Customer Reviews

Jewish as a Second Language

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1 star:		(3)

 

 

Former stand-up comic Molly Katz, inspired by her marriage to a goy, has written a book for Gentiles who marry Jews. Katz expects - even demands - that you will yiddify your worldview, body language, eating habits, gastro-intestinal issues, child-rearing ideas, etc. when you join a Jewish family. Tidbits like "all Jews worry about everything all the time" and "you can have a Jewish wedding without a chuppa but not without a Viennese Table," while slight exaggerations, ring true. Having myself grown up Jewish I recall countless hours spent obsessing over medical problems, Chinese food, money, curtains, schools, etc. A bit more emphasis on Yiddish would have been a plus but the tips Katz gives on word usage and phraseology alone are worth the price of the book (eg, "How long are you married" for "how long have you been married"). Molly Katz is a letz (wit) who gently and affectionately pokes fun at our sometimes overwhelming, always delicious culture, mind-body axis, and worldview.

I see myself -- and half my relatives in this upclose and personal look at ourselves.

If you liked this, you also love a great little package I found called, "A LITTLE JOY, A LITTLE OY" The book and the calendars are not only funny and filled with Yinglishisms, manner-Yidims, but also serious and poignant moments.

Randy from Brooklyn

I'm not Jewish, though after reading Katz's book, I'm thinking about converting. This is one funny book. Lot of laugh out louds. A side benefit is the non-Jewish reader will develop much more of an appreciation of ( or toleration of ) his/her Jewish friends.

So, what's not to like about this book ? Get you some lox and bagels and hunker down for a really fun read.

I've read this book at least 8 times and it never fails to crack me up. I've read thousands of books, and this one is in my all-time top ten.

This book is so comedy. I am not from new york, but i bet this kills there. The humor is good natured and you know it is all done tongue in cheek. I read the same parts of this book over and over.

I have purchased dozens of copies of this book because each time I buy one, I end up giving it to someone. It is THAT funny. Any one who is part of a Jewish family will recognize characters and traits in this book. It warm-hearted and right on.

I seldom give up so fast on a book of humor, but after 20 pages, I had enough. Raised only one slight chucle, and I found the humor rather obvious and not clever.

I am not Jewish, but have a mixed heritage including "some Jewish". This book cracked me up when I realized just how much the "Jewish side" had in common with the "Italian side"! I bought this book in 1992 (!!) for a girlfriend living in a VERY Gentile suburbia. We just had a "girlfriends" reunion last weekend - & she brought the book with her! I think that pretty much says it all!

This is a very enjoyable book that is re-read so many times & shown to friends for discussions. I think this is a 'must' for your library. The long, sour review is a sign of PC running amok - get over it!

As a jew, this book showed me how my "abnormal" behaviour is very very normal!!!