Marci Stillerman

As the last night of Chanukah draws to a close, Oma once again tells her grandchildren the story of the treasured little menorah, "the Children's Menorah, " miraculously created out of self-sacrifice by the women in a Nazi concentration camp. Oma's bunkmate then, Raizel, muses that she could make a menorah out of spoons, but "in the camp, spoons were valued like gold." In the cold, harsh setting of the camp, the procurement of nine spoons is fraught with drama. A kitchen worker steals two rusty spoons from the garbage-despite the threat of punishment if she were to be caught; another woman bargains away her extra scraps of food. The night before Chanukah, the ninth spoon is found, and by twisting them together Raizel fashions a strangely beautiful menorah, and "the children had a Chanukah to remember." As Oma tells the family story, her grandchildren chime in with the parts they know, promising always to remember. Softly colored illustrations depict the joyful contemporary Chanukah celebration, while muted browns and grays dominate the camp scenes of thin-faced prisoners in ragged clothes. An author's note tells that the story is based on an actual incident and that the prisoners would have appeared even more emaciated in reality, but "the book was designed with sensitivity to our very young audience." The respectful and dramatic narrative conveys the bonds of faith and community that rose from despair to forge a sign of hope.… (mere)

A wonderful, if tear-jerking Chanukah story. A true story as related on behalf of the author's grandmother, this tells of a group of women in a concentration camp who were determined to create a proper Chanukah menorah for their own use and for the sake of the children imprisoned with them. One of them, an artist, decides she can create a kosher menorah of spoons if the others can collect nine precious spoons for her use; together they gather the spoons one by one and are able to create a small light within an extraordinary darkness. For anyone asking the meaning and value of Chanukah, or hoping to add depth to their appreciation, I would recommend running to find this book.… (mere)