3 British Jewish Mums Compete for "Best Matzah Ball Soup"

BuzzFeed UK has been running a series of videos in which members of different countries or ethnic groups taste dishes of different cultures and pick the winner in each category.

 In this episode three British Jewish mums taste and review each other's cooking to see who makes the best matzah ball soup (chicken soup).

Enjoy!

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Welcoming Shabbat with Anim Zemirot by the UK Shabbaton Choir

London's Shabbaton Choir first took to the stage in 1986 as the B’nai Brith Festival Singers. It was formed by a young and talented musician, Stephen Glass, who sought a modern alternative to traditional choral music and composed new arrangements that brought out the mood and meaning of the prayers. 

In 1989 Lionel Rosenfeld, who had returned from Jerusalem to become Chazan of Marble Arch Synagogue, was introduced to Stephen Glass by Chazan Naftali Herstik. Lionel & Stephen found that they shared a common interest in developing innovative Friday night and Shabbat morning choral services, so that prayers that too often were said and sung as if by rote could be given new life. 

And so after six months of composing and rehearsing, the renamed Shabbaton Choir under Stephen Glass held its first ever Choral Shabbaton in April 1990 with Chazan Rosenfeld, at the Marble Arch Synagogue. Stephen & Lionel then continued to compose new music for Choral Selichot services.

Lionel has been joined over the years by Chazanim Steve Robins, Robert Brody, Shimon Craimer, Steven Leas, Jonathan Murgraff and, for the past thirteen years, by Jonny Turgel. Every year until his retirement, Chief Rabbi Sacks would set the mood with an inspirational address before the Service.

 

Anim Z'mirot is the Shabbaton Choir's newest album and was released in January 2016 to mark its 25th Anniversary. The title track, written by Musical Director Stephen Levey, features the Shabbaton Choir singing with children from Hertsmere Jewish Primary School as well as Chazanim Shimon Craimer, Lionel Rosenfeld and Jonny Turgel. It was recorded on Sunday 10 May 2015 at JCoSS in London.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom! 

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Welcoming Shabbat with Manchester's Whitefield Synagogue Choir Singing Adon Olam Aboard Flight to France

Last March Cantor Joseph Muller and the choir of the Whitefield Hebrew Congregation of Manchester, UK were on their way to France via Switzerland to perform at a choral concert. 

They were asked by the passengers and cabin crew to sing a song for everyone. They duly obliged with a rendition of Adon Olam and got a big round of applause.

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

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Comedy Showcase: UK Standup Comic Ashley Blaker on Driving Habits of the Very Frum

Last week we shifted our geographic focus "across the pond" to England and were pleasantly surprised to find that Jewish standup comedy is very much alive in the UK, especially in Orthodox circles.

We posted a video clip of Ashley Blaker, who has become very popular in the UK and also in Israel. Now he's bringing his comedy to New York. On Thursday night, December 7, Blaker will be performing his Strictly Unorthodox show at the Gramercy Theatre.


Much of his comedy centers on his migration from secular Judaism to becoming a frum Baal Teshuva (newly observant Jew) and the difficulties of being accepted by co-religionists who are FFB (Frum From Birth).

In this video he reflects on the driving habits that he's noticed among the very frum, and the steps he will have to take to be seen as a member of their community.

Enjoy!

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Comedy Showcase: The UK's Ashley Blaker On Jews and Sushi

Ashley Blaker isn’t your average orthodox Jewish man: he is also an internationally-acclaimed comedian. In November 2015 he embarked on his first stand-up tour – Ungefiltered – which played to sell-out audiences the length and breadth of the UK.
He started 2017 with his first Israel tour and followed this with his second UK show – Meshuga Frum – which he performed at sold-out theatres across the country.
His BBC Radio 4 show ‘Ashley Blaker’s Goyish Guide To Judaism’ will air in 2018.

As Amy Spiro wrote in The Jerusalem Post,

“I’ve spent a lot of time performing for Jewish audiences,” Blaker told The Jerusalem Post in a recent interview. “The next challenge is to adapt that comedy for a wider audience, so that everyone can appreciate it.”

Of course, if you’ve seen Blaker perform, you know that his act has a distinctly parochial flavor. Clad in a black suit and white shirt, with tzitzit swinging, the comedian has audiences rolling on the floor with riffs on how to avoid shaking hands with women, and why every Jewish eatery and event now offers sushi.

We plan to share some of his funny acts with you in the coming weeks. Here is his standup routine about the Jewish obsession with serving sushi everywhere. 

Enjoy!

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Flashback Friday Cantorial Special: London's Shabbaton Choir Sings Oseh Shalom

For the past year and a half we've been joining the many websites that observe Throwback Thursday. Since April 2016 we've been posting a nostalgic video clip to reminisce with you about some of our favorite comedians and their classic comedy sketches.

We think that the same nostalgia should be applied to the musical videos that we post each Friday to welcome Shabbat. So today we're starting a new series that we're calling Flashback Friday.

Not every Friday post will be a flashback. When we come across a new rendition of Adon Olam, Shalom Aleichem, Lecha Dodi, or other liturgical mainstays, we'll keep sharing them with you. But they'll share the weekly spotlight with versions from years past.

We're kicking off the Friday Flashback series with a performance of Oseh Shalom by London's Shabbaton Choir in 2010. The choir sang in concert with the Young Chamber Orchestra of the Jerusalem Conservatory Hassadna together with Chazanim Lionel Rosenfeld, Shimon Craimer, and Jonny Turgel.

Enjoy, and Shabbat shalom!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

A Joke to Start the Week - "Mrs. Cohen and the Gorilla"

We thought that we had used all the jokes from the Old Jews Telling Jokes collection. And then we found Old UK Jews Telling Jokes. So today's Joke to Start the Week is being told with a British accent.

The joke teller is British entrepreneur Alan Solloway.

Here's the setup: Mrs. Cohen lost her husband some while back and the children wanted to give her a lovely outing. So they decided to send her on a safari. And then...

Enjoy!


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