*Oberman, Sheldon. Illus. by Waldman, Neil, By the Hanukkah Light. Sept
1997. 32p. Boyds Mills, $15.95 (1-56397-658-7). Ages 6-9.
As they do every year, Grandpa and Rachel polish the aged silver menorah
before gathering with the rest of the family to light the first candles
of the Hanukkah celebration. Then, as usual, Grandpa tells the story of
the Festival of Lights, recalling the ancient battle between the Jews and
an invading army. This year, Grandpa extends the history, recalling
Hanukkah when he was a boy in Europe. Then, “another man came with an army
of soldiers” to destroy synagogues, schools, homes, and Jews. Grandpa
fled Europe but returned as a modern-day Maccabee in the army that finally
defeated the evil war maker. When Grandpa, the soldier, revisited his childhood
home, he found the family's silver menorah - the same one he and his family
now light each Hanukkah - in the ashes.
Oberman has masterfully capsulized the history of Hanukkah, then overlaid the ancient events with veiled references to the Holocaust persecutions, showing how the bonds of intergenerational traditions transcend the terrors that have afflicted the Jewish people. As he did so eloquently in The Always Prayer Shawl (1994),
Oberman weaves a memorable story around a religious artifact that has survived brutalities and hazards to be lovingly handed down through generations. On richly marbled papers, Waldman paints with dots of color, which, like jeweled mosaics, create luminescent images of historical landscapes and loving family celebrations. A treasure for Jewish holiday collections.
Ellen Mandel