{"title":"Books by Tuvia Tenenbom","description":"\u003cp\u003eTuvia Tenenbom, the Israeli-American writer, playwright, and founder of the Jewish Theater of New York, is famous for going undercover to reveal what people really think. From the Israeli bestseller Catch the Jew! to I Sleep in Hitler's Room, The Lies They Tell, Hello Refugees!, and The Taming of the Jew, his fearless and funny reporting takes on antisemitism and identity around the world. Explore the full collection, in English and Hebrew.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"catch-the-jew","title":"Catch the Jew!","description":"\u003cp\u003eCatch the Jew! recounts the adventures of Tuvia Tenenbom, who wanders around Israel of our time calling himself “Tobi the German.” In the course of numerous interviews Tuvia extracts information, sentiments, hidden theories and delusional visions motivating the miscellany of peoples forming the present-day Holy Land. Does Palestinian wife number one hate the Jews more than she hates wife number two? Who does a young German tourist hate more, her dead Nazi grandpa or the just-born Jewish baby? Who finances cash-rich NGOs pursuing a Judenrein Israel? Who sets Palestinian olive groves on fire and why? What do you see from a Piper Cherokee above a Bedu camp? Who are the flaming feminists who sacrifice their lives for the rights of polygamists? Whose land is this, anyway? In the course of his seven-months journey Tobi the German discovers Syrian flags growing inside apples, she-asses who used to be men, five-star refugee camps, flying prophets, cash-loving guardians of the poor, masturbating monks in eternal love of Palestinians, human rights activists in eternal hatred of Jews, cash-rich rabbis without congregations, families growing in cemeteries – among many others. Catch the Jew!, the most humorous composition on the Middle East to date, is a polyglot spin around a cultural miscegenation in a very small space. However, its never-daunted author finds that with labneh, strudel, olive oil, apple pie, kebab, rugelach, hummus and schnitzel, a happy tummy can bear us through even the most appalling matters. Except the conclusion.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuvia Tenenbom \/ טוביה טננבום","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336681247030,"sku":"g798a \/ 798-3","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i118046.91796.jpg?v=1785310964"},{"product_id":"catch-the-jew-hebrew","title":"תפוס ת'יהודי!","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the Hebrew edition of Catch the Jew! Tefos et Hayehudi is the Hebrew title and it recounts the adventures of gonzo journalist Tuvia Tenenbom, who wanders around Israel and the Palestinian Authority for seven months in search of the untold truths in today's Holy Land. With holy chutzpah, Tenenbom boldly goes where no Jew has gone before, at times risking his life as he assumes the identities of Tobi the German and even Abu Ali in order to probe into the many stories in this strange land and poke holes in all of them. From the self-hating leftists in Tel Aviv to the self-promoting PLO execs in Ramallah, from the black-clad Haredim of Bet Shemesh to the glowing foreign human rights activists in Beit Hanina, from Jewish settlers and the Christians who come from abroad to toil with them to ardent Jerusalem monks and Bedouins in surprisingly glorious shacks, Tenenbom takes on the people of the land, getting to know them and disarming them as he breaks bread and mingles with anyone and everyone. Does Palestinian wife number one hate the Jews more than she hates wife number two? Who finances cash-rich NGOs pursuing a Judenrein Israel? Who sets Palestinian olive groves on fire and why? What is the emotional gravity that pulls idealistic human rights activists from other countries to Israel and only to Israel? Who are the flaming feminists who sacrifice their lives for the rights of polygamists? Whose land is this, anyway? By turns poignant, enraging, and laugh-out-loud funny, this unique travelogue lays bare the intensity of this turbulent land in an unprecedented, eye-opening education, person by person, city by city, and meal by meal. You will never look at Israel the same way again.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuvia Tenenbom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336682983734,"sku":"d808 \/ 8-229-808","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i118230.99602.jpg?v=1785310981"},{"product_id":"i-sleep-in-hitlers-room","title":"I Sleep in Hitler's Room","description":"\u003cp\u003eFour months on the Spiegel Best Seller list of Germany (equivalent to the New York Times' Best Seller list in the USA), I Sleep in Hitler's Room is a Jewish story, told the way Jewish stories are told: with biting humor. On the face of it, this book is a travelogue, a journal by a Jew from New York traveling in today's Germany. A very funny story indeed. But this is just part of the story, the smallest part of it. For I Sleep in Hitlers Room is also a book about modern anti-Semitism, about hate that refuses to disappear, about a disease that wont get cured and a curse that wont let go. Traveling across Germany and seeking out that elusive quality that is the German character, playwright and journalist Tuvia Tenenbom wonders whether he has identified it in any one of several striking social phenomena the proclivity of Germans to join clubs and group activities; how their aptitude for visual design shapes their architecture and their daily life; how their daily life is suffused with soccer and beer, the omnipresent beverage for all occasions; how they proudly self-define themselves by their achievements in precision technology; and, what is most disturbing to this son of Holocaust survivors, how their crushing awareness of their dark history coexists with virulent anti-Semitism and a stubborn obsession with Israel. Why is Europe, the cradle of our civilization, so obsessed with Jews? Read this book to find the answer. Tenenbom integrates deep seriousness with the most lighthearted comic touch in this critical but affectionate look at both left and right in contemporary German politics and society. I Sleep in Hitlers Room will make you think, make you worry, make you cry, and make you laugh out loud. It is a book you will never forget. Ever.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuvia Tenenbom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336694223158,"sku":"g871 \/ 871-3","price":11.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i223390.45856.jpg?v=1785311402"},{"product_id":"the-lies-they-tell","title":"The Lies They Tell","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe USA is the world’s empire and its actions will influence us all for generations to come. But who are the Americans, the people who make up America? Tuvia Tenenbom travels through America to find out. His wanderings take him across regional frontiers, partisan lines, and socioeconomic boundaries in a fearless quest for the flesh-and-blood American. He visits black ghettos and white gated communities, megachurches and Indian reservations. He schmoozes with robbers who teach him the true meaning of love and meets Jews who dedicate day and night to hatred of their brethren. He finagles his way into a prison where skinheads pray, goes to the Senate where no Senator seems to be working, experiments with drugs on American streets and ponders the deeper meaning of life with rednecks. He mingles with soldiers who teach him how to invade foreign countries and intellectuals who teach him the beautiful nature of Mother Earth, the goodness of man, and the sadism of the Israeli. The characters he encounters, the adventures he eagerly embraces and the findings of his journey are always unique and often unexpected. Welcome to the real America, a place you call home but don’t yet know.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuvia Tenenbom \/ טוביה טננבום","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336744784182,"sku":"g911a \/ 911-6","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i226430.57154.jpg?v=1785311644"},{"product_id":"hello-refugees","title":"Hello Refugees","description":"\u003cp\u003eGermany, the most racist of countries less than a century ago, has for the past two years welcomed over one million refugees, more than any other European country. To find out the secret behind this turn of character, Tuvia Tenenbom, a Jew born in Israel, presented himself as a Jordanian and was able to gain entry into many refugee camps. Living in squalid conditions in airless rooms, and with barely edible food, the refugees begged Tuvia to help them get out of the camps. When not with the refugees, Tuvia traveled through the land and mingled with the local people who shared with him that they, the Germans, were the kindest people in Europe, far superior to the inhumane” Jews. Tuvia Tenenbom's provocative re-enactment of the refugee reality in the middle of Europe, coupled with the rising anti-Semitism of the people who proclaim themselves to be kind, exposes the hypocrisy of the Refugees Welcome mantra chiming throughout the Western world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuvia Tenenbom \/ טוביה טננבום","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336752222518,"sku":"931-4","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i228572.74201.jpg?v=1785311799"},{"product_id":"the-taming-of-the-jew","title":"The Taming of the Jew","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Taming of the Jew, Israel's number one best-selling e-book, is Tuvia Tenenbom's funniest and most disturbing book to date. For months on end, Tuvia roamed through the four nations that make up the United Kingdom Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales. He interacted with anyone and everyone who came his way throughout his journey: from the terrifying ghosts long dead to the highly esteemed lords and baronesses very much alive, most of whom happened to be anti-Semites. But that's not all. While wandering around, Tuvia caught a nap in Winston Churchill's room, curled up in Hillary Clinton's European bed, played cat-and-mouse with the most famous Labour politician, Jeremy Corbyn, and enjoyed excellent tobacco with the Brexit architect, Nigel Farage. In between, he drank the blackest of coffees with a well-known bank robber, maintained close contact with an eagle, swallowed a monster, and chatted with Jewish leaders who fervently defended every anti-Semite in Her Majesty's Kingdom. What differentiates this book from other books is this: This book is very funny. Yaron London, Channel 11 TV (Israel) Amazingly frank, amusing, fearless and chuzpadik wonderfully readable. Highly recommended. Neville Teller, The Jerusalem Report (Israel) If J.D. Salinger and John Steinbeck collaborated on antisemitism in the UK, they might have written The Taming of the Jew. H. Fragman Abramson, Jewish Press (USA) This is a frightening book and deserves to be read. David Herman, The Article(UK) A pointed, savage and often comic travelogue about attitudes in Britain and Ireland … Most excruciating, he finds perfectly 'tamed' British Jews who equivocate about the Jew-hatred in their country. Melanie Phillips, Jewish Chronicle (UK) Quizzical and tragic at the same time, the sort of comedy sketches that Samuel Beckett might have written if he were Jewish rather than Irish. David Goldman, Algemeiner (USA) An excellent book! Avri Gilad, Channel 13 TV (Israel) An accurate picture of reality, more accurate than BBC and CNN. Roman Joch, Lidové Noviny (Czech Republic) Razor sharp, sarcastic, occasionally even shocking, and very entertaining. Petr Kolář, MF DNES (Czech Republic) Tenenbom’s books are easy to read and digest. They are funny, full of self-depricating humor, and describe situations the writer finds himself in, accidentally or intentionally, that lead the reader to be fully engaged. Zvika Klein, Makor Rishon (Israel) Knowing how to deal with the everyday comic moments of life, while integrating the bizarre parts of the same life, is a craft and Tenenbom has it. Christopher Wimmer, taz, die tageszeitung (Germany) You will be amused, and often laugh out loud because Tenenbom is funny. Walter Kaufmann, Neues Deutschland (Germany) Full of investigative chutzpah and laughter, poetic like a bird flapping its wings, and sensual like a man loudly enjoying his meal ... mixing British wit and Talmudic subtleties. Matthias Matussek, Die Weltwoche (Switzerland) Without prejudice, and employing subtle humor, Tenenbom listens to his interviewees as they are desperately justifying themselves. Steffen Könau, Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (Germany) Tenenbom is the Egon Erwin Kirsch of our time. Henryk M. Broder, Achgut (Germany) Tenenbom’s writing is laced with great entertainment, while at the same time providing much knowledge. Ulrike Borowczyk, Hamburger Abendblatt\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuvia Tenenbom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337044349238,"sku":"7023-43","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i289658.52859.jpg?v=1785315681"},{"product_id":"careful-beauties-ahead","title":"Careful, Beauties Ahead!","description":"\u003cp\u003eTuvia Tenenbom, son and grandson of ultra-Orthodox rabbis, left the fold while a very young man. Decades later he comes back, living for over a year in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem, arguably the most authentic ultra-Orthodox community anywhere in the world. Tenenbom, a bestselling author of many books, wanted to know how the Orthodox culture and way of life had changed, if it had, and how restrictive it is these days in an increasingly restrictive world outside of it. To answer this question, and many others, he became one of them again, doing what they do: praying with them at synagogues and studying with them at yeshivas, eating with them, singing with them, joining them for shabbat meals, driving with them to the graves of their holy rabbis, chatting with their spiritual leaders and all the while speaking God’s language, Yiddish. In time he gained their trust, people opened to him, and their world of faith revealed itself in all its fascination and contradictions. This book is a spiritual journey to the world of faith, packed with Jewish humor, Jewish fears, Jewish wisdom, and Jewish traditions. A spiritual journey full of Jewish wit and wisdom. The Jerusalem Post The book is full of laughs and great scenes, and Tenenbom has the rare combination of knowledge, guts, and flair to write a book that can have elements of critique and respect at the same time. ‘Careful, Beauties Ahead!’ is his best book yet. The Algemeiner A fun journey with many laugh-out-loud moments, not something I often do reading a book. Tenenbom is one of the few modern gonzo journalists who does not place his own agenda first and foremost but listens to the people he is interviewing. Jewish Journal Extraordinary, profound, enlightening, and entertaining. Der Spiegel With a lot of humor, and in countless anecdotes, Tuvia Tenenbom opens the doors to a world that doesn’t reveal much about itself at first. Bayerischer Rundfunk Tuvia Tenenbom has written a fascinating book, shedding light on the world of ultra-Orthodox Jews. The intensity of Jerusalem, evident to the casual visitor of the city, builds up in the reader the more he reads this book. The tourist, who will hopefully come to Jerusalem again soon, will now see the people of Mea Shearim with totally different eyes. Süddeutsche Zeitung Tenenbom writes down the facts as they are – and, as it is usually with him, they are often bizarre and hilarious.… Tenenbom succeeds here in painting an exhilarating description of a largely unknown group of people who, out of ignorance, are often depicted as a negative caricature of ‘the Jew. Hamburger Abendblatt A book full of warmth and benevolence. tz München Gripping, extremely funny, mercilessly direct, this first-person report – subjective, pointed and biting as one could expect from the suspenders-wearing chubby man – is rousing and very human. NDR He provokes, but he also has a lot of humor. Deutschlandfunk Kultur You read this smart, funny book with curiosity. Tenenbom’s delicate and biting, ever humane gaze into the sometimes irrational is a blessing – especially since the 7th of October. Kurier With a wry smile, Tuvia Tenenbom recounts his encounters with holy men, skeptical believers, and scientists tasked with explaining how everything is interconnected. Why are ultra-Orthodox often labeled as anti-Zionists? Who makes the most delicious kugels? Which Hasidic court sings the most beautifully? As a scout in the realm of the incomprehensible, he listens, notes, and explains without mockery. A tour guide who merely reports what he sees and experiences—a profound provocation in our day and time. Mitteldeutsche Zeitung Along with his sharp sense of humor, which runs through almost every line he writes, Tenenbom’s ability to assimilate into ultra-Orthodox society turns his book into a fascinating in-depth journey of ultra-Orthodox existence. Walla! Mind-changing, extraordinary, brilliant, fascinating, and entertaining anthropological journey into the world of the ultra-Orthodox. Kikar Hashabat Superb, superb, superb book. Tenenbom is the funniest, most entertaining writer in Israel. Channel 13 TV Tenenbom is the smartest, most entertaining researcher in town. Attila Somfalvi’s Barricade Podcast Those who loved his previous books will undoubtedly return and find here the good old Tenenbom again. As for those who have not yet been exposed to his writing, they will do well to be exposed to it now, for they will gain not only a new and refreshing insight into the ultra-Orthodox world, its parodies and humanity, but also an insight into Tuvia, a unique and colorful figure in the gallery of present-day Judaism. Makor Rishon\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuvia Tenenbom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337327497526,"sku":"7801-55","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i339347.88023.jpg?v=1785318992"},{"product_id":"excuse-me-is-this-yours","title":"Excuse Me, Is This Yours?","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn Excuse Me, Is This Yours?, Tuvia Tenenbom returns with his trademark blend of biting humor, blatant irreverence, and piercing curiosity in a bold work of literary journalism. What begins as a simple invitation to share a pizza with a charming Jerusalem journalist turns into a wild, unforgettable odyssey through the hills and wadis of Biblical Israel, a land known by many names: the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, the Occupied Territories, or simply, “that place.” As in his previous works, Tenenbom delights in being the outsider-insider: a proud Jew roaming the world in search of friend and foe alike, armed with a suitcase full of questions and, of course, contraband Indonesian cigarettes. The book’s tone is raw, hilarious, and deeply moving. Tenenbom’s affection for his subjects is real. So is his heartbreak over what has become of reasoned discourse, both in the Holy Land and beyond. Some readers may bristle at the book’s political incorrectness and its refusal to offer tidy conclusions. But that is precisely its strength. Excuse Me, Is This Yours? rejects intellectual laziness. It is a book that dares to offend because it dares to care. At a time when public discourse is increasingly polarized and predictable, this book stands apart. Urgent, fearless, and sharply observed, it confirms Tuvia Tenenbom as one of the most distinctive and daring voices in contemporary nonfiction. Praise for “Excuse me, Is this Yours?” “A joy to read!” Israel TV Channel 12 “An outstanding book!” Israel TV Channel 14 “Engaging and entertaining, at times sympathetic and even admiring, yet often provocative and even scathing... For that is Tenenbom: a volcano of energy that may, or might at any moment, erupt in several different directions.” Makor Rishon “A fascinating and unsettling eight-month journey.” Kikar HaShabbat “This book is a very delightful and entertaining experience. If I may, I truly recommend it.” Kan, Israel Public Radio “I’m not a Jew. By circumstance and by choice, I’m a Catholic. And yet almost no one gives voice to my views on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict the way Tuvia Tenenbom does. Do yourself a favor and buy this book, and then Tenenbom’s earlier books as well. You’ll come away with a much deeper understanding.” Mirek Topolánek, former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tuvia Tenenbom","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337355514166,"sku":"2297-27","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i354539.86337.jpg?v=1785319756"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/collections\/1.jpg?v=1786954957","url":"https:\/\/www.gefenpublishing.com\/collections\/tuvia-tenenbom.oembed","provider":"Gefen Publishing House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}