What to Do When You're Dating a Jew: Everything You Need to Know from Matzoh Balls to Marriage

by Jennifer A. Block and Vikki Weiss

Book Overview

Learn everything you need to know about the holidays, traditions, beliefs, and culture of the Jew you love . . . and his or her family. From what to order in a Kosher deli to what to wear to a Purim... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0609806394
• ISBN13: 9780609806395
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (CA)
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 9.1" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

Rings true page after page

Let a Jew read this book, they will laugh out loud. It's full of jokes that ring so true, you may even blush. However, it's also an extremely useful guide for non-Jews looking to learn a bit about Jewish religion and culture.That said, please don't misunderstand. This is a fun readable book, not a serious reference work. If you need training in Talmudic interpretation, this isn't the book for you.

Extremely Helpful!!!

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a non-Jew and is dating a Jew. My friends bought this for me as a joke when I (a nice Irish-Catholic girl) started seeing a Jewish guy....and here we are 2 years later in a very serious relationship. This book helped me understand so much about Judaism. I knew what to bring to shiva calls and I knew not to blow out the candles on my boyfriend's menorah! And my boyfriend even read the entire book...he said it was a refresher course for him. There was some things in there that he had either forgotten or had never even known. Trust me - this book is worth reading. I always keep it on hand in case I need to look anything up. And there are some great stories in there about other interfaith couples that you can really relate to.

The Perfect Gift

I bought two copies of What to Do When You're Dating a Jew to give to two friends. One friend's daughter was engaged to a Jewish man and the other friend's son is married to a Jewish woman. I started looking through the book in the book store and decided that I needed a third copy for myself!I have finished reading it now and found it as entertaining as it was informative. I enjoyed my friend's daughter's wedding so much more by understanding the traditions. I was even able to dance the hora with joyful enthusiasm!The mother of the bride told me that her daughter had to buy her another a copy of the book. She had taken to her future in-laws home and they could not part with it.I found the book packed with useful information. I would recommend it for anyone who would like a light-hearted, helpful, readable book. I found it to be a perfect gift for others, as well as for myself.

Much more than expected

I bought this book expecting it to be a funny book about the trials of interfaith relationships and it was. In fact, it was greatly entertaining. I didn't expect there to be so much information that really tells you about being Jewish for a sheltered Protestant like me. I wish I'd had this book years ago when my non-Jewish friends and I held a surprise baby shower for our Jewish friend -- at her house! (You'll have to read the book to find out why this was a terrible error.) Our gracious Jewish friend never said it word about it. It was years later I found out where we went wrong.

A Perfect Resource

This book is loaded with information about not only Jewish laws, but the little traditions and rituals that aren't exactly covered in most text books. It is often these family traditions that catch the non-Jew off guard and end up putting them ten steps behind in the battle to win the family over.More than just teach "what" the rules are, the authors do a briliant job of explaining "why". What I really loved was that they present the information in a very easy to read format that allows readers to dive into an issue or simply get a few quick tips.But this book does more...while it is helpful to learn about the basics of Judaism, it is also wonderful to know that you are not alone "What to do when You're Dating a Jew" is enriched with stories from the front line of those involved in interfaith relationships. Often it is these types of stores and how those involved reacted that offer the best advice. The authors have done a great job of finding a perfect balance of stores that cover issues as light as what to bring for dinner and as intense as preparing for a wedding.Probably the best part of the book is the use of humor. Those involved in interfaith relationships know how difficult they can be, but if we can't at least find a way to laugh at the situations, then too often the relationship can go sour. "What to do When Dating a Jew" does a perfect job of allowing the readers to laugh at themselves and those involved, yet does not take it too far and lose sight of the seriousness and difficulties involved.