The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia

From the hosts of Tablet magazine’s wildly popular Unorthodox podcast, The New Jewish Encyclopedia is an edifying, entertaining, and thoroughly modern introduction to Judaism. It offers everything: from an illustrated guide to determining different Hasidic sects based on their garb to practical advice for throwing an unconventional Jewish wedding to humorous, accessible explanations of Judaism’s myriad holidays. The book is an alphabetical encyclopedia of short entries - some profane, some profound, and some both - heavy on the graphics and, like contemporary Judaism itself, featuring a panoply of divergent voices, all amusing and well-informed and none in perfect agreement. By weaving together the essential and the esoteric, the snarky and the earnest, the Jewish and the Jew-ish, this book honors its title, offering a truly unorthodox approach to Judaism and allowing each reader to find his or her point of connection with the culture, the tradition, and the religion. Inside, under any given letter, readers will find short essays evocatively explaining Judaism’s key holidays and practices and why they still matter today; visual guides to things Jews love, like smoked fish, and how to tell your gravlax from your pastrami-smoked salmon; definitive lists of things that matter, from the best Christmas songs written by Jews to the most essential Seinfeld episodes; advice from an Orthodox sex guru, a bridesmaid-for-hire, and other people whose wisdom would benefit Jews and non-Jews alike; brief histories of Jewish traditions new and old, such as the sacred ritual of eating Chinese food on December 25; a vocabulary of words and phrases only Jews use; and so much more.