Jewish words are creeping into our vocabulary, not least because they are constantly used by comedians, actors and writers. Maureen Lipman, Jacky Mason, Howard Jacobson. But the fascination with these words is very widespread partly because of their effectiveness and vivacity in speech. Each chapter of this book focuses on just one word. The chapters are entertaining, short but also incredibly well informed (based on sounds knowledge and scholarship).

Celebrate Jewish culture with this fun collection of facts and stories! Jewish traditions aren't just something they sing about in Fiddler on the Roof. Explore them all with this delightful book of essential Jewish foods, philosophers, pop culture, and more. It's sure to be way more satisfying than the typical encyclopedia—but probably not as exciting as finding the perfect bagel. Discover cultural touchstones—From babka to Mel Brooks, learn fascinating facts about the writers, entertainers, delis, and Yiddish phrases that shine a light on Jewish culture through the ages. Find what fascinates you—Paging through this book is a pleasure, whether you choose to read it cover to cover or use it as a quick reference guide. Give the perfect present—This encyclopedia's lighthearted tone and charming illustrations make it a great gift for Chanukah, housewarmings, and more. Show a little chutzpah and pick up a copy of this amusing and informative Jewish encyclopedia today!

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From the author of Blind, a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story set during World War II in Shanghai, one of the only places Jews without visas could find refuge. Warsaw, Poland. The year is 1940 and Lillia is fifteen when her mother, Alenka, disappears and her father flees with Lillia and her younger sister, Naomi, to Shanghai, one of the few places that will accept Jews without visas. There they struggle to make a life; they have no money, there is little work, no decent place to live, a culture that doesn't understand them. And always the worry about Alenka. How will she find them? Is she still alive? Meanwhile Lillia is growing up, trying to care for Naomi, whose development is frighteningly slow, in part from malnourishment. Lillia finds an outlet for her artistic talent by making puppets, remembering the happy days in Warsaw when her family was circus performers. She attends school sporadically, makes friends with Wei, a Chinese boy, and finds work as a performer at a "gentlemen's club" without her father's knowledge. But meanwhile the conflict grows more intense as the Americans declare war and the Japanese force the Americans in Shanghai into camps. More bombing, more death. Can they survive, caught in the crossfire?

Sacred Dissonance is a thought-provoking study exploring the distinctions between religious identities and cultural boundaries of Jews and Christians. Opposing the notion that all faiths are the same, Anthony Le Donne (a New Testament scholar) and Larry Behrendt (a Jewish lawyer) offer introspective essays on topics such as neighborhood relations, hospitality, and the Holocaust—and provide a model for addressing a difficult past and challenging present.

A cross between Henry Beard's Latin for All Occasions and Ben Schott's Schott's Original Miscellany, JUST SAY NU is a practical guide to using Yiddish words and expressions in day-to-day situations. Along with enough grammar to enable readers to put together a comprehensible sentence and avoid embarrassing mistakes, Wex also explains the five most useful Yiddish words–shoyn, nu, epes, takeh,and nebakh–what they mean, how and when to use them, and how they can be used to conduct an entire conversation without anybody ever suspecting that the reader doesn't have the vaguest idea of what anyone is actually saying. Readers will learn how to shmooze their way through such activities as meeting and greeting; eating and drinking; praising and finding fault; maintaining personal hygiene; going to the doctor; driving; parenting; getting horoscopes; committing crimes; going to singles bars; having sex; talking politics and talking trash. Now that Stephen Colbert, a Catholic from South Carolina and host of the "Colbert Report," is using Yiddish to wish viewers a bright and happy Chanukah, people have finally started to realize that there's nothing in the world that can't be improved by translating it into Yiddish. Wex's JUST SAY NU is the book that's going to show them how.