Here Come the Chanukah Videos: Yonina Sings Hebrew Version "Be a Light" by Rabbi Neal Katz

We've been posting versions of Hebrew liturgical and popular songs by Yonina (Yoni and Nina Tokayer, a married musical duo who live in the small town of Pardes Chana, Israel.) They have been uploading home videos to Facebook and YouTube and reaching millions. 

Just in time for Chanukah, Yoni and Nina posted a Hebrew translation of the song Be a Light, written in English by Rabbi Neal Katz, rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Tyler, Texas.

Rabbi Katz has released three CDs of his original Jewish music. His songs have become popular in congregations, camps, and Religious Schools around the country. In 2009, Neal also released a folk-music CD, and in 2010, he was a finalist in the Kerrville Musical Festival's New Folk Contest. The website for his music can be found at KatzMusic.com. 

In addition to his musical travels in the States, when Neal travels abroad, he likes to share his music with member congregations in the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Neal has been honored to share his music and help lead Shabbat worship services at Progressive Jewish congregations in Warsaw, Paris, Prague, Budapest, London, St. Petersburg, and Copenhagen.

Enjoy! 

Welcoming Shabbat with a Wicked Adon Olam by Park Avenue Synagogue Cantors Azi Schwartz and Mira Davis

The hit movie Wicked is finding its way into every corner of life, even into Shabbat services at Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan.

Last week cantors Azi Schwartz and Mira Davis transformed the Wicked song Popular into a rendition of Adon Olam. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Here Come the Chanukah Videos: The Maccabeats Turn a Wicked Song Into a Tribute to Jewish Survival

With so many Jewish singing groups coming up with Chanukah parodies and new lyrics for songs from the hit movie Wicked, we expected one from the Maccabeats and here it is.

In 2010 The Maccabeats, an a cappella group from Yeshiva University, released their first Hanukkah music video, Candlelight, and every Hanukkah (and other holidays) since then we've seen many more videos by them and lots of other groups.

Originally formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group, the Maccabeats have recently emerged as both Jewish music and a cappella phenomena,  with a large fan base, more than 20 million views on YouTube, numerous TV appearances, and proven success with three albums, 2010′s Voices From The Heights, 2012′s Out Of The Box and 2014′s One Day More.

Many of their songs are parodies of pop hits, and this Chanukah they're continuing the tradition with new lyrics for the movie's signature song Defying Gravity that celebrates  the spirit of the Jewish people. The lyrics appear below.

Enjoy!

 

 

Lyrics 

 

Some things have changed around us 

Some things have stayed the same 

Through every change we’ve weathered 

Our spirit always burns the same. 

 

When shadows rise to meet us 

Our flame will burn through the night 

An ancient spark ignites 

And fills the void with light. 

 

We’ll rise above, defying gravity 

Through every trial defying gravity 

And they won’t bring us down. 

 

Our light will continue to shine 

this flame is no trick or delusion 

Never accepted limits, 

Cause someone says they're so

 

Thousands of years so far 

But we’ve still got a ways to go. 

No time to be afraid of 

Those who’d try to see us gone 

They didn’t know the strength that we’ve had all along. 

 

We’ll rise above, defying gravity 

Through every trial defying gravity 

And they won’t bring us down. 

So if your faith is shaken 

Pray to the Eastern sky 

As someone told me lately 

Od Avinu, Am Yisrael Chai 

 

We’re never flying solo 

We’re never left alone 

To those who’d ground us 

Here’s a message of our own 

 

We'll rise above, defying gravity 

We’ll shine our light, defying gravity 

And we will make our presence known. 

In every land that we call home 

We’ll say it loud and make it known, 

You’re never gonna bring us down.

Here Come the Chanukah Videos: Six13 Sings a Wicked a Cappella Chanukah Medley

The a Cappella group Six13 is bringing some much-needed light into the world with a fun medley of songs from the hit movie Wicked, with Chanukah lyrics replacing the Wicked originals.

Six13 is a six-man vocal band that brings an unprecedented style of Jewish music to the stage, with songs ranging from hip-hop dance tracks to rock anthems. The members of the New York City-based group sound like a full band – while using nothing but their voices.

Enjoy, and Chag Chanukah Sameach!

Hallmark Channel Hits a Home Run With its New "Hanukkah on the Rocks" Movie

The Hallmark Channel is well known for its extensive collection of Christmas movies, which grows bigger every year. Their predictable romantic comedies always feature a couple falling in love amid lots of Christmas decorations and red and green sets. The themes are not complicated but usually have a minor conflict which is resolved with a kiss at the end.

Hanukkah has been glaringly missing from these movies, except for the last few years where its blue and white decorations have made minor appearances. Usually the theme for the annual Hanukkah movie is a chance encounter between a Jew and a Gentile that leads to a joint celebration of the two holidays. In the last two films, the revelation that either the boy or the girl is Jewish gets us to a scene where both families play Dreidel (although one confuses the Nun and Gimmel as the signal to win all of the coins.)

But last week the Hallmark Channel redeemed itself by posting a new movie called Hanukkah on the Rocks, where Christmas is hardly mentioned and the entire focus is on the celebration of the Jewish holiday. 

We watched the two-hour long movie and recommend it for Hanukkah viewing. The plot is a bit weak as it centers on a search for a special box of "Cohen Candles" that all the stores in Chicago seem to have run out of. Also we found it odd that while the blessings in Hebrew were pronounced correctly, none of the men saying them wore a kippah.

But both of the lead actors are Jewish, which is a plus for Jewish representation in today's world of film and TV.

Here's a video preview of the movie, which is streaming now on The Hallmark Channel and on YouTube.

Enjoy!

A Joke to Start the Week - "The Genie"

It's another Monday and time for another Joke to Start the Week.  Today's joke is told by Bob Alper, an ordained 78-year-old Reform rabbi from Vermont who served congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Bob is also a stand-up comedian with a thirty year comedy career. He presents wonderfully unique material in a way that's intelligent, sophisticated, and 100% clean.

Since 2010 we have posted more than two dozen video clips of his stand-up routines. Here's the setup: A couple were celebrating their 65th birthdays when a genie appeared. And then...

Enjoy!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Hanukkah at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center

With the first night of Hanukkah only 10 days away, it's time for us to start sharing some new videos that are being posted for the holiday.

Walt Disney World's Epcot Center is usually one of the first venues to get into the holiday spirit. As part of their International Festival of the Holidays, Zachary the storyteller sings and relates the story of Hanukkah.

He tells about the origin of the holiday, including observations in his travels of how Hanukkah is celebrated around the world, and sings some popular songs in Hebrew, English, and Ladino.

The performance is repeated daily through December 30.

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi by Rabbi Ethan Franzel

Ethan Franzel is a rabbi with Reform ordination from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. He is also a spiritual teacher, meditation leader, writer, musician and composer, and an avid guide for all things spiritual. 

He has led numerous spirituality and meditation retreats, and has been a scholar-in-residence at a variety of different houses of worship.

He is located in the Greater Philadelphia area, serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware.

In today's video, he leads us in singing a new version of Lecha Dodi to welcome Shabbat.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Comedy Showcase: Meet Raanan Hershberg, Kentucky Comedian

Raanan Hershberg is a loud, neurotic Jew from Louisville, KY. He has performed his high-energy, joke-packed comedy on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late, Late Show with James Corden, and Comedy Central. 

His latest special ‘Jokes from the Underground’ was just included in the New York Times ‘Best Comedy of 2022’, where critic Jason Zinoman called it the funniest YouTube Special of the year, and said  ‘his punchy and deliriously funny club comedy made me laugh after second and third viewings.’ His first special ‘Downhill Ever Since’ is almost at 200K views on YouTube. Raanan performs all over the world and is a regular at The Comedy Cellar. 

In this video clip from The Tonight Show, Raanan rants about sobriety and getting older in America.

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: A Candid Camera Classic -- Baby in a Basket

Candid Camera was a popular and long-running American hidden camera reality television series. Versions of the show appeared on television from 1948 until 2014. Originally created and produced by Allen Funt, it often featured practical jokes, and initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

The show involved concealed cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims were told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." The catchphrase became a song with music and lyrics by Sid Ramin.

Today we're sharing a classic episode from 1962 in which the Candid Camera crew placed a basket with a 26-year-old "baby" on doorsteps and waited to see the homeowners' reactions. A note attached to the baby said "Take good care of Johnny. He is a good boy."

Enjoy! 

Israeli Comedy Special: Comedian Shahar Hason on How the IDF is Too Nice to Israel's Enemies

Yishai Fleisher, the International Spokesperson for the Jewish community of Hebron, has a weekly podcast. Last week he posted a video of Israeli comedian Shahar Hason telling a comedy club audience how the Israel Defense Forces are sometimes too nice to Israel's enemies.

Hason performs regularly in Tel Aviv's comedy scene and many of his comments are right on target.

Enjoy!

A Joke to Start the Week - "How Old Was Isaac?"

It's another Monday, and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're sharing a joke by Rabbi Shais Taub, an American Hasidic rabbi and author.

Rabbi Taub writes about Jewish mysticism and is also known for his work in the field of addiction recovery. He is a weekly columnist for Ami magazine. 

Here's the setup: There was a group of simple Jews discussing the story of the Akeda (The Binding of Isaac). They were trying to figure out how old he was at the time of the Akeda. And then...

Enjoy!

A Photographic Challenge: Lining Up 6,500 Chabad Rabbis for a Group Photo

Every year thousands of Chabad shluchim (emissaries) gather for a kinus (international conference) and this year was no exception. 

Last week 6,500 rabbis from all over the world convened for a group photo in Brooklyn in front of Chabad headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway. After the photo they headed for a banquet in Edison, New Jersey. 

The group gets bigger every year. When we reported on the gathering in 2011, 2016, and 2018, the number of attendees was around 5,000. As you can see, the photo is of men only, and the female members of the Chabad couples have their own separate conference.

In 2011 we had some fun with the photo shoot and embedded an image of the popular Waldo character to give our readers a chance to find "Where's Waldo" in the crowd.

In 2016 comedian Meir Kay joined in the photo wearing a Batman costume. The black outfit was a perfect match for the black clothed rabbis.

This year we're playing it straight and just showing the actual photo and a snippet from the hour-long effort to position all the rabbis for the photo shoot.

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat with Yismechu by Cantorial Soloist Joel Stein at Kol Tikvah in Woodland Hills, California

Dr. Joel Stein, Cantor Soloist at Kol Tikvah in Woodland Hills, California is a singer-songwriter, composer and producer in Los Angeles.

Before Kol Tikvah, Joel led services at many temples in New York and LA including B’nai Jeshurun and the Brotherhood Synagogue in Manhattan, B’nai Keshet in Montclair, NJ, and Nachshon Minyan and Shomrei Torah in LA.

Tonight we welcome Shabbat with a rendition of Yismechu by Cantor Soloist Joel Stein. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Throwback Thursday Comedy Showcase: Larry David Gets Stuck on a Ski Lift Just Before Shabbat

What's there to say about Larry David and his Curb Your Enthusiasm show? Either you love it or you hate it. Sometimes we love it and sometimes we hate it. But we have to admit that either way, we laugh a lot.

Some of the funniest episodes have had Jewish themes and one of our favorites was shown in Season 5, Episode 8. Titled Ski Lift Sundown, it finds Larry and Rachel (Iris Bahr), a single Orthodox Jewish girl, stranded on a ski lift that got stuck on a Friday evening and leaves them suspended in the air while the sun begins to set.

Rachel tells Larry that one of them has to jump because Jewish law forbids her to be in such proximity to a married man on Shabbat.

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Showcase: Allan Sherman Sings Parodies on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1966

Allan Sherman dominated the world of song parody during the 1960s and recorded eight albums, starting with My Son the Folksinger.  

Listening to or reading his lyrics is a crash course in pop culture of the 1960s, with Sherman taking satiric swipes at summer camp, psychiatry, fad diets, Hadassah ladies, school dropouts, and upward mobility.

The popularity of his parodies got him many guest appearances on TV variety shows.

We just came across a rare video of Sherman on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1966 singing a medley of takeoffs on classic popular songs including Auld Lang Syne, Aura Lee, On Top of Old Smoky, Charmaine, Too Young, Coming Through the Rye, and Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home.

Enjoy!

Frieda Vizel, Brooklyn Tour Guide With Satmar Roots, Gives Animated Explanation of Jewish Denominations

Does anyone wonder what the difference is between Orthodox, Haredi, Yeshivish and Hasidic Jews, or is confused by words like Haredi, Hasidic, Ultra-orthodox, Satmar, Lubavich, etc? 

In this two minute animated video, Frieda Vizel, a Brooklyn tour guide with Satmar ancestry, tries to answer these questions as clearly as possible.

Until she was 25, Vizel lived in the Satmar Hasidic community. This experience – and her interest in how society works on a systemic level – informs her work. She draws from all sorts of disciplines, like urban studies, history, sociology, and cultural criticism.

Her main job is leading walking tours in Jewish Brooklyn. The animation for this video was done by Alex Salsberg.

A Joke to Start the Week - "The Visitor From Planet Zargon"

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:  I was hiking near my house and got tired. So I just sat down under a tree and slept for awhile. And then...

Enjoy!

Comedian Modi Rosenfeld on How Jewish People Love Fundraisers

There are comedians who happen to be Jewish, and then there are Jewish comedians. In his YouTube special, Know Your Audience, Modi solidifies himself as the former; wielding his unique blend of observational comedy and hilarious insights to shine a light on an often-insular community.

Having performed for Jewish organizations and causes all over the globe, Modi’s unique vantage point lends a birds-eye view of what it means to be Jewish in today’s day and age.

Modi’s performance represents a modern interpretation of the Borscht-belt comedians who came before him. Drawing inspiration from Jackie Mason and Alan King, Modi’s larger-than-life stage presence sends a clear message: be true to your audience and the rest will follow. 

In this video clip from Know Your Audience, Modi explains how Jewish people love fundraisers and how he is always booked for some levity in the midst of a charity event for a dreaded disease.

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat with Adon Olam Sung to an Armed Forces Medley

Cantor Seth Ettinger is Cantor of the historic Temple Beth-El in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1874, it is the oldest and largest Jewish congregation in south Texas. Temple Beth-El is a founding member of the Union for Reform Judaism.

On Veterans Day this year, Cantor Ettinger sang Adon Olam to a series of melodies familiar to servicemen as the anthems of their respective services -- the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

Enjoy, and Shabbat Shalom!

Yiddish Word of the Day - "Thanksgiving"

In 2020 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 as we join family and friends for the Thanksgiving feast, let's find out how to say the words for the turkey and all the trimmings in Yiddish, and also pick up a few expressions related to the holiday.

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: Mail-in Rebate - A Candid Camera Classic From 2002

Candid Camera was an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as The Candid Microphone on June 28, 1947. 

After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948, and continued into the 1970s. 

The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catchphrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera."

Peter Funt joined the show professionally in 1987 when he became a co-host with his father. During this time the show was being broadcast on the CBS television network. In 1993, Allen Funt had a serious stroke, from which he never fully recovered. This required Peter to host the show full-time. 

The show went through a few revivals. During his time on the show Peter was a producer, host and acted on the show. He also produced and hosted over 200 episodes.

Twenty-two years ago the Candid Camera team put up a notice on a gas station pump advertising gas at 99 cents a gallon. The catch was that you had to find a coupon in a newspaper and mail it in with the receipt from the station in order to get a rebate. The customer reactions are predictable and not happy.

Enjoy!

 

Comedian Rabbi Bob Alper Meets a Jewish Flight Attendant

Bob Alper is an ordained 78-year-old Reform rabbi from Vermont who served congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary.

But he's also a stand-up comedian with a thirty year comedy career. He presents wonderfully unique material in a way that's intelligent, sophisticated, and 100% clean.

Since 2010 we have posted more than two dozen video clips of his stand-up routines. During the Covid pandemic his standup performances were limited to Zoom sessions. Now that it's over, he is back on the comedy club circuit. Here's a short video of Rabbi Alper recalling a funny incident years ago while flying on US Airways when he encountered a Jewish flight attendant.

Enjoy!

A Joke to Start the Week - "Sleepy Sermon"

It's another Monday, and time for another Joke to Start the Week. Today we're sharing a joke by Rabbi Shais Taub, an American Hasidic rabbi and author.

Rabbi Taub writes about Jewish mysticism and is also known for his work in the field of addiction recovery. He is a weekly columnist for Ami magazine. 

Here's the setup: There was a rabbi who would get up every week and give a sermon. And there was a particular congregant who would by the end of the sermon be asleep. And then...

Enjoy!

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Tracing Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy" to an Old Yiddish Song

Nature Boy is a song first recorded by American jazz singer Nat King Cole. It was released on March 29, 1948, as a single by Capitol Records. The song has a very unusual history that goes back to a Yiddish song that was written in 1935 by Herman Yablokoff, a veteran of the Yiddish theatre. 

The song was written for Yablokoff's play Papirosn, with a title song that also became very popular with Yiddish theatre-goers.

Yablokoff's song was the basis for a song written by eden ahbez, a hippie before there were hippies, who refused to capitalize his name because in his view only God and Infinity deserved capitalization.

This video explains the evolution of the song from the Yiddish theatre to becoming one of the most enchanting songs of all time and the song most associated with Nat King Cole.

Enjoy!

 

 

Welcoming Shabbat with Ana Bekoach Sung by Omer Adam - Israel's Most Popular Singer

Omer Adam is an Israeli singer whose music fuses elements of eastern Mizrahi music (Oriental-Middle Eastern) and Western Pop instrumentation. In 2023, Ynetnews named Adam "Israel's most famous singer". 

He is Israel's most successful singer of all time, with over 1.4 million views collectively on YouTube, and the most listened singer in Israel for the past four consecutive years on Spotify and Apple, reaching millions of streams. No other Israeli artist has ever achieved such numbers.

This same applies to his concerts –tickets are sold-out within minutes, creating an endless demand.

In 2019, Adam said that he turned down an offer to appear at that year's Eurovision contest since it would involve working on Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath). While Adam is not traditionally observant, he has made a point in his career of refusing to work on Shabbat.

In this video, Adam sings Ana Bekoach, part of the Kabbalat Shabbat Friday evening service, at a sold out concert in Israel.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Joel Grey Sings and Dances "Honey Bun" 72 Years Ago

Joel Grey has had many roles as actor, singer, dancer, director, and photographer. He is best known for portraying the Nazi Master of Ceremonies in the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret, as well as in the 1972 film adaptation. He has won an Academy Award, Tony Award, and Golden Globe Award. 

Most recently he has won praise for his direction of the Yiddish version of Fiddler on the Roof. 

Today's Throwback Thursday musical showcase goes way, way back 72 years to 1952 when Joel Grey performed Honey Bun from South Pacific in a song and dance routine on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Enjoy!