Matzo Balls for Breakfast: And Other Memories of Growing Up Jewish

A reader suggested that I might enjoy MATZO BALLS FOR BREAKFAST AND OTHER MEMORIES OF GROWING UP JEWISH by Alan King, the great comedian who conceived and developed the book in the period before he died in 2004. She was wrong, I loved MATZO BALLS (almost as much as the actual food product). It is a series of essays written by famous people--many of them entertainers--about what being Jewish is all about . . . they range from Neil Sedaka writing about not becoming a cantor to Melissa Manchester describing how she came to find her way to the father . . . in a final section, Rick Moranis, Barbara Walters and Billy Crystal recall the Alan King they knew so well and laughed with so often. And don't feel you have to be Jewish to enjoy this material . . . regardless of your religion, it will move you at times . . . and make you smile, at others, as a result of gentle humor such as this tale from Barry Louis Polisar (a four-time Parent's Choice Award winner for his books and music for children): My grandmother used to tell me a story that her father, Louis, used to tell about God giving the Jewish people religion. "It's really not such a hard religion," God said. "Here, I'll write it down for you. You try it for a while, and if it doesn't suit you, bring it back." So the Jewish people tried it and found it was not too hard. For days, caravan upon caravan stretched across the desert carrying Haftorahs, mezuzahs, yarmulkes, prayer shawls, commentaries, and prayer books. God looked out at the caravans that stretched to the horizon and said, "What's all this? All I wrote down for you were ten simple commandments." Uri Geller contributed his favorite Alan King joke: Mrs. Cohen is yelling at the lifeguard who just pulled her husband out of the ocean. He tells her is going to give artificial respiration. She yells back, "You'll ever give my Benny real respiration or nothing!" There are also a series of wonderful quotes throughout the book, including these I particularly liked: The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.--Calvin Trillin If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name at a Swiss bank.--Woody Allen I once wanted to become an atheist but I gave up--they have no holidays.--Henny Youngman