JEWels: Teasing Out the Poetry in Jewish Humor and Storytelling
 | |
| Editor | Steve Zeitlin |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Jewish Publication Society |
Publication date | 2023 |
| Pages | 320 |
JEWels: Teasing Out the Poetry in Jewish Humor and Storytelling is a 2023 poetry collection published by the Jewish Publication Society and edited by Steve Zeitlin. The book also features commentary by Peninnah Schram.[1]
Format
[edit]JEWels is a collection of 179 Jewish stories and jokes. Zeitlin presents Jews as "cultural, religious, and historical travelers," whose own experiences and stories influence encounters with others.[2] The book is broken into ten sections, each centered around a theme, these being: stories, traveling, jokes, life in Eastern Europe, Torah, The Holocaust, Jewish-American life, food, relationship to God, and the meaning of life.[3][4] Most of the poems have additional commentary, discussing elements such as historical background and literary style.[4] It concludes with a list of discussion questions.[1]
The collection draws from a variety of sources, from 18th-century Hasidic rabbis the Baal Shem Tov and Rabbi Nachman of Breslov to 20th-century comedians (Lenny Bruce and Jackie Mason), writers (Elie Wiesel and Sholem Aleichem), and musicians (Itzhak Perlman), among others.[5] The book largely focuses on Ashkenazi heritage and stories, something Zeitlin acknowledges within the text.[3]
Zeitlin said the work combined his interest in Jewish storytelling with his passion for short poems, thus fulfilling a lifelong dream. He called Jews a “portable people,” traveling from place to place — either directed by God, or at times by humans. He endeavored to miniaturize Jewish stories and jokes into poems to make them more portable, so that readers could carry them.[6]
Critical reception
[edit]The collection received positive reviews from the Jewish Book Council,[2] The Reporter, which appreciated the wisdom offered by the pieces,[1] and the American Folklore Society, which recommended the book "to anyone interested in Jewish culture in general, and especially to those interested in its rich folklore".[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Esserman, Rachel (March 23, 2023). "Off the Shelf: Jokes, stories and poetry". The Reporter. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Elswit, Sharon (February 13, 2023). "JEWels: Teasing Out the Poetry in Jewish Humor and Storytelling". Jewish Book Council. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Fromm, Annette B. (2024). "JEWels: Teasing Out the Poetry in Jewish Humor and Storytelling ed. by Steve Zeitlin (review)". Journal of American Folklore. 137 (545): 390–392. doi:10.5406/15351882.137.545.16. ISSN 1535-1882.
- ^ a b Ozias, Joseph (2024-03-18). "Review of Steve Zeitlin, JEWels: Teasing Out the Poetry in Jewish Humor and Storytelling". Journal of Folklore Research Reviews. ISSN 2832-8132. Archived from the original on 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
- ^ a b "Steve Zeitlin Publishes JEWels: Teasing Out the Poetry in Jewish Humor and Storytelling". American Folklore Society. January 26, 2023.
- ^ Loonam, John P. (2023-11-21). "An Interview with Steve Zeitlin". Washington Independent Review of Books. Retrieved 2025-05-28.