Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Smith and Dale in 1961 Skit "Don't Eat the Profits"

Today we're going way way back 60 years to a Smith and Dale appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1961.

 Joe Smith (originally Joseph Seltzer) and Charlie Dale (originally Charles Marks) grew up in the Jewish ghettos of New York City. Many of the famous comic performers of vaudeville, radio and movies came from the same place and the same era, including Gallagher and Shean, George Burns, Eddie Cantor, George Jessel and The Marx Brothers. 

Seltzer and Marks met as teenagers in 1898 and formed a partnership. They named their act "Smith and Dale" because a local printer gave them a good deal on business cards reading "Smith and Dale" (intended for a vaudeville team that had dissolved). Joe Seltzer became Joe Smith, and Charlie Marks became Charlie Dale.

During the 1920s, they became famous for their signature sketch "Doctor Kronkheit and His Only Living Patient," which like "Who's on First?" for Abbott and Costello, became one of the famous comedy sketches of the 20th century. The name of the doctor is an inside joke: Smith and Dale, both being Jewish, named the physician Kronkheit, which is Yiddish and German for "sickness". Thus we have a doctor named "Dr. Sickness". Indeed a hospital in German is called a Krankenhaus, or literally "sick house".

In today's episode Charlie Dale is the owner of a Hungarian restaurant and Joe Smith is the chef. It doesn't take long for the barbs and sparks to fly between the two as they plan a menu.

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 Farewell to Sukkot 2021 with a Walk Through the Street Theater of Jerusalem's Ben Yehuda Street

During most of the year Jerusalem's Ben Yehuda Street is busy with tourists and locals visiting the many shops and restaurants on this popular pedestrian mall. But it really comes to life during the intermediate days (Chol Hamoed) of Sukkot.

This year we weren't able to be there in person, but thanks to YouTuber Amir Rimer's post we're able to pay a virtual visit to yesterday's activities on the street.

Street performers and musicians flock to the site to play their instruments and dress as living statues, human flowers, and even a witch with her cauldron.

Enjoy the stroll down Ben Yehuda and enjoy the last two days of this holiday, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (one and the same day in Israel). We'll be observing the holiday tomorrow and Wednesday, and we'll be back with our usual mix on Thursday.

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.

Yiddish Word of the Day: Saying Thanks

Last year the Forverts launched a daily series of short informal video clips called Yiddish Word of the Day.

The series, written and narrated by Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter, aims to give non-Yiddish speakers an introduction to familiar Yiddish words and phrases and how they might be used in everyday situations. 

Schaechter, who was appointed the new editor of the Forverts in 2016, is the first woman to helm the paper in its 119-year history, its first editor to have been born in the United States, and likely its first editor who is shomeret Shabbat.We posted the first of this series in May 2020. Now that the Forverts is continuing the series, we'll continue sharing some of the words and phrases as a regular feature of Jewish Humor Central.

Today Rukhl explains the many ways we have of saying "Thanks."

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.

Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam by Russia's Red Army Choir in Tel Aviv

A few years ago we posted a version of Adon Olam that was sung by Russia's Red Army Choir during a concert at the Sultan's Pool in Jerusalem in 2014.

Three years later a more diverse Red Army Choir gave another rousing performance of Adon Olam in Tel Aviv with singers in military dress and a group of folk dancers in traditional costumes.

Here's a video of the 2017 performance that's the 71st version of Adon Olam that we've posted since starting Jewish Humor Central.

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.

Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Henny Youngman on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965

The Ed Sullivan Show was a television variety program that aired on CBS from 1948-1971. For 23 years it aired every Sunday night and played host to the world's greatest talents. 

The entertainers each week ranged from comedians like Joan Rivers and Rodney Dangerfield, to Broadway stars Julie Andrews and Richard Burton, to pop singers such as Bobby Darin and Petula Clark. 

On June 14, 1959, comedian Henny Youngman made one of his many appearances on the show. He delivers his one-liners so fast that you may have to watch the clip more than once to catch all the punch lines.

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

Etrog After Sukkot: A Visit to Jerusalem's Medicine Man and His Etrog Remedies

Starting tomorrow we will be waving the etrog, along with the lulav, myrtle and willow branches, for the week of Sukkot. The etrog can be very expensive, costing up to and in some cases more than $100 apiece.

But what use is the etrog after the holiday is over? It depends where you are and who you are. As we enter the Sukkot holiday, let's hop over to Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market, where one of the shopkeepers, Uzi-Eli Chezi, is known as the Etrog medicine man.

In this video, Uzi-Eli greets a pair of American visitors and gives them instant etrog-based treatments for a variety of illnesses and skin conditions, along with a jolly laugh and a hearty welcome to Israel.

Enjoy! We'll be celebrating Sukkot tomorrow and Wednesday, returning with more Jewish Humor Central on Thursday.

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.

Yiddish Word of the Day - The Holiday of Sukkot

Last year the Forverts launched a daily series of short informal video clips called Yiddish Word of the Day.

The series, written and narrated by Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter, aims to give non-Yiddish speakers an introduction to familiar Yiddish words and phrases and how they might be used in everyday situations. 

Schaechter, who was appointed the new editor of the Forverts in 2016, is the first woman to helm the paper in its 119-year history, its first editor to have been born in the United States, and likely its first editor who is shomeret Shabbat.We posted the first of this series in May 2020. Now that the Forverts is continuing the series, we'll continue sharing some of the words and phrases as a regular feature of Jewish Humor Central.

Today we'll share the Yiddish words and expressions that relate to the holiday of Sukkot, which starts tomorrow night.

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.

International Stars of "Fiddler" Unite to Sing "Sabbath Prayer" as Broadway Reopens

Last week international stars of Fiddler On The Roof from productions staged all over the world, united in singing “Sabbath Prayer” in eight different languages. 

The piece was meant as a collective prayer for the safe return of Broadway and theatres everywhere -- a prayer for protection, ease, health, and a safe return of in-person gatherings, and for the relief those communal moments will bring. 

The piece was produced by Adam Kantor and Reboot and presented by OneTable and Broadway.com. It features singers from performances in English, Yiddish, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Japanese, and Tagalog.

Shabbat shalom!

Getting in the Mood for Yom Kippur with Avinu Malkeinu by Hazamir Choir

Avinu Malkeinu is one of the central themes of Yom Kippur, which Jews worldwide will be observing tonight and tomorrow.

We're getting in the mood for Yom Kippur by sharing a version of Avinu Malkeinu composed by Max Janowski, sung by Hazamir at their 2016 Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall. 

The choir was conducted by Hadas Sturman, Conductor of HaZamir Beit She'an and accompanied by Dr. Alan Mason, Conductor of HaZamir Miami. Soloists were Allison Abrams, HaZamir Manhattan, Juliana Lynch, HaZamir Baltimore, Yohji Daquio-Braude, HaZamir Providence, and Samuel Dylan Rosner, HaZamir Westchester. HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir is a program of the Zamir Choral Foundation, www.zamirchoralfoundation.org.

We'll be posting again on Friday. We wish you a G'mar Chatima Tova and a happy and healthy New Year.

Tumbalalaika Around the World: A Yiddish Jazz Version by Sharon Brauner in Leipzig, Germany

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 the series today that we started back in 2012, bringing you many interpretations of this universal courting and love song. 

The company J. Ariowitsch was one of the leading companies in the Leipzig smoked goods trade in the Weimar Republic. Now their building is a center for Jewish culture in Germany. Numerous cultural events, concert and reading series, exhibitions, lectures and seminars take place here every year.

Last week Sharon Brauner, Karsten Troyke, Daniel Weltlinger & Harry Ermer performed a live concert of Jewish music at Ariowitsch-Haus in Leipzig, including their version of Tumbalalaika.

Born in West Berlin in 1969, Brauner attended a musical school and took a job as a bouncer, bartender, and go-go dancer in Berlin's trendy clubs. Then she studied acting at the Lee Strasberg institute in New York while singing jazz standards at night in various clubs.

Brauner launched a singing career, and dedicated herself to popularizing Yiddish classics that she knew from her childhood. She reinterpreted the songs, some of which are centuries old, in swing, jazz and pop, Balkan polka, Arab arabesques, South American rhythms, reggae, waltz, country, and tango elements. The songs captured the joy and the soul of the music.

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 - "Beryl, Cheryl, and Shmeryl"

It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today Mickey Greenblatt is back with another good one.

Marshal (Mickey) Greenblatt received degrees from Columbia (BA and BS in Flight Sciences), a DC from Von Karman Institute (1963) and his PhD from Princeton in Aerospace Sciences. He worked as a researcher for NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory. 

With four other scientists, he founded Fusion Systems Corporation, which invented microwave-powered UV lamps for drying coatings. He founded and served on the boards of technology companies and is active in volunteer work. He served on the executive committee of the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington for many years.

Mickey also loves Jewish jokes and sent us this one to share with you. Here's the setup: Three young men in Poland -- Beryl, Cheryl, and Shmeryl -- have a friend Moshe who emigrated to the United States. He became a very successful businessman. 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.

Yiddish Word of the Day: Cutlery in Jewish Life

Last year the Forverts launched a daily series of short informal video clips called Yiddish Word of the Day.

The series, written and narrated by Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter, aims to give non-Yiddish speakers an introduction to familiar Yiddish words and phrases and how they might be used in everyday situations. 

Schaechter, who was appointed the new editor of the Forverts in 2016, is the first woman to helm the paper in its 119-year history, its first editor to have been born in the United States, and likely its first editor who is shomeret Shabbat.We posted the first of this series in May 2020. Now that the Forverts is continuing the series, we'll continue sharing some of the words and phrases as a regular feature of Jewish Humor Central.

Today we'll share the Yiddish words for cutlery that we use every day and learn about the mixing spoon that's not only a cooking utensil.

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.

Welcoming Shabbat with a Yiddish Translation of a Classic Jimmy Buffett Song

We never expected to put the words Yiddish, Shabbat, and Jimmy Buffett in the same sentence. But last week a funny video with just this combination started spreading on the Internet and already has 7,500 views.

Rokhl Kafrissen, the columnist and playwright, translated a Jimmy Buffet classic song with the family-friendly shortened title of Let's Get Drunk into Yiddish.

As Jessica Steinberg wrote in The Times of Israel,

The Margaritaville Resort Times Square — part of Buffett’s hospitality company, which manages and franchises restaurants, stores and casinos named for the singer’s hit song, “Margaritaville” — is located at the center of Manhattan’s garment district.

The neighborhood once housed three synagogues serving the many Yiddish-speaking garment industry workers. While most of the textile businesses no longer exist, the historic Garment Center Congregation is now on the ground floor and two sub-floors of the Margaritaville entertainment complex, part of a complicated real estate negotiation.

In honor of that unusual situation, Yiddish culture nonprofit Congress for Jewish Culture commissioned playwright Rokhl Kafrissen to adapt Buffett’s tale of a man’s bar hookup into a woman’s Yiddish plea to skip Shabbat dinner and go right to dessert.

The song is performed by a formidable crew of klezmer performers: Sasha Lurje (voice), Craig Judelman (violin) and Lorin Sklamberg (guitar, voice). 

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.

Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Jack Benny Tells a Scandinavian Story on Laugh-In

Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In was one of the most popular TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s. One of their regular segments was Story Time. In this segment, Jack Benny is asked to tell a story for a Scandinavian audience. When he protests that he can't speak Scandinavian, the hosts provide him with a Scandinavian translator played by hilarious comedian Arte Johnson.

Benny starts telling the story that's instantly translated by Johnson into a gobbledegook parody of Scandinavian speech. The sketch also provides an opportunity for Ruth Buzzi to hit Benny with her pocketbook, a regular feature of her skits with Johnson.

Ah, the memories that this skit brings back! 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

Wishing All of Our Readers a Shanah Tovah - Happy New Year 5782

Thanks to our thousands of loyal subscribers and casual readers worldwide who have joined us during the year.

We started this blog on October 5, 2009 and it's been going strong with more than 3600 blog entries and more than 3 million page views over the last 12 years.  

We appreciate your loyalty and we hope to keep bringing you a daily mix of Jewish humor in all of its forms -- traditional, eclectic, musical, unbelievable but true, and just funny, tempered with touches of nostalgia and Yiddishe nachas. 

We'll be attending Rosh Hashanah services remotely tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday, and we'll be back posting again on Thursday.  Here's wishing you a happy, healthy, joyous, prosperous and funny New Year from our family to yours!

L'shanah Tovah Tikatevu v'techatemu!

Remembering Mal Z. Lawrence - King of Catskills Comedy

Last week the world of Jewish humor lost one of its greatest stars with the death of Mal Z. Lawrence, one of our favorite comedians, who brought Borscht Belt comedy and waves of laughter to Jewish audiences in the Catskills, South Florida, Las Vegas, and Midtown Manhattan.

As Neil Genzlinger wrote in The New York Times,

Mr. Lawrence came to prominence in the Catskills in the 1950s but was soon known all over the country, playing Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Florida and other stops on the comedy circuit, where his brand of relatively mild Jewish-tinged humor was greeted enthusiastically. To a Florida audience he might joke about the Catskills; to a Northern audience, he’d poke fun at Florida.

Manny Miller was born on Sept. 2, 1932, in the Bronx and grew up there. “Mal Z. Lawrence,” as he variously told the story over the years, was the suggestion of an early agent, or perhaps several different agents. “Lawrence” was borrowed from a Long Island village where he was appearing. As for the Z, which stood for nothing, “My agent told me I’d get more marquee space,” he said.

As a tribute to Mal, we're sharing a video clip of one of his classic performances. 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.

Welcoming Shabbat with Yigdal by Cantor Avi Davis and the Ohabei Shalom Choir

Temple Ohabei Shalom, “Lovers of Peace,” has been at the center of New England Judaism since it was founded in 1842 as the first congregation in Massachusetts. As an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism, the Brookline congregation encourages people from all paths of Judaism to be a part of its community.

In this video, Cantor Avi Davis and the Ohabei Shalom choir sing David Sparr's arrangement of Yigdal, the liturgical poem that many congregations sing at the end of Friday night services.

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.

Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Sid Caesar in "Meeting Girlfriend's Parents" on Ed Sullivan Show

It's another Throwback Thursday and time to turn the calendar back 56 years to one of Sid Caesar's appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Caesar was considered a "sketch comic" and actor, as opposed to a stand-up comedian. He also relied more on body language, accents, and facial contortions than simply dialogue. Unlike the slapstick comedy which was standard on TV, his style was considered "avant garde" in the 1950s. He conjured up ideas and scene and used writers to flesh out the concept and create the dialogue.

In this sketch on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1965, Caesar played the part of a suitor meeting his girlfriend's stuffy parents for the first time, an encounter in which anything that could go wrong, did.

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

Remembering Ed Asner and His First Performance -- A Failed Bar Mitzvah Reading

Ed Asner, the burly and prolific actor who became a star in middle age as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, first in the hit comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and later in the drama “Lou Grant,” died Sunday. He was 91.

As reported in The Times of Israel,

Asner was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1929, to Orthodox Jewish parents, Lizzie Seliger and Morris David Asner, who had immigrated from the Soviet Union. He was given the Hebrew name Yitzhak.

He almost became a newsman in real life. He studied journalism at the University of Chicago until a professor told him there was little money to be made in the profession.

He quickly switched to drama, debuting as the martyred Thomas Becket in a campus production of T.S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral.”

As Grant aged, many of his characters were more explicitly Jewish, from Joe Danzig, a worn-out principal at a troubled inner-city high school in “The Bronx Zoo,” in 1988, to Sid Weinberg, the abusive stepfather in the recent “Karate Kid” reboot, “Cobra Kai.”

Asner was interviewed as part of the Yiddish Book Center's Wexler Oral History Project. In an excerpt from the interview, he described his harrowing first performance -- his Bar Mitzvah, where he was criticized by his father and his uncle. Having failed his first performance, he became determined to be an actor.

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.