The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate

by Janice Cohn

Hardcover, 1995

Status

Available

Local notes

394.266 3 Coh

Barcode

3526

Collection

Publication

Albert Whitman & Company (1995), Hardcover, 40 pages

Description

Describes how people in Billings, Montana joined together to fight a series of hate crimes against a Jewish family.

Physical description

40 p.; 10.31 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
When skinheads throw a rock through his bedroom window one December night, young Isaac Schnitzer is confused and afraid. "Why have we been singled out?" he asks, and his parents explain that it is because they are Jewish, and choose to celebrate Hannukah by displaying menorahs in their windows.
Show More
Across town, Isaac's Christian friend and schoolmate, Teresa Hanley, discusses the incident with her family, and, inspired by the story of how the Danish people rescued their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis, they decide to act...

This true story of how the people of one town - Billings, Montana - acted to oppose hatred and bigotry one holiday season, hanging paper menorahs in their windows en-masse, moves me to tears every time I read it. Accompanied by Bill Farnsworth's luminous winter scenes, The Christmas Menorahs offers a powerful meditation on the possibilities for tolerance and peace. While this beautiful tale is not about the holiday of Christmas itself, it has always struck me that it perfectly embodies that love which is the best and highest manifestation of the Christian faith, and the "Christmas Spirit."
Show Less
LibraryThing member STBA
Describes how people in Billings, Montana joined together to fight a series of hate crimes against a Jewish family.
LibraryThing member iBeth
Someone is smashing windows with menorahs in them, so everyone in the neighborhood puts a menorah in the window. A heartwarming holiday tale.
LibraryThing member kyoder06
Age appropriateness: primary, intermediate
Genre: Historical Fiction
Media: oil paint

This story fits within the historical fiction genre because the author based it on the real events that took place in Billings, Montana in 1993. Characters and some details have been embellished but the plot is
Show More
drawn from a specific time that occurred in history.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rvangent
This is a wonderful example of historical fiction in that it is based on a true story that happened in Billings, Montana in 1993. At the beginning of the book, the author tells us that the story is based on real events that happened to real people, but the author filled in some gaps, and made up
Show More
the conversations that happened between the people. The story takes place at a specific time in history in Montana when there were many acts of hatred going on. This is also a great historical fiction piece because there are two instances where one of the characters tells people a story about a historical event: one during in WWII and the other is the story of the Maccabees. Both of these stories go along with the overall story and theme of the book which is that of standing up for what is right and making love overpower hate.
Media: oil paint
Show Less
LibraryThing member JRobinW
Great book on love and courage. Good art as well.

Pages

40

Rating

(20 ratings; 4.4)
Page: 0.4983 seconds