Yesterday's Santa and the Chanukah Miracle

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Annie is a young Jewish girl looking forward to celebrating Chanukah.
One day while she is out shopping, she is surprised to see her Jewish
neighbor, Simon, working as a department store Santa Claus. Annie
decides that if it is okay for a Jewish man to play Santa Claus, then it
is okay for a Jewish girl to sit on Santa’s lap and ask for a
Christmas tree and presents.

In the hands of a less-talented writer, such a story would have the
potential to offend Jews and Christians alike. Fortunately, Sarah
Hartt-Snowbell trips lightly among the Jewish/Christian traditions
without stepping on any cultural land mines. Annie asks Simon not to
tell her Zaideh (grandfather) what she wished for or else he would have
another fake heart attack. But carrying a secret weighs heavily on
Annie’s conscience. That night, as her father lights the fourth candle
on the Menorah, Annie realizes how much she treasures her family’s
Chanukah traditions. The next day, she returns to the department store
to cancel her Christmas wish, but Simon has been replaced. In vain, she
searches for “yesterday’s Santa.”

For those who want to try a little Chanukah spirit, this lovely picture
book includes an introduction explaining the history of Chanukah, a
glossary of Yiddish terms, a recipe for potato latkes, and a
do-it-yourself dreidel kit. Patty Gallinger’s droll high-realism
illustrations match the prose perfectly. Highly recommended.