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Rabbi Aviva Cohen is a 50-something, twice-divorced rabbi living a rather uneventful life in South Jersey. True, she has a family that is rather unconventional. And her first ex-husband is moving to her town. But her life takes a truly interesting – and sinister – turn when she agrees to officiate at the funeral of an unpopular land developer. She doesn’t expect to be told by two different people that he had been murdered. Nor does she expect that the first funeral will result in a suicide. Her search for the story behind the suicide (or was it murder?) will lead her to discover the truism "appearances can be deceiving" is accurate, while putting her life in jeopardy.
Rabbi Ilene Schneider, Ed.D. hasn't decided yet what (or who) she wants to be when she grows up. (She lives by the t-shirt logo: "I may grow older, but I'll never grow up.") In her current incarnation, she is Coordinator of Jewish Hospice for Samaritan Hospice in Marlton, NJ, near Philadelphia. (She was one of the first 6 women ordained as a rabbi in the US, back in 1976.) Interested in nature and conservation, she also works for the New Jersey Audubon Society at the Rancocas Nature Center. In addition to ordination, she has earned a few degrees over the years, all in different disciplines and none worth much in the market place. (BA in Publication from Simmons; M.Ed. in Psychoeducational Processes from Temple; Ed.D. in Foundations of Ed. from Temple; honorary D.D. from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College for surviving 25 years in the rabbinate). She also began piano lessons for the first time in her life when she was in her 50's -- a total disaster (especially for the teacher), but fun. In her spare time (which she finds by never cleaning the house), she's a birder and gardener, although her garden's almost as much of a mess as her house. (She believes in benign neglect: she plants it; if it comes up, great; if it doesn't, she tries something else. She lets nature do the watering, which is why everything in the flower boxes is dead, and refers to the weeds as "wild flowers and decorative grasses.") When the weather's nice enough to garden, she's more apt to be birding. She's been married for 30 years, and has two teen-aged boys, making her part of the trendy group of "older" parents.
"In Chankkah Guilt, Schneider succeeds in blending the complex life of a
congregational spiritual leader with that of first-rate detective, family
member, confidant, friend, human being and even yenta (nosy body)."
"Sometimes mysteries with religious content become venues for moralizing. Not so with this good mystery by Ilene Schneider. Chanukah Guilt weaves Jewish culture and mystery in a delightful blend." ~ Bloodstained Book Reviews (Full review)
"Chanukah Guilt was another a surprisingly good, fast read. I was a bit concerned at points, since it takes a good minute for the action to really get going, but the characters are enjoyable enough that this wasn’t a huge concern. Rabbi Aviva Cohen is a twice-divorced rabbi living in southern Jersey. She’s also an older foodie (in her 50s), and relishing her delightfully single life. Her family is quite kooky, and one of the B-plots features her lesbian neice’s changing relationship with her autistic son. This kooky family is, I think, key to one of the underlying missions of the book, since a lot of it has to do with what it means to be a Jewish American in the 21st century. The answers Schneider offers are quite varied, ranging from Aviva’s goofy joy in life to Trudy’s modern family to the more secular Jewish-ness of the murder victim’s family. These dynamics are honestly more fun to explore than the murder mystery itself. Good times!"
~ The Hathor Legacy |
