REVIEW: A Minyen Yidn (un andere zakhn)

By Max B. Perlson & Trina Robbins

A Bunch of Jews (and other stuff) is an illustrated memoir first published in the late '30s by Max Perlson, a Jewish immigrant and now adapted by his daughter, Trina, and a slew of artists.  Filled with tales of the Old County and life in early 20th century Brooklyn, A Minyen Yidn is a whimsical series of shorts providing a glimpse into Yiddish culture with a dash of folklore.

Aside from Maus and the works of Harvey Pekar, I'd not seen much in the comics medium about Jewish faith, culture, or history. Perlson's book provides another glimpse; one that's more lighthearted. It appeals to the hearth of ones heart and is unburdened by the cynicism represented in Pekar's work or the sheer horror of Maus. In all honesty, the three works present a poignant chronology of the Jewish people from the prewar era to modern times, but I digress. The 14 different stories presented herein run the gamut, dealing with faith, marriage, a healthy dose of humor, and a dash of sadness.    

The text is accompanied by exquisite black-and-white art from a cavalcade of illustrators. Each of the fourteen tales is drawn by a different artist, each with a unique style that still fits the book's overall style. A 'less is more' aesthetic pervades throughout A Minyen Yidn in both writing and art, and the two have a spectacular synergy between the covers.

I believe A Minyen Yidn is an important book, an all too scarce entry in a medium sometimes flooded with flash and little substance.  There's plenty of room for all, but comics possess the unique quality of serving as both art and literature, appealing to reader's mind and soul. Works like this help cement comics as legitimate pieces of literary history and you would do well to buy a copy posthaste.

Available from Bedside Press, A Minyen Yidn costs a paltry $15 USD and is well worth the investment.  In a glut of vacant superhero offerings, books like this deserve a much brighter spotlight than they usually are allotted.

Special thanks to Hope Nicholson of Bedside Press for providing a review copy. Hope is a champion of small-press comics and the preservation of vintage lesser-known works and well worth your attention.
See hopenicholson.com for more details and projects.