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The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia: From Abraham to Zabar’s and Everything in Between Hardcover – Illustrated, October 1, 2019
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An Unorthodox Guide to Everything Jewish
Deeply knowing, highly entertaining, and just a little bit irreverent, this unputdownable encyclopedia of all things Jewish and Jew-ish covers culture, religion, history, habits, language, and more. Readers will refresh their knowledge of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the artistry of Barbra Streisand, the significance of the Oslo Accords, the meaning of words like balaboosta,balagan, bashert, and bageling. Understand all the major and minor holidays. Learn how the Jews invented Hollywood. Remind themselves why they need to read Hannah Arendt, watch Seinfeld, listen to Leonard Cohen. Even discover the secret of happiness (see “Latkes”). Includes hundreds of photos, charts, infographics, and illustrations. It’s a lot.
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherArtisan
- Publication dateOctober 1, 2019
- Dimensions8 x 1.25 x 10 inches
- ISBN-101579658938
- ISBN-13978-1579658939
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Editorial Reviews
Review
—Jewish Week
“Crams in just about everything you need to know about Jewish culture and history – from the Torah to Chinese food. . . . A weighty tome that just begs to be picked up, thumbed through, and quoted from. It is exhaustive but not exhausting, a thorough examination of Jewish themes presented as hors d’oeuvres to entice a larger meal.”
—The Times of Israel
“Deeply entertaining and highly educational. . . . Adding their thoroughly modern compendium to a long tradition of Jewish scholarship, the authors have served up a colorful array of all things Jewish for Jews and non-Jews alike.”
—Broadway World
“Alternately irreverent and profound—but always informative. . . . A great gift.”
—BookPage
“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.
—Library Journal, starred review
“No dense, scholarly tome, this volume is pure fun, although serious topics are included. . . . . A reference work is rarely as readable as this one is. Informative and irreverent, welcoming and witty, it is enthusiastically recommended.”
—Booklist
About the Author
Stephanie Butnick is the deputy editor of Tablet and has written for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. She has a bachelor’s degree in religion from Duke and a master’s in religious studies from NYU. She lives in New York with her husband and their cat, Cat Stevens.
Liel Leibovitz is a senior writer for Tablet and the author of several books, including, most recently, A Broken Hallelujah, a spiritual biography of Leonard Cohen. He has a PhD in video games from Columbia, a fact that makes his seven-year-old self very happy. He lives in New York with his wife and their two children.
Mark Oppenheimer is the former Beliefs columnist for the New York Times and the author of The Bar Mitzvah Crasher: Road-Tripping Through Jewish America. He has a PhD in American religion from Yale and lives in New Haven, Connecticut, with his wife and five children.
Product details
- Publisher : Artisan; Illustrated edition (October 1, 2019)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1579658938
- ISBN-13 : 978-1579658939
- Item Weight : 2.5 pounds
- Dimensions : 8 x 1.25 x 10 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #117,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #34 in Religious Humor
- #94 in Jewish Life (Books)
- #150 in Religion Encyclopedias
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Mark Oppenheimer hosts Unorthodox, the #1 Jewish-themed podcast in English (according to iTunes). For six years, from 2010-2016, he wrote a biweekly religion column for The New York Times. He now writes for The New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones, Slate, and Tablet. He teaches English at Yale, where he is the director of the Yale Journalism Initiative. Mark lives with his family in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information, please check his website at markoppenheimer.com.
I am a breakfast enthusiast, a coffee fanatic, a video game scholar, a husband and a father of two. I come from a long line of rabbis, and even though I'm a few cheeseburgers removed from the faith of my fathers, I take religion very seriously: most of my books are about our attempts -- sometimes desperate, always touching -- to make sense of the divine particles floating all around us. I'm a proud graduate of Columbia University's doctoral program in communications, and teach about games and other digital media at New York University. I believe that the books we write and read are only entry points into conversation, so get in touch via Twitter (@liel) or email (lleibovitz@gmail.com).
Tablet, launched in 2009 by editor in chief Alana Newhouse, is a daily online magazine of Jewish news, ideas, and culture. Tablet’s recent books include The 100 Most Jewish Foods by Alana Newhouse and The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia by Stephanie Butnick, Liel Leibovitz, and Mark Oppenheimer, cohosts of the magazine’s Unorthodox podcast, the most popular Jewish podcast on iTunes, with more than 4 million downloads. Follow @tabletmag on Instagram and Twitter.
Stephanie Butnick is the deputy editor of Tablet and a host of Unorthodox, the leading Jewish podcast. She has written for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. She has a bachelor’s degree in religion from Duke and a master’s in religious studies from NYU. She lives in New York with her husband and their cat, Cat Stevens.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the encyclopedia entertaining, with one noting it's a great book to dip in and out of. Moreover, the information content receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as comprehensive and interesting. Additionally, they appreciate its value as a gift and its coverage of Jewish history.
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Customers find the book entertaining, describing it as funny and a great read any time of day, with one customer noting it's great to dip in and out of.
"...Good as a reader or just as a reference. Great book and highly recommended to all." Read more
"...There are so many facts ... mind boggling. A great read any time of day. I highly recommend this book and it makes a great gift." Read more
"...It's fun reading and you don't have to sit down and read it at one time...." Read more
"...It’s quirky and sarcastic, but also informative. It’s such a big book, there’s something for everyone. The pages are very aesthetic and clean...." Read more
Customers find the encyclopedia comprehensive and enlightening, with lots of interesting information, and one customer notes that every page has something new.
"This can serve as a good basic source book for studying Judaism. It is well written, easy to comprehend, and fairly comprehensive...." Read more
"The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia is terrific. There are so many facts ... mind boggling. A great read any time of day...." Read more
"...It’s quirky and sarcastic, but also informative. It’s such a big book, there’s something for everyone. The pages are very aesthetic and clean...." Read more
"Both funny and informative. I love it! Buying more as “stocking stuffers!”🤣..." Read more
Customers find the book makes a great gift.
"...A great read any time of day. I highly recommend this book and it makes a great gift." Read more
"...It got delivered very well, and is packed with info. Perfect gift for a Jewish pal, or even for your sarcastic goyim!" Read more
"Fun book. Great gift. Receiver as gift. Everyone who has seen it on my coffee table has bought one!" Read more
"Great Gift Idea for the Jew in your Life!..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's coverage of Jewish history, with one customer noting it provides thumbnail sketches of Jewish everything, while another mentions it includes lots of photos.
"The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia is terrific. There are so many facts ... mind boggling. A great read any time of day...." Read more
"This book shares many interesting components of Judaism - both cultural and religious - in an engaging way for modern readers...." Read more
"In addition, this book has lots of photos (in both color & black-and-white). Also, there's a very significant amount of information." Read more
"Useful as both a reference book and an overall compendium of Jewish life, customs, and rationale behind their practices...." Read more
Reviews with images

They left out Isaac Asimov but otherwise it’s great.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2025This can serve as a good basic source book for studying Judaism. It is well written, easy to comprehend, and fairly comprehensive. Good as a reader or just as a reference. Great book and highly recommended to all.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2023The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia is terrific. There are so many facts ... mind boggling. A great read any time of day. I highly recommend this book and it makes a great gift.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2019"The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia: From Abraham to Zabar's and Everything InBetween" is not exactly the truth of the book's contents. It is more an idiosyncratic list of people, places, things, and food, most of which add definition to the word "Jewish".
The book was compiled by a group of three; Stephanie Butnick, Liel Leibowitz, and Mark Oppenheimer. I don't know how they divided up the work; no section or definition is assigned an author. I'd say the words chosen to be defined are from a liberal angle, but then most Jews are liberals. It's fun reading and you don't have to sit down and read it at one time. It is just right for picking up and choosing a letter - say, "L" - and having fun with the words. Though I normally read books in the Kindle version (as I did this one), I think this book might be fun to read in the paper version. In any case, or any version, I think most people, Jewish or not, would enjoy this book!
- Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2022I love this book and so does my mom, whom I got it for! It’s quirky and sarcastic, but also informative. It’s such a big book, there’s something for everyone. The pages are very aesthetic and clean. It got delivered very well, and is packed with info. Perfect gift for a Jewish pal, or even for your sarcastic goyim!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2021I first found out about this book from my local Library. I liked it so much I decided to purchase it. I even thought it might make a good gift. That's why I was hoping it would be in better condition. It is certainly not in bad condition but the top of book cover is bent in/warped & there's a personal note on the inside cover.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2019This book shares many interesting components of Judaism - both cultural and religious - in an engaging way for modern readers. You can use the contents as a jumping off point to delve deeper into topics which may interest you most.
In response to those who have given this book a one star review, I think they may be misguided with assigning it some unnecessarily harsh reviews. The authors and other contributors did not set out to uphold some high-up religious doctrine as these reviewer seem to solely desire.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2023Both funny and informative. I love it!
Buying more as “stocking stuffers!”🤣
- Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2021It was a gift. Someone purchased this for me as a gift...when I saw what was in it, I bought a copy for
someone else.....at first I was overwhelmed....such a big book....but it was amazing beyond my
expectations. Some was funny......some expected......some sad.....all factual. Now I'm thinking of
getting copies as gifts. It is perfect for any occasion.
Top reviews from other countries
- SGinVSLReviewed in Canada on April 17, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book
Well written, detailed, and covers all events in an interesting way. Great table book, catches everyone’s attention.
Delivered on time by Amazon delivery..
- amandaReviewed in Canada on July 31, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny
Love this book! It’s funny but still educational, great coffee table book
- alex gReviewed in Canada on January 24, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, worth every penny
Great book to have in you library to learn about history of Jewish people and culture.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on January 19, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book very entertaining!
Loved it!