Moshe Sherizen, with his quick wit and easy smile, said the joke book was a natural progression.
The Southfield creator of The Easy-Shmeezy language books has hit store shelves yet again with his latest, The World’s Funniest Joke Book, published by Menucha Publishers.
Even the book’s jacket cover earns a smile. In large block letters the words “#1 New York Times bestseller” jump out and only when someone holds the book closer and lifts their glasses will they see the words in small print directly above that: “Hoping to one day be a …”
Moshe Sherizen, with his quick wit and easy smile, said the joke book was a natural progression.
“I always liked to make people laugh, even when I was a kid,” Sherizen said, “A few years ago, I consciously started telling more jokes. I’d tell jokes with the cashiers at Home Depot — ‘How much is a chimney? Nothing, it’s on the house!’ — and they’d start cracking up. Even the people at City Hall, everyone would be all stressed about the sewer pipe bursting, everything’s chaos and I’d come in and offer some comic relief. Learning to read a room and tell a joke at just the right time is an art … I didn’t master that so well as a kid!”
The idea of compiling a joke book had been simmering in Sherizen’s mind for a few years, but once he buckled down and began compiling jokes — some from online and some which he thought of himself — it took about six months until it was ready for publication.
While the pocket-sized joke book is filled with droll one-liners and clever puns such as “dogs can’t operate MRI machines, but catscan,” it’s much more than just jokes. Sherizen also included instructions on how to invent jokes, a glossary for words kids may not understand and informational fun facts written by his childhood friend Avrumi Lorkis.
“When someone learns in the context of a joke, they’re not likely to forget it so quickly,” Sherizen said.
The husband of 17 years to Batya and father of six “grew up” in Detroit.
“Well,” Sherizen quickly corrects himself, “I’m like Peter Pan. I didn’t really grow up. I’m not interested in growing up, but I spent my formative years here, yes.” He works as a project manager for a multi-family investment firm based out of Israel.
An Attitude of Gratitude
“Life just happens every day; things aren’t always perfect,” Sherizen said. “For everyone over the age of 5, there’s always going to be some tough stuff. We can’t always control circumstances, but we can control our mindset … and gratitude is the key to turning an ordinary life extraordinary.”
About six months ago, Sherizen decided to invent a persona — The Gratitude Dude — and logo and swag to go with it. Yes, he did it backwards. It was only after that that he decided how he’d go about spreading the message!
“I’m not a real planner. I like to create something small and see how it feels and what shape it will take. Kind of like making dough … Will it turn into challah or a pizza?” Sherizen said.
Recently, he started coaching companies on how to build a culture of gratitude in the workplace.
“It’s not about turning into happy-clappy hippies, but rather making the entire workplace more pleasant. That, in turn, will make employees more productive and the entire company more profitable,” Sherizen said. “Investing in gratitude is the easiest way to increase your bottom line.”
He organizes gratitude challenges and improv workshops, designed to encourage the workers (and CEOs are invited to get in on the fun, too) to turn inward, focus on something positive and get to know each other on a different level. Participants are rewarded with small gifts.
“It helps people focus on the good that’s already in front of them. There’s so much good, right here, right now … And who doesn’t like swag?” Sherizen said.
He gives out bracelets, hats, T-shirts and insulated mugs with messages like “gratitude changes everything” and “a grateful life is a great full life.”
Sherizen also spreads humor by posting daily random observations and amusing videos on his WhatsApp status.
“My statuses are 100% fake news,” Sherizen said. “Of course, I have challenging parts of my life, but I try to focus on the good. At the end of the day, I look back at the highlights and it’s easy to forget the hard stuff and think, ‘Actually, I did have a pretty good day.’”
One of Sherizen’s favorite status rituals is a daily dance video done by his fingers as he prepares his morning coffee.
“I drink plain black coffee, but this helps me really appreciate it. It’s mindfulness, I’m so grateful for my coffee!” Sherizen said.
He was thrilled when a friend shared that he brought the joke book on a hospital visit and how it was enjoyed by both the patient and the nurses.
“Life can be so stressful and serious; laughter is so important. That’s what I love doing — to spread more smiles and joy,” Sherizen said.
The World’s Funniest Joke Book is available at Borensteins and on Amazon. To contact Moshe Sherizen or learn more about his projects, check out www.MosheSherizen.com or email msherizen@gmail.com.