The Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories From Chelm

by Eric A. Kimmel, Mordicai Gerstein (Illustrator)

Eight stories relate the foolishness of the townspeople of Chelm, Poland, where legend has it that an angel accidentally dropped a jar of fools in Chelm while delivering souls to the Earth.

Genres: Jewish, Picture Books, Short Stories, Humor, Childrens, Holiday, Judaica

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2000

About the author

Eric A. Kimmel is an American author of more than 150 children's books. His works include Caldecott Honor Book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), Sydney Taylor Book Award winners The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon's Monster, and Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale.
Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lafayette College in 1967, a master's degree from New York University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Illinois in 1973. He taught at Indiana University at South Bend, and at Portland State University, where he is Professor Emeritus of Education.
Kimmel lives with his wife, Doris, in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prolific picture-book author and folklorist Eric A. Kimmel teams up with Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Mordicai Gerstein in this collection of eight Hanukkah tales from the legendary village of Chelm, said in Eastern European Jewish folklore to be a settlement of wise fools. Some stories are taken from Yiddish folklore about Chelm, some taken from other folk traditions and transplanted to Chelm, and some are original. Here we have:

The Jar of Fools, which explains how Chelm came to be a town of fools, back in the days when God was creating different kind of souls, and sending his angels out to disperse them around the world. This is a retelling of a traditional Yiddish tale.

How They Play Dreidel in Chelm, which relates how the people of Chelm eventually erased the letters traditionally found on a Hanukkah dreidel. This story is original.

Sweeter Than Honey, Purer than Oil, in which Esther Goose sends her son to the market to buy chicken fat, in order to cook latkes, and he returns with a bucket of water. This is an adaptation of a folktale from another, unnamed tradition.

The Knight of the Golden Slippers, in which Motke the Fool is given some golden slippers as a reward for being the wisest man in Chelm. This too is taken from another, unnamed folk tradition.

Silent Samson, the Maccabee, in which the eponymous Samson saves the village of Chelm from an army of invading Cossacks, by having a debate involving only gestures. This is a retelling of a traditional Yiddish story.

The Magic Spoon, in which a stranger comes to Chelm, and shows the villagers how to make latkes "from nothing," using his magic spoon. This is adapted from another, unnamed folk tradition.

The Soul of a Menorah, in which a lost hayfork becomes a treasure menorah, through the unusual reasoning of the men of Chelm. This is an original story.

Wisdom for Sale, in which the people of Chelm attempt to purchase wisdom from the University of Krakow, only to learn their lesson after being repeatedly cheated by two students in that city. This is an original story.

I found The Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories from Chelm to be an immensely engaging read, and chuckled aloud on more than one occasion, while perusing it. Many folk traditions make reference to a town or city peopled by fools - in England, there is the legend of 'The Wise Men of Gotham,' in Finland they speak of the Holmolaiset, the residents of Holmola - and Chelm (sometimes written as 'Helm') is the Eastern European Jewish example of the pattern. The stories included here were entertaining, highlighting the "wise fool" type quite well, and the artwork was colorful and engaging. I appreciated the inclusion of an afterword, explaining the origin of each story, although I would have liked it better, with the stories taken from other traditions, if those traditions had been named. The Magic Spoon is a clear adaptation of the French folktale of Stone Soup (with a somewhat different ending), but I wasn't sure about the others. Leaving that aside, this is one I would recommend to young folklore (or folk-style story) lovers, and to anyone looking for children's tales set at Hanukkah.

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mordicai Gerstein's impish illustrations and bright colors pair fantastically with Eric A. Kimmel's tales.  Both traditional, original, and varietal, these eight tales bring a sense of joy and humility.  Perhaps my favorite is the variant of stone soup, in which a trickster sells a "magical spoon" that makes latkes appear out of thin air.....but why not add some flour and potatoes, too?  And spices?  I especially loved the wisdom tale, in which the town of Chelm spends their entire treasury on wisdom, which smells curiously like rotting fish...but now they're wise enough to know that wisdom most certainly does not smell like rotting fish.  

It's fun, laugh out loud funny.  But throughout all of these tales, the community seems to grow even closer together, knowing that money isn't the most important thing, and creating meals every night.  This is great for teaching your little one about other cultures, and perfect for bedtime stories!

[Doria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nice collection of Hanukkah stories set in the legendary village of Chelm, the traditional Jewish community of fools. The stories are a mix of traditional and original, and the writing is engaging and conversational, with the dialogue portions being especially lively.

However, I don’t care for the illustrations, which are a little overly busy and more in the style of a harlequinade than Chelm. Its not that they are awful, just slightly headache-inducing, with an over abundance of checked and striped patterns and nonsensical headwear. They don’t pair well with the stories, interrupting the flow of the narrative with mannered, cavorting figures, each sporting manic creepy smiles. The stories need no such adornment to be enjoyed.

[Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up because Chelm. I recognized most of these stories (and still loved them), but there were a couple of interesting new ones too! A great Chanukah book.

[Nina Cast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love the Fools of Chelm, no matter who writes the stories.

[Ma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the funiest book I have read in a long time. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Giacinta · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some very funny stories in this book, my kid was in stitches.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight humorous Hanukkah stories make up this book, with a funny illustration for each tale. Legend has it that the people of Chlem are either fools or they are so very wise that no one uunderstands them so that they just appear to be foolish. The eight stories are:
The Jar of Fools;
How They Play Dreidel in Chlem;
Sweeter than Honey, Purer than Oil;
The Knight of the Golden Slippers;
Silent Samson, the Maccabee;
The Magic Spoon;
The Soul of a Menorah;
Wisdom for Sale.

This book fits a prompt for the 52bookclub 2022 reading challenge - April mini-challenge prompt "a foolish character.'

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family favorite.

[Ellen Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and funny with elements of Hanunkkah mixed in.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I want to find more books about Chelm.