Jesus Plays the Catskills -- Is This Kosher?

The Prince of Peace tells his story and teachings as a Jewish stand-up comic in the Borscht Belt.

(PRWEB) April 6, 2004 --Mel Gibson's new movie, "The Passion of the Christ," may be riling some Jewish groups because of its portrayal of Jews as Christ's killer, but here's what the victim himself has to say in Sam Weiss's outrageous but hilarious and uplifting new book, JESUS PLAYS THE CATSKILLS:
   
"For two tousand years everyvon taut vas de Jews dat killed me," says the Prince of Peace to the audience, pacing the stage with mike in hand, "but den kem de Vettiken Consul II vitch chenched all dat. Now ve know de trute -- vas de Puerto Ricans."
   
Author Weiss, who describes himself as a "spiritual fellow with a far-out sense of humor," acknowledges he has already offended some Christians with his lighthearted portrayal of Jesus as a Jewish comic in the Borscht Belt, and that some Jews have been upset by the Jewish dialect in which the book is written.
   
Nevertheless, he expressed surprise at the uproar, insisting he fully respects major core beliefs expressed in the Gospels, such as Christ's "virgin birth." As Jesus's father puts it to his son when asked whether he had sex with the Holy Mother before Christ was born, "Vhat, you call it sex vhen in de middle from it you modder says to me, 'Joe, de silling could use penting?' You call it sex vhen de only vay to get her in de mood vas to use a four letter vord: SALE?"
   
Despite the grumpiness in some quarters, mainstream Christian and Jewish clergy are already hailing JESUS PLAYS THE CATSKILLS as a classic of interfaith humor and a great way to present Christ's story and teachings to a modern audience.
   
Plainly, Weiss's one-of-a-kind version of the passion of Christ is stirring as much passion as Gibson's -- namely, laugh-out-loud pleasure and inspiration!