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18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages
This anthology, the first of this kind in twenty-five years, collects eighteen astounding works of Jewish fiction.
This is the first anthology of translated multilingual Jewish fiction in 25 a collection of 18 splendid stories, each translated into English from a different Albanian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Ladino, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Yiddish. These compelling, humorous, and moving stories, written by eminent authors that include Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Isaac Babel, and Lili Berger, reflect both the diversities and the commonalities within Jewish culture, and will make you laugh, cry, and think. This beautiful book is easily accessible and enjoyable not only for Jewish readers, but for story-lovers of all backgrounds. Authors (in the order they appear in the book) Elie Wiesel, Varda Fiszbein, S. Y. Agnon, Gábor T. Szántó, Jasminka Domaš, Augusto Segre, Lili Berger, Peter Sichrovsky, Maciej Płaza, Entela Kasi, Norman Manea, Luize Valente, Eliya Karmona, Birte Kont, Michel Fais, Irena Dousková, Mario Levi, and Isaac Babel.
This is the first anthology of translated multilingual Jewish fiction in 25 a collection of 18 splendid stories, each translated into English from a different Albanian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Ladino, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Yiddish. These compelling, humorous, and moving stories, written by eminent authors that include Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Isaac Babel, and Lili Berger, reflect both the diversities and the commonalities within Jewish culture, and will make you laugh, cry, and think. This beautiful book is easily accessible and enjoyable not only for Jewish readers, but for story-lovers of all backgrounds. Authors (in the order they appear in the book) Elie Wiesel, Varda Fiszbein, S. Y. Agnon, Gábor T. Szántó, Jasminka Domaš, Augusto Segre, Lili Berger, Peter Sichrovsky, Maciej Płaza, Entela Kasi, Norman Manea, Luize Valente, Eliya Karmona, Birte Kont, Michel Fais, Irena Dousková, Mario Levi, and Isaac Babel.
188 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 14, 2023
In a Nutshell: An anthology of eighteen *translated* multilingual stories of Jewish fiction by Jewish authors from across the world. I’d have loved this a lot more had there been more stories than excerpts. If reading an excerpt doesn’t bother you much, then this is worth a go.
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Editor Nora Gold is the founder-editor of jewishfiction.net, an online literary journal devoted exclusively to Jewish fiction. It focuses on contemporary authors writing on Jewish themes, either in or translated to English. In its thirteen years of existence, the journal has published more than 500 stories of novel excerpts originally written in nineteen languages.
The introduction made by Ms. Gold in this anthology highlights the uniqueness of Jewish fiction. She notes that Jewish authors are based in a multitude of countries, and accordingly, Jewish fiction is written in a multitude of languages, unlike other fiction, which is written in the dominant language of the author and is usually restricted to their mother tongue or English. The variety of languages these stories were originally written in proves her point. The works herein are translated from many languages such as Spanish, Hungarian, Croatian, Yiddish, French, Czech, and Russian.
Other than the note by the editor, there is also a foreword by Dr. Josh Lambert about multilinguism being an inherent component of Jewish experiences. Both of these introductory pieces were insightful to read.
I have always been fond of anthologies, but my favourite ones are themed collections. As such, this anthology grabbed my eyeballs by its tagline. When I saw Elie Wiesel listed among the contributing authors, I jumped at it. However, the tagline turned out to be a little misleading.
The ‘stories’ in this collections aren’t all short stories. In fact, the very first entry turned out to be a translated excerpt from one of Elie Wiesel’s novels, titled ‘Hostage’. I kept my fingers crossed that it would be the only excerpt. To my disappointment, ten of the eighteen ‘stories’ turned out to be novel excerpts. I am the kind of reader who doesn’t read excerpts even when they are offered at the end of novels as teasers for buying more of the author’s works. I simply can’t read part of a story; it’s either all or nothing for me. Moreover, if the original author had written the text as part of a larger narrative, I cannot judge its fictional effectiveness based on an excerpt. As such, honest confession: I didn’t read any of the excerpts in this collection. Knowing that none of their source materials were originally in English, and in some cases, might not be available as a translated novel in English, was enough for me to avoid them. If you aren’t bothered by reading only scenes instead of complete stories, this won’t be an issue for you.
My rating is thus based only on the short stories. As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the eight stories, four stories reached or crossed the four-star mark. The rest were mixed in impact. These were my favourites from this anthology:
All in all, I did enjoy a few of the stories I read. But I am sure reading the entire collection might result in a different level of satisfaction. I regret I wasn’t able to do so, but what I read was enough to make me try more of Nora Gold’s collections. I just hope that the blurbs of any future collections would indicate whether excerpts are also included under “stories.”
3 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the eight short stories. This rating is not indicative of the complete collection.
My thanks to River Street Writing for providing me with a complimentary copy of “18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages” at my request. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Want to try another Jewish anthology? Check out ‘Frankly Feminist: Short Stories by Jewish Women from Lilith Magazine’, edited by Susan Weidman Schneider and Yona Zeldis McDonough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Editor Nora Gold is the founder-editor of jewishfiction.net, an online literary journal devoted exclusively to Jewish fiction. It focuses on contemporary authors writing on Jewish themes, either in or translated to English. In its thirteen years of existence, the journal has published more than 500 stories of novel excerpts originally written in nineteen languages.
The introduction made by Ms. Gold in this anthology highlights the uniqueness of Jewish fiction. She notes that Jewish authors are based in a multitude of countries, and accordingly, Jewish fiction is written in a multitude of languages, unlike other fiction, which is written in the dominant language of the author and is usually restricted to their mother tongue or English. The variety of languages these stories were originally written in proves her point. The works herein are translated from many languages such as Spanish, Hungarian, Croatian, Yiddish, French, Czech, and Russian.
Other than the note by the editor, there is also a foreword by Dr. Josh Lambert about multilinguism being an inherent component of Jewish experiences. Both of these introductory pieces were insightful to read.
I have always been fond of anthologies, but my favourite ones are themed collections. As such, this anthology grabbed my eyeballs by its tagline. When I saw Elie Wiesel listed among the contributing authors, I jumped at it. However, the tagline turned out to be a little misleading.
The ‘stories’ in this collections aren’t all short stories. In fact, the very first entry turned out to be a translated excerpt from one of Elie Wiesel’s novels, titled ‘Hostage’. I kept my fingers crossed that it would be the only excerpt. To my disappointment, ten of the eighteen ‘stories’ turned out to be novel excerpts. I am the kind of reader who doesn’t read excerpts even when they are offered at the end of novels as teasers for buying more of the author’s works. I simply can’t read part of a story; it’s either all or nothing for me. Moreover, if the original author had written the text as part of a larger narrative, I cannot judge its fictional effectiveness based on an excerpt. As such, honest confession: I didn’t read any of the excerpts in this collection. Knowing that none of their source materials were originally in English, and in some cases, might not be available as a translated novel in English, was enough for me to avoid them. If you aren’t bothered by reading only scenes instead of complete stories, this won’t be an issue for you.
My rating is thus based only on the short stories. As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the eight stories, four stories reached or crossed the four-star mark. The rest were mixed in impact. These were my favourites from this anthology:
❀ The Guest - Varda Fiszbein - Translated from Spanish: A witty story about how a guest outsmarted the host during a family dinner. I did guess the ending before it came up, but the journey to the end was great. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
❀ The First Christmas - Gábor T. Szántó - Translated from Hungarian: Loved this dark story of a Jewish father who purchases a Christmas tree after his young sons insist. The ending left me stunned. Brilliant! - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
❀ The Rebbetzin's Sense of Justice - Lily Berger - Translated from Yiddish: A first-person narration by a student about his Reb Fishel and his wife Khaye, contrary personalities who still share a great bond in marriage. If ever there were a character whom I would love to have by my side in real life, it would be the rebbetzin from this story. She gets all the stars, though the plot was also nice. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
❀ Luck - Irena Dousková - Translated from Czech: Two main characters who are opposite in nature are forced to unite for a task. One of the darkest tales in the book, with an ending that I didn’t see coming. - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
All in all, I did enjoy a few of the stories I read. But I am sure reading the entire collection might result in a different level of satisfaction. I regret I wasn’t able to do so, but what I read was enough to make me try more of Nora Gold’s collections. I just hope that the blurbs of any future collections would indicate whether excerpts are also included under “stories.”
3 stars, based on the average of my ratings for the eight short stories. This rating is not indicative of the complete collection.
My thanks to River Street Writing for providing me with a complimentary copy of “18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages” at my request. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Want to try another Jewish anthology? Check out ‘Frankly Feminist: Short Stories by Jewish Women from Lilith Magazine’, edited by Susan Weidman Schneider and Yona Zeldis McDonough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
November 10, 2023
While I enjoyed some of these very much, some of them were harder for me. Still, after 25 years, a collection of stories like this was well overdue. My full #bookreview can be found here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2023/11/1...
December 5, 2023
Nora Gold’s 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages is a multilingual journey through Jewish culture. The anthology is a remarkable and groundbreaking anthology that adds a vibrant and essential dimension to Jewish literature.
Gold’s curation allows readers to explore the vastness of Jewish culture through the eyes of renowned authors, offering a collection that is not only culturally enriching but also universally resonant.
And it is not just for Jewish readers; it is a must-read for all lovers of stories illuminating the human experience in all its complexity.
Embark on a literary journey that spans the globe as you delve into a collection of writings penned by various authors. Hailing from nations such as France, Israel, Hungary, Croatia, Poland, Albania, Italy, Germany, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Greece, and Turkey, these writers share their perspectives in languages beyond English. The anthology comprises a rich tapestry of cultural voices, offering readers a captivating exploration of global narratives.
Before delving into the enchanting pages of this literary masterpiece, I was unaware of the expansive realm of Jewish fiction that stretches across the globe. Frequently, our perception of “Jewish Fiction” tends to be narrowly focused on American Jewish literature. Yet, when one acknowledges the two-millennium-long existence of Jewish communities in diverse nations, it becomes evident that Jewish literary works have been written in the languages where Jews have lived.
We must realize the rich tapestry of narratives written in languages besides English.
Gold’s eye-opening exploration challenges our preconceived notions, revealing a vast and diverse landscape of Jewish storytelling waiting to be discovered.
One example is the Ladino author Elia Rafael Karmona, whose novel The Washerwoman’s Daughter is introduced through an excerpt translated by Michael Alpert. Often likened to the Sholem Aleichem of Ladino, Karmona, born in Istanbul in 1869, led a fascinating life, initially as a tutor for the Grand Vizir’s sons and later as a typesetting apprentice at the newspaper El Tyempo.
Despite his adventurous youth in Salonika, Izmir, and Cairo, Karmona’s literary contributions remain relatively obscure today despite having written fifty novels. The anthology sheds light on his satirical writing style, offering readers a glimpse into his discerning eye as a satirist.
Another notable inclusion is Norman Manea, featured with an excerpt from his novel Place of Birth: Report on the Station of Union, translated by Jean Harris. Manea’s life story, surviving deportation to a concentration camp in Transnistria during WWII in Romania, is as compelling as his literature. Confronting anti-Semitism, he openly criticized the communist regime in the 1960s, facing persecution. In 1986, Manea emigrated from Romania to the U.S. with a German grant and a Fulbright Scholarship.
Now a professor at Bard College, Manea’s works, influenced by his tumultuous experiences, have gained international recognition. A contender for the Nobel Prize, his memoir The Hooligan’s Return and novel The Lair have been recently reissued by Yale University Press. Additionally, Manea’s first Romanian novel, The Captives, has recently been published by New Directions, further solidifying his impact on the literary landscape.
These are just two authors showcased in the anthology, marking the first publication of its kind in twenty-five years. According to Gold, two multilingual Jewish fiction anthologies were released in 1998, with none following since then. This book, designed to address this gap, stands out in three key aspects: it encompasses a significantly broader array of languages, exclusively includes translations (omitting works initially written in English), and is the first to be organized and structured based on language.
18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages is a literary triumph that transcends cultural boundaries and offers readers a global perspective on Jewish storytelling. This groundbreaking anthology enriches our understanding of Jewish culture and provides a universal exploration of the human experience. The curated selection of authors from diverse nations creates a rich tapestry of narratives, challenging our preconceptions and revealing Jewish fiction’s vast and diverse landscape. This is a must-read for anyone who appreciates stories illuminating the complexities of the human condition, extending its appeal beyond Jewish readership to all literature lovers.
Nora Gold’s meticulous curation and the anthology’s unique features make it a standout contribution to the world of literary collections, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of Jewish literature.
Gold’s curation allows readers to explore the vastness of Jewish culture through the eyes of renowned authors, offering a collection that is not only culturally enriching but also universally resonant.
And it is not just for Jewish readers; it is a must-read for all lovers of stories illuminating the human experience in all its complexity.
Embark on a literary journey that spans the globe as you delve into a collection of writings penned by various authors. Hailing from nations such as France, Israel, Hungary, Croatia, Poland, Albania, Italy, Germany, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Greece, and Turkey, these writers share their perspectives in languages beyond English. The anthology comprises a rich tapestry of cultural voices, offering readers a captivating exploration of global narratives.
Before delving into the enchanting pages of this literary masterpiece, I was unaware of the expansive realm of Jewish fiction that stretches across the globe. Frequently, our perception of “Jewish Fiction” tends to be narrowly focused on American Jewish literature. Yet, when one acknowledges the two-millennium-long existence of Jewish communities in diverse nations, it becomes evident that Jewish literary works have been written in the languages where Jews have lived.
We must realize the rich tapestry of narratives written in languages besides English.
Gold’s eye-opening exploration challenges our preconceived notions, revealing a vast and diverse landscape of Jewish storytelling waiting to be discovered.
One example is the Ladino author Elia Rafael Karmona, whose novel The Washerwoman’s Daughter is introduced through an excerpt translated by Michael Alpert. Often likened to the Sholem Aleichem of Ladino, Karmona, born in Istanbul in 1869, led a fascinating life, initially as a tutor for the Grand Vizir’s sons and later as a typesetting apprentice at the newspaper El Tyempo.
Despite his adventurous youth in Salonika, Izmir, and Cairo, Karmona’s literary contributions remain relatively obscure today despite having written fifty novels. The anthology sheds light on his satirical writing style, offering readers a glimpse into his discerning eye as a satirist.
Another notable inclusion is Norman Manea, featured with an excerpt from his novel Place of Birth: Report on the Station of Union, translated by Jean Harris. Manea’s life story, surviving deportation to a concentration camp in Transnistria during WWII in Romania, is as compelling as his literature. Confronting anti-Semitism, he openly criticized the communist regime in the 1960s, facing persecution. In 1986, Manea emigrated from Romania to the U.S. with a German grant and a Fulbright Scholarship.
Now a professor at Bard College, Manea’s works, influenced by his tumultuous experiences, have gained international recognition. A contender for the Nobel Prize, his memoir The Hooligan’s Return and novel The Lair have been recently reissued by Yale University Press. Additionally, Manea’s first Romanian novel, The Captives, has recently been published by New Directions, further solidifying his impact on the literary landscape.
These are just two authors showcased in the anthology, marking the first publication of its kind in twenty-five years. According to Gold, two multilingual Jewish fiction anthologies were released in 1998, with none following since then. This book, designed to address this gap, stands out in three key aspects: it encompasses a significantly broader array of languages, exclusively includes translations (omitting works initially written in English), and is the first to be organized and structured based on language.
18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages is a literary triumph that transcends cultural boundaries and offers readers a global perspective on Jewish storytelling. This groundbreaking anthology enriches our understanding of Jewish culture and provides a universal exploration of the human experience. The curated selection of authors from diverse nations creates a rich tapestry of narratives, challenging our preconceptions and revealing Jewish fiction’s vast and diverse landscape. This is a must-read for anyone who appreciates stories illuminating the complexities of the human condition, extending its appeal beyond Jewish readership to all literature lovers.
Nora Gold’s meticulous curation and the anthology’s unique features make it a standout contribution to the world of literary collections, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of Jewish literature.
December 22, 2023
This is an amazing compilation of 18 stories and novel excerpts by authors from many countries. Some are steeped in the traditional storytelling of well-known writers such as Sholem Aleichem or I B Singer, while others are blazing newer paths. As with any story collection, some tales will strike the reader with more force and emotion than others. But it is always fascinating to see how authors from other countries/ time periods consider Jewish identity, history, and families within the framework of keeping the experiences alive and meaningful for yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Stories that affected me the most included: The Researcher – Michel Fais (Greek), The First Christmas – Szanto (Hungarian), The Guest – Varda Fiszbein (Spain), Where Were You When Darkness Fell – Mario Levi (Turkey), Red Cavalry – Isaac Babel, And he Crooked Shall be Made Straight – Agnon (Hebrew). All the stories in this anthology can and should be read more than once for their language and complexity. Jewish book clubs should consider reading a collection like this for a change of pace and to reconnect with an old tradition both oral and written here. This collection would also make a wonderful gift. Highly recommended. Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing this title.
August 25, 2023
18: Jewish Stories Translated From 18 Languages by Nora Gold
In this book the editor is able to get many stories from the Jewish community never translated into English.
Start of the book tells you where the stories came from and by who. During the stories there are footnotes about particular items of interest.
The things I like best are that the Jewish were for the most part able to escape during the war and head to other countries to survive. Their struggles and obstacles and hwo they overcome them is important to me.
Some stories are very tragic, some are a windfall. Love hearing of the traditions and customs that they hope to pass down to the next generations. There are glimpses of proverbs and other prayers. Ends with dedication page.
References are also included at the end of the book. Section also about the author and all they stood for.
Received this review copy from the editor and this is my honest opinion.
In this book the editor is able to get many stories from the Jewish community never translated into English.
Start of the book tells you where the stories came from and by who. During the stories there are footnotes about particular items of interest.
The things I like best are that the Jewish were for the most part able to escape during the war and head to other countries to survive. Their struggles and obstacles and hwo they overcome them is important to me.
Some stories are very tragic, some are a windfall. Love hearing of the traditions and customs that they hope to pass down to the next generations. There are glimpses of proverbs and other prayers. Ends with dedication page.
References are also included at the end of the book. Section also about the author and all they stood for.
Received this review copy from the editor and this is my honest opinion.
October 29, 2024
The book welcomes the reader with a cover image depicting an abstract industrial mosaic, an elegant graphic in which some might see a landscape. It reminds me of subway design. A few colorful tiles are missing, naked cement peering from below. What platform are we on? New York? London? Toronto? What is the destination of the journey?
The diversity of settings is baked into the structure of this collection, 18 Stories: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages. The editor, Nora Gold, herself based in Toronto, has put together stories that first appeared in the journal she edits, Jewish Fiction (formerly called Jewish Fiction.net), composed in English as well as newly translated from other languages. ...
My full review is here: https://www.themontrealreview.com/Art...
The diversity of settings is baked into the structure of this collection, 18 Stories: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages. The editor, Nora Gold, herself based in Toronto, has put together stories that first appeared in the journal she edits, Jewish Fiction (formerly called Jewish Fiction.net), composed in English as well as newly translated from other languages. ...
My full review is here: https://www.themontrealreview.com/Art...
December 14, 2023
Nora Gold has earned just praise for the Jewish online journal, JewishFiction.net, that she edits. According to the journal’s website, it is “the only English-language journal, either in print or online, devoted exclusively to the publishing of Jewish fiction.” As important, it offers Jewish short stories that were originally published in languages other than English. That fact is the premise for the book Gold has edited: “18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages” (Cherry Orchard Books).
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/feat...
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/feat...
November 7, 2023
I am very excited about this fascinating, intelligent, and very readable book. Nora Gold has assembled a terrific group of stories and it is thrilling to discover Jewish writers from around the world that I never even heard of before. This book has opened up a whole new world for me in Jewish literature and translation. Thank you, Nora Gold, for the excellent anthology.
November 17, 2025
Summer reading for Rodeph Sholom School that I never recorded. Catholics got stuck with their guilt, Jews evidently got stuck with perpetual sorrow. No happy stories in this puppy I fear
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews