John T. Syrtash

A Calendar of Northern Fables is a nostalgic collection of short stories about Jewish immigrants who settled in North America after the War. It’s also about their children and grandchildren. Based in Toronto, Canada the stories follow many of the Jewish Holidays and poke gentle fun at the lifestyle, rituals and mythologies brought over from the old country. Meet Mendel, the much loved Pharmacist and find out why he feels compelled to sin right before Yom Kippur, the holiday of atonement. The book gives you a rare glimpse inside the homes and synagogues of observant Jews and explains some of the customs followed by this close knit community. What is the reason for the knotted strings dangling from the hips of religious men? How do observant young people date without ever touching each other?
A Calendar of Northern Fables is a charming and humorous look at Jewish immigrants in the 1950s and the lives of their descendants today.