One Night, One Hanukkah Night

by Aidel Backman

As a child Backman wondered how her grandparents celebrated Hanukkah. The answers to her childhood queries are depicted in One Night, One Hanukkah Night , a delightful storybook that illustrates how the holiday’s traditions pass from one generation to the next.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1990

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad that there's only one review of this, and I'm not sure why only two stars. I don't celebrate Hanukkah, so perhaps I am missing something, but I found it sweet and appealing. It shows the connection that holidays provide across time and generations, as we see the current and past family lighting the menorah, receiving gelt, making latkes, etc. Illustrations show first a contemporary family (well, 1990s -- the book does feel a bit dated, but I didn't mind the childhood nostalgia) then Zaidy's (Yiddish name for granfather) family doing the same long ago. The customs are the same, though the setting and clothes, etc. have changed--though I loved that the menorah had clearly been passed down through the generations. Still, a bit of it was rather confusing... the setting for Zaidy's family appears to be early 1900s, but that timeline doesn't quite fit (perhaps more like great-grandfather?). Still, overall, I found it a heartwarming read. I especially liked the illustration with the modern children drawing pictures, one showing "Macabees Hanukya" another showing "Bubby and Zaidys Hanukka" and the last showing "Our Hanukka" -- all with the menorah glowing brightly: "Hanukkah lights will always shine. As they did so long ago."