Reading The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer is like taking a crash-course in Hanukkah, in the best possible way. Yes, there are menorahs. Yes, there are latkes. Yes, there are dreidels. But what Meltzer does effortlessly is make all of the expected aspects of the eight-day festival of lights feel magical.
Rachel is the Rabbi’s Kid. In fact, she’s THE Rabbi’s Kid; her father is rabbi to over one-thousand families in New York. Think about that for a minute. Think about what growing up for Rachel must’ve been like: eyes on her all the time. Is she doing what’s she’s supposed to? Is she the perfect example of a growing Jewish woman? The pressure. Even when she’s having fun at Camp Ahava, she feels it. Unless she’s with Jacob Greenburg; he’s fun, they play pranks on each other, and maybe – just maybe – he’s the love her life. Until a camp prank goes wrong. Then he becomes her mortal enemy.
Fast-forward a little more than 15 years, and when Jacob shows up at Rache’s Shabbat table, she has to make peace with the conflicting emotions she feels. Add that to the trouble she’s having at work, and it’s almost more than she can handle. Luckily for Rachel, however, Jacob is just the man to break down the walls she’s constructed to protect her heart.
If Hallmark is your favorite season, this book is for you.
shelly. walston. writes. 