Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul: Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit (Chicken Soup for the Soul)

by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

Book Overview

In deference to its cure-all effects, chicken soup is warmly referred to as "Jewish penicillin." It is not merely the delicious golden elixir itself, but,perhaps even more so, the love that is stirred... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558748989
• ISBN13: 9781558748989
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Hci
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.0" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

At last -- the Jewish volume in this great series

So nu, it's about time we finally got "Chicken Soup for the JEWISH Soul" -- after all, didn't we Jews invent the chicken-soup-cure-all metaphor in the first place? And storytelling is such a big part of our culture, that there was no shortage of material. In fact, according to the intro to this book, one of the reason it took so long to edit is because there was SO MUCH material. Enough, I hope, to do a sequel or two.I was delighted to find so many of my favorite contemporary stories included: Larry Trapp, the ex-KKK member who had a real change of heart; a prison inmate touched by a hug from the late Shlomo Carlebach; How Kirk Douglas re-connected with his Jewishness at the Western Wall; how Eddie Kantor started the March of Dimes; the heroism of Raoul Wallenberg; the good-hearted people of Billings, Montana, who took a stand against antisemitism, etc. Plus there are many, many new stories to touch the heart and soul. Ten stars!

A very touching book

I got this book about a month ago when I 1st moved to Hollywood. As a kid I remember sitting around during the holidays and listening to all of the women in my family tell stories of the past. To me this book is like the stories that my mother and grandmother used to tell. The stories in this book are great stories that make you think, make you happy and make you proud to be a Jewish person living in this world.

Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul - jaxon49

This is an inspirational and very touching book. The stories offered in this latest of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series captures the true essence of the Jewish identity. In reading these stories, I was reminded of stories told to me years ago by older relatives. It is truly a source of strength and inspiration for everyone, whether the person is Jewish or not. I've given copies as gifts to share with loved ones the treasure that this book offers.

The next great author

I found Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul to be both heart-warming and inspiring at the same time. While this collection of stories contains articles by a number of famous, well-respected individuals (such as Golda Meir, Ed Koch, and Anne Frank), I found Ms. Arielle Greenbaum's essay to be the most touching. Ms. Greenbaum has the uncanny ability of being able to convey such a deep and meaningful message while writing at a level that even high school students can understand. For this reason, it is clear that Ms. Greenbaum, a young college student, has a very bright future ahead of herself. While I consider Ms. Greenbaum's article to be head and shoulders above the other entries, the editors of this book have done an excellent job of collecting expressive papers written by a number of "unknowns." Therefore, I highly recommend this book. Maybe you can find your own new favorite author hidden in this book; but don't be surprised if you come to the same conclusion as I did - that Ms. Greenbaum will be the author of the next generation.

Outstanding collection of stories and esays!

I found this anthology to be full of compelling stories - many having to do with extraordinary coincidence, others simple stories of Jewish life. I was surprised at the high caliber of writing in this book, since some of the other "Chicken Soup" books are more about inspiration and less about the craft of writing. There is a lovely story by Rabbi Gerald Wolpe about the great kindness of a fellow congregant, and a remarkable account from Norman Jaffe and Leslie Riskin about "The Day Hitler Touched Me." All in all, it is a wonderful compilation, well worth the cost. I highly recommend the book.