Customer Reviews

How to Avoid the Evil Eye

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I frequently seek copies of this book to give to old and young Jews (and would not hesitate to give to non-Jewish friends). It contains a collection of the practices that European Jews used, and transported to the US, to ward off the Evil Eye which was a constant (though imaginary) threat to their peace and comfort. While the Evil Eye, a form of the Angel of Death, is an enormous opponent, it is much more manageable by the repetition of simple phrases or the attachment of bright ribbons than the actual threats presented by hostile political forces and populations. As my mother, first generation American, read this book she often commented, "That's right. We did that." The implication was that any sane person would do the same thing. I have learned that Italian peasants among others shared some of the same practices

I love this book. I remember so many of the superstitions my mother claimed not to believe in but followed anyway, "just in case," and there were also many that were new to me. Stuart Copans' cartoons make it so much fun to read. I wish there were more copies available at an affordable price. (I've already gotten 3 - for family, a friend, and an extra copy for myself (I had an old one). If you have memories of Jewish superstitions your family followed and/or are interested in learning about them, I highly recommend this lovely little book.