Jon Koons

Funny Hanukkah storybook about the village of Chelm and what happens when some Chelmers go to the big city where a different winter holiday is celebrated. One of the better, if more irreverent, storybooks about appreciating one's own special heritage.

Yes, I know this is supposed to be cute and silly. But---the Reconstructionist and Havurah Jew in me is coming out---people should know how to celebrate without needing a rabbi. Yes, it's good that they send someone to get information; but maybe they should have tried to town librarian instead of sending someone to the big city, where he assumes that the Christmas customs he sees are for Hanukkah and returns home where the people of Chelm modify them for Hanukkah. And when the rabbi does show more return, his explanation of the holiday is the usual glossing over of what really happened. Bah, humbug. show less

Really cute story about a Hannukah gone awry because the Rabbi of this small town of Chelm was away and no one could remember how to celebrate the holiday. Funny dialogue and pictures!

Based on the Chelm folktales, this tells the story of a missing Rabbi who know how to celebrate Hannukah and the community's sending Yossel to the next town to find out how to celebrate leading to a mixup of Hannukah and Christmas.