Among Jewish families, Chanukah is usually a time of happy family get-togethers and good feelings. Jews spin the dreidel, eat potato pancakes (or jelly donuts if they’re Sephardic) and light the candles. Discussions of reincarnation, the soul’s purpose, Judaism vs. Christianity and evolution vs. creationism aren’t usually part of the mix, but they are in Spirit Tale Nine: A Miracle Is on Its Way (Spirit Tales) (Volume 9) by Rabbi Sipporah Joseph. The scene is a Chanukah celebration at the home of a wealthy Jewish family in Spain. The members of the Sasson-Sereno family are singing traditional songs and otherwise celebrating when one of them begins to tell the story of Nathan Rubylionstein, a young actor in a Jewish-oriented theater company. In the story, Nathan begins hearing a voice that constantly asks him “Who are you?” He keeps getting visits from the voice, even after he narrowly survives a building collapse, and in time the voice reveals bits and pieces of Nathan’s past lives.

Spirit Tale Nine: A Miracle Is on Its Way (Spirit Tales) (Volume 9) is written in an unusual style, half narrative and half-theatrical. While it contains many Hebrew words and phrases, Rabbi Sipporah Joseph includes a glossary. She makes it clear that the book is to be enjoyed by Jews and non-Jews alike. She gives us facts that we may have been unaware of – for example, I had no idea that there was much of a Jewish community in Spain, a country that expelled its Jews in the 15th century. For those who feel a need for spirituality and ask the “eternal questions” about the reasons for our lives here on Earth, Spirit Tale Nine: A Miracle Is on Its Way will be very enjoyable and thought-provoking.

In Spirit Tale Nine, a short series of spiritual fables and stories about Chanukah, author Rabbi Sipporah Joseph illustrates the Jewish festival of lights in a quick, easy and efficient ways. Perfect for both Jewish people who already know the stories, and those of other faiths who are curious, this collection of stories is a near complete compilation of everything you would want to know about Chanukah and about the customs and traditions that surround this festival. The candles, the dreidel, customs and traditions of Passover all come together to tell the story of a tradition that's so beautiful and bright. Nathan (our main character, if you will) is an actor, and isn't really aware of the gifts he has and what he can do with them. Through the book, he finds himself, and in the process begins to understand the real meaning of Chanukah and what it means to him.

Told in occasional rhyme in a sort of blend of poetry and prose, it's easy to run right through this story without realizing it and then you find yourself at the end with no idea how you got there. Clocking in at around 70 pages, it's about the content not the length here. There's not much time for character development, but Rabbi Sipporah Joseph does a lot for the amount of pages they have to work with. I enjoyed every minute of my read, especially how nicely things were wrapped up in the Epilogue. A great read for anyone who likes fable-esque tales, or books revolving around Jewish spirituality.

Spirit Tale Nine, A Miracle Is On Its Way - Spirit Tales Volume 9, by Rabbi Sipporah Joseph is written in narrative and theatrical format and is easy to follow. The story questions such issues as evolution and spirituality, and Jewish and universal values. Spirit Tales is based on the Jewish Bible and Brith Chadashah (Jewish letters also called New Testament), according to the author, which is a description that sums up the book concisely. Rabbi Sipporah Joseph tells the story in one part of the book as life being a game of chess. "The king is the most important piece in a chess game but also the weakest," is one of the quotes that really captured me.

Each passage flows smoothly and the dialogue, which is a key element, is eloquently done, even when the subject is controversial, such as when speaking of the Messianic Jews. Rabbi Sipporah Joseph writes with flair to make the story interesting for even those who aren't familiar with the subject. It may not be subject matter for everyone, however, I did find it to be culturally enriching, and I did learn from it. There is a riveting earthquake passage and a lesson for Nathan, one of the primary characters of the story. The book is very thought-provoking and engaging. I like the way it's written. It's not a style one would often see in a fiction book and that uniqueness makes the story all the more special. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was truly an enlightening experience.

An enthralling read with many concepts related to the major debated theme of freedom. The author presents her clear thoughts on the various subjects in a directive but non coercive fashion. This is a short story but loaded with great depth of thought processes. Highly recommended.

Among Jewish families, Chanukah is usually a time of happy family get-togethers and good feelings. Jews spin the dreidel, eat potato pancakes (or jelly donuts if they’re Sephardic) and light the candles. Discussions of reincarnation, the soul’s purpose, Judaism vs. Christianity and evolution vs. creationism aren’t usually part of the mix, but they are in Spirit Tale Nine: A Miracle Is on Its Way (Spirit Tales) (Volume 9) by Rabbi Sipporah Joseph. The scene is a Chanukah celebration at the home of a wealthy Jewish family in Spain. The members of the Sasson-Sereno family are singing traditional songs and otherwise celebrating when one of them begins to tell the story of Nathan Rubylionstein, a young actor in a Jewish-oriented theater company. In the story, Nathan begins hearing a voice that constantly asks him “Who are you?” He keeps getting visits from the voice, even after he narrowly survives a building collapse, and in time the voice reveals bits and pieces of Nathan’s past lives.

Spirit Tale Nine: A Miracle Is on Its Way (Spirit Tales) (Volume 9) is written in an unusual style, half narrative and half-theatrical. While it contains many Hebrew words and phrases, Rabbi Sipporah Joseph includes a glossary. She makes it clear that the book is to be enjoyed by Jews and non-Jews alike. She gives us facts that we may have been unaware of – for example, I had no idea that there was much of a Jewish community in Spain, a country that expelled its Jews in the 15th century. For those who feel a need for spirituality and ask the “eternal questions” about the reasons for our lives here on Earth, Spirit Tale Nine: A Miracle Is on Its Way will be very enjoyable and thought-provoking.