A hilarious romp through the funniest Jewish videos on the Internet, with Al’s commentary on the origins of Jewish jokes, wedding and Bar Mitzvah shtick, fun with Jewish food, clever Israeli TV commercials, the joys of Yiddish, and bizarre and unexpected variations on Hava Nagila.

Ever since its debut in 1975, SNL has had a major impact on pop culture. Though not an exclusively Jewish program, its Jewish writers and performers have ensured that Jewish themes and attitudes have made Jewish audiences adopt it as their own. As SNL enters its 50th year, this program will include video clips of a Purim sketch with Mayor Ed Koch, Jon Lovitz as Hanukkah Harry saving Christmas and Easter, Billy Crystal and Rick Moranis as know-it-all know-nothing rabbis, Adam Sandler singing his signature Hanukkah song, and Andy Samberg as the Jewish Willy Wonka with Ben Stiller in a world of Jewish deli. Watch mock commercials for Jewish Jeans and Hanukkah Hymns, Howard Cosell’s Bar Mitzvah, Jerry Seinfeld as a Yeshiva basketball star, and a Jewish version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

A look at the multifaceted nature of humor in Israel: humorous slices of Israeli life, Israeli comedy, satire and parody, funny TV commercials, unusual stories about food, simchas as they can only be celebrated in Israel, and endearing aspects of Israeli culture.

Unexpected slices of Jewish life have surfaced all over Africa, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Europe, and the Americas. Meet the Abudaya, an established Jewish community in Uganda and headhunters from Papua New Guinea singing Hebrew prayers. Watch excerpts from “Fiddler on the Roof” in Japan and India, and choirs from around the world singing Jewish and Hebrew songs.

A nostalgic look at the foods that have been central to Jewish tables. Meet the folks who make pickles, matzos, knishes and seltzer and hear their stories. Watch what happens when people taste gefilte fish, chopped liver, and petcha for the first time.

This presentation will highlight some of the most beloved excerpts by these performers from TV, Hollywood, and the Broadway stage, and little-known facts and anecdotes about their careers. From Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Molly Picon and Fanny Brice to Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow and Barbra Streisand, we will learn of their origins, their original names, and enjoy their artistry. The songs and acting skills of these entertainers and more will be analyzed and presented in their original form. Visual images and audio and video will be used throughout the program.

A nostalgic visit to the theatre and comedy of Second Avenue, the center of New York Jewish theatre in the early 20th century, with video clips of Bruce Adler, Fyvush Finkel, Eleanor Reissa, and a special tribute to Mickey Katz.

Irving Berlin, Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, and Johnny Mercer account for 250 of these songs.

But the songbook includes many more songs, and some of the most popular were written by songwriters who wrote only one or a few.

This presentation will look at these great but unsung songwriters’ lives and times, and the audience will listen to some of their best-known songs. “As Time Goes By” by Herman Hupfeld, “I’ll be Seeing You” by Irving Kahal, “Stardust” by Mitchell Parish, and “It Was a Very Good Year” by Ervin Drake are a few of the songs we will explore and enjoy. Visual images, audio, and video clips will be used to enhance the program, including video clips of performances by the singers who made the songs famous.