Joe Brizek recalls chaotic Jersey childhood in new memoir
Sparta. In A Catholic Kid from a Jewish Neighborhood, Joe Brizek shares humorous and poignant stories of growing up Catholic among ten siblings in a predominantly Jewish New Jersey neighborhood during the 1960s and ’70s.
| 02 Feb 2026 | 01:11
Author Joe Brizek will release his memoir, A Catholic Kid from a Jewish Neighborhood: Snapshots of a Jersey Childhood, on Amazon March 26.
The book recounts Brizek’s experiences growing up as one of 11 children in a predominantly Jewish New Jersey neighborhood during the 1960s and ’70s. Brizek writes about navigating family life, faith, and adolescence in a household with a father he describes as intimidating and a mother with a sharp sense of humor.
Told in a series of snapshots, the memoir blends humor and reflection, capturing both the chaos and warmth of Brizek’s youth.
Brizek said the memoir is aimed at readers who have grown up in large families or survived the challenges of adolescence, offering a mix of nostalgia and insight.
