Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales

Tales of magic and wonder can be found in every phase of Jewishliterature, from the sacred to the secular. The fairy tale in particular--set inenchanted lands and populated with a variety of human and supernatural beings,both good and evil--holds a very special place in the Jewish tradition. For inthe fairy tale, where good and evil engage in a timeless struggle, we have aclear reflection of the Jewish world view, where faith in God can defeat theevil impulse.In Elijah's Violin, Howard Schwartz offers a sumptuous collection ofthirty-six Jewish fairy tales from virtually every corner of the world. At onceotherworldy and earthy, pious and playful, these celebrated tales from Moroccoand India, Spain and Eastern Europe, Babylon and Egypt, illustrate not onlytheir Jewish character but also their universality of themes. Invoking thebiblical tale of David and Goliath, we read as King David defeats the giant byhovering above its spear in King David and the Giant. In the romantic tale ofThe Princess in the Tower, a variant of Rapunzel, we watch as the cautious KingSolomon recognizes the vanity in trying to prevent Providence from taking place.And we see the religious nature of the quest for Elijah's violin in the titlestory. The successful completion of the king's quest enables the violin'simprisoned melodies, emblematic of the Jewish spirit, to be set free.Throughout this richly illustrated collection, one can find the quests andriddles of the traditional fairy tale along with the divine intervention thatcharacterizes the Jewish fairy tale. Skillfully translated, these stories willcaptivate children and adults alike in which romance and magic becomeenchantingly entwined with faith, duty, and wisdom.

Howard Schartz is Professor of English Literature at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. He is the author of Lilian's Cave and Miriam's Tambourine.