Description
Book SynopsisZvi Preigerzon (1900–1969), a Hebrew writer in the Soviet Union, wrote this book in complete secrecy, to the extent that he even hid its existence from his own family. The book is about the Jewish community in Hadiach, a small town in Ukraine where Shneur Zalman Schneerson, the founder of the Chabad movement, is buried. The town was occupied by the German army during the war and most of its Jewish population perished. Zvi Preigerzon describes the life of the simple Jewish people and their suffering under the Nazis, with a Kabbalistic spiritual touch: the Perpetual Flame of the Menorah at the grave of Shneur Zalman Schneerson symbolizes the very spirit of Jewish life, which it is said will persist as long as the flame is burning.
Trade Review“A prolific writer in Hebrew, Preigerzon’s novels like When the Menorah Fades capture in great detail what life was like for Jewish communities in small Ukrainian towns like Hadiach. …[T]he novel is not merely an extremely detailed account of the intricacies and intimacies of community members’ lives and households. Ultimately, it is an exploration of Hadiach itself. …The novel possesses a narrative poesy and clever structural techniques that quickly envelop readers. …[T]he English translation of this novel is an important contribution to both the Jewish literature and Ukrainian literature canons.”
— Nicole Yurcaba, New Eastern Europe
“When the Menorah Fades is a fictionalized account of daily life in the town of Hadiach, Ukraine. The Nazis destroyed this small Jewish community, but Priegerzon interviewed some of the survivors. His tales depict devout women visiting the grave of Schneur Zalman, the Alter Rebbe, who founded Chabad. They leave slips of paper with prayers and wishes, hoping for miracles... Readers interested in shtetl life and the history of Jews in Ukraine will find this book interesting.”
– Barbara Bibel, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley, CA, AJL Reviews
