Description:
"Uniformly excellent."--The Jewish Standard
This rich medley of stories, poems, and essays features evocations of Chanukah by classic and contemporary authors including Sholom Aleichem, Nobel laureates S. Y. Agnon and Elie Wiesel, I. L. Peretz, Emma Lazarus, Theodor Herzl, Chaim Potok, Mark Strand, A. B. Yehoshua, Emma Green, Joanna Rakoff, and Rebecca Newberger Goldstein. There are humorous as well as meditative tales from Israel, Central Europe, and the United States--works that capture the Festival of Lights as observed on Manhattan's Upper West Side alongside accounts of celebrations in shtetls of the Old Country and far reaches of the Diaspora including Africa. The writings underscore what it means to be Jewish in a world that's not always welcoming and include intriguing commentary about Chanukah's origins and its significance now.
Review Quotes:
"The stories collected here are often moving, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but all in some way evoke the spirit of the holiday. It is a perfect addition to any Jewish library."--Hadassah Magazine
"The pieces are uniformly excellent, not surprising given the reputations of the authors."--The Jewish Standard
"In a rich collection of essays by the most important Jewish voices of our time, Chanukah comes to life with humor and heart."--New York Family
"Opening this book, one might expect to find familiar tales about the Festival of Lights. But in fact, over half of the twenty-one pieces have never been published in English before . . . An exploration of Jewish behavior during the holiday season."--Jewish Book Council
"Fantastic stories that will have you glued to the edge of your seat. A fabulous collection."--Becky Anderson, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, Illinois