Friday, December 3, 2010

Happy Hanukkah - Abie Glassman




Happy Hanukkah.  Today our Jewish friends begin their Festival of Lights.  Jewish people have a strong faith and honor.  To many of us outside they represent a people of remarkable resilience.  John Fitzgerald held Jewish men in high esteem also.  One of the tenderest of characters in The Great Brain Series was the peddler Abie Glasman.  Chapter 4 of The Great Brain is entitled Abie Glassman finds a home.  Its a chapter worth reading.  It reminds of the simple facts of the Golden Rule and the impact that following it can have in someones life.  By chapter 6, the remarkable Abie Glassman is laid to rest.  Again the Golden Rule comes to mind as the town reflects on their own actions toward Abie.  

I have not found an Abie Glassman match in my research but his characters story was vital to John. Abie Glassman can be found in both Papa Married a Mormon and The Great Brain.  Whatever his reasons the lesson of Abie Glassman can be good lessons for us.  

At this time I wish all of our Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah.  

3 comments:

  1. Abe Glassman ALSO appears in the adult books. Not in such a tragic way.

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  2. Rubin20-Thank you. I caught that after I wrote the post. I am so absorbed in The Great Brain I forgot the Papa connection.

    Thanks again.

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  3. I was just re-listening to The Great Brain on my walk this morning (wish they'd put all of them on audio book!) and wondering if Abie Glassman was a real person.

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