Jewish Humor : What the Best Jewish Jokes Say About the Jews

Rating:
Summary: Just plain enjoyable - You don't have to be Jewish...
Review: This book is a real pleasure to read. Rabbi Telushkin not only tells some wonderful jokes he analyzes them in an interesting way. In his preface he notes that Jews do not joke about everything but have a certain set of subjects from verbal aggresiveness, to professional ambition which they persistently joke about. His message in the book is that the Jews joking about themselves tell a lot about their values, and that their jokes are really a mirror to the soul. So it is not surprising that one of the main subjects if the close relation of parents and children, and the tremendous worry pressure love concern parents show for their children. Telushkin does not develop an overall theory of Jewish humor though he of course notes that laughing at oneself is often a way of protecting oneself from the insults of others. An it is too a way of bringing about a kind of group or communal solidarity. Those that can laugh with me are really my friends. The fact that Jews so specialize in laughing at themselves Telushkin points out also contributes to their having had a predominant role in ' comedy in America. He cites the long list of Jewish comedians from the old line Burns, Groucho and other Marxes , Jack Benny , through the Milton Berle, Henny Youngman Phil Silvers down to the Seinfeld Billy Chrystal generation. Anyone who leaves out Alan King Jerry Lewis Buddy Hackett should of course be castigated for this. In any case the main point about this book is ' Try it you'll like it' Once in the Subway there used to be an add which went ' You don't have to be Jewish to like Levi's ryebread' I think the same might be said about this book. You don't have to be Jewish ( though it probably helps) to get many a good laugh out of this excellent work.

Rating:
Summary: Good analysis on tasteful + questionable jokes about jews
Review: This is the type of book that puts a smile on your face while you think about why these kind of jokes are funny. The writer makes historical/cultural comments on the jokes involved and uses such catchy chapter titles such as: "And I used to be a hunchback: assimilation and its delusions", "How did you create that hurricane: jokes on jewish business" or "God as an underacheiver". Some are old and familar but there is plenty of new material. Of course, my favorites poke fun at the Rabbis. Since the writer is one, he knows how to make me laugh. ;-)

Highly recommended.