Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe

"It's never been hipper to be Jewish." —VH1

Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $12.99) by award-winning journalist Lisa Alcalay Klug is a field manual for the 21st century Jew and the people who love them. This book decodes contemporary Judaism and its hippest forms of cultural and creative expression. Spanning 250 pages and nearly 400 images, it covers everything from identity, rituals, clothing and cuisine, to holidays, spirituality, diversity, and language. Cool Jew combines original illustrations by artist Amos Goldbaum with historical pieces, album covers, Kabbalistic paintings, pop Judaica and more. Jew got questions? Jew got answers! Imagine an updated combination of the beloved Jewish Catalog meets the Joys of Yiddish with a hip-hop spin that captures the spirit of the times. A hallmark of the current Pan-Jewish cultural revival, Cool Jew does for matzah balls and gefilte fish what The Official Preppy Handbook did for plaid and polo, only with much more chutzpah!

In the quest for identity and meaning, Cool Jew celebrates every aspect of who you are. Whether you are a strongly identified Jew, more Jew-ISH, an Honorary Heeb, an ally, or a deprived Midwesterner who has never actually met a live one, this collection provides all you need to know to Super Jew your own lovely Heeb self, celebrate the Mosaic lifestyle, and befriend the Jewish people. Packed with sites, tunes, eats and treats, it's also the perfect gift for the high holidays, bar and bat mitzvahs, Chanukah, Purim or any time of year to get your groove on and discover new meaning in the old adage, "When you're in love, the whole world is Jewish!"

As the Kluggerebbie would say, "A l'chaim in your punim!"