Beloved ‘Town of Chelm’ Returns

After enjoying decades of acclaim in the pages of The Jewish Press, the lovable, side-splitting tales from the legendary town of Chelm have recently been collected in the world’s first encyclopedia of Chelm stories.

In time for this year’s Chanukah gift-giving season, “The Silly World of Chelm,” has been published by Zalman Goldstein, of The Jewish Learning Group. The treasury of Jewish wit and whimsy brims with over 150 stories straight out of the fabled town of Chelm — the place where solving life’s practical problems was never a straightforward affair, but rather a rollicking journey into the inane.

The new 408-page book re-acquaints readers with all the unforgettable characters that they’ve come to know and love, including, “The Wise Sage of Chelm,” and humble “Shepsil.” The simple-minded, “Mottel the Tailor,” and riotous, “Berel the Terrible.” In all, original writer and creator, Arnold Fine’s recipe for simple and clean Jewish humor still delivers, and with so many stories gathered together in one book, THE SILLY WORLD OF CHELM is guaranteed to provide hours of enjoyment for the whole family.

In this new 8×10 large-format book, with a uniquely decorated padded cover, you’ll read about the, “Green-Eyed Monster,” and, “The Adventures of Kunkle and Munkle.” Enjoy the hilarious tale of “The Mayor’s Shoes,” and learn about the formation of the “Worriers of Chelm,” plus dozens and dozens of more, ever-popular tales.

“The brilliantly conceived, eccentric scenarios have, for decades, left readers of all ages in stitches with helpless laughter, all the while leaving them scratching their heads in wonderment,” explains Zalman Goldstein, “And being able to provide good, kosher humor to everyone is a privilege that is difficult to pass up. In this regard, the Silly World of Chelm really delivers.”

For those new to the world of Chelm, the following is a typical scenario: Moshe and Oizer decided to go into business together. So, they set out for the next village to purchase a barrel of wine. They placed the barrel carefully on their little donkey cart and headed back. As they rode home, Moshe turned to Oizer and asked, “Maybe I could have just a little wine, since the road is so dusty?”

“No, we can’t do that!” Oizer replied. “We invested all our savings in this barrel of wine. Anyone who gets a drink from the barrel must pay for it. We will charge ten kopecks per drink!”

Moshe reached into his pocket. “Here, I still have ten kopecks left.” He handed the coins to his friend and drew a cup of wine.

In a few minutes Oizer turned to Moshe. “You know, the road is dusty and I’m also parched. I think I, too, will purchase a drink from our stock. Here’s your ten kopecks back.” Oizer, too, drew a drink from the barrel, and they continued down the road. And so it went, back and forth, until they finished the barrel of wine.

When they reached the town of Chelm and saw their empty barrel, Oizer turned to Moshe and exclaimed, “What a remarkable world we live in! We purchased a barrel of wine for 100 kopecks. Sold only to each other. Each of us had our fill. And you still have your ten kopecks left. What an amazing world we live in!”

Here’s another: One day the people of Chelm gathered to build a new shul for the growing village. “But,” one of the elders called out. “If we dig the foundation for the new shul, where will we put the earth that will be taken out of the ground?” They all turned to the Sage and waited for his answer. “All we have to do is dig another hole to put the earth in!” The Sage explained quite innocently. “But,” persisted the elder, “Where will we put the earth we remove from the second hole that we will be digging?” The Sage smiled warmly. “That too, has a simple solution! We will dig a third hole, twice as big as the first, and place the earth from the second hole in that hole!”

Oh, the profundity!

The Silly World of Chelm is available at fine Jewish books stores, and at www.WorldOfChelm.com.