The Great Schlep

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

I love this video from TheGreatSchlep.com featuring Sarah Silverman encouraging us to persuade our Jewish grandparents in Florida to vote for Obama. And I've finally made up my mind: I'm voting for Sarah Silverman for President.

Rosh to Buy

Exactly one year ago, Michelle Citrin and I released our first music video together, Rosh Hashanah Girl. Now you can purchase and download the song, "I Gotta' Love You Rosh Hashanah", along with our second holiday hit, "20 Things To Do With Matzah", together in a double release, aptly titled "Rosh Hashanah Girl & the Matzah Song".

Now, what the Jewish Advocate calls, "The best parody songs since Adam Sandler's 'Chanukah Song'" are available for download on your iPod with the release of their double hit album "Rosh Hashanah Girl and Matzah Song", so you can listen all year round!

If you love Rosh Hashanah Girl (who doesn't?), show your support for the artists and download the songs from CD Baby!

Phone Atone

How do Obama, McCain, Biden and Palin celebrate their Jewish heritage during the High Holy Days? Check out "Phone Atone", my latest cartoon for Taglit-Birthright Israel, a JibJab-style animation featuring the 2008 presidential and vice presidential candidates exploring the tradition of making amends for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Atonement is just a phone call away!

Written and animated by William Levin
Voices by William Levin and Andrea Praet
Special thanks: Concept by Jesse Epstein

Todd & God Get Their Fruit On

I'm happy to announce my latest cartoon for MyJewishLearning.com, Todd & God Episode 2: Eat a New Fruit for Rosh Hashanah. This is the second in the Todd & God series, after the pilot episode "How to Light the Hanukkah Candles" was introduced last year. In this educational series, featuring a young boy who befriends God, we learn about the tradition of eating a new fruit on the second night of Rosh Hashanah. And, as an added bonus, remember the old Sesame Street bit where a stop-motion animated orange sings Carmen? It was arguably one of the creepiest things I was exposed to as a child. Were the animators on drugs? You might ask the same question when you see this Todd & God tribute.

I Went To Israel (I Liked It!)

Check out my latest cartoon music video collaboration with Michelle Citrin ... "I Went To Israel (I Liked It!)", a new recruitment piece for Taglit-Birthright Israel. This is a fun parody of Katy Perry's hugely popular hit, "I Kissed A Girl". Pay close attention and you'll catch a reluctant cameo appearance by friends Meir Taub and Esther K!

Music and lyrics by William Levin (me)
Sung by Michelle Citrin
Illustration and Animation by William Levin

Heeb Olympics

I found these kosher-style Olympic video clips by Heeb Magazine pretty entertaining. There are four Heeb Olympic events online:

The Yarmulke Toss

Penny Pick-Up

Gefilte Fish Wrestling

Disconnecta Yenta

And remember, it's only okay to make jokes about penny-pinching yarmulke-tossing gefilte fish-wrestling Jews if you are one.

I'm a Cool Jew

I just received my copy of Lisa Alcalay Klug's new book, Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe, in which you will find a few of my Shabot 6000 comic strips. The book is available now, and you can pick up your own copy at Amazon.com

Matzah Song in the Holy Tongue

Thanks to Esther K. for finding this Hebrew translation of Michelle's and my "20 Things To Do With Matzah" song!

Big in Israel

While attending the ROI120 2008 Summit in Jerusalem, I had the privilege of being interviewed for a podcast with creative partner Michelle Citrin for the JTA, in a piece titled Rosh Hashanah Girl (and Guy) Come to Israel; as well as a one-on-one interview about the origin of my Shabot 6000 comic strip with the Jerusalem Post!

The weekly comic strip, which is updated anew right before Shabbat and has nearly 200 comics in its four-year archive, debates questions on - and routinely pokes fun at - Jewish religious observances and traditions through a contemporary 21st-century lens.

"The robot and the pious Jew represent my own struggle with Jewish identity and religion," Levin said.

"It is my self-exploration with Judaism."

Read the rest of the article, The Shabbos Goy That Wouldn't, by Etgar Lefkovits, archived locally from the Arts & Culture section of the July 1, 2008 issue of The Jerusalem Post.

And hear me stammer nervously in the JTA Podcast.

Rosh Hashanah Girl Power

My friend, fellow ROI120 participant and musical collaborator, Michelle Citrin -- known in some circles as "Rosh Hashanah Girl" -- is the topic of a nice article, "Jewish 'it' girl in the US", in the Arts & Culture section of the Jerusalem Post. Hey, they even mentioned me in the article :-) Keep an ear out for her new album hitting shelves and online retail soon!