Chanukah Tales from Oykvetchnik
Written and Narrated By: Scott Hilton Davis
Length: 1 hr and 48 mins
Oh what lovely tales of Chhhhhhanukah!
Hey, it’s not me, it’s Scott Hilton Davis who chose to spell it “Chanukah” and who chose to really go to town with the Chhhhh part. I thought I was into enthusiastic pronunciations, but the dear man danged near hawked up a phlegm ball each time he did the Ch in Chanukah or in, say, the name Chaim. It’s not, however, annoying by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, I found his narration to be unutterably endearing, and it so totally added to the charm of these wonderful, wonderful Chanukah tales.
Journey with me, if you will, to the town of Oykvetchnik, a town named for two people. The townsfolk unanimously voted to honor these two, only they chose to use the Oy! that the girl was always saying to go along with the candle peddler’s last name. It’s a sweet tale of a Chanukah miracle whereby even a lowly and homeless candle peddler can save the day.
Chanukah Tales from Oykvetchnik is several short and wonderfully crafted stories of miracles, stories that take us into the lives of aaaaall the inhabitants of the town (Even a mouse living in the yeshiva has his story, his Chanukah miracle!). There are stories of the richest man in town learning that, yes, he’s grateful but really, it wouldn’t kill him to shell out another bit o’ money, especially if it means he’ll come to learn the true and loving spirit of life in his community. And there are stories of a young and poor boy pouring his heart and soul into restoring a filthy and dinged-up menorah, making it truly his… until he find’s the menorah’s true heart and home.
There are quite a few stories, and they’re all fairly short, just enough to surprise and delight. Add to that, the shortness of the audiobook as a whole, and you have the biggest disappointment of the whole thing: I wanted MORE and was sooo sad when it ended.
Seriously, y’all: A mouse in a yeshiva! What more can ya ask for?!?
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