The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol

September 21, 2020
Hanukkah isn’t Jewish Christmas, so why do some American Jewish kids get presents for the holiday? Levine answers by creating a new mythic character, “great big spirit” Nate Gadol, whose name recalls the first half of the sentence symbolized by the letters on the dreidel: nes gadol hayah sham (“a great miracle happened there”). Drawn by Hawkes as radiantly dashing in a Revolutionary War–era waistcoat, Nate has a special talent: as an answer to prayer, “He made things last as long as they needed to.” He created the miracle of the oil lasting for eight nights in ancient times, and he’s suited to “making butter stretch for an important cake or keeping a dam strong in a storm.” Nate is also buddies with Santa, so when hard times hit a hard-working immigrant neighborhood in 1881, the two collaborate to ensure that neither holiday is shortchanged. In fact, Nate is able to stretch Santa’s gifts for the Irish O’Malley family so there’s enough chocolate—and presents—for the Jewish Glaser family, too. Some readers will take issue with this nod to consumer culture, but for those who do practice present giving, this visually stunning “supplementary mythology,” as Levine writes in an author’s note, seeks to “enhance our experience without changing the religious observance and meaning of Jewish holidays.” Ages 5–8.