, e-mail: dan@hudakonhollywood.com.
Now Open: The Jewish Humor Central Gift Shop
Jewish Humor Central logo merchandise is now available. Click on the image above to see the complete collection -- More than 100 items from tote bags, baseball caps, mugs, aprons, drinkware, T-shirts and sweatshirts, to pajamas and underwear.
The Best of Jewish Humor Central - Now Available in eBook and Paperback at Amazon.com
The Best of Jewish Humor Central - More than 400 video clips, including music and comedy videos for all the Jewish holidays. View them on Your PC, Mac, Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, iTouch, Android Tablet and Smartphone. Click on the image above to peek inside and download a free sample. And now, a paperback edition for anyone who prefers a traditional book and doesn't mind typing the URLs instead of clicking on them.
About the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
A long-term devotee of Jewish humor, Al Kustanowitz has been collecting and sharing it even before there was an internet. In 2009, after a 36-year career at IBM managing new technology projects, he founded Jewish Humor Central (jewishhumorcentral.com. Through the blog he brings a daily dose of fun and positive energy to readers who would otherwise start the day reading news that is often drab, dreary, and depressing (subscribing is free). He has published 12 books on humor based on his more than 4,000 blog postings, each of which includes a video clip and his commentary.
He has presented more than 100 programs in South Florida and the Northeast on topics that include the great comedians and entertainers of the 20th century, funniest moments in film and television, flash mobs around the world, and composers and lyricists of the Great American Songbook.
He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the City University of New York and taught computer science courses at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the International Association of Yiddish Clubs.
You can contact Al via email at akustan@gmail.com.
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