Chanukah: Eight Nights of Light, Eight Gifts for the Soul

by Shimon Apisdorf

The goal of this book is to peel away the outer layers of Chanukah, the wrapping paper if you will, and reveal a profoundly rich, spiritual core to the holiday. Chanukah is about the awesome subtleness of life. It’s about how little things can make a profound difference, about discovering the soul in the flame, the soul in everyday life and the power of the soul in Jewish history. This book enables you • Transform your relationship to Chanukah by clearly explaining the history, themes, traditions and prayers of the holiday. • Transform your family experience into a shared adventure of discovery, learning and connection to a rich heritage.

Genres: Judaism, Judaica

154 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 1997

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stuff in this book was only tangentially related to Hanukkah, especially near the end, and a lot of it I already knew, but would be more useful to others. Also a fair number of typos, and that one Holocaust story that's apparently been disproven. Still, overall a lot of good information, insights and anecdotes.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of information in this book. I think I would recommend it more for research than for just sitting down and learning about Channukah which I wanted to do and felt a little bit overwhelmed. This is not for the one time reader but for someone who is going to go back and review. This would make a great book for someone doing a report on Chanukah or for someone who'd like to share some insights about Chanukah with their family during Chanukah (Why do we spin a dreidel? How do you light a menorah? What blessings do we say? What's the history of Chanukah?) My favorite section is the second chapter where Apisdorf explains questions people have about Channukah on the basic level and then offers even deeper insights.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book proves that great experiences come in small bundles. The Miracles Large and Small stories brought tears of joy to my soul. Shimon is brilliant in connecting the history and spirit of this holiday to 21st century perspective. 4 stars versus 5 because the editor omitted part of the story of Splitting the Red Sea between pages 60 - 61. This omission left a gap which fortunately is filled by the story's ending.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick (re) read, just to remember the deeper meanings of this beautiful holiday. This book reminds us that the holiday is deeper than what we know, and literally re-awakens the soul.