Judaikitsch: Tchotchkes, Schmattes and Nosherei

This is now the best coffee table book that I own. It is soooooo funny. I can't wait so see what the Traig sisters come up with next! I received a copy of this book as a gift, and now I am getting it for everyone.

Christian Americans have had marshmallow fluff and Christmas ornaments. Jews, avoiding graven images, have evaded lots of kitsch (except for chopped liver molds). Sure, maybe you've seen Sesame Street kipahs and Nike swoosh dreidels, but what if Bezalel from the Bible and Martha Stewart mated while reading The Jewish Catalog? Naturally, you would have the Traig sisters of the West Coast. This book is not only fun to read, but it provides the instructions on how to create your own kitsch, like the Manischewitz Concord Grape Wine bottle lamp or the Rastafarian Hey-Mohn-Toschen. Divided into eight parts, there are kitsch projects for everyday, Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Hanukkah (burn baby Burn), Purim, Passover, and Shavuot (milk it. do i make you flemmy, baby?). So get up off your tucches, break your dreidel shaped piñata, grab a slice of Hava Tequila Pie, and buy this book. Highlights include the Neil Sedaka Tzedakah Pushke Box (I used an empty band aids box); the Borscht Belt belt; a black velvet Elvis mizrach for your Eastern wall; the Carmen Miranda fruit filled yarmulke; and votive candles for Jewish patrons (the patron Jew of passive aggressive compliments). Replace wasabi with horseradish and you have Jew-shi sushi. Get a jar of Green olives and make some Poi Vey. Is havdalah havdalah without the Spice girls spice box? Is it true that there is Jewish Time? Then make yourself the Jewish Time Zones clock. The book closes with a Hebonics glossary. So gather the mishpocheh, and buy the book, cuz this one is a keeper.

I picked this book up because I liked the cover, and ended up laughing so hard in the store I had to buy it. I am half jewish and wasn't raised very religious, but am still able to appreciate the humor and intent of this book. I have showed it to many friends and can't wait to give copies as gofts. Jewish or not, you will get a kick out of the clever crafts and ideas, and you may even learn a little bit about those Jewish traditions and hebrew words you never quite understood! And everyone can use a votice candle for the Patron Jew of Passive Aggressive Compliments!!!

Never before have I laughed so hard at a craft book. From the Patron Jew Candles, Berry Manilow dessert (yes, it is a tribute to our all time fav Jew) to a "David" quilt with Hasselhoff, Duchovny, Letterman, and Michaelangelo's "The David" transferred onto quilt squares, this tongue-in-cheek book is a treasure and tribute to wonderful kitschy humor! You'll find recipes and crafts for fake chopped liver, a Jewish Princess tiara (complete with Tab and a Princess phone adorned as accents)and so much more. The "Hebonics" dictionary in the back was the finishing touch which turned this "craft" book into a coffee table conversation piece. This shicksa finally found out that "nosh" meant "snack"! Don't think these two authors are making fun of anything Jewish! Their wonderful sense of humor and creativity enlighten even those who aren't Jewish about Judaic culture and tradition. With their twists on kitsch, you will find yourself with perhaps your hands in fake chopped liver and your sides in stitches.

I picked this book up on a whim. It looked cute. When I flipped through it, I found myself laughing out loud, sometimes actually tearing up. There are great sight gags and jokes here. When I stopped laughing, I noticed that some of the recipes and instructions are really cool.