The newish Jewish encyclopedia From Abraham to Zabar's and everything in between

The authors describe this new reference work as a guide to being Jewish ; it explores Jewish life, culture, community, family, history, religious practice, and more. No dense, scholarly tome, this volume is pure fun, although serious topics are included. The book includes expected entries: ""kashrut"" introduces Jewish dietary laws; ""Rosh Hashanah"" describes the holiday, how it is observed, and the foods that are traditionally consumed as part of the celebration. At the other end of the spectrum are the entries ""Miami Beach"" (defined as ""the other other Promised Land"") and ""yachting"" (""no clue""). The entry ""Chinese food and Jews"" is a must-read. While many entries discuss the importance of food in Jewish life, the lack of an entry for prune Danish is surprising. Biographical entries for important or famous Jews in the arts and other fields are selective: Barbra Streisand is included here but not Beverly Sills. Nonetheless, a reference work is rarely as readable as this one is. Informative and irreverent, welcoming and witty, it is enthusiastically recommended for large public libraries.--Christopher McConnell Copyright 2019 Booklist

This delightfully irreverent romp through Jewish history and culture is the outgrowth of Tablet magazine's podcast, Unorthodox, and considers itself the updated version of The Jewish Catalog (1973). As with Catalog, podcast hosts and coauthors Butnick, Liel Leibovitz, and Mark Oppenheimer claim this chronicle is not a comprehensive or exhaustive survey of all things Jewish. To that end, the biblical hero Judah Maccabee is "one kickass priest," Jewish Community Centers are places "where Gentiles play racquetball," and Long Island is "the other Promised Land." Culturally, the authors make a convincing argument for Jews as "mediators of black music" and even responsible for the beloved Christmas tunes "White Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Bernie Madoff finds reference only under the generic moniker, shonde, or one who brings shame to the community, where he keeps company with Eliot Spitzer and Anthony Weiner. On a more serious note in a compilation filled with humor, brevity is the signature mark of that which requires mention, but not glory--Adolf Hitler, Nazis, and Auschwitz's Arbeit Macht Frei ("work sets you free") merit a single sentence each. VERDICT A welcome update on Jewish history and culture that is mostly just plain fun.--Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh