The Association
of Jewish Libraries and Ben Yehuda Press are pleased
to announce the joint publication of
The Association of Jewish Libraries Guide
to Yiddish Short Stories by Bennett Muraskin. This is
the first such cooperative publishing effort between the two organizations,
both of whom are strong advocates for Judaic literature.
The Guide to
Yiddish Short Stories is a gateway into the rich world of Yiddish literature
that began in the 19th century. It provides an annotated summary of
more than 130 stories available in English translation, from the classics of Sholem Aleichem and Mendele Moycher Sforim to those written
by Holocaust survivors in post-war America. For each story there is a
bibliographical listing of where it can be found, both in English and the
original Yiddish.
Arranged
topically, the
Guide can help readers or educators select stories centered
around themes including: Jewish holidays, questioning God's justice, the
struggle of workers, ethics and piety, life in the shtetl,
the curse of poverty, moral choices, anti-Semitism, parents and children, marriage,
and spirituality. The
Guide further provides biographical sketches of the 43
authors whose works are featured in this volume.
Author Benett Muraskin is the adult
education director of the Jewish Cultural School and Society in West Orange,
NJ. He is the author of
Let Justice Well Up Like Water: Progressive Jews from
Hillel to Helen Suzman (2004),
Humanist Readings in
Jewish Folklore (2001), a co-author of
Celebrating Jewish Holidays: An
Introduction for Secular Jewish Families and Their Communities (2002) along
with Lawrence Schofer and Judith Seid. He contributed a chapter on “Jewish Secularism” to
Peace, Justice and Jews:
Reclaiming Our Tradition, edited by Murray Polner and
Stefan Merken (2007). He is a columnist for
Jewish
Currents and Outlook (Canada) and a regular contributor to
Humanistic Judaism.
His articles have also appeared in
Israel Horizons.
“Bennett Muraskin’s book fills a niche that has been missing in the
Yiddish community. An excellent resource for teachers, program directors and
students of Yiddish literature,” says Philip Kutner,
past vice president, International Association of Yiddish Clubs.
The Association
of Jewish Libraries Guide to Yiddish Short Stories is available for $14.95 on
the Ben Yehuda Press Web site at
http://www.benyehudapress.com/catalog/muraskin_ajl/
and at other online retailers.