Library

The Jewish Spirit includes ancient stories --oral and written-- as well as more contemporary literary narratives by such well known authors 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. According to the editor, "Many of our stories tell of heroes, masters of cunning and spiritual courage; other stories deflate their characters, recounting tales of failure, sexual trespass, intellectual conceit, spiritual arrogance and foolishness. And it is precisely this double-edged vision --a paradoxical blend of resignation and optimism-- that has been the secret of Jewish survival.