Our Pal, God and Other Presumptions - A Book of Jewish Humor (Hardcover)

Many books have been written about the meaning and purpose of humor. In 'Our Pal, God and Other Presumptions: A Book of Jewish Humor, author Jeffry V. Mallow provides a collection of the best jokes from Jewish communities around the world. Inside you'll find humor across both space and time: jokes from the Bible and from around the world, as well as Jew versus Gentile and Jew versus Jew jokes. There are even jokes with both Jewish and other cultural variants, with an analysis of their similarities and differences. Mallow shares his insights, gleaned from his many years of collecting and telling jokes. For example, he's learned the rules of Jewish humor: * Rule #1-There are (almost) no new jokes * Rule #2-Rule #1 is not exactly true * Rule #3-There are variants of what we think of as Jewish jokes in other cultures * Rule #4-Rule #3 is not exactly true * Rule #5-Timing is everything Mallow has tested these stories over three decades of stand-up comedy-to both Jews and Gentiles, from college-age students to ninety-year-olds. shows how different forms of Jewish humor reflect and illuminate Jewish life in various lands.