The Rabbi and the Twenty-nine Witches by Marilyn Hirsh

by Marilyn Hirsh

Once a month, when the moon is full, twenty-nine of the meanest, scariest, ugliest, wickedest witches that ever lived come out of their cave to terrify the villagers . . . until one day the wise rabbi invents a plan to rid his village of those wicked witches forever. The rabbi's clever plan works--with hilarious results!

Genres: Picture Books, Jewish, Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy, Witches

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1976, and just reprinted by Marshall Cavendish this year (2009), Marilyn Hirsh's The Rabbi and the Twenty-Nine Witches is taken from the Talmud, and concerns an ordinary village beset by extraordinary witches. Driven indoors every full moon by "twenty-nine of the meanest, scariest, ugliest, wickedest witches that ever were, the villagers turn to their rabbi, who comes up with a very clever way of ridding the town of these pests...

An engaging story, paired with Hirsh's somewhat scribbly (but ultimately charming) black and white illustrations, makes this an entertaining bedtime selection. Young folklore enthusiasts in particular will appreciate the tale. I do feel somewhat ambivalent about stories concerning the killing of witches, whether they be from Grimm, or from the Talmud, as I believe they are often a reflection of a terrible and violent misogyny. Still, they exist in many traditions, and I don't believe they should be edited out of existence. And children, of course, probably won't have any qualms at all.

[sncottle · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a childhood favorite of mine and i still reference "dancing between the raindrops." when i made that reference today to a friend, all i could remember was that it was from some old children's book that i'd read, so i had to google it to remember what the context was exactly. fun blast from the past.

[Aneesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The PJ Library is a book club I'd like to be a part of.

[Beverlee Jobrack · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book suffers from being aged. The Rabbi is the only clever one. And the witches are evil but are pleased when men pay attention to them. The women at home are just whiners. Very disappointing message.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for an unusual Halloween or spooky book, this is a winner. We rad it year round.

[Meltha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book works well as a small, self-contained folktale about beating a powerful group of foes by using one's head. While the apparent death of the witches is a little disturbing, considering the rabbi and his friends "Dorothy"-ed them, it's also a little hilarious as well. I snickered, at any rate. The illustrations are an unusual mix of black and grey. No other colors are present, which gives the images an antique feel. More remarkably, the individual cartoon faces of the characters are very well drawn. Considering some of these have sixty or more individuals in a single scene, that's a fairly daunting task. The only thing really missing in this is some additional notes. The dust jacket does reference that the story is originally from the Talmud, but I would have liked some more backstory on that. On the whole, it worked together pretty well and presented a positive portrayal of a Jewish village working together.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting Jewish folk tale that is perfect for those in the Halloween spirit (though it is NOT a Halloween book).

I had an idea where the book was going but I wasn't sure. It was an interesting plan the Rabbi came up with. I like the concept that witches only come out on full moons and scare the villages. But they won't come out on full moons when it rains. Therefore, if 29 men went to the witches caves when it rains, and were dry, well that would be some trick. The witches wanted to know how the men could walk between the rain drops and not get wet. So the Rabbi and the men lured the witches in the rain to dance...and you can guess the rest...a whole Wizard of OZ "I'm Melting, MELTING M-E-L-T-I-N-G"

Why this book did not get 4 stars from me is he picture are very monochromatic and a little dull. Not my taste. But I liked the story!

[Mickey Bits · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember hearing this book years ago in religious school in the mid-80s. Now I have the privilege of reading it aloud to my own children. Like many of her books, this one is an adapted retelling of an older legend, this one from the Agada Talmud. Not only is it a great story in and of itself, but also serves as a launching point for further discussion. This is how you would adapt it to children of varying ages... from young schoolchildren to high school teens and young adults.

Serendipitously this title led me to Hirsh's other titles - some of them based off Jewish themes and some not. Sadly I learned that Hirsch passed away in 1988 at a relatively young age (44, perhaps? Too young!). The world lost a true talent with her passing. Luckily she left a robust list of books and art for us to enjoy and discuss.

[Anthony W · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a small villige bothered by a family of 29 witches. These withces would only come out during a gull moon so no one in the villige ever saw a full moon. Finally one night the Rabbi took care of the witches and they were gone forever, and all the people loved the full moon.

For a book that was mad such long ago the illustrations are not to bad. They did a good job knowing pictures help the rader. Almost every picture fills the pages and go of the page. They made sure to use every once of white. Also the illustrations fit the reading well and you get a good visual picture of what is going on.

[Arsenio Richardson]

The book had very good text and morals. The art was understandable but I thought illustrator could have done a better job with the details of the witches. They did not look as unfriendly as the texts stated. This is also one of those books you pick up but put right back because of the cover. It was really dull and old. After opening the book though it began to get more interesting. Even though this is an older book it can still be read by children today and they can relate. The author gave a brief description of her life on the front page to help me understand where she is coming from.

[Margaret Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to do when Halloween is a Friday night and your synagogue has services? Read the Rabbi and the 29 Witches, a delightful Talmudic story cast as a children's tale. A favorite of my mother and my daughter. A perfect companion to Maggie Anton's Rav Hisda's Daughter, where she tells the tale too. A just for fun I made 29 Witches Hat Cookies, (a chocolate shortbread cookie with a hershey's kiss) so we could have the Rabbi and the 29 Witches.

Read it again for my mother's yahrzeit and Halloween Shabbat.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pictures are nothing to speak of but I love this story. One of my favorite lines about the witches: "They pulled the tails of their cats and bit each other out of sheer nastiness."

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It was read to me when I was a child, and now I have read it to my older child, who also loves it. One of those books that sticks with you.

[Rebecca Einstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favourite books. Every time it rains, I cannot help but think of the witches trying to dance between the raindrops.

[jillbertini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a childhood favorite of mine. I still think about dancing between the raindrops.

[Davida · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books from childhood...and now I can share it with William. Very magical!

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

poor witches got picked on.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do all witches melt a la Wizard of Oz?
Ok to read once.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only OK

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The classic community based problem solver.

[Terry]

Picky readers and kids of all ages can enjoy this folktale all year long. This is an excellent choice for reading with kids of multiple ages, reluctant readers, or classroom read-aloud. See more of the review at the Reading Tub.