Customer Reviews

Even Higher! A Rosh Hashanah Story

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In the original Yiddish short story by I.L. Peretz, the rabbi of Nemirov disappears on the days preceding the holy days of Rosh Hashanah. The Ukrainian villagers believe he has gone to speak to God on their behalf. A doubting Litvak, sceptical as men from Lithuania have a reputation for being, questions the truth of their belief. Kimmel opens his picture book adaptation with the core question, "Where did the rabbi go?" The Litvak determines to find out. Playful, gouache illustrations, chock full of cats, chickens, mice, and a nibbling goat, follow the human rabbi and spying Litvak as the Litvak hides under the rabbi's bed and sneaks behind when the rabbi, disguised as a peasant, chops wood in the forest and then lights the fire for a sick woman in the poorest section of the village. An endnote tells that the next scene was inspired by Kimmel's own grandmother at age 95 - The rabbi sings a Ukrainian drinking song and pulls the old woman up to dance - before returning to the traditional tale. Afterwards, the Litvak, now a disciple, asserts that the rabbi of Nemirov has gone even higher than heaven. Aside from a curious three pages which slow the story down to over-explain how the Litvak is a doubter, this is the most child-friendly version of Peretz's classic story now in print. Light, upbeat art with figures like paper doll cut-outs and clear black font help connect this accessible tale of truly unselfish giving for readers ages 6-9. Sharon Elswit

Prolific children's author, Kimmel, scores another winner with this story that is based on a story by I. L. Peretz (1852-1915), titled "Oyb Nit Nogh Hekher", or "If Not Higher." In the original story, the miracle is that there are no miracles. You can save the world simply by being kind to others. In Kimmel's retelling of the story, we find ourselves in the colorful, simple country village of Nemirov. No one could find the rabbi, not among the hens, the homes, the pushcarts, or the shul before Rosh Hashanah. The villagers are convinced that their rabbi goes to heaven. It is Rosh Hashanh when God open the Book of Life. Obviously, the rabbi goes to heaven to plead the case of forgiveness for the villagers before God. Well, it so happens that a Litvak came to town. A religious man, of course, but a skeptic, since he was a Litvak. (note: Litvaks are from Lithuania. Nemirov is in the Ukraine today, and was the birthplace of Reb Noson the disciple of Nahman and Bratslav, and at one time, part of the Austro Hungarian empire, but i digress) He will prove the villagers wrong. He will follow the rabbi in secret and see where he disappears to. He follows the rabbi. The rabbi dresses as a peasant and heads to the forest. He cuts a load of wood and heads to the village to give it to an old, sickly woman. He poses as Vasilly the wood cutter. He gets this sickly woman to live life. Ah ha... the Litvak realized, the rabbi did go to heaven,... or maybe even higher

How wonderful to have this extraordinary story back in print and adapted by the master storyteller, Eric Kimmel. As always, we find ourselves in a shtetl full of loyal followers believing their rabbi visits heaven prior to the High Holidays, there is a skeptic who must follow the rabbi to prove them wrong and a righteous rabbi who is going somewhere "Even Higher." The twist? The old woman who the rabbi visits actually gets out of bed and dances with the rabbi in this clever retelling that adds a Ukrainian drinking song with the line, "Life is well worth living" to the story. Leave it to Mr. Kimmel to improve on I. L. Peretz.

The illustrations are a bit ordinary for my taste, but how far can you stretch the look of shtetl life? This is a great story for reading aloud at the High Holidays.

Before I review this book, I just want to say that I generally love Eric Kimmel. I just don't think that this is him at his best.

In _Even Higher_, Kimmel's adaptation of I.L. Peretz's classic tale, a Litvak follows the Rabbi of Nemerov on his mysterious excursion prior to Rosh HaShanah. I won't summarize the book further, as the other reviews do a good job of that.

What I liked: The simple, folksy illustrations are quite pleasant and engaging. The way the text dances around the page shows excellence in art direction. I enjoyed the insertion of the historically appropriate drinking tune and the change in palette when the fire gets going in the old woman's cottage.

What I didn't like: The absolutely terrible and inaccurate description of a Litvak. #1 - A Litvak is a Lithuanian (esp. a Russian-speaking one). #2 - A Litvak isn't a scoffer. A scoffer scoffs at everything, including G-d. A Litvak is a misnaged, someone who specifically scoffs at chassidim and their rebbes. He doubts their "miracles." Kimmel brings attention to the Litvak, but he never points out that the Rabbi of Nemerov isn't simply a rabbi, but a REBBE. These are not the same things.

I understand that Mr. Kimmel wanted to give a little context to the story. The problem is that his mishandling of the chassidus vs. misnaged battles of the 18th and 19th centuries makes the subject more murky, not less, and is probably not age-appropriate anyway.

I also think that the dancing is simply ridiculous. As another reviewer mentioned, if the old woman is so weak, how can she suddenly start dancing? It's a little over-the-top. Also, it is highly unlikely a Chassidishe rebbe would dance with a woman.

There's a lot to like in this little picture book. There's also some problems with it. You might want to look at it carefully before deciding whether it's appropriate for your kids.

This little book arrived in perfect condition and in a timely manner. Will be happy and confident in dealing with this vendor.

It takes a good deal of chutzpah to try to "improve" on a master story-teller like I.l. Peretz, but Eric Kimmel can't leave this classic story alone. So he inserts his own experience with his grandmother, resulting in the unlikely development that the old woman in the Peretz story - too weak even to light a fire - is pulled from her sickbed to dance wildly with her benefactor.

Kimmel seems to have cornered a chunk of the market on children's Jewish books, which is too bad, since it's not uncommon to find that he lacks the knowledge, intelligence, and sensibility to do full justice to his subjects.

This book translates I L Peretz' short story so that children can understand it, and the illustrations open a conversation about G-d and prayer in Judaism. What is a miracle? Does G-d live in Heaven? (The book answers, "no"). Is Heaven in the clouds? ("no"). What is more important: prayer, or acts of kindness? (this is the real topic of the story, and one which parents can discuss with children). My three-year-old was struck by the pictures of the shtetl dwellers deep in intense prayer, each with a separate emotion on her or his face. There is also the wonderful character of the Litvak, illustrated delightfully, and his voracious goat companion. The argument between the Litvak and the followers of the rabbi are illustrated so clearly that a toddler can understand the dispute (the villagers all point skyward, the Litvak protests). Observant readers will recognize the rabbi's morning rituals, although a very frum reader might be put off by Kimmel's addition of a dance, in which the pious rabbi of Nemirov, disguised as the greasy-coated woodcutter Vasily, takes the old woman's hand and leads her in singing a Ukrainian drinking song to bring color to her cheeks and joy to her heart. A precious addition to any Jewish family's story telling, and perhaps even for a wider audience whose G-d is not "in the clouds".

This is a lovely story about the effects one man's life has on others. The rabbi does good work without fanfare; but, when a villager wants to find out the true nature of the rabbi's absenses, a surprise awaits. This folktale is a must read.