2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Too Jewish....Just kidding!, May 10, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Classic Jewish Humor in America (Hardcover)
Experience humor in real 'Yiddishe Heim' fashion in 'Classic Jewish Humor in America' by Henry Spalding. He does a phenomenal job taking the reader into the "American Shtetl", with wonderful bursts of yiddish(Jewish) thrown in, in just the right places.
Yet, in a way, I feel that he takes his statement "Humor is no laughing matter!" a bit too seriously....
Although, I must say that speech/lecture material is in abundance, and in his introduction to every chapter/subject you can glean a real understanding of the American Jewish Mind.
The layout is good; the reading easy and enjoyable, although it lacks an index which is a minus.
I would suggest this book to anyone looking for authentic Jewish jokes and funny facts to spice up a lecture or entertain an audience. However, I would not suggest it to someone who is purely after humor and not at all interested in extra facts and historical tidbits.
One last credit to the book, as he admits in his introduction, is that he is not even attempting to write objectively for "I have a love affair with my people," and that is where the special flavor is added which makes this book unique, and makes it that much better than his other ethnic humor books.
This would make a great gift for your rabbi! Just be careful not to imply that his speeches are dull!
Zei Gezunt! (Be Well -yiddish)
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