With a subject as varied and fascinating as Jewish stories and jokes, one might question the idea of putting together a representative collection. How could one seek to capture the pain, the beauty, the horror, the humor, all that is Jewish history, and explore the multitude of ways Jews keep this history alive, in one book? Well, Steve Zeitlin sets out to do that, and then some; rather than simply collect, Zeitlin seeks to transform. Drawing on Jewish poets, comedians, and writers, Zeitlin presents, as poems, almost two-hundred Jewish stories and jokes, some traditional and some new, split into ten thematic categories.
What at first might seem like a gimmick quickly becomes something more substantial. Zeitlin’s introduction recounts the story of the Tzohar, the jewel which “illuminated the Garden of Eden with a luminosity like no other light” (xvii). The Tzohar is passed down, from Adam to his children, from Noah to Abraham, and eventually burns “above the ark in every synagogue” (xvii). It is here where Zeitlin lays out his cause, not just to catalogue a history of these stories or to highlight the humor that has formed much of these Jewish tales, but to “bring out some tiny portion of the Tzohar’s leftover light” (xviii). This results in a collection that is crafted with care and that will no doubt be useful to anyone interested in Jewish storytelling, no matter the knowledge-base they bring to the reading.
Zeitlin separates the poems into ten categories, as chapters: “In Stories,” “On a Journey,” “From the Old Country,” “In Jokes,” “From Torah,” “Shaped by the Holocaust,” “In Glimpses of Jewish-American Lives,” “In Jewish Foods,” “In Conversations with God,” and “On the Meaning of Life.” While all of these categories feature strong selections and adaptations, three stand out as especially useful: “In Jokes,” “Shaped by the Holocaust,” and “In Jewish Foods.” “In Jokes,” beginning with a reminder that “Jews have long understood that laughter opens and focuses the mind on more serious teachings” (67), takes us on a wild journey from traditional circumcision jokes to Sparrow’s self-critical poetry: “My / poems / are / failures / disguised / as jokes” (93). “Shaped by the Holocaust” emphasizes the importance of humor when reflecting on tragedy, especially when one’s faith has been called into question. And finally, “In Jewish Foods” is Zeitlin’s attempt to “braid the challah” (180), an exploration of the importance of food in Jewish culture, an element that is intrinsic and yet often underdiscussed.
While the poems themselves are delightful, and many of them, humorous—some adapted by Zeitlin himself, some appearing as they were originally written, and some being retold by other authors—the draw for scholars will likely be the commentary for each of the poems. Zeitlin recruited Peninnah Schram to be his lead commentator, and he enlists aid from Rabbi Edward Schecter, Bob Mankoff, and Esther Cohen, among others, to provide notes on a handful of the poems. Some commentaries are historically focused, like the commentary on the book’s first poem, and seek to contextualize the stories that Zeitlin has chosen for us, while others oscillate between a focus on the content of the poem and a focus on its style, humor, or other features. Schram’s commentaries sometimes read as miniature autobiographies in which she tells us about her parents’ heritage as immigrants to the United States or about words she invented while tiring of looking at everyone through a screen during the pandemic, which she terms oysgezoomt, “zoomed out” (92). This variation in commentary style complements the variety in the style and content of the poems themselves and makes for an entertaining, engrossing, and enlightening read.
I recommend JEWels to anyone interested in Jewish culture in general, and especially to those interested in its rich folklore. While the focus of Zeitlin’s project is storytelling and humor, what he has actually done is provide a detailed and engaging snapshot of Jewish life, interests, history, and folklore. For those unfamiliar with Jewish tradition, this book can be an exciting beginning; for those deeply familiar with it, Zeitlin offers a new lens with which to look for the “leftover light,” providing a fresh perspective on older tales. The commentaries, alongside the “jewels” themselves, make for lessons one might never forget – that there is beauty even in terrible situations, laughter to be found in all aspects of life, and that stories reminding us of these facts might be more relevant now than ever before.
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[Review length: 745 words • Review posted on March 18, 2024]