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!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: Tiny Pizza - A Candid Camera Classic Flashback from 2004

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 years ago the Candid Camera team set up a pizza delivery service in which customers who ordered a large pizza received a large box with a tiny pizza in it. Let's watch the reactions of these unsuspecting customers when they opened the box and when they were told they're on Candid Camera.

Enjoy! 

Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: 13-Year-Old Sofiya Sings Hava Nagila in Uzbekistan's Talent Show "The Voice"

Ovoz is an Uzbek entertainment vocal talent show. It is the Uzbek version of the format of the television vocal competition "The Voice", bought by a franchise from a Dutch producer.It airs on the channel "Zo'r TV" from April 20, 2024.

The main task of this show is to find and select universal vocalists who sing not only in different genres, but also in different languages. In the show, participants can demonstrate their vocal abilities to the audience and the jury both in the performance of jazz or rock, as well as folk songs or classical vocals.

In this episode aired on November 5, 13-year-old Sofiya Fadeyeva belts out a rousing version of Hava Nagila.

Enjoy!

A Joke to Start the Week - "Half a Head of Lettuce"

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: The customer in the grocery store said to the clerk "I want to buy a half a head of lettuce." And then...

Enjoy! 

Standup Comic Cynthia Levin on Romantic Jewish Dinners and Women's Hairstyles

Cynthia Levin is not only a hilarious stand-up comic but she is also a talented comedic and dramatic actress. Chicago native Cynthia Levin was taking improv classes at The Second City Player’s Workshop and the Training Centre for the Working Actor by age 15.

Early on in her stand-up career, Cynthia became a regular at The Comedy Store and The Improv in Los Angeles. Cynthia has toured all over the United States and Canada with the comedy troupe, "Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad” and has also performed for the U.S troupes overseas in Bosnia, Kosovo, Japan, Korea and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

 

In this video clip from one of her standup routines, Cynthia talks about romantic Jewish dinners and women's hairstyles. 

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat With V'Shamru by The Shvesters

The Shvesters (Chava Levi and Polina Fradkin) are a Yiddish vocal duo hailing originally from Detroit, Michigan. They gained a reputation on social media for their perfectly synchronized voices (and signature matching outfits) — and have won the hearts of audiences from all backgrounds. The Shvesters transform classic Yiddish melodies into sophisticated, contemporary harmonic jazz arrangements.

V'shamru is a verse from the Torah that emphasizes the importance of observing the Sabbath. The text of the blessing is taken from the Book of Exodus (Exodus 31:16-17) and is recited as follows: “V’shamru v’nai Yisrael et haShabbat, la’asot et haShabbat l’dorotam brit olam."

In English, this translates to: “The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. Between Me and the children of Israel, it is a sign forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”

Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Eydie Gorme Sings "If He Walked Into My Live" in 1967

Today we're turning the clock back 57 years to 1967 when Eydie Gorme sang If He Walked Into My Life on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Gormé was born in the Bronx to Sephardic Jewish parents Nessim Hasdai Gormezano and Fortuna "Fortunee" Gormezano. Both her parents were born in Turkey. The Gormezanos spoke several languages at home, including Ladino (also referred to as Judaeo-Spanish). Due to its close relationship with Castilian Spanish, Gormé was able to speak and sing in Spanish. She was distantly related (by marriage) to Neil Sedaka.

Eydie and her husband and singing partner Steve Lawrence have been among our favorite singers for many decades. Eydie died in 2013 and Steve 8 months ago. We miss them both but we still enjoy their duets and solos thanks to YouTube.

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday Comedy Special: "Follow That Base" - Candid Camera Gold

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 going back 61 years to 1963 when kids playing baseball were confronted with an unexpected situation: What happens when you're running to first base and the base runs away from you?

Enjoy!

Timeless Tuesday Comedy Showcase: Jackie Mason on the 2000 Presidential Election

We've been posting funny video clips from the past on Thursdays for many years, but there are so many good ones out there that we're expanding the project to selected Tuesdays, calling the series Timeless Tuesday Comedy Showcase.

We have resisted posting comedy videos about the current presidential election because of the heated political environment and strong passions about the candidates. But we think enough time has passed to be able to look back 24 years to the contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore.

And what better commentator on the political scene in 2000 than comedian Jackie Mason. In January 2001 he was a guest on a Canadian talk show hosted by standup comedian Mike Bullard.

Bullard was a Canadian stand-up comic and broadcaster. He was the host of two late-night talk shows, Open Mike with Mike Bullard on CTV from 1997 to 2003 and The Mike Bullard Show on Global from 2003 to 2004.

In this video clip from Bullard's talk show, Jackie Mason carries on about the ridiculous aspects of the election. He observes that 90 million gentiles voted but the result will depend on seven old Jews in wheelchairs in Miami.

Enjoy!

A Joke to Start the Week - "Father Houlihan and Rabbi Kaplan"

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: Rabbi Mendel Kaplan and Father John Houlihan met at the town's Fourth of July picnic. And then...

Enjoy!

Jewish Genealogy: Five Reasons Why Jews Changed Their Names

Yonah Paley has more than a decade of experience in genealogy. Through hard work, learning, and a strong knowledge of record-finding, he has managed to trace multiple lines back to the 1700s and excels at piecing together descendants and lost branches of families that were split up through emigration waves of the 1880s-1920s, as well as the Holocaust.

He specializes in researching Jews of Eastern Europe and the Baltic states and has localized specialties in parts of:

• Lithuania/Latvia
• Galicia (portions of modern-day Ukraine, Poland)
• Slovakia/Hungary
• Belarus
• The USA

And much, much more!

In this video he explains five ways in which European Jews changed their names from long Jewish sounding names to shorter versions or versions that had a more American or generic sound.

He counters the often cited claim that the original name was changed by a clerk in Ellis Island at the completion of the journey to America. Some of the changes are easily understood as they retain the basis of the original name, but others are completely unrelated. 

What was your original family name, and how was it changed by a parent or grandparent? If you're into genealogical research, you might find some surprises in your background.

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat with Lecha Dodi Sung to Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah in Roswell, Georgia

Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah has been used as the musical basis for many liturgical poems that are sung throughout the Jewish year. We've posted the song many times in many venues around the world.

Today we have another version of Lecha Dodi, one of the key musical poems in the Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday night sung to the same tune. This version was performed by Student Cantor Kyra Goldman at Temple Kehillat Chaim, a diverse Reform congregation in Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus Sings Neil Diamond's "Coming to America"

The Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus began as a musical expression of the Jewish labor movement. It was founded in 1922 as the Freiheit Gezang Farein, an outgrowth of the leftist Morgen Freiheit Yiddish newspaper. 

In 1948, the Chorus changed its name to The Jewish People’s Philharmonic Chorus—likely to avoid scrutiny during the McCarthy era. Now that it's a century old, they changed the name again—to reflect the goals of learning, enjoying, and promoting the Yiddish language and Yiddish choral music.

The chorus is a multigenerational thirty-five-voice ensemble. They're students, professionals, and robust retirees, all in love with singing and committed to promoting Yiddish language and culture through beautiful four-part harmony.

Led by conductor Binyumen Schaechter, they perform each spring and fall at Merkin Concert Hall and most summers at the North American Jewish Choral Festival. They've also performed at Symphony Space, Carnegie Hall, Shea Stadium, West Point, Queens College, the World Trade Center site after 9/11, and places of worship throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Today we're sharing a video of the chorus singing Neil Diamond's "Zey kumen kin Amerike" ("They're Coming to America") as performed June 16, 2024 as the opening number of the concert on the theme of Jewish immigration, "From Varshe and Vilne to Vashington Heights," at the Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City. 

Binyumen Schaechter is the chorus conductor and Seth Weinstein is the pianist.

Enjoy!

Path to White House Runs Through (Non-Kosher) Jewish Deli in Philadelphia

Hymie's Deli, a non-kosher Jewish deli in the Philadelphia suburbs, has become a focal point in the presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

A video ad supporting President-elect Trump was posted on YouTube on Saturday, October 19. The ad, sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition, featured three Jewish women seated in a booth discussing some of the issues in the campaign.

A few days later, the same deli was used for a competing ad supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.

The ads were featured in a commentary by talk show host Michael Smerconish and posted on YouTube.

The deli, which serves traditional Jewish foods, is not under kosher supervision. In a response to a question on the internet about whether the meat served is kosher, the owner replied: "No, we are not a kosher deli. We are more of a "New York" style deli-restaurant, but we do sell meat & cheese together as well as bacon, etc..."

If you look very closely, you will see that the coffee mugs on the table bear a clearly non-partisan, non-political message:

LIFE

LIBERTY

PASTRAMI

Here is the Smerconish post, including both ads.

Enjoy!

Unexpected Traces in Jewish Places: Indigenous Nations Open Embassy in Jerusalem

Earlier this year the leaders of indigenous nations around the world opened an embassy in Jerusalem. Delegations from the South Pacific, North America, Canada and South Africa, came to Jerusalem for the inauguration. Various others sent recorded messages. 

The Indigenous Embassy in Jerusalem does not represent a specific state or country. Rather, it embodies the voices of indigenous leaders and their people from across the world and will serve as a hub of information and a helping hand in the Promised Land. 

The embassy opening was attended by leaders of indigenous communities from around the world (New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands), Dr. Mike Evans, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, and representatives from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Speakers of the indigenous communities brought special gifts from overseas, expressed their true and strong support in Israel and finished with songs performed in Hebrew. The ceremony concluded with the grand unveiling of the embassy sign and the singing of Sh'ma Yisrael and Hava Nagila.

The representatives from Hawaii asked the indigenous leaders to stand and stretch out their hands over the audience of Israelis as they sang the Aaronic Blessing in Hawaiian. The delegation from Puerto Rico accompanied themselves on traditional instruments as they, too, sang blessings over Israel. A representative for the queen of Tonga read the Song of Moses from Deuteronomy 32:1–43.

Enjoy!

A Joke to Start the Week - "What Does That Mean?"

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: A non-Jew asked his Jewish friend to take him to his synagogue. On Saturday morning at the synagogue the non-Jew asked his Jewish friend what everything is about. And then...

Enjoy!

Yiddish Word of the Day: Aches and Pains

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 we get to learn the Yiddish words and expressions for aches and pains.

Enjoy!

Welcoming Shabbat with Yigdal by Sephardi Cantor Daniel Halfon

Tonight we welcome Shabbat with the singing of Yigdal by Emeritus Hazzan Daniel Halfon of the Yad Harav Nissim synagogue in Jerusalem and a leading authority of the cantorial style of the western Sephardim. 

A classically trained baritone, Halfon was born in England and grew up in London's ancient Spanish and Portuguese community under the tutelage of Rabbi Dr Abraham Levy z"l. 

He studied Hazzanut with four of the outstanding cantors of the Western Sephardi tradition: Eliezer Abinun z"l, Abraham Beniso z"l, Abraham Lopes Cardozo z"l and Halfon Benarroch z"l. As a young man he received the call from Congregation Shearith Israel in New York to serve as Hazzan, and over the past 30 years he has been invited to sing in Sephardi synagogues across the world. 

In 2006 he was appointed by the President of the State of Israel as Hazzan of the Presidential Synagogue. Daniel studied vocal production with Neil Semer and Kenneth Newbern in New York, and in Jerusalem with Jay Shir.

This spirited melody for Yigdal, which bears a striking, but probably wholly coincidental, resemblance to the Scottish folk song Coming Through The Rye, is a comparative late comer to the London repertoire. In all likelihood it was brought to Bevis Marks from the Netherlands by Hazzan Joseph Gomes de Mesquita (1878-1958). Although much loved, it is sung only occasionally on Shabbatot and Mo’adim. In the Portuguese community of Amsterdam, by contrast, this tune is the standard Erev Shabbat melody. In addition it provides an endearing setting for the table song Yah Ribon. 

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!