A Small Red Book of Jewish Comedians
And a Few More Jewish-Inspired Gift Ideas Most of Which Are Books
This isn’t going to be your standard holiday gift guide. In fact, it’s not going to be much of a gift guide at all. Sorry to have misled you. Or did I pull a fast one? I suppose that’s par for the course.
Allow me to get to the point of this post using dialog from Seinfeld, Episode 152, The Yada Yada:
Tim Whatley: All right, it is cavity time. Ah, here we go. Which reminds me, did you here the one about the rabbi and the farmer's daughter? Huh?
Jerry: Hey.
Tim: Those aren't mahtzah balls.
Jerry: Tim, do you think you should be making jokes like that?
Tim: Why not? I'm Jewish, remember?
Jerry: I know, but...
Tim: Jerry, it's our sense of humor that sustained us as a people for 3000 years.
Jerry: 5000.
Tim: 5000, even better. Okay, Chrissie. Give me a schtickle of flouride.
The point I’m tryin to drive home here is about the Jewish people and our timeless sense of humor. Was Moses cracking jokes on the way down from Mount Sinai? I’d like to think so. Mel Brooks certainly thought so.
The majority of Jewish holidays are built around a similar theme; “They tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat!” Coming up at the end of next week is Chanukah or Hanukkah; a holiday marked by the consumption of jelly donuts and latkes - potato pancakes deep fried in oil to represent the pinch of oil that miraculously lasted for eight days following the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. On Passover, when the Egyptians tried to kill us we celebrate by consuming matzoh - an unleavened bread that keeps us constipated for a good week and a half. And on Purim, when it was the Persians’ turn to try to kill us we eat Hamantaschen - little cookies filled with some kind of fruit (usually prune to counteract the previous month’s constipation) made in the shape of the hat supposedly worn by the main antagonist in the story, Haman.
Eventually, the current conflict will end - hopefully with the end of Hamas and a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, though I’m not holding my breath. Either way, it will be commemorated in one way or another. Will there be new traditions and a festive meal at some point? Who knows? For now, let’s just hold out hope that the remaining hostages are returned home safe & sound.
It seems I went off on a tangent about holidays and food when my original purpose was to be about humor. Last year, my father gave me a copy of A Small Red Book of Jewish Comedians. It’s a wonderful little book containing names you know of people you may not have known to be Jewish. For me, one of those names was Danny Kaye - the guy who starred in White Christmas, the songs for which were written by another famous Jew, Irving Berlin. Albert Brooks is also featured in the book. Of course, I was aware of his Judaism, but I mention him because I just watched the documentary, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life on HBO costarring and directed by Rob Reiner, another famous Jew and son on the brilliant late comedian, Carl Reiner. If you have HBO (or MAX) give yourself the gift of 90 minutes of pure comedic bliss and watch it. Even in times of sadness and extreme anxiety, humor remains our best remedy, if not weapon.
Another book I recently read about a famous Jewish person is, Lou Reed: The King of New York by Will Hermes. The book delves briefly into his upbringing in a traditional Jewish family on Long Island to his days with the Velvet Underground, his solo career, relationships, and ultimately his death from liver failure (whispered - IYKYK.) It’s heartwarming and heartbreaking, and it’s put me on another Velvet Underground listening kick. I highly recommend it. But if Jewish humor is more your thing, I also recommend a book I read last year, It's Garry Shandling's Book written by Judd Apatow. It’s a series of essays and interviews written by and about the late comedian. There’s Henry Winkler’s new autobiography, Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond which I haven’t read yet, but plan to soon. Earlier this year I read The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir, a semi-autobiography by Paul Newman. I say semi because the book - unfinished at the time of his death was completed by David Rosenthal (Editor), Clea Newman Soderlund (Afterword), Melissa Newman (Foreword). And of course, there’s All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business - Mel Brooks’ autobiography which I wrote about back in August 2022.
So, I guess this did turn out to be a gift guide, of sorts. And while it may be mostly books by and about Jewish men, I assure you my interests are, in fact a little more diverse. What did I ask for this year? Cigars - specifically Rocky Patel Number 6 Toros. I also asked for a new butane lighter - a nice one. And a new Eels record that’s coming out. And that "Forty Years of American Style" coffee-table book from J.Crew. I don’t need much. Anything I want throughout the year I usually just buy for myself, within reason. ‘Tis the season of giving, they say. So, I’ll enjoy watching my wife & daughter open their gifts and maybe, just maybe will enjoy a nice, fresh Rocky Patel cigar lit with a new lighter while listening to a new Eels record.