If you are looking to start a new tradition for your Hanukkah celebration then look no further than Barbara Diamond Goldin and Ekaube Greenstein’s holiday book, While the Candles Burn. This book looks beyond latkes and dreidels to create a meaningful connection to what the holiday is all about.
Eight brief stories are offered, expanding on the holiday’s themes. Selections are drawn from the Bible, the Talmud and Jewish folklore and highlight faith in both modern and ancient times.
All the stories demonstrate faith triumphing in the struggle for personal and religious freedom. The two most popular stories recount a lost soccer game and a forgotten lunch which play a role in an Israeli youth learning to trust his Arabic classmate. The other is a story where Leah performs a good deed to fulfill her bat mitzvah requirement by bringing a Holocaust survivor’s testimony together.
Several of the stories focus on maintaining faith in the face of persecution. The story titles from the table of contents include:
Day by day: Faith
An extra twelve: Miracles
Life is like a dreidel: Traditions
The River of Torah: Religious commitment
Shalom/Salam: Peace
The women’s reward: Honoring women
A different story: Charity
Remembering Rivka: Rededication
The most important ritual for Hanukkah revolves around creating light which is why we light the menorah. But books are a great way to “en-lighten” yourself and immerse yourself in tradition and books, such as this one, make a wonderful gift for Hanukkah.
GENRE: Short Stories
