The Half-Jewish Book: A Celebration Book

The Half-Jewish Book is American writers Daniel Klein and Freke Vuijst's amalgamation of humorous essays, interviews, illustrations, holiday menus and song lyrics--all gathered in service of the idea that a half-Jew is Jew enough. This, even though "[half-Jews] are lamented as the first generational step toward the extinction of all Jews", and denied various sorts of recognition as Jews by various factions within Judaism. "[As] if all that were not enough, they can never figure out how to decorate their living rooms come mid-December." Klein and Vuijst make no effort to discipline the argument of their book. Instead, they present an exuberant, entertaining, rambling paean to half-Judaism's beautiful (Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Newman) and brilliant (JD Salinger, Marcel Proust) children; they rattle off the half-Jew's distinctive traits (as regards sports, intellect, and drinking, for instance); and they consider the wide range of other-halves that a half-Jew may contain (Lenny Kravitz is described as a "Jewlatto"). --Paul PowerRead More