SKU: 75702110751

Tales from the Sephardic Dispersion

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Tales from the Sephardic DispersionThanks to these generous donors for making the publication of the books in this series possible: Lloyd E. Cotsen; The Maurice Amado Foundation; the National Endowment for the Humanities; and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. Tales from the Sephardic Dispersion begins the most important collection of Jewish folktales ever published. It is the first volume in Folktales of the Jews, the five volume series to be released over the next several

Thanks to these generous donors for making the publication of the books in this series possible: Lloyd E. Cotsen; The Maurice Amado Foundation; the National Endowment for the Humanities; and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture.

Tales from the Sephardic Dispersion begins the most important collection of Jewish folktales ever published. It is the first volume in Folktales of the Jews, the five-volume series to be released over the next several years, in the tradition of Louis Ginzberg's classic, Legends of the Jews.

The 71 tales here and the others in this series have been selected from the Israel Folktale Archives (IFA), named in Honor of Dov Noy, at The University of Haifa, a treasure house of Jewish lore that has remained largely unavailable to the entire world until now. Since the creation of the State of Israel, the IFA has collected more than 20,000 tales from newly arrived immigrants, long-lost stories shared by their families from around the world. The tales come from the major ethno-linguistic communities of the Jewish world and are representative of a wide variety of subjects and motifs, especially rich in Jewish content and context. Each of the tales is accompanied by in-depth commentary that explains the tale's cultural, historical, and literary background and its similarity to other tales in the IFA collection, and extensive scholarly notes. There is also an introduction that describes the Sephardic culture and its folk narrative tradition, a world map of the areas covered, illustrations, biographies of the collectors and narrators, tale type and motif indexes, a subject index, and a comprehensive bibliography. Until the establishment of the IFA, we had had only limited access to the wide range of Jewish folk narratives. Even in Israel, the gathering place of the most wide-ranging cross-section of world Jewry, these folktales have remained largely unknown. Many of the communities no longer exist as cohesive societies in their representative lands; the Holocaust, migration, and changes in living styles have made the continuation of these tales impossible. This volume and the others to come will be monuments to a rich but vanishing oral tradition.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Jewish Publication Society of America
Published: 10/30/2006
ISBN: 9780827608290
Pages: 722
Weight: 2.56lbs
Size: 9.26h x 6.36w x 2.17d

Review Citations: Univ PR Books for Public Libry 01/01/2007 pg. 1 - Strongly Recommended
Multicultural Review 06/01/2007 pg. 57

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SKU: 75702110751

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4.7 ★★★★★
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Verified Purchase
Jon and Carissa Yoder
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful
Format: Hardcover
The familiar story of Jesus through the lens of a First Nations storyteller. It is beautiful and brought me to tears. I can’t wait to read it to my kids.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2024
S
Steph A
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Insightful Iteration of the Christmas Story, Minus the European Lens
Format: Hardcover, Format: Hardcover
Premise Birth of the Chosen One is a picture book adaptation of the birth of Jesus, with text taken from the First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament. This translation was overseen by Terry M. Wildman, in collaboration with an intertribal committee of First Nations Americans. I recommend checking out the website to learn more about this beautiful project, and checking out the clip of the First Nations version of The Lord’s Prayer. A quick disclaimer: Although I am multitribal Indigenous American, I am not well-acquainted with the culture. As I struggled a bit to write this review, I shared the story with my mom, who is much more familiar with our culture. To my observation, my mom found the book to be beautiful and moving. Storytelling The story of Jesus’ birth, attested to in Scripture, is often filtered through a European lens. So often, nativity portrayals depict lightly complected versions of Mary and Joseph– an incongruous incarnation of their middle-Eastern heritage. Renaissance artwork was, I believe, instrumental in forming these pictures within the western imagination. Birth of the Chosen One tells the story of Jesus’ birth through the lens of Indigenous American storytelling. I’m so grateful for this portrayal, which offers representation to young Indigenous readers, while also affording those of other backgrounds insight into a different culture. Translation of Proper Nouns One of the most striking elements that distinguishes this translation of the Christmas story from more common English translations is the translations of the names. While reading the story to myself, I was a bit perplexed by some of the names (Mary, for example, is known as Bitter Tears). In sharing the story with my mom, however, she pointed me to the Hebrew origins of the familiar names we read in the Christmas story. I learned from my mom that one meaning of Mary is, indeed, “bitter,” and we also learned from the story that Bethlehem means “House of Bread.” As my mom pointed out, this is a very powerful truth, since Jesus describes Himself as the “Bread of Life.” Throughout the story, these translated names bring new meaning to the birth of Jesus. It was eye-opening to see how much of the story is missed, with Anglicized names that don’t mean as much to the average reader as they would have meant to the Ancient Hebrew/Jew. Helpfully, the Author’s Note at the end of the story offers a list of corresponding Anglicized / translated names and locations. Narrative Rendering Just as the translated nouns bring fresh meaning to the familiar account of Christmas, the narrative also draws out the truth of Jesus’ coming in a way that is both powerful and meaning-ful. Jesus Himself spoke in stories, and I am personally a huge fan of allegory. For me, the different style presented the sweet simplicity of the truth of the Gospel, with refreshing novelty. The words of Jesus’ birth, so familiar to me, take on new meaning with different stylistic presentation. My favorite passage in the story comes from the mouth of Creator’s Chosen One (the angel Gabriel). He tells Bitter Tears, “He will set people free from their bad hearts and broken ways.” I consider the phrase “bad hearts and broken ways” to be a more meaning-ful iteration of the concept of sin. And, the Gospel itself is referred to as “the good story,” which I considered to be a beautiful (and once again, more powerful) descriptor. Illustrations Hannah and Holly Buchanan render the story of Jesus’ birth in lively colors, with images that bring First Nations culture to life. The twin sisters are completing PhDs in art history, and the Indigenous characters are depicted in traditional attire. While I don’t have the vocabulary to describe all of the details, I do really like seeing the Nativity presented in this way– with characters portrayed in a more relatable way. Readers who are not First Nations have the opportunity to visit Bethlehem, the House of Bread, in a new way, rather than in the style and coloration of European art. The following elements stood out to me: Use of sweet, colorful wildflowers– both in the meadow landscape and as a decorative vine/garland Jesus’ star is portrayed as hugely illuminating and BRILLIANT, with the size and radiance of a sun The characters’ faces are expressive. Bitter Tears often appears solemn or thoughtful. The Seekers of Wisdom blend thoughtfulness and hope. Chief Looks Brave (Herod) appears as a stony-faced background silhouette. (I found this stylistic choice to be especially effective). Content / Discussion Note On the page about the heavenly chorus, the text describes “a great number of spirit warriors.” The illustration includes the single “spirit-warrior,” portrayed as a man with eagle feathers and an eagle headress– alongside other eagles. My hesitation here is that the spirit-warriors / angels are being depicted as eagles. The book of Ezekiel, however, does describe certain supernatural beings with aquiline characteristics. Recommendation Status Birth of the Chosen One is an important Christmas story because it removes the Western lens through which many of us have been taught to read the nativity. The direct translations from the original Hebrew language are eye-opening and offer much-needed context. I would consider myself well-acquainted with the Christmas story, and I learned from this book. I’m also so happy for the representation offered in Birth of the Chosen One. Recommended for readers of all ages, regardless of cultural background. Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2024
M
Mouttet Menagerie
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Native retelling of Christmas story
Format: Hardcover
Birth of the Chosen One is a beautiful retelling of the Christmas story. I will say that I struggled with the reading of it from the aspect of years (and years) of hearing and reading the original version. I can see where Birth of the Chosen One could be a good introduction to Christianity for First Nation Peoples or Native Americans. I appreciated that Terry Wildman has both Ojibwe and Yaqui heritage. I also appreciated that the illustrators are members of the Miami tribe. Experience as a tribal member gives these three the authority to present a Native American version of the story. The book closes with a note from Terry Wildman that will help readers keep track of the Native American names in the story. I received a complimentary copy of Birth of the Chosen One. This is my honest review.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2024
M
Morven Baker
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Just the most beautiful book
Format: Hardcover
I bought this for me grandchildren to give them a refreshingly different perspective from the traditional Christmas story which most often features white characters which, in all reality, were most definitely brown. It's a treasure, and I'd recommend every family to purchase a copy.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2024
C
Verified Purchase
connor
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
Transformative & inspirational
Format: Paperback
“The Five Love Languages - Bible Study Book” is a truly transformative and inspirational resource. Combining the wisdom of Gary Chapman’s classic book with the depth of biblical teachings, this study guide offers profound insights into how to love others in a way that is both meaningful and impactful. The lessons are practical, easy to follow, and relevant to everyday life. Whether you’re a newlywed, a long-time spouse, or simply seeking to improve your relationships, this study guide is a must-have. It has deepened my understanding of love and has had a positive impact on my relationships. Highly recommend it to anyone looking to grow in love and understanding!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2024

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