Did Jew Know?: A Handy Primer on the Customs, Culture & Practice of the Chosen People

I’m part Jewish but, having been raised in a non-religious way, never knew much about the history or faith. The history of the Jewish people is a bit glossed over in favor of the history of traditions, terms, and the fascinating look into how certain professions were mastered due to being barred from owning land, attending colleges, and other social exclusions. The book is humorous, which makes it a much lighter read, but I never realized the enormous impact the Jews have had on the U.S. who welcomed them but with restrictions. From banking, to the entertainment industry, to comedy and TV, to ubiquitous street vendors in NY city. Pretty amazing for people who comprise only .02% of the world’s population. For anyone who wants a full history of this country, reading about the influence of the Jewish immigrants is eye opening. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Yiddish phrases. This book has made me understand my Jewish heritage better and appreciate it more. The Amazon book page shows the page count as 176 but it’s really over 300 pages.

When writing specifically about Judaism, the author is accurate. When writing about Christianity she's inaccurate. Paul the Apostle did NOT abandon Judaism! He celebrated every Jewish holy day! He wanted his people to be saved. The idea that the mother of John the Baptist was a woman of ill repute comes from where? She was Elizabeth, married to the priest Zechariah, a very devout and elderly Jewish couple and they were the parents of John. Read the first chapter of Luke's Gospel!I know that the Jewish people have been terribly discriminated against and persecuted and murdered for 2000+ years and that's due to individuals and churches. But neither the Ha'Mashiach (Messiah) or His early followers would ever condone such a thing. On the contrary! They were all good Jews. They were against the Jewish leaders excluding people from the Temple: the poor, the sick the lame and sinners. For YAH'SHUA (Jesus) said He had come to, "save sinners not the (self) righteous." It was the Jewish leaders who were against YAH'SHUA and His followers and who convinced Pilate to have Him crucified, not the Jewish people as a whole. That's why the leaders did what they did quickly and secretly so the people didn't know because the people loved YAH'SHUA, Who "spoke with authority and not like the Scribes and Pharisees." All this truth is finally being revealed in this 21st and the the twentieth centuries. People, both Jews and non-Jews who really care about the truth know this. Even Pope Francis!

As a cultural Jew and religious atheist I found this book to be a thorough and interesting detailing of my childhood memories and heritage.

I liked the book it is a little too long & repetitive.

Emily Stone is truly gifted with the written word. "Did Jew Know?" is a well-researched and detailed unpacking of Jewish History, Jewish culture, customs, and practice written with a sense of casual and eloquent warmth of a good friend telling you just how it all is. The humor is intelligent, original, surprising, and keeps you turning pages (or swiping my finger across the kindle as it were). I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding the Jews in their life or their own Jewish identity in the world. The book thoughtfully gives voice to the diversity of the present Jewish diaspora while celebrating the vitality, significance, and spiritual value of tradition, scholarship, and history. It's just a great book, fun, provocative, and inspiring with stories, examples, and engaging ways of structuring the text with boxes and special highlighted "Did Jew Knowisms…" that create for a lively, interactive, and innovative reading experience.

A compact guide to Jewish history and observance, together with Jewish contributions to entertainment, literature, and many other realms. There is adequate discussion of surface differences between different strains of American Judaism, but virtually nothing related to deep spirituality. With the latter exception, coverage is quite amazing, especially given the book's relative brevity, and the information provided appears to be trustworthy. Most sections are fun to read. I didn't mind the light, sometimes irreverent, style, but I found the stylistic tic illustrated in the title grating. Since it appears so often, I subtracted a star. But this is still a highly recommendable book--an excellent brief introduction to the non-spiritual aspects of Judaism.

Did Jew Know that being Jewish is a rich thing to be, and that there is SO much to be learned about this existence that goes beyond whatever you grew up thinking you knew. A slightly irreverent, very educational look at many different aspects about the history and diversity of Jews around the world. Many things are discussed that one would have difficulty finding anywhere else, or have explained in as easily understandable manner. I enjoyed reading about many things I thought I already knew, but didn't really; and being exposed to things I knew nothing about. I would recomment this to both someone who is Jewish, and anyone else who is curious about this strange and unique collection of people.

If you’re Jewish you will know that this is the funniest book ever.

Amazing book! The style of writing is so informal, it feels like Miss Stone is having a conversation with the reader. I bought it to top-up my knowledge- so that I understand what's going on at shul ;)