Because God Loves Stories: An Anthology of Jewish Storytelling

The idea of the anthology is a good one, though I wished it had included more stories about 'Eretz Yisrael' which is after all the center of Jewish yearning for generations. The work focuses on American- Jewish stories and storytellers, although of course many touch upon Old World experiences. The storytellers themselves come from a variety of walks of life, some being professional storytellers, some well- known Jewish cultural figures and some being ' everyman' . The stories often have a folk quality about them, and are often entertaining, and instructive. However the stories also point up the difference between stories which are stories in the street, anecdotal stories, and stories which are more complex literary creations. In this I think stories of the folk kind cannot possibly have the kind of aesthetic value that for instance a written story of Bashevis Singer might have.

It`s an amazing book. After I bought it I couldn`t stop reading until I was through! Amazingly funny, poetic, inspiring and touching stories, from the first one to the last one. Good source - let`s say, a sampler - of Jewish wisdom. The book resides on my bedside table now - in case I need some inspiration for good dreams...

What a joy to read this anthology! In a world where the media is constantly on our nerves with the ever-going show of human misery, to read this set of stories is a therapy. It makes you laugh, it makes you wonder, it brings you closer to God and His creation, it revives a deep-rooted "jewishness" that we seldom are aware off or have simple forgotten. It makes you feel like a child savoring his favorite ice cream: when it is finished, he cries out for more!

It is said that when three Jews have a discussion they will have at least four opinions, so there may not be any such thing as a Jewish outlook on, or philosophy of, life itself. But if there is, Because God Loves Stories captures its flavor. This is a collection of tales, memories, family stories, and anecdotes -- most of them short, and all of them fascinating -- that captures the tension and conflict between demanding the sweetness of the ideal world from God (who should certainly understand it the way WE do) while grudgingly, cynically, and mockingly accepting the frequent bitterness (or at least the tartness) of reality. It is a collection that shows how one can see humans as made in the image of God while still being fallible, troublesome, and even sinful, and that shows Jews loving God while being poignantly aware of the disappointments in much of His work, and letting Him know about it. I have given copies of this book to my (Jewish) father who is as easily impressed as all Jewish parents -- and he loved it and reads the stories to friends he visits in a Jewish nursing home. They love them. I have also shared the stories with the non-Jews of a library literary discussion group to which I belong, and they have loved them. So, nu, what are you waiting for? Buy the book already. It's not like it costs so much money; the pleasure will be worth the few pennies you spend.