The Jewish Spirit includes ancient stories - oral and written - as well as more contemporary literary narratives by such well-known writers as Grace Paley, Bernard Malamud, Sholom Aleichem, Martin Buber, Leslie Epstein, I. B. Singer, Franz Kafka, and Francine Prose.Selections ranging from traditional Midrash, Hasidic tales, and Sephardic folklore to stories from Morocco, Egypt, Eastern Europe, and North America reveal the unique heritage and customs of the Jewish community.
These inspirational and often humorous stories follow the path of life and speak of origins and ethical dilemmas, teaching succeeding generations how to behave, what to believe, whom to trust or fear, when to laugh, and when to cling fast to hope.
Taken as a whole, the stories reveal the universal human condition, refracted through a prism of exile and estrangement so characteristic of the often-uprooted Jewish people.
Illustrating this vast and remarkable anthology is a dazzling array of art relating to the Jewish experience by Marc Chagall, Ben Shahn, Malcah Zeldis, Harry Lieberman, Reuven Rubin, Raphael Soyer, Max Weber, Louise Nevelson and many others.
Hardcover, 240pp
Published, September 1997