JEWTOPIA: you've seen the play, now read the book

Jewtopia - The

Chosen Book for

the Chosen People

by Bryan Fogel and

Sam Wolfson

Little, Brown, £16.99

WITH stars such as Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, Jerry Seinfeld and Lenny Bruce to name but a few, it's obvious the comedy industry has been graced by talented Jewish performers.

Americans Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson might not fit alongside those distinguished names just yet - but they are heading in that direction.

Taking a huge financial risk, they stumped up the funds - courtesy of credit cards and parents - to put on their own production, Jewtopia.

It proved worthwhile, with the play becoming the longest running theatrical comedy in the history of LA.

And after the successful play, of course, comes the spin-off book.

Jewtopia is a huge mishmash of stories, sketches, gags and illustrations that covers pretty much every stereotype and misconception about Jewish life.

Some things will gently amuse such as the self-proclaimed mummy's-boy authors' transcripts of their regular telephone calls home. While other elements will shock, such as the illustrated Jewish Kama Sutra and the foreword by Herbie Hitler - spoof grandson of Adolf.

Highlights include lists such as Who's your favourite Moses?, with choices including basketball legend Moses Malone, scholar Moses Mendelssohn and, of course, the original chap who led the children of Israel to the promised land.

Then there's the Jewish conspiracy theories - do Jews really run Hollywood, the media, the worlds banks? The answers can all be found in Jewtopia.

The price is perhaps a bit higher than you would normally pay for what is essentially a novelty book. But then,

with more than 200 packed pages, there are plenty of bits and pieces to jolt the funny bone.

Matt Eley