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A Magnificent Read

Ellen Auerbach

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Chanukah
is the perfect time
to give a beautiful Judaica book.

CARLA JEAN SCHWARTZ

Section Editor

The Jewish Spirit, A Celebration
in Stories & Art
Ellen Frankel
Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $50
Editor Ellen Frankel, of The
Jewish Spirit, A Celebration in Stories
6- Art, chose 60 stories, ranging

from ancient oral tales to contempo-
rary narratives to illustrate the sur-
vival of the Jewish people. The
authors and illustrators comprise a
stellar group. Sholom Aleichem,
Franz Kafka and Bernard Malamud
are among the writers, while Marc
Chagall, Louise Nevelson and Ben
Shahan are the artists.
Frankel organizes the stories
according to the phases of life cycles
— creation, coming of age, relation-
ships, wisdom, old age, etc. There
are folktales from all over the world.
In Frankel's introduction she makes
this interesting observation: "The
trademark of the Jewish tale is its
special point of view."

12/4
1998

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Marc Chagall, Origins and Paths
Roland Doschka
Prestel, $65
Marc Chagall, Origins and Paths reveals

more than 60 works from all phases of
his extensive career. Many of these lyri-
cal paintings have never been published
before, since some of the works were
obtained through private collections.
His birthplace, the Russian village of
Vitebsk, is the inspiration for some of
his pictures. He paints vivid portraits of
the landscape and the landsmen in
intense colors. Author Roland Doschka,
curator of exhibitions at the Stadthalle
Balingren, Germany writes accompany-
ing essays illuminating Chagall's life.
This retrospective is fitting for the mil-
lennium. "The twentieth century is
drawing to a close; a century which has
seen not only fundamental political
upheaval but also radical transforma-
tions in the art world," wrote Doschka
in the foreword. He added, "A signifi-
cant part of the latter is attributable to
Marc Chagall whose artistic output
spans nearly the whole of our century."

Ellen Auerbach
Berlin, Tel Aviv, London, New York
Prestel, $39.95

This is the first overview of pho-
tographer Ellen Auerbach's work
from 1929 to 1965. Her pho-
tographs taken during this time peri-
od reflect the avant-garde photogra-
phy of the era. Auerbach has an
uncanny aptitude to capture people
in their ambiance. These cities are
places that she worked in over the
years. None of the photos in Berlin
are reflective of the Nazi era. (She
fled Germany in 1935.) The text,
including an interview with
Auerbach, is in German and English.
"The many fluctuations and changes
in my life, and all the new
re for me now at the end of
my life the expression of a search for
something unique Something that
underlies things," said Auberbach at
the conclusion of the interview. She
added, "Please, don't ask me what
that is, but I would still like to dis-
cover it."

The Invisible Thread, A Portrait
of Jewish American Women
Diana Bletter
Jewish Publication Society, $39.95

Author Diana Bletter and photogra-
pher Lori Grinker capture 60 women
exploring their faith and their sense
of Jewishness. These inspiring por-
traits demonstrate the diversity of
Jewish women. They are shown
blending their faith with their fami-
lies and their communities.

The Western Wall
Michal Ronnen Safdie
Jewish Publication Society, $40

Michal Ronnen Safdie presents a
photographic portrait of The Western
Wall, which evokes deep emotions
since this is where Jewish pilgrims
have come for thousands of years.
These are stunning photographs of
the people who come to touch, see
and pray at the Wall. The photogra-
pher was born in Jerusalem and grew
up near the Muslim section of the
city. The book also contains an intro-
duction by poet Yehuda Amichai.