"What a holiday! No pestilence, no slavery, no locusts, no
cattle disease or atonement. No synagogue, no guilt, no
mortar, and no real lesson to be absorbed and passed down to
my Jewish offspring. Thank God," writes Joshua Braff, one of
eighteen Jewish writers who extol, excoriate, and expand our
understanding of this most merry of Jewish holidays.
These essays, by Adam Langer, Tova Mirvis, Steve Almond,
Eric Orner, and others, range from the comedic to the
snarky, the poignant to the poetic, and includes such topics
as the jealousy experienced in December when the rest of
America is celebrating Christmas (we never get to join in
the reindeer games!); the problem parents have dampening
their children's desire for more presents (call it
Greedikah!); and the weight gain associated with eating 432
latkes in eight nights (dayenu, enough!).
Whether your Chanukahs were spent singing "I have a Little
Dreidel" or playing the "Maoz Tzur" on the piano, whether
your family tradition included a Christmas tree or a
Chanukah bush, whether the fights among your siblings over
who would light the menorah candles rivaled the battles of
the Maccabees, or even if you haven't a clue who the
Maccabees were, this little book proves there are as many
ways to celebrate Chanukah as there are ways to spell it.
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