Jewish Tales from Eastern Europe - Hardcover

Nagarajan, Nadia Grosser

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 076576086X ISBN 13: 9780765760869

Publisher: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1999

Synopsis

Many of the stories included in this book may be considered treasures that have yet to be presented to the Jewish and general public. Some versions of these tales have been published in different anthologies and languages over the years, but most are basically unknown. The author includes stories from varied oral and written sources, mainly Czech, Slovak, German, some Yiddish, as well as Polish and Hungarian. "Storytelling," says Nagarajan, "is perhaps the only tool that creates a path leading through the many layers of the past, shedding light on it without destroying the mystery and magic."

Certain elements in these tales point to influences that came from different sources and many relate to the emancipation of the Czech Jewry. Unlike the Jews in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, the Czech Jews were more susceptible to the changing times. It is obvious, nevertheless, that despite the foreign elements that emerge from the narratives, faith, and deep attachment to Judaism were never lost but rather provided a source of strength–even for those who had lost their way.

The reader will encounter a variety of topics that span several centuries. Some are tales of fantasy and imagination while others lean on reality and fact rather than legend. A few are based on contemporary personal events and reminiscences. They include love stories ranging from the romantic and innocent to the obsessive and misguided. The joy, euphoria, fear, guilt, sweetness, and bitterness of these tales become obvious within the context of a tale or lies hidden between the lines. Multiple narratives describe a copious array of feelings people have for themselves and others, such as children, parents, and friends. Various tales convey the characters' deep belief and trust in God. Some are tragic and morbid, some radiate with the pulse of life, some are mysterious and puzzling, and others bring us laughter and amusement while at the same time conveying serious life lessons. All the stories in Jewish Tales from Eastern Europ

About this title

About the Author:

Nadia Grosser Nagarajan was born in Ostrava, a coal-mining town in Northern Moravia, in the former Czechoslovakia. She was educated in Israel and the United States and received her Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of California at Berkeley. An educator since 1968, she has published children's stories in Israel as well as travel features and miscellaneous articles on literature and folklore in the United States. Nadia Grosser Nagarajan has lectured at several conferences on Jewish education and culture as well as nineteenth century European literature. She has two sons and lives in California with her husband.

Review:

Nadia Grosser Nagarajan's selection of some fifty-six legends and three folktales from Eastern European Jewish tradition will delight readers interested in nostalgic Judaica. These twenty-eight Czech, sixteen Polish, thirteen Hungarian, and two Slovak, Jewish narratives so skillfully translated and artfully retold by the author provide a poignant portrait of the plight of Jews whose oppression by despotic rulers was only occasionally relieved by the miracles wrought by famous wise rabbis. From the difficulties of finding a suitable mate to the unwelcome visitations of the Angel of Death, the engaging vignettes of individuals from centuries past show the remarkable consistency of Jewish life. A substantial final annotations section provides helpful information concerning the sources of each narrative, sources which range from Nagarajan's own grandmother, to whose memory the book is dedicated, to earlier major literary collections. More than one third of the narratives were adapted from texts contained in the Israel Folktale Archives located at the University of Haifa. (Alan Dundes, University of California, Berkeley)

About this edition

• Publisher: Jason Aronson, Inc.
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 076576086X
• ISBN 13: 9780765760869
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288