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A CONFUSED HANUKKAH by Jon Koons

A CONFUSED HANUKKAH

An Original Story of Chelm

by Jon Koons & illustrated by S.D. Schindler

Pub Date: Sept. 1st, 2004
ISBN: 0-525-46969-9
Publisher: Dutton

Hanukkah is approaching, the Rabbi’s out of town, and the villagers have forgotten how to celebrate, so they send Yossel to the next town to find out what the traditional observance entails. Yossel unknowingly ends up in a Christian town that’s in the midst of preparing for Christmas and learns that they observe “the holiday” with tree decorating. This jars a memory as Yossel recalls the festival of lights, while the man he meets tells him it’s more like the festival of presents, food, and the fat man in a velvet suit. Returning to his town, Yossel convinces everyone to prepare for Hanukkah by decorating a tree with matzo balls, dreidels, and menorahs and dressing the fat Shmuel in a blue velvet suit, “Oy, Oy, Oy.” The Rabbi returns to this uncertain scene, recounts the story of the Maccabees, and reminds the villagers of the traditional Hanukkah customs as they all celebrate together. Like Eric Kimmel’s The Chanukkah Tree (1988), this version attempts an unnecessary dual approach to the holiday season. Schindler’s comical rendition captures the Eastern European environment; however this is needless folly even for Chelm. (Folktales. 6-9)