| The City of Light Contributor(s): Bikel, Theodore (Author), Bikel, Aimee Ginsburg (Author), Phillips, Noah (Illustrator) |
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ISBN: 1942134614 ISBN-13: 9781942134619 Publisher: Mandel Vilar Press OUR PRICE: $15.26 Product Type: Hardcover Published: December 2019 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Juvenile Fiction | Historical - Holocaust - Juvenile Fiction | Historical - Europe - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations - Hanukkah |
| Dewey: B |
| Series: Momentbooks |
| Physical Information: 0.4" H x 8.4" W x 6.4" (0.55 lbs) 64 pages |
| Themes: - Topical - Holocaust |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Indie Awards Silver Medal Winner (Children's Nonfiction) When legendary and beloved actor, singer and activist Theo Bikel wrote a short story, shortly before his passing in 2015, about his happy childhood as a Jewish boy in Vienna--confused by rising anti-Semitism, and ultimately forced to flee after the Nazi takeover--he never could have imagined that Jewish children in the US, at the start of 2020, would have to ask their parents the same questions he had asked his own parents: Why are we hated? Why must I be afraid to be who I am? In The City of Light , Theodore poignantly recounts moments from his childhood in Vienna-- at first the happy memories of family, sweet cakes, and holidays; and then darker times, when he experienced and witnessed brutal and violent anti-Semitism as Nazi influence grew. Set in Vienna in 1937-38 during Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria, a young Jewish boy witnesses Kristallnacht, "The Night of Broken Glass," and elderly Jews being spat upon and forced to clean the sidewalks with their coats. Once at home in the city, he is ostracized and beaten. One night, the boy dreams that his favorite Jewish superhero, Judah Maccabee, has arrived to save Vienna's Jews. But when he awakens, there has been no Maccabean rescue. Years pass and the boy, now an old man, returns to Vienna and finds its Jewish community and Temple have been restored. He looks for the eternal light in the Temple and can't find it. Then suddenly it becomes clear to him: "The light was there all the time; it was in my own heart." This special book, gentle and bittersweet in its tone, also includes a three-page Yiddish glossary, a recipe for Honey Cake from Bikel's grandmother, and sheet music of a little-known Hanukkah song Little Candle Fires with a link to a website where you can hear Theo singing it. Theodore Bikel's The City of Light is receiving critical acclaim, loved by adults who have followed Bikel for decades, as well as young people struggling to make sense of the acts of hatred and bigotry they are now exposed to daily. Aimee Ginsburg Bikel, Theo's widow and veteran journalist, has added a backstory, several glossaries, and an afterword about an event in Bikel's life with stunning historic significance. Noah Phillips' moving illustrations bring the story to life. |
Contributor Bio(s): Phillips, Noah: - Noah Phillips is a Brooklyn-based writer, illustrator, and social worker. His artwork has appeared in magazines, newspapers and a book of children's stories called The Three Chickens and Five Other Stories. More information about Noah can be found at www.noahphillips.net.Bikel, Theodore: - Theodore Bikel was a much admired and beloved actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist and political activist. He appeared in numerous films including The African Queen (1951), Moulin Rouge (1952), The Enemy Below (1957), I Want to Live! (1958), The Dog of Flanders (1958), The Blue Angel (1959), My Fair Lady (1964) and The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Defiant Ones (1958) Bikel was also a widely recognized and recorded folk singer and guitarist. In 1959, he co-founded the Newport Folk Festival and created the role of Captain von Trapp opposite Mary Martin as Maria in the original Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music. In 1969, Bikel began acting and singing on stage as Tevye in the musical Fiddler on the Roof, a role he performed more often than any other actor to date. The production won nine Tony Awards and was one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history. Bikel was a guest star on many popular television series: in 1954, he appeared in NBC's legal drama, "Justice," he appeared in "Twilight Zone;" "Wagon Train," "Hawaii Five-O," "Columbo," "Charlie's Angels.""Cannon," "Little House on the Prairie," "Mission Impossible," "Gunsmoke," "Dynasty," "All in the Family," "Knight Rider," "Murder, She Wrote," "Fantasy Island," "Law & Order." and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. Je also had roles on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," The Family," "Babylon 5," Bikel received many awards in his life including: 1959, Academy Award Nomination for "The Defiant Ones," "1992, Honorary Doctorate of the University of Hartford; 1997 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, 2005, A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and many others; He died at the age of 91 on July 21, 2015.Bikel, Aimee Ginsburg: - Aimee Ginsburg Bikel, a graduate of Hebrew University, worked as the India Correspondent for The Israeli Newspaper, "Yedioth Ahronoth," for sixteen years. As Theodore Bikel's spouse, after his death she established and is the founding director of the Theodore Bikel Legacy Project. She is active in projects which strengthen and support the values close to Theo's heart: Social Justice and Jewish Folk Culture. She is also an active writer and journalist nd has contributed to many magazines and journals such as The Forward, Tablet Magazine, The Los Angeles Jewish Journal, among others. |