Eisenberg and Scolnic Publish Jewish Dictionary and Speak on the Whole Megillah

    MERION STATION, PA, April 03, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- What is the groom stomping on at the end of a Jewish wedding?

What are the Jewish foods on the seder plate?

Who is a shmendrick - and do you want to friend him on Facebook?

What do you take to the home of a Jewish friend when making a condolence call?

The answers to these and other questions can be found in the "Dictionary of Jewish Words" (Jewish Publication Society 2006) by Joyce Eisenberg (www.thewordmavens.com/joyce.html) and Ellen Scolnic (www.thewordmavens.com/ellen.html). This best-seller is a fun-to-read, indispensable reference to more than 1,400 Jewish words. Organized in an A to Z format, the dictionary (www.thewordmavens.com/thebook.html) lets the reader quickly and easily look up the Hebrew, Yiddish and English words associated with Jewish holidays and life-cycle events, Jewish culture, modern Israel, sacred texts and synagogue life. More than just a dictionary, the book is also an excellent primer on the history and significance of Jewish customs and traditions.

The "Dictionary of Jewish Words" has a pronunciation guide; cross references to direct readers to related terms for more information; and indexes, where words are grouped by category, such as "keeping kosher," "Judaica" and "prayers." The dictionary is a handy, user-friendly resource, not just for Jews but also for anyone who encounters Jewish words, terms or expressions and wants to check their meaning.

Guest speakers Scolnic and Eisenberg, The Word Mavens, present an entertaining and enlightening program (www.thewordmavens.com/thebooktalk.html), based around their dictionary, that's ideal for sisterhoods, men's club or brotherhood brunches, senior groups, Jewish Community Center programs and other Jewish organizations. For more than five years, these Philadelphia authors have shared with appreciative audiences nationwide the unusual facts they uncovered while researching and writing their book, humorous stories about living a Jewish life that they've collected from their audiences, and entertaining anecdotes of Yiddish misuse that they encounter.

Their book presentation has received rave reviews from parents in the midst of planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, bubbes who kiss a punim, intermarried couples cooking for the Jewish holidays, and everyone who wants to know more about Jewish traditions, foods, synagogue ceremonies and colorful Yiddish expressions.

For more information about booking the Word Mavens for a book signing, guest speaking engagement, special event or scholar-in-residence program, visit them on the web at www.thewordmavens.com

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