Books to Get You in the Hanukkah Spirit

There are few stereotypes more recognizable than the Jewish mother. This book challenges the cliché and teaches people of any background how they can bring up a child who is a good human being (not to mention well-fed). Not only will you get tips to help your children succeed, but you won’t stop laughing along the way.

This novel is set after the Holocaust, but it’s definitely not your typical story of the era. The main character, Yitzhak, is a survivor who moves to a thriving Jewish community in Savannah, Georgia to live with his only remaining family after the war ends. While remaining hopeful, Yitzhak has to come to terms with the racial divide during the Jim Crow era, as well as among groups of Jewish residents in his new community.

Like many Jewish children, Gary Shteyngart was taught the only way he could be a success was by becoming a lawyer or a doctor. Instead, he became a writer—and thus, a little failure in his father’s eyes. This memoir about life as a Russian Jewish immigrant will connect with anyone who didn’t follow their parents’ dreams for them, no matter their background.