A fresh look at Jewish
folktales—wise, witty, hilarious
After finishing school in New York, Rabbi
Harvey traveled west in search of adventure and, hopefully,
work as a rabbi. His journey took him to Elk Spring, Colorado,
a small town in the Rocky Mountains. When he managed to outwit
the ruthless gang that had been ruling Elk Spring, the people
invited Harvey to stay on as the town’s rabbi. In
Harvey’s adventures in Elk Spring, he settles disputes,
tricks criminals into confessing, and offers unsolicited bits
of Talmudic insight and Hasidic wisdom. Each story presents
Harvey with a unique challenge—from convincing a child
that he is not actually a chicken, to retrieving stolen money
from a sweet-faced bubbe gone bad. Like any good collection of
Jewish folktales, these stories contain layers of humor and
timeless wisdom that will entertain, teach and, especially,
make you laugh.
“For every kid who ever sneaked a
comic book into the synagogue, there is a new hero—Rabbi
Harvey, who tamed the Old West with Jewish wisdom and humor.
I’m hiding a copy of this book in my tallis bag, hoping
my kids will find it!”
—Rabbi
Edward Feinstein, author of Tough Questions Jews Ask: A Young Adult’s
Guide to Building a Jewish Life
“When I was a kid, my father told me
tales of The Wise Men of Chelm, and Steve Sheinkin’s The
Adventures of Rabbi Harvey could be right out of those stories,
except that Rabbi Harvey is too smart. It took me all of five
minutes to get used to some of the strangest art I have ever
seen in a comic, and then I started chuckling and
couldn’t stop until I finished the book. Read this book
for the humor, for the wisdom, for the great old cowboy songs,
for the strange art.”
—Trina
Robbins, comics critic and
historian, author of The Great
Women Cartoonists
“With a blend of concise
illustrations and snappy banter Steve Sheinkin pioneers Jewish
folklore in novel directions. A friendly starter for readers of
all ages wishing to explore Judaic parables of logic and wit. A
jovial read that left me smiling.”
—JT
Waldman, author of Megillat Esther
“Imparts so much memorable, useful
and enjoyable wisdom. And you gotta love the cartoons that
deliver homey Jewish Yiddishkeit in a post-modern format. Move
over Aesop’s Fables, make room for Rabbi Harvey’s
tales.”
—Shulamit
Reinharz, PhD, Brandeis University,
coauthor of The JGirl’s Guide:
The Young Jewish Woman’s Handbook for Coming of Age
“Rabbi Harvey tames the West with
wisdom on one hip, humor on the other.”
—Stan
Mack, author of The Story of the Jews: A 4,000-Year
Adventure—
A Graphic History Book and Janet & Me
“Sheinkin has a comedian’s
flair for the ridiculous (and I mean that in a good way). That,
coupled with his whimsical illustrations, makes The Adventures
of Rabbi Harvey a hilarious read!”
—Arie
Kaplan, author of Masters of the Comic Book Universe Revealed!
