In the Tradition of Moses and Mohammed: Jewish and Arab Folktales
A collection of Jewish and Arabian tales published together in one volume serves, says its author, as a "metaphor for the coexistence of Arabs and Jews." Dr. Blanche L. Serwer-Bernstein, a psychotherapist and former professor at Boston University, has selected forty Arabian and Jewish folktales that capture the imagination and represent the experiences and wisdom of the cultures out of which they have emerged. The two sets of stories in this book are different in many ways. The customs,...
Search in google:
A collection of Jewish and Arabian tales published together in one volume serves, says its author, as a "metaphor for the coexistence of Arabs and Jews." Dr. Blanche L. Serwer-Bernstein, a psychotherapist and former professor at Boston University, has selected forty Arabian and Jewish folktales that capture the imagination and represent the experiences and wisdom of the cultures out of which they have emerged. The two sets of stories in this book are different in many ways. The customs, humor, and countless details differ from one people to the next. Yet Jews and Arabs, whose imagination and creativity gave birth to these tales, share not only biblical roots but also a remarkable coexistence in Spain during a golden period from 700 to 1000 C.E. This collection is the result of extensive research at the Israel Folklore Archives and in libraries in Jerusalem and Haifa, as well as the New York Public Library and the library of Harvard University. Of the forty tales in this volume, twenty-two are Jewish tales and were taken from literary and oral sources. They include stories of witches and demons, tales of Chelm - legendary city of fools - and folktales told by post-World War II immigrants to Israel from Russia, Iraq, Kurdistan, Poland, Hungary, and elsewhere. The Arabian tales come from many corners of the Arab world and include tales about changes in men, tales of humor and entertainment, and stories that the author describes as reflecting a kaleidoscope of human characteristics. A volume that is educational, entertaining, and inspirational, In the Tradition of Moses and Mohammed is also a prayer, urging us to hope that one day Arab and Jew will live together as peacefully as these tales do.
AcknowledgmentsIntroductionPt. IJewish TalesOld Tales from the Middle East and Later Tales from Europe3Foreword5Tales about Witches and Demons111The Witches of Ascalon132The King of the Demons and the Worm Shamir17Tales about Changes in Men233The Merchant with Nothing to Sell254The Wind and the Ant275Ask a Foolish Question31Tales Hard to Believe356The Mechanical Man of Prague377The Borrower (Jewish Version)458Did the Tailor Have a Nightmare?47Tales about Chelm, the City of Fools539Who Am I?5510Golden Shoes5811Let's Steal the Moon61Folktales Told by Immigrants to Israel after World War II: Folk Festival in Sedot Mikhah65Foreword67The Ukraine7512Clothing the Moon77Russia8513Melodies87Iraq9514A Contest (Jewish Version)97Turkey10515Settling Accounts107Kurdistan11316The Kind Midwife115Libya12117The Devil Outwitted123Germany12918Ishtar, the Morning Star131The Netherlands13719Azael versus King Solomon139Poland14520Getzel the Philosopher147Hungary15121The Power of Shoes153Ethiopia15922Animal Tales of the Falashim161Pt. IIArab TalesFolktales Told throughout the Arab World169Foreword171Tales about Changes in Men18123How Big Is Big?18324Love in a Garden18625Miserliness Cured19126Boastfulness versus True Generosity19927The Folly of Jealousy20528The Prophet Who Was Not There212Tales of Humor and Entertainment22129Would You Like a Jinn on Your Back?22330Djuha and His Donkey: A Medley of Five Tales22931Djuha Borrows a Pot (Arab Version)23632The Beetle Who Wished to Get Married24033Three Sisters, the Prince, and the Magic Pot24534A Contest in Sign Language (Arab Version)25435Total Confusion: Why Learn to Speak?262A Kaleidoscope of Human Characteristics26736Cleverness: The Unbelievable Lie26937Foolishness: A Medley of Four Tales27538Integrity: Its Survival Despite Misfortune28439Friendship: Loyalty Transcends Death28840Wiliness and Cruelty: Son of Adam Outwits Animals292
