Catch Cool Jew

at several upcoming gigs!

I'll be emceeing the Saturday night show at the upcoming Hazon Food Conference - West!

I'll be on hand, helping run the program and moderating as assistant director of Schmooze 2011.

And I'll be in the mix at Limmud NY. Have you always wanted to check it out? Well, if you sign up by Friday, December 24, you’ll get $50 off your registration fee by entering a special “Friends & Family” discount code. Okay, it’s really just my name, Lisa Alcalay Klug. All you have to do is enter it in the “Other Source” box when asked: “How did you hear about Limmud NY?” on page 4 of registration and you’ll automatically save $50. Register now and you might qualify for an additional scholarship.

This annual festival of Jewish diversity, culture, and ideas takes place January 14-17 at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, NY and it’s packed with Heebsters: Joshua Nelson & the Kosher Gospel Choir, Chana Rothman, Eden “Epryhme” Pearlstein, Naomi Less, Sarah Aroeste, Shir Yaakov Feinstein-Feit, Bodi, Rachel & Matti and more than 300 sessions with leading Jewish thinkers, artists, public figures, educators and activists like writer/moderator Abigail Pogrebin, Jay Michaelson, mystical scholar Avraham Sutton from Jerusalem, Kabbalist DovBer Pinson, Rabbis Simcha Weinstein, David Ingber and a few dozen others, Yaffa Epstein of the Pardes Institute in the Holy City and many others, including me. I’ll be there doing my ‘Cool Jew’ book thang Saturday night. And if you’re coming with some little people, there’s a terrific kid’s program featuring Karina & Coco of 92Y Shababa.

For more info, call 212-908-2525 or email info(at)limmudny.org. Remember, drop my name and register by Friday, December 24, 2010 for your discount to Limmud NY at www.limmudny.org. See you there!

Bring Cool Jewie-ness From the West to Budapest

Dear Friends,

At this point, you've probably heard about our campaign to bring Cool Jew to Limmud Hungary. It's the first time a survey of Jewish pop culture in the west will hit Budapest -- and any former communist country!

We've raised $387 in just a few days toward our $1,000 goal. Now, we only have four days left to earn a 5% bonus from IndieGoGo if we "fill the mug" all the way up! Donations will cover one coach ticket to Budapest to bring Cool Jew's poignant, fun and inspiring message of Jewish affiliation to Limmud Hungary.

Limmud is strictly volunteer. I'm very happy to donate my presentation. With slides, music, personal anecdotes, and stories of my father's survival of Buchenwald and his impact on my Jewish identity, there's nothing else quite like it! I'll also lead other sessions, including a panel discussion on how to use public programs like these to make a difference. After presenting all across the U.S., Europe and Canada, I have been told again and again that this work leaves audiences with a lasting impression of strength and pride in being Jewish -- and that has the power to open the door to so much more along the path of learning and living and loving to be a part of our Tribe.

It's a modest ask: if just 125 people would give just $5, or of course, a larger donation or a slew of mileage points, we'd meet the goal in a jiffy. So if you can "spare a latte" and know of anyone else who might be interested in supporting the cause, please click below and share the love by help to spread the word even further.

http://www.tinyurl.com/lattecampaign

This just in: we are now featured on the IndieGoGo home page under "Final Countdown"

Please take a minute to help make a difference.

Thank you so so much for your assistance in making this a reality.

Wishing you a Shana Tova U'metukah -- a good, sweet and blessed New Year!

Lisa and the FOLs

Cool Jew Cabaret II

This weekend, I'm heading to Limmud LA, that awesome festival of Jewish learning, community and volunteerism. I'm presenting a pair of sessions on my book, Cool Jew, and the Jewish Cultural Revival.

Meanwhile... in parts north, Limmud Toronto is taking place this Sunday.

This year, you can study Torah and liturgy, go green with a panel on eco-Judaism, learn to write your family memoir, sing along with an instant choir, join a drum circle, improvise and analyze scenes from Tanakh, speak your Jewish experience in poetry, and more!

The day of learning will be capped off with Cool Jew Cabaret II, inspired by my book. The first Cool Jew Cabaret was part of my book tour at the Koffler Centre of the Arts.

The 2nd Cool Jew Cabaret sponsored both by the Koffler and Limmud Toronto features

The spoken word stylings of Ariel Platt & the man at the centre of TO's Poetry Slam scene, David Silverberg.

A new musical project with a Brazilian flare from Eric Stein together with his music buddies.

And, its a multi-generational Schlanger acoustic set with the always fun & funky, Soozi Schlanger and her fabulous mother, Miriam.

Then get ready to shake your tuchas to the Sephardic sizzle of Ibtissam, the city's best bellydancer
Date: February 15, 2009
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Latvian House, 491 College Street
Fees: $12

Obama's First Full Day in Office

And Cool Jew was there!



Today's winner of the inaugural week celebration of multiculturalism in America is Samantha Painter.

Samantha receives a free autographed copy of Cool Jew. Mazal tov, Sheebster!

Please respond to our email so we can send out your prize. And friends, don't forget to visit Tolerant Nation.

New Ranking First!

This just in from Amazon. In a snapshot of this moment in time, Cool Jew is ranked

#4 in Books > Entertainment > Humor > Religion

and

#5 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism

It's another first, hitting both of this lists simultaneously with such awesome rankings.

And in another first, Cool Jew is also now making in roads on the top 100 of the Satire list, at #48.

The timing of this ranking dovetails with the ongoing discussion of the growing "Heebster Movement," as recently described in the New York Daily News and The Jerusalem Post (see below). And to that we say, a wholehearted Baruch HaShem and a l'chaim in your punim!

And AAAAALLLL of this is taking place during the Days of Awe, the 10 days between Rosh HaShana, the new year, and Yom Kippur, the day of At-One-Ment and sometimes, the Pennant (see Cool Jew Chapter 4).

In other words, it's a time of closeness to the Source and to our essence. It's the time to speak from your heart to the Heart of your heart. It's a time for blueprinting how you'd like your year to be and how you'd like yourself to be.

It's been a time for me of deep meditation and reflection and, at the same time, joy about the book making it's own way in the world. if you've been reading this blog, you already know that so much has happened since its Sept. 1 official debut. And if you're new to this blog, read back for the history of media coverage, parties, launch events and my ongoing book tour. It's all here. And for all these amazing experiences and Heebster outpouring, I'm thrilled and grateful.

Thank you so so much for your support of Cool Jew!

THE JERUSALEM POST
It's cool to be a Jew
By KELLY HARTOG

Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe By Lisa Alcalay Klug
Andrews McMeel Publishing
192 pages; $12.99

When Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson created their hit irreverent play Jewtopia in 2003, they extended their 15 minutes of fame by launching the book Jewtopia, The Chosen Book for the Chosen People in 2006.

That book was an eclectic mix of humor and irreverence, and while it included some brilliant witty takes on what it is to be a Jew, it had a great deal of off-color humor and a lowest-common-denominator air, ensuring that it would probably only appeal to a Generation X demographic.

So, whether by design or by default, journalist Lisa Alcalay Klug has now jumped on the bandwagon a mere two years later with her book - very similar in both theme and title to Jewtopia - with Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe.
It seems the 21st century is the time to proclaim loudly and proudly that you are a Jew. With everything from Jewish tees, Jewish rappers and Jewish tchachkes being "in" these days, now appears to be the time to cultivate your inner Jew (or Heebster), as Klug points out. "Being a Heebster is really the carrot on your gefilte fish... someone who loves being Jewish, who is not afraid to be a total dork, but who also has that certain savoir faire that makes him or her hipper than hip," says Klug in the introduction to her book.

Like Fogel and Wolfson's, Klug's book is full of cutesy little chapters including "A minyan ways you know you are a Heebster," "Who are Jew," "Recycle, reuse, reshmooze" and "Top seven reasons Jews and rappers are related." In fact, Klug picks up on the whole gangsta theme in the cover of her book, with a heavy-duty gold, glistening piece of bling with the words "Cool Jew" emblazoned on it. (Fogel and Wolfson's cover depicted the two of them lighting their cigarettes off the Hanukkiya).

However, where Klug truly departs from the Fogel/Wolfson blueprint is in her extraordinary knowledge of all things Jewish. Klug is a serious heavyweight in the Heebster fold, drawing on her Panamanian, Israeli, German and Polish roots and strong Jewish educational background. Stating that her book is for "anyone who wants to understand, relish or question something about being Jewish because as our ancient sages taught, knowledge is power," Klug pulls out all the stops, showing just how powerful her own Jewish knowledge is - enough to create her own institute of Jewish Heebster Learning. Even the highest educated Heeb on her totem pole can learn a thing or two.

While you may not care for the list of Hollywood celebs that either are Jewish, claim to be Jewish or merely appear to be Jewish, Klug's "headwear decoder" (or "What the lid says about the yid"), delineating the different forms of headdress worn by different members of the tribe and what they truly mean is a delightful revelation, as is her "match the rabbi star search" where you pick which celebrity has found his inner Heeb by latching on to a well-known rabbi.

Klug can fall into kitsch at the drop of a hat (streimel or crocheted kippa - take your pick), such as the largely superfluous "self-help for the Christmas Carol intolerant" and "reindeer games," but she balances it out with craft projects in her recycle, reuse, reshmooze sections, in-depth knowledge of Jewish laws and customs with a humorous, modern take (include insights into Kaba la la la), and her nifty translations and explanations for those not in the know - under the banner "For the Yiddish impaired."

With its cute blue-and-white pages, Hebrew style font and opening owner's page asking you to fill in your family tree under "who begat, who begat...," there's definitely something for everyone here. Unlike Jewtopia, Cool Jew steers clear of cheap shtick, can be safely bought as a gift for all Jews (and non-Jews) across the board and doesn't really offend anyone - although Klug does have a disclaimer from the "shtender of the Klugerebbie" who states: "The author is, quite frankly, a mensch, and if she offends you or your Jewish sensibilities in any way, please don't let it get you all farklempt."

In fact, if there's anything to get farklempt about here, it's the sheer amount of information stuffed into this book - more than anyone could ever hope to read or digest from cover to cover. Klug could have done with a tougher editor, but then again, talking too much is a true Heebster trait, no?

Picnic Fest 2008

Join one of the largest San Francisco East Bay Jewish community annual events -- a day of free kosha eats, free entertainment, free beer & wine gardens and free raffle prizes, including an autographed copy of Cool Jew, in beautiful Joaquin Miller Park in the Oakland Hills.

Entertainment includes live performances by Lisa, the Ferris Wheels and Moshav.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7TH, 11 AM - 4 PM.
More info here.

And Directions to Joaquin Miller Park here.

Organized by the Young Leadership Division and the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay. Sponsors include Hagafen Cellars, Haagen-Dazs, SemiFreddi's, Arrowhead Spring Water, Thirsty Bear and Hurry Date.

With special thanks to Tova Grunes and Dan Haut. Shakoiyach!

Matisyahu

Cool Jew Matisyahu searches for some freedom in the

Burma: It Can't Wait campaign.

Free the captive.

Play the video.

Join the USCampaignforBurma.org.

Count Down to Launch!

With September 1 as the official launch of Cool Jew, today marks 50 days to blast off.

Let the countdown begin!

Book Expo

The industry debut of Cool Jew at Book Expo America was fun, fun, fun.

Props to Sandy, Morty, and Sheryl, the oh so gracious LA tribespeople, who put together a fabulous lawn party, complete with Manischewitz cocktails, egg creams, black & whites, cheesecake, and-- yes, Zohan--hummous in honor of the occasion. Props also to actress Barb Heller who demo'd the making of said cocktails!

Read and see more here on the blog of Jean Roth.

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!"