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Haikus for Jews: For You, a Little Wisdom
Why is this haiku book different from all other haiku books?
For centuries, the Japanese haiku has been one of the world's most dazzling poetic forms. In just three short lines, it captures the sublime beauty of nature--the croak of the bullfrog, the buzzing of the dragonfly, the shriek of the cicada, the scream of the cormorant. Now, with Haikus for Jews, there is finally a collection that celebrates the many advantages of staying indoors.
Inspired by ancient Zen teachings and timeless Jewish noodging, this masterful work is filled with insights that will make you exclaim, "Ah!" or at least "Oy!" Whether you are Jewish or you simply enjoy a good kosher haiku, these chai-kus (so called because of their high chutzpah content) are certain to amuse. What's more, with each poem limited to seventeen syllables, Haikus for Jews is perfect for people in a hurry. Find out why God has made these The Chosen Haikus.
For centuries, the Japanese haiku has been one of the world's most dazzling poetic forms. In just three short lines, it captures the sublime beauty of nature--the croak of the bullfrog, the buzzing of the dragonfly, the shriek of the cicada, the scream of the cormorant. Now, with Haikus for Jews, there is finally a collection that celebrates the many advantages of staying indoors.
Inspired by ancient Zen teachings and timeless Jewish noodging, this masterful work is filled with insights that will make you exclaim, "Ah!" or at least "Oy!" Whether you are Jewish or you simply enjoy a good kosher haiku, these chai-kus (so called because of their high chutzpah content) are certain to amuse. What's more, with each poem limited to seventeen syllables, Haikus for Jews is perfect for people in a hurry. Find out why God has made these The Chosen Haikus.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 1999
14 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
David M. Bader
6 books3 followersAlso published as David Bader
Manhattan attorney turned haiku humourist, David Bader is author of several US cult hits Haikus for Jews: For You, a Little Wisdom and Zen Judaism: For You, a Little Enlightenment. He lives and counts syllables in New York City.
Manhattan attorney turned haiku humourist, David Bader is author of several US cult hits Haikus for Jews: For You, a Little Wisdom and Zen Judaism: For You, a Little Enlightenment. He lives and counts syllables in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 3, 2008
Humorous collection of haikus.
"One of us must be/ the designated drinker--/ Jewish carousing."
"Left the door open/ for the Prophet Elijah./ Now our cat is gone."
"My nature journal--/ today, saw some trees and birds./ I should know their names?"
"A lovely nose ring/ excuse me while I put my/ head in the oven."
"Seven foot Jews in/ the NBA slam dunking--/ my alarm clock rings."
"Sorry I’m not home/ to take your call. At the tone/ please state your bad news."
This, the dust jacket asks, you call poetry? Yes, maybe no, but I do call it funny.
"One of us must be/ the designated drinker--/ Jewish carousing."
"Left the door open/ for the Prophet Elijah./ Now our cat is gone."
"My nature journal--/ today, saw some trees and birds./ I should know their names?"
"A lovely nose ring/ excuse me while I put my/ head in the oven."
"Seven foot Jews in/ the NBA slam dunking--/ my alarm clock rings."
"Sorry I’m not home/ to take your call. At the tone/ please state your bad news."
This, the dust jacket asks, you call poetry? Yes, maybe no, but I do call it funny.
February 8, 2016
A late December gift,
Christmas or Hanukkah?
What "Thank you" card to buy?
A lovely little book, some of the haikus are laugh out loud funny. Some will just make you groan.
As the Jewish part of a Jewish/Japanese family i find this the perfect book to linger over while in the kotatsu drinking saki and eating a nice piece bread with schmaltz.
Christmas or Hanukkah?
What "Thank you" card to buy?
A lovely little book, some of the haikus are laugh out loud funny. Some will just make you groan.
As the Jewish part of a Jewish/Japanese family i find this the perfect book to linger over while in the kotatsu drinking saki and eating a nice piece bread with schmaltz.
March 28, 2012
From the sublime to the hysterically funny! Clever!
December 29, 2015
Gift from a dear friend.
Not Jewish, missed a few jokes--
I laughed anyway.
Clever little book.
But it really should be called
Thus: "Haiku for Jew."
Not Jewish, missed a few jokes--
I laughed anyway.
Clever little book.
But it really should be called
Thus: "Haiku for Jew."
May 31, 2016
Funny stuff.
May 30, 2022
To be clear, I'm not Jewish.
Found this in a book drop.
It was funny! Good comedy!
Found this in a book drop.
It was funny! Good comedy!
July 5, 2014
A short book packed with hilarious Haikus based on Jewish in jokes, culture, and tradition. If you're not Jewish, you may not understand some of the references, but if you are, you will be doubled over at times.
Read
July 18, 2007My favorite form of poetry about my favorite people.
October 21, 2007
A little sweet, a little funny
August 11, 2016
Hilarious! ... And often true.
March 7, 2019
Loved this so much I bought copies for various Jewish and/or Japanese relatives!
October 10, 2012
The funniest book I've ever read, no exceptions. Absolutely fantastic.
July 29, 2020
This is a cute collection of Jewish-themed haikus, or chai-kus ("so called because of their high chutzpah content"). Jews and Gentiles alike can enjoy these good kosher haikus. The book has a short foreword and then a bit over 90 haikus. The humor is light and simple, with a bit of Jewish wisdom and wit. It is a short and quick read that may make you smiled. I liked this one.
July 27, 2022
Absolutely hilarious! (Which should have earned it a 6th star had there been one to award.) Every lover of fine poetry will hate this, but the other 7.9 billion world citizens will be enthralled unless they’re complete dunderheads.
August 30, 2017
Silly novelty book using classic haiku form to deliver Jewish punchlines. Some work, some lay there like a lox. A fast read with enough laughs to make it worth turning the pages.
September 5, 2018
Love, love, love this.
May 4, 2023
So funny
My type of humor. Really great with words. A wonderful talent. Too bad I have zero skill in this arena.
My type of humor. Really great with words. A wonderful talent. Too bad I have zero skill in this arena.
August 4, 2023
Fun, funny, light read. A good diversion in an afternoon. Plays on lots of Jewish stereotypes, which can be funny or biting.
December 20, 2021
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A little tiny collection of haiku with themes focusing on Jewish American life, primarily that of Ashkenazi Jews. Definitely amusing, a little corny, and very easy to read. I preface that the Jewish themes are both American and Ashkenazi because you won't find a Sephardic American Jew or a native-born Israeli that eats knishes, gefilte fish, or drinks egg cream. Well, they might, but only after some serious assimilation and even then you will more likely find them writing Haiku about levivot (fried vegetable latkes), dag moroccai (Moroccan fish in red sauce), and their morning Nescafe.
Summarized on inside jacket cover,
"For centuries, the Japanese haiku has been one of the world's most dazzling poetic forms. In just three short lines, it captures the sublime beauty of nature--the croak of the bullfrog, the buzzing of the dragonfly, the shriek of the cicada, the scream of the cormorant. Now, with Haikus for Jews, there is finally a collection that celebrates the many advantages of staying indoors.
Inspired by ancient Zen teachings and timeless Jewish noodging, this masterful work is filled with insights that will make you exclaim, "Ah!" or at least "Oy!"
Whether you are Jewish or you simply enjoy a good kosher haiku, these "chai-kus" (so called because of their high chutzpah content) are certain to amuse. What's more, with each poem limited to seventeen syllables, Haikus for Jew is is perfect for people in a hurry. Find out why Gd has made these The Chosen Haikus."
A few haiku from the collection that made me chuckle,
"Hey! Get back indoors!
Whatever you were doing
Could put on eye out."
"Testing the warm milk
on her wrist, she beams -- nice, but
her son is forty"
I received this book second-hand from someone moving to a new home desperate to get rid of their extensive library, and you know I didn't hesitate to drive across the city to get some books. I knew by the title it would probably be a bit cheesy, but a book about two subjects I love reading about, haiku and Jews, couldn't be passed up. I have been writing haiku for well over 18 years. I'm really not sure when I first read a haiku or why the style of poetry struck me as it did, but I haven't ever stopped writing haiku since. Haiku is to me the perfect breath of expression. A short, refreshing breath that can be so profound in its brevity. As much as I am a creative-minded person, I have a deep love for mathematics and the structure of Haiku with its 5-7-5 syllable count makes haiku a brain-bending exercise that forces the use of better vocabulary.
All in all, very entertaining, but find this one second-hand. Three stars for this little book. See it on my virtual shelf here, and in my library at Sunbird House here.
Until the next book review, be well.
Avigail
A little tiny collection of haiku with themes focusing on Jewish American life, primarily that of Ashkenazi Jews. Definitely amusing, a little corny, and very easy to read. I preface that the Jewish themes are both American and Ashkenazi because you won't find a Sephardic American Jew or a native-born Israeli that eats knishes, gefilte fish, or drinks egg cream. Well, they might, but only after some serious assimilation and even then you will more likely find them writing Haiku about levivot (fried vegetable latkes), dag moroccai (Moroccan fish in red sauce), and their morning Nescafe.
Summarized on inside jacket cover,
"For centuries, the Japanese haiku has been one of the world's most dazzling poetic forms. In just three short lines, it captures the sublime beauty of nature--the croak of the bullfrog, the buzzing of the dragonfly, the shriek of the cicada, the scream of the cormorant. Now, with Haikus for Jews, there is finally a collection that celebrates the many advantages of staying indoors.
Inspired by ancient Zen teachings and timeless Jewish noodging, this masterful work is filled with insights that will make you exclaim, "Ah!" or at least "Oy!"
Whether you are Jewish or you simply enjoy a good kosher haiku, these "chai-kus" (so called because of their high chutzpah content) are certain to amuse. What's more, with each poem limited to seventeen syllables, Haikus for Jew is is perfect for people in a hurry. Find out why Gd has made these The Chosen Haikus."
A few haiku from the collection that made me chuckle,
"Hey! Get back indoors!
Whatever you were doing
Could put on eye out."
"Testing the warm milk
on her wrist, she beams -- nice, but
her son is forty"
I received this book second-hand from someone moving to a new home desperate to get rid of their extensive library, and you know I didn't hesitate to drive across the city to get some books. I knew by the title it would probably be a bit cheesy, but a book about two subjects I love reading about, haiku and Jews, couldn't be passed up. I have been writing haiku for well over 18 years. I'm really not sure when I first read a haiku or why the style of poetry struck me as it did, but I haven't ever stopped writing haiku since. Haiku is to me the perfect breath of expression. A short, refreshing breath that can be so profound in its brevity. As much as I am a creative-minded person, I have a deep love for mathematics and the structure of Haiku with its 5-7-5 syllable count makes haiku a brain-bending exercise that forces the use of better vocabulary.
All in all, very entertaining, but find this one second-hand. Three stars for this little book. See it on my virtual shelf here, and in my library at Sunbird House here.
Until the next book review, be well.
Avigail
January 27, 2016
OMG..... LSHIWMP!
Ninety Four: Yes- All
Will leave you laughing so hard
You will almost choke
"........Inspired by ancient Zen teachings and timeless Jewish nioodging, this masterful work is filled with inshigts that will make you exclaim, 'Ah!' or at least 'Oy!'....."
There really isn't too much more to say, but I certainly understood them, although not everyone at work did....
Ninety Four: Yes- All
Will leave you laughing so hard
You will almost choke
"........Inspired by ancient Zen teachings and timeless Jewish nioodging, this masterful work is filled with inshigts that will make you exclaim, 'Ah!' or at least 'Oy!'....."
There really isn't too much more to say, but I certainly understood them, although not everyone at work did....
September 12, 2010
This little book was a fun read and since I'm interested in both poetry and Judaism, I thought this would be a nice book to read. It was very short didn't take me more than a day, but I enjoyed it and I thought it was very creative. I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a short read, but that is also a good book with a meaning/point to it. Go Jews!
March 14, 2011
Brilliant, with a fine sense of humor and a nuanced understanding of the many facets of Jewish culture.
October 9, 2012
I needed something light and fun and this fit the bill. Inspired by ancient Zen teachings and timeless Jewish noodging, the poems definitely amuse.
June 23, 2013
Embarrassingly good. Also very short.
January 9, 2016
Entertaining and charming. Quite brief, but still fun. Occasionally surprisingly insightful.
April 25, 2016
Nice. Short and funny.
Missed a few not knowing Yiddish terms.
Missed a few not knowing Yiddish terms.
June 19, 2016
Cover not haiku
Misses by one syllable
Story of this book.
Misses by one syllable
Story of this book.
April 23, 2017
"A lovely nose ring --
excuse me while I put my
head in the oven."
excuse me while I put my
head in the oven."
November 16, 2018
Short but gold ~♥~
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews