MY BELOVED PARENTS
in reverence and gratitude for their
beautiful and holy example




FOREWORD


My dear Mrs. Trager,

It gives me great pleasure to write a preface to your new book. I
consider it a real privilege, since it represents the fulfilment of a
hope expressed some five years ago. When you sent me the first article
for "The Sinaist" I told you that your pen would win the love and the
esteem not only of the child, but essentially also of the adult readers.

The simple joyousness of your style, the beauty and freshness of the
atmosphere, which you very well succeed in bringing to the pages of your
books, the strength of your faith, and the vividness of your
description, the love of Jew above the love of Palestine, all these
combine to render your volumes valuable additions to the small stock of
good Jewish literature in English. It is not only that you teach, while
talking so pleasantly; that you instruct while you interest and amuse;
that you have your own personality in the stories; that you convey the
charm of Eretz Israel, and the beauty of holiday spirit; but because
your stories help us to feel the depth of faith and the height of ideal
as the self-evident, normal factors of Jewish life.