Wednesday, November 22, 2023

חג הודיה שמח Happy Thanksgiving! Great Videos and more!

חג הודיה שמח

What does that Mean ?  What does that Say?

Here is a perfect answer:  "HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!"


Here is Sagiv Cohen Singing about Thanksgiving:

Here is another version of the song by Sagiv Cohen:


One thing I miss is Israeli Dancing in a big group the night before Thanksgiving.  I did find a dance that you can all learn for Thanksgiving. After you eat your Turkey and all of the fixing get up and dance!


One more Important Dance (Dedicated to the hostages) May they come home safe!




Here is Debbie Friedman's Thanksgiving Song ! (Everyone's Favorite!)


Sunday, November 12, 2023

Never forget (and a few Israel videos)

Happy Clocktower anniversary day, November 12, 2023:

Don’t know what happened ? Keep reading and watch the video.

On this date in "Back to the Future" history, Nov. 12, 1955, lightning struck the clock tower in Hill Valley, Calif. providing enough power (1.21 gigawatts, in case you forgot) to send Marty McFly and the DeLorean back to the future to 1985.

Read more here!


In 2023 we memorialize the clock tower like this:


I found a way to travel through time. Where can I go? I know I won’t go anywhere near 2020 like my shirt says! 






A prayer before setting off on a journey / now a prayer for Israeli soldiers:




Here is a beautiful song by Shlomi Shabat:


Here is a new song by Eden Hason and Sarit Haddad:


Things we can possibly due to help save the victims that were kidnapped and are now hostages:



Here is a song I hope to bring you comfort! Hopefully this song will be used in the future to celebrate good things coming in the horizon! If you can recognize the song, please post it in the comments:



Don’t forget to sign up for December 3. I am presenting music for Hanukkah and hopefully bwill have a miracle.



Friday, November 3, 2023

Shma Elohai (A Few Prayers) and more. (Israel Needs your Prayers!)


This is a song by Sarit Haddad, but this version it isn't her singing it. This song is such a powerful song. "Shma (Hear) Israel my God," This is a very appropriate song right now because of everything going on in Israel. There is also a dance to this song by one of my favorite choreographers Shmulik Gov-Ari.

Here is Cantor Azi Schwartz singing Shema Yisrael. When the Heart Cries:



Here is Sarit Haddad singing it (Enjoy the Subtitles):


Here is one more Video of Sarit Haddad singing the same song (3 Times is better than 1). Pay attention to the audience how they are singing with her and how emotional she got during the performance. 


Here is the lyrics translation

Here is another song (One Nation) also represents Shma Israel:

Other Videos I found this week to share:

Tamir Grinberg ✖️ Shiri Maimon - COMING HOME (For the Israelis kidnapped by Hamas). It is nice once in a while to hear Shiri Singing in English. Such a very emotional video. We need songs like this to help Israel and the world feel better:


One of my favorite songs usually sung by Shlomi Shabbat. Here are the lyrics translated.


Here is another one Featuring Shlomi Shabbat and Ze Hu Ze. This is a MUST SEE !!!: From Facebook 

Speaking about Shlomi Shabbat he came out with a new song this week. Its a bit tough but it's a nice song. (From within your suffering you shall live). Special Thanks to Moshe Kaye for translating the song.


A Prayer for the Soldiers Fighting over in Israel:



Here is a prayer for the Israeli Soldiers. A few of my friends are serving in the Israeli Army. I pray every day for them. Video by Shai Abramson.


The composer, arranger and conductor Arie Lebanon passed away this week at the age of 91. Lebanon, the creators of the Hebrew singer, composed and processed "Erev Ba" - which won the first prize at the First Singer Festival, held in 1960. Lebanon is also responsible, among other things, for "The Three Answers Singer", "Lifa HaGalon" and for more than 1,500 versions for theater, cinema and concert hall.





Here is Shoshana Damari Singing Erev Ba our tribute to Arie Lebanon  This is one of the always played Israeli Dance songs. It can be done as a circle dance for beginners or a partner dance. Same version either way !

What I've been hearing on the Israeli Radio is a lot of slow and sad songs and that is what Israel needs right now. Hopefully soon there will be a miracle that will lift our spirits. (Lets hope before Hanukkah!)

This is an event that happened in Times Square. (AM Yisrael Chai!) A little upbeat and we need it now! For those of you that don't know what Am Yisrael Chai Means Click here!


Here is to a healthy and safe shabbat. (With a little bit of Humor!) We all need that now. 


Please share this Blog with your Friends !!!!






Sunday, October 22, 2023

Ad Sof Ha-Olam - and More + an Announcement !

AD-Sof Ha'olam (Until the end of the World)

Here are 3 different recordings of the Song Ad-Sof Ha'olam.  Why did i pick this song? The song is one I've been hearing a lot on the radio and recently I used it in one of my presentations. It has a really beautiful Israeli Dance to it by Gadi Bitton. This song has also been in the drafts of my blog collecting a little dust for a while. I figured now is the time for others to explore the different versions of the song.








See the Dance:


Here is the translation.

I've been listening to a lot of Sarit Haddad recently and whenever war or Israel needs a pick-me-up song. Josh Shron plays this on Israel Hour radio.  Take a listen and enjoy:



Katan Aleinu:

Katan Aleinu (קטן עלינו) is a charity single written and composed by Israeli singer Static (one half of pop duo Static & Ben El Tavori) and his producer Yarden 'Jordi' Peleg. The song features 40 Israeli singers and was written and recorded in response to the 2019–2021 COVID-19 pandemic. You can find the original all around but here is Rega singing it with all of the soldiers. Lately a lot of videos have featured soldiers due to the Israeli / Gaza war.



Chazak Ameinu - We stand as one:

This original English/Hebrew anthem recorded by over 50 Jewish Music artists speaks for Israeli citizens to be strong despite the ongoing violence perpetrated by Arab terrorists. Recorded in 2006 the song was served as an uplifting source of inspiration for all who heard it. It was created in memory of the fallen people after the Sbarro Incident. I recently heard the song on Chagigah Radio.


Hanan Ben-Ari (Homeland):

Brand new song (Homeland) written for the IDF soldiers by Hanan Ben-Ari. (Enjoy the English Translation)






Here is a video mashup created by Benny Friedman (It's long but well worth the listen)


Additional Information:

Stay Tuned the first week in December 2023 for a very special Hanukkah presentation. (1 - In-Person from Arizona and 1- Zoom.),  

Have something inspiring you want to share please do so.

Jason

Need a new computer visit:

Please drop me a line at jasonhecht.com




















Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Songs for thought and prayer for this week!

 

Peace in the Middle East:


Wow. It's been an incredibly bad weekend. All this fighting and violence needs to stop. This is so horrible and very sad. Many Singers and artists have taken to social media to keep everyone informed. Israeli dancing all over the world has been canceled for the next week or more. If we cancel our events they win and I wish and hope this won't happen.

I heard this song on two different programs the last few days and think its a good share.

Here is a song that was performed at Eurovision 2009. It features Achinoam Noni and Mira Awad, Gil Dor. The song came in 16th place. 



We need a hero at this point! This video is pretty cool and enjoyable by all:


I may have shown this next video before but now is the time to show it again. It represents the Jewish people all over:

Here is a little Yiddish music dedicated to the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is for winning 3 games in a row to sweep the Dodgers and make it to the NLS.   I hope you like it:


Here is a link to more.

One of my favorite Singers Debbie Friedman has some great songs to pray for peace which is what we really need right now:

Lechi Lach:


Oseh Shalom:


Another Oseh Shalom:


The most important song is Israel's National Anthem (The Song Of Hope) dedicated to all the IDF soldiers that protect the land of Eretz Israel:


Be sure to visit my website jasonhecht.com for more interesting things. It is constantly evolving. Here are some Israel resources courtesy of USCJ.

Please help Israel out by prayers, donations, and more prayers.



Sunday, October 1, 2023

Happy Sukkot! And more funny things.


Here is one more good L’shanah Tova video I hope everyone’s new year is off to a good start! 


On Yom Kippur we even brought this and played it in the synagogue 🕍:


Here is one of my favorite singers Sam Glaser singing one of his hit songs for Sukkot.


For those of you that don’t know anything about Sukkot here is a little info (13 facts about Sukkot):


Sukkot song; 


Things to do in a Sukkah:

Here is what I would do in a sukkah: 




Be careful and don’t smoke in your Sukkah! The surgeon general warns against smoking these in the Sukkah:




Eating in a Sukkah is also very important. Also inviting friends to join in the fun! 



If you invite LT. Worf he might bring something good.


Don’t wind up in a pickle:


Or with a bunch of pickles:






Here are some more funny songs for Sukkot:

Sukkah (Sugar parody)

Shaking the Lulav!

Happy Sukkot Parody





Here is a playlist If you really need more.

Thursday, September 14, 2023

L'Shana Tova (Happy New Year) 5784


Happy New Year to all those that celebrate. Elaine and I hope that you are all doing well.  We have been a bit busy.  We've also been having a few small issues along the way but things have gotten a lot better and we hope it stays that way!

Here is a really great version of Kol Shana. I hope you enjoy it and if you know the dance feel free to try and dance along. 


Here is the Zeh Hu Zeh group singing another holiday song Kol Nederai. This is from 2 years ago. It's pretty awesome! If you want to learn more about Zeh Hu Zeh please be sure to watch my latest presentation at JasonHecht.com. Membership is free ! An email address is required, but I do not use your e-mail address to solicit or send e-mails to you other than whatever the website sends. 

Revivo (In this video they aren’t just the 3 amigos of Israeli Music). There is a 4th Amigo and that's Harel Skaat !


Now onto something cute and funny. I know I shared this last year but each time I watch this it makes me laugh! 


This one is for all you Banana 🍌 lovers out there. Be sure to watch the whole thing because the ending is funny. 

Here is our Rosh Hassan’s greeting card. This was Elaine’s idea and we made it work: 





Friday, August 25, 2023

Cha cha slide - R.I.P. DJ Casper

RIP DJ CASPER AKA WILLIE PERRY JR.

Read the news 

DJ Casper, born Willie Perry Jr., has reportedly passed away at the young age of 58. Casper created the iconic song ‘Cha Cha Slide,’ that rose to number one on the UK charts upon its release in 2000.

I’ll never forget running Israeli dancing at Congregation Ner Tamid, Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, and many other location and always being asked to play the cha cha slide. 

Everybody clap your hands 👏!


Here’s the official video;



Learn the dance;

Other interesting things:

East Brunswick Jersey family realizes dream makes Aliyah - read more here

What does the yellow cap on top of a Coca Cola bottle mean? - read more here

Pinball Fx adds Star Trek The Next Generation machine - click here to view article

Is Wordpress Dying? Click here to view article

Enjoy your weekend. And remember Have Fun!





Sunday, August 13, 2023

Different singers singing ad sof ha olam (The End of the world)

This song has popped in my head for the last few weeks and I heard a different version of it on Israel radio this week. 

This is Shiri Maimon 12 years ago dining the song as a duet with Shimon Buskila:



This is the same duo in 2021 singing it again together:


I hope you enjoyed that. Don’t worry the end of the world isn’t near. 

Have a positive outlook on life. Be helpful to people who don’t take advantage of you. Also remember your time is valuable. 

Have something you want me to share? Drop me a line by filling out the form at Jasonhecht.com


Saturday, August 5, 2023

Feeling Hungy ? Song of the Week... 8/5/23


Feeling Hungry ?


As I'm sitting here in front of the computer trying to get something done. My stomach is saying eat. My mind is thinking what my mom said to me a while ago, You're Fat (which isn't nice for a mom to say to her son! I'm trying to get something done but again sometimes you need to go with the flow and try harder to get things done. Get inspired a little bit! I found this song posted on the Israel Hour Community page and decided to share it with you as the song of the week,

Whether you go to Subway, Firehouse Subs, Jersey Mikes, or whatever sub shop, just think about the omelet sandwich (very popular in Israel). (Mom i'm not going to watch my cholesterol this time. If I have the opportunity I'm EATING IT !


Here is more about the song if you would like to read it. 

Friday, July 21, 2023

We need your help (the earth needs to make some water! ) And Other News 7/21/23

If you share this song with 100 💯 people and or more we might have a chance at this. 

If you know the dance it even has more power and that’s a rain dance.

This song is actually a harvest song, and we are praying for the rain to water the fields.

When we have danced the dance in the past minutes to hours later a huge storm came through. I'm hopeful that if we share the music and dance to thousands of people and we start listening and dancing this dance that the sky will open up and rivers of water will come down.  (This will only happen if you share the song and dance though! 

Here is Yaffa Yarkoni singing it:


Here is Ofra Haza singing it:


Here is the original song (not edited to Israeli dance!):


Watch the Dance:





In other news my website now has a nice library of Videos and presentations. I invite you to be a member of my Jason Hecht Fan Club (It's FREE !!!) Sign up on the website. If any problems, please contact me so I can figure them out.  



Sunday, July 2, 2023

Travel, friends & FJMC ! Plus awesome Israeli music! July 2nd 2023

Todays songs are about travel and finally meeting people in person (Awesome People!)

This song by Nurit Galran is one of my favorites. Here is the translation. Play it everywhere you go! 😀


Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Songs of the week! 6/11/23

 

So sorry to my fans for not posting a lot lately. It's been a bit of crazy. These songsshould relax all of you. 

A great song and dance. I've heard this one in a few different languages including Japanese. This video featuring the Karmon Israeli Singers and dancers.. song is Naama.

The song Naama has many dances to it and they are all fun. Just dont do all the dances at the same time in the same room. 



One more shared by friends. Eucalyptus grove. Another great oldie.

Now onto more info: its a work in progress and i still have more to do but jasonhecht.com has now been transferred. i had a few not so good issues, but i hope it gets better. doing a fun page / personal page in wordpress is challenging.  





Sunday, April 16, 2023

Song of the Week 4/16/23 and other info!

I drove up to a Cobblestone Auto Spa at Mcclintock and Ray Road and gave them my $15 for a car wash... 

While sitting in my car going through the car wash my brain (which was totally thinking and reminiscing about Israeli Music) all of a sudden this song Ha Auto Sheli popped inside!

I remembered this video and decided it was important to make it the song of the week. The car wash scenes are pretty cool. 

Sorry I couldn't find a translation of the song, but I'll update my post once i do.



Here is the Israeli Dance choreographed by my friend Yaron Ben-Simchon:


So my car is clean and I'm happy until more Arizona dust builds up on it! FYI when sharing my blog post with Elaine she reminded me we haven't done this dance in such a long time. (Maybe on May 17th  I'll review the dance before the class and teach it)

In other car news this was an interesting article that Elaine shared with me and I thought I would pass it along. I'm into the driverless cars and love Waymo so this was a cool article.



On another note:

JasonHecht.com is going to be moved to a new server soon. 

And I have updated the radio section of the site (Click on the big old-fashioned radio.) You will find a link to my intro lecture given at the FJMC (Federation of Jewish Men's club) Affinity Group. I'm having fun giving these lectures and hope to do more of them in the future. 

Keep an eye out for my blog posts!!! Please share them with others!


Monday, April 3, 2023

Song of the week! And some pinball ! (April 3, 2023)

 Ok sorry it's been a while but there have been issues. I've also been swamped. 


Here is the song of the week!


Version 1:



Version 2 (In English):




Version 3 in hebrew... Featuring a very young Har'el Ska'at, Roni Superstar, Maya Buskila, Shai Gabso, Har'el Moyal, and Moshe Datz:


There's an instrumental medieval cover:

Thank you to my Israel Hour Radio friends!

Onto pinball:

Which one of these would you like? (Choose one and put in comments)











Thursday, February 2, 2023

When an opportunity arises!


When an opportunity arises go do it!!!!

I got to meet Joe Buchanan Friday Night (Jan 27th). I’ll still loving the Shabbat Experience that took place




Joe Went live on Tuesday morning for an impromptu wake up and blessings for the day. It was super cool!

Go to this fb link

Also I highly recommend you purchase his music at his Website

Joe gives a new spin on prayer! His services are very spiritual and rock!

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Happy Anniversary to Elaine Hecht !

 Happy Anniversary to Elaine Hecht.





It's so hard to believe that you popped out of this moving box right into my arms and we got married!

FYI - we can re-use this box and fill it up with plenty of fun memories!!!! 



It's hard to believe it has been 7 years already! WOW!!!!!! 


Here is my song dedication to you today. Enjoy it:

It doesn't need to have lyrics translated!