Cool Jew Press

New Spin on Chanukah

2008-12-24T15:36:00.000-08:00

Jewish Woman magazine
Winter issue 2008

A New Spin on Chanukah
By Meredith Jacobs

My parents no longer light the Chanukah menorah. "Why bother?" explained my mother. "You and your sister are no longer home. It’s just me and Daddy. Why should we bother? Chanukah is for kids."

Wow. I thought about that. I don’t think Chanukah is just for kids. I don’t want Chanukah to be just for kids. I want to imagine that one day, when Sofie and Jules are grown and have families of their own, Jonathan and I will still light the candles. (Of course, what I really want is for my future grandchildren to all live close enough to us that we light the candles with them, but that’s not the point.) The point is, what does happen to Chanukah when kids aren’t around? How can I make Chanukah meaningful to me

...As Lisa Alcalay Klug, author of Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe (Andrews McMeel), puts it, "It’s really about being comfortable in your own skin, knowing where you come from and expressing pride in who you are." Klug, like Schwimmer, celebrates Chanukah kitsch in the Heebster-chic style in which many young Jews today own their Jewishness. Kitsch becomes cool and Chanukah hip.

(more)

The Clips Keep Coming

2008-12-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

We've been getting lots of media coverage...

December 21st
Jewlicious.com

December 19th
The Lori & Julia Show

December 13th
The Los Angeles Times

December 10th
Sam & Suzy in the Morning, LATalkRadio.com

December 9th
The World of TJ McCormack, LATalkRadio.com describes this interview as "all-time great show of T.J.'s." Streaming audio available here.

I've also taped interviews with Jewish Life TV and the Bill Handel that are yet to air.

Cool Jew will also be part of the media discussion on multiculturalism in America during the presidential inauguration week at Interfaith Voices. Details to follow soon!

Times of London

2008-11-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

Jewish cool, Catholic Hip, Islamic Hip-hop

By Libby Purves

October 30, 2008

We are alerted by the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle to this book about how to be a cool Jew (I thought they all were..). “When you’re a Heebster, you don’t have to work hard to be cool, you just have to be proud to be a Jew,” says journalist Lisa Alcalay Klug . The book "can be seen as part of the wave of hipster Judaism that has produced the irreverent Heeb and Guilt and Pleasure magazines, JDub Records and reggae singer Matisyahu, “Challah Back” and “Yenta” T-shirts and HeBrew Beer." As for actual religious belief and feeling, Klug is in favour...

Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles

2008-11-07T07:21:00.001-08:00

October 29, 2008

Hey, Hipster Jew—you probably think this book is about you

By Jay Firestone

You're sporting a Batman yarmulke on your head and a cubic-zirconia-studded Star of David pendant around your neck that would put Flavor Flav to shame. A plastic Moses figure stands posed next to your computer, ready for some sea-splitting action.

If you count yourself among the Heebsters and Sheebsters, you're proud to be a Jew and have no reservations when it comes to flaunting your J-bling. If this is all new to you, welcome to the world of hipster Jews.

That's the thinking behind Lisa Alcalay Klug's new book, "Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe" (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $12.99), which seeks to catalogue hip Jewish trends, from He'BrewBeer to Heeb magazine, while looking at Judaism and its culture through a post-denominational lens.

Also referred to as "The Heebster Handbook," Klug describes "Cool Jew" as "a field manual for 21st-century Jews." With chapters ranging from "Heebster, Know Thyself" to "Heebster Spoken Here," the book captures the social and cultural zeitgeist that defines modern cool Jews. "Cool Jew" picks up where the do-it-yourself "Jewish Catalog" series left off, aiming its content at the iJew who feels no shame in giving the gift of a virtual matzah ball to a Facebook friend. (more)

CBC Canadian Broadcasting Centre

2008-11-06T07:22:00.001-08:00

Click here for a podcast interview from Q, the CBC Culture, Arts and Entertainment hour with Jian Ghomeshi.

Canadian Jewish News

2008-11-06T07:21:00.001-08:00

CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS, Oct. 16, 2008

Defining the hipster Jew for the new generation

By ANDY LEVY-AJZENKOPF
Staff Reporter
On Sept. 1, award-winning U.S. journalist
and proud Heebster maven Lisa Alcalay
Klug released her book Cool Jew: The Ultimate
Guide for Every Member of the Tribe
(Andrews McMeel Publishing).
Described as “a field manual for 21stcentury
Jews and the people who love
them, [it] decodes contemporary Judaism
and its hippest forms of cultural expression,”
Cool Jew is 250 pages of new
Jewish lingo and imagery and has been
on Amazon.com’s Top 10 bestseller list
for humour/religion since its release. It’s
now in its second print run due to heavy
demand, according to Klug.
Though she’s been living out of a suitcase
for the last month while promoting
the book on a whirlwind North American
tour, Klug kindly took time out for an
e-mail Q&A last week with Heebonics to
kibbitz about how it came together and
her thoughts on the new Jew. Now that’s
menschkeit.
And before you ask, Klug has decided
to coin the term “Heebster,” defining it as
such:
Heebster \heeb-stur\, noun (circa now) :
1 : A cool Jew.
2 : An honorary Member of the Tribe.
3 : Those who not only know what it is to be
Jewish, they know it, flaunt it, dig it and love it.
***
Heebonics: Why write Cool Jew?
Klug: I wrote Cool Jew because I love being
Jewish and I care passionately about how we
relate to our identity, tradition and community.
H: How did you go about researching it? How long
did it take?
K: About 15 years crammed into two. I’ve been
collecting and noticing fun and innovative forms
of Jewish expression for a long time. I spent a
much shorter period actually writing the book,
gathering images, working with an illustrator,
designing the cover and working on the layout. I
share the design credit on the book. (more)

Jerusalem Post

2008-10-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's cool to be a Jew...

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1222017438639&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

j weekly

2008-10-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/36265/format/html/displaystory.html

California Literary Review

2008-09-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Lisa Alcalay Klug: Releasing Your Inner Heebster

By Kelly Hartog

To say that Lisa Alcalay Klug is incredibly busy right now would be an understatement. With the publication of her first book: Cool Jew – The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe, Klug is suddenly caught up in a whirlwind of sneak preview parties, book launches, readings, and, of course, press interviews.

Born into what she says, “In the old days they referred to as a ‘mixed marriage’” (“My mother’s Sephardi, my father’s Ashkenazi”), Klug, whose father is a Holocaust survivor, says her parents are “incredibly proud Jews,” who raised their children in a traditional Jewish home.

She also has an impressive Jewish heritage, with her mother being a descendant of Sephardic Jews from the Balkans, including the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Sarajevo – Yehuda Alcalay, who was credited with influencing many of Theodore Herzl’s ideas regarding the establishment of the Jewish State. (More)

NY Daily News

2008-09-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Heebsters take over the Jewish New Year, not to mention New York

By PIPER WEISS

Thursday, September 25th 2008, 8:10 AM

Monday night at sunset marks 5769, the new year of the Hebrew calendar. Or, if you're a Jewish hipster, the first page of "The Ladies of '69" calendar - a six-page swimsuit pullout of scantily clad supermodel "tribe-members" in the summer issue of Heeb magazine. For publisher Joshua Neuman, this was not a spiritual decision in the classic sense.

"It was fun. I got to see Bar Refaeli naked," says New York-based Neuman of Leonardo DiCaprio's Israeli girlfriend, who posed for the cover surrounded by some very unkosher crustaceans.

Welcome to New York's Heebster movement, led by local tastemakers hell-bent on pushing the boundaries of traditional Jewish culture.

"A Heebster is a cool jew," says Lisa Alcalay Klug, author of "Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe," released this month. "It's about owning the stereotypes, expressing irreverence and realizing our tribe is a great shindig."

The "shindig" is packed. The dress code? Self referential T-shirts, ironic tallis prayer shawls. The rules? Anything goes. Starting with the clothes. (More)

LA Jewish Journal

2008-09-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

Picks and Clicks
By Dikla Kadosh and Danielle Berrin

THU | AUGUST 14

(TU B'AV)

They say, "All you need is love." Well, you'll have it in droves at JConnectLA's "LOVEFEST," a permutation of Valentine's Day

-- Jewish style. Local Jewish stars such as Moshav and cutesy comedian Smooth-E will entertain crowds who aren't busy in the "Heebster shuk," grooving with the drum circle or dining on the kosher cuisine being dished up. For the bookworms, writer Lisa Alcalay Klug will debut her treatise, "Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe," and sign copies for her cool Jewish fans. And for the lovelorn or single folk, fear not: There's instant matchmaking and a rather large (pay-as-you-chug) bar. Thu. 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. $15 (advance), $20 (door). Fu's Palace, 8751 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 405-2336. http://www.jconnectla.com.

Circuit
Fall in Love With Judaism
August 27, 2008
By Danielle Berrin

In ancient Jerusalem, the holiday of Tu B'Av was celebrated when unmarried women would dress in white and dance through the vineyards, hoping to catch a man's eye. JConnectLA put a modern spin on the ancient ritual with an Aug. 14 "Love Fest," a late-night romp at Fu's Palace that focused on Jewish culture over romance.

But not everyone gave up on love. Michal Taviv, JconnectLA's program director, donned a wedding dress for the occasion.

Jewish pride seeped through every act: Moshav and comedian Smooth-E entertained a raucous crowd; Modern Tribe, Jewcy, Rabbi's Daughters and Threaded Heritage sold their goods in a "Heebster shuk" (thongs with Jewish catchphrases, anyone?); Rabbi Yonah and Rachel Bookstein, creators of Jewlicious, presided over "Instant Matchmaking"; and author and event co-organizer, Lisa Alcalay Klug, debuted her new book, "Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe."

"There is an organic synergy between the work JConnectLA does and the aims of Jewlicious and my own aims," Alcalay Klug said. "My book is celebration of Jewish culture, a rally call to identify as a proud and informed Jew -- it elevates Jewish unity and community and having fun with who we are."

It's the new Tu B'Av: Fall in love with being Jewish.

San Francisco Chronicle

2008-09-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

Leah Garchik Thursday, September 25, 2008
San Francisco Chronicle

"Cool Jew" provides directions for making a shofar, the ram's horn trumpet used in synagogue. These begin with boiling the horn in water and baking soda for a couple of hours to remove cartilage and end with warnings about keeping the thing kosher: Don't drill holes in it. Don't paint it.

Finally, the most modern caveat: "Don't choose a shofar online. Before you buy, it's best to know how thy horn doth blow. Pucker up!"

Radio and TV Report

2008-09-09T09:57:00.001-07:00

Jon Stewart... Adam Sandler... Judd Aptow...

Why It’s Cool to be Jewish

It hasn’t always been easy for the chosen people, with all the
enslavement and the wandering in the desert. Even today,
being Jewish can have its burdens (see the Middle East), but
here in America it’s hip to be a Jew.

Jews are an integral part of America. The entertainment industry
in America would practically shut down without the
talents of numerous members of The Tribe. Imagine the
movies without Harrison Ford and Dustin Hoffman; the music
industry without Paul Simon and Bob Dylan; and how could
you possibly get your news fix without Jon Stewart’s Daily
Show? And don’t forget the political cool that is Supreme
Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Governor
Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania. Not to mention the Jewish
scientists, inventors and writers who have enriched our lives.

Lisa Alcalay Klug thinks being Jewish
is about much more than bagels and lox,
it’s a state of mind. “It's about moxie,
about feeling Yiddishe foxy! Because
when you're of Da Tribe, you've got
Da Vibe.” she says.

Klug has written the ultimate field manual
for 21st century Jews and the people
who love them. Her book COOL JEW:
The Ultimate Guide for Every Member
of the Tribe decodes contemporary
Judaism and its hippest forms of
cultural expression.

Bring Lisa on for a funny show
that includes:
• The “Heebster Jewke Box,” tunes
that rock the Jewish vibe.
• What you need to know to
Super Jew yourself or just be
friend the Jewish people.
• Thoughts on Jewish identity,
rituals, clothing and cuisine.
• Tips for Jews on how to behave in the South,
Siberia, and other hostile territories.

CREDENTIALS: The daughter of an Ashkenazi Holocaust
survivor and the descendant of a Sephardic chief rabbi of
Sarajevo, Lisa Alcalay Klug is an American-born journalist
whose work has appeared in a wide range of mainstream
and Jewish publications, including the New York
Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press and Los
Angeles Times. Lisa has also written for Jewish Living,
Hadassah, Canadian Jewish News, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, and many other media outlets.

CONTACT: Shelly Barkes, (800) 851-8923, ext. 6818,
sbarkes@amuniversal.com

The Forward: Keeping It Cool

2008-09-07T23:39:00.000-07:00

California journalist and Forward contributor Lisa Alcalay Klug has authored the new book Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe (Andrews McMeel Publishing), a funny compendium of Jews in pop culture, holiday survival guides, fashion and style tips, crash courses in “Kabba Lah Lah” and more. Klug’s self-proclaimed “pride in Jewish culture, schmaltz and a reverent irreverence” shines through on every page. The Forward’s Josh Richman caught up with Klug on topics ranging from her own upbringing to her love of the Mani-Tini (a concoction involving vodka, fruit juice and Manischewitz Blackberry) and more.

Josh Richman: Being the daughter of an Ashkenazic Holocaust survivor and the descendant of a Sephardic chief rabbi of Sarajevo doesn’t immediately sound like a recipe for religious irreverence. Tell us a little about your upbringing.

Lisa Alcalay Klug: Actually, being the product of an Ashkenazic-Sephardic home lends itself well to irreverence. Our home was like a cultural Cuisinart. My mom’s accent is a bit like Ricky Ricardo’s, and my dad’s is more like Dr. Ruth’s. My book is in no way autobiographical, but once you know my background, you can read some of that between the lines. My parents’ rich Jewish experiences took root in other countries and cultures. And “Cool Jew” grew out of all the ways I’ve sought to create meaningful Jewish experiences of my own. I’m not fond of labels, but you might say I’m an Ashkefardic Neo-Hasidish Shomeret Shabbat Carlebachian Post-Labelficationist Sheebster. (more)

Orange County Jewish Life Review of Cool Jew

2008-09-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

View online -- go to page 63

An Inverview on the Jewish Television Network

2008-09-05T10:00:00.001-07:00

The Jewish Magazine

2008-08-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

The Jewish Magazine, Toronto Canada

News from D.C.

2008-08-27T06:18:00.001-07:00

Danielle Freni, at the national office of Hillel, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life,

posted this awesome story (yep, I'm saying so myself) about the book and the coolest Jew I know... my dad. You rocked it and locked it, Danielle!

Check it out!

Descended from a long line of Ladino-speaking Jews, the chief Sephardic rabbi of Sarajevo and an Ashkenazi Holocaust survivor, Lisa Alcalay Klug is well-rooted in her Judaism. But for those members of the Tribe less informed about their Hebraic history, Klug has compiled a nearly inch-thick handbook to bring young (and old) Jews up-to-speed. More...

Jewcy

2008-07-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Jewcy blogger Jessica Miller got a hold of da book. In her words:

Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe by Lisa Alcalay Klug: A step by step how-to guide to transforming yourself into the ultimate cool Jew, or "Heebster." Includes lots of great graphics.

Winning clip: "Yarmulke, shmarmulke. When it's so jewcy, why only wear it on your head? Sew leather shoelaces on a matching pair to create a sexy string bikini top for your next Jewish singles cruise."

Big ups Jessica!

The "Kosher Response"

2008-07-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Weekly

ANDREWS MCMEEL
Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe (Sept., $12.99) by Lisa Alcalay Klug delivers the kosher response to The Preppy Handbook.

The Big Reveal

2008-07-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

Cool Jew officially debuts Sept. 1.

Even so, Cool Jew garnered attention during its industry debut at Book Expo America in Los Angeles, where Lisa handed her book to Barbara Walters, who handed Lisa her book in return!

LASplash.com: Art & Books

Book Expo America Splashes into L A

By M D Caprario

Book Expo America, the US publishing industry's annual gathering of all people and things "Bookish," took place this year at its Los Angeles venue. Once again, the event amazed with its number of authors, agents, publishers, celebrities and others gathered in one place.

America. (More...)