Terri Libenson and Alan Silberberg, THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: 16 Hanukkah Stories

[1:32]Zibby Owens: Welcome to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books hosted by me, Zibby Owens. It's an award winning podcast with over 1,900 episodes, all featuring authors of books you love and those you have yet to discover. Listen daily five times a week. Then go to zibbymedia.com and learn more about what the LA Times called the Zibbyverse. Zippy Media includes Zippy's Bookshop, an independent bookstore in Santa Monica, Zippy Books Publishing, Zippy Retreats, Zippy's Book Club, and more. Go check it out at zippymedia.com, and follow me on Instagram at Zivvy Owens. It'll take you where you need to go. Thanks for listening. Alan Silberberg and Terri Levenson, both of whom who have been on this podcast multiple times on their own, are here together to discuss their anthology, the festival of lights, 16 Hanukkah stories. Alan Silverberg is an author, cartoonist, and screenwriter. His middle grade novel, Milo, sticky notes, and brain freeze won the SCBWI Sid Fleishman humor award with signature wit and silliness. Meet the Latkes, Meet the Matzeh, and Meet the Hamentaschen create a trilogy of mistold Jewish holiday stories. Follow Ellen for more futile, funny books for all ages. Terri Lebensen is the bestselling author of Invisible Emmy, Positively Izzy, Just Jamie and Becoming Brianna, and the whole Emmy and Friends series. She is also the Rubin Award winning cartoonist of the internationally syndicated comic strip, The Pajama Diaries, and was a longtime writer of Humorous Cards for American Greetings. Terri lives with her husband and two daughters in Cleveland, Ohio. Alright. We have a very special episode with two superstars here to talk about the festival of lights, 16 Hanukkah stories. This is edited by Henry Hertz, and we have Terri Levenson and Ellen Silverberg. This is so exciting. Hello. Hello.

[3:20]Alan Silberberg: Hi.

[3:22]Zibby Owens: Okay. How did this project come to be and how did the two of you get roped into it?

[3:30]Terri Libenson: I can say that Henry, he was the editor of, I don't remember the exact title, but he did an anthology of bar and bat mitzvah middle grade short stories. So I had never met Henry. Terry, I think you knew him before I did, but he had reached out, I think just based on looking for middle grade writers who could be funny. Well, for me, it could be funny. And

[3:57]Zibby Owens: how about you Terry? He just contacted you and you said, yes, you were into it. Sort of, a little more roundabout.

[4:04]Alan Silberberg: And yes, Salon, you are funny. Henry and I were actually going on an author's initiative together with a lot of other people to Israel back in 2023. And so we had we had met virtually just during some initial meetings and he reached out after we had first met that way. So, yeah, that's that's how I joined in. And what was the assignment?

[4:31]Terri Libenson: It was very wide open. It was, can you write a middle grade short story that relates to Hanukkah? I mean, it was in the anthology, there are poems, there are some more personal retellings of author's childhoods and fiction stories, which is where I jumped into Reno for me. I wanted to do an illustrated story the way Terry did, but it's so much work as you know.

[5:04]Zibby Owens: So Ellen, your essay was so poignant. And as someone who had a very, very close relationship with my grandmother, it made me very sad to read it, but also very happy. And the notion that, you know, the people we love, especially our beloved grandparents, can come back in some way and infuse our spirits and then leave a trail of love behind is just such a sweet and sort of comforting idea. Thank you. Thank you. Tell me about how you came up with your story idea, what it what it's essentially about, and what you hope readers will take away.

[5:37]Terri Libenson: Well, my story in the anthology And is called The the inspiration, it was kind of twofold. The first was that my mother-in-law had just passed away. And my son had a very intense, lovely, wonderful, warm relationship. Was very, grandparently nana special relationship. So that was, I wanted to honor that somehow, but I also wanted it, it's who I am. I wanted it to be a little funny and I wanted it to have heart. And I got the idea that because it's middle grade, can I find some sort of Jewish mysticism, some magical, but Jewish connection? So I started doing research and of course I came upon the Gollum and that didn't quite seem right. And I came upon the Dybbuk, which is a ghost that possesses a soul, but it's all with malintent with the Dybbuk. And I didn't know this until I did the research. There's this thing called to be iBURD or iBURD. I'm not sure how to pronounce it. I B B U R. And iBURD is a spirit like a dybbuk who possesses you, but with the intent of doing something good, some unfinished business that you agreed to do for that person who has passed on. And I just, I got chills when I've read that because I'd never heard of it before. And I came up with this idea of a story of the beloved Nana who possesses the teenage son to help her make good on something that she had done bad in her life. And it also connects the whole family to their heirloom

[7:18]Zibby Owens: menorah coated in wax. That was the beginning of it. Love that. It's funny to think that maybe after I'm gone, I would wanna come back to like break into a bridge game to like tell one of my girlfriends something. Like, this is the thing. You know? It's so That was the honoring of my my mother-in-law. She was a she loved bridge playing.

[7:39]Terri Libenson: So in in my story, the the thing that she has done wrong is she has slighted a bridge partner. So that's what the teenage son goes to do. Teenage

[7:50]Zibby Owens: grandson. It would actually be really nice to do, like, a grandparent, grandchild, like, story club type thing. Because I bet my mom would love this, but she would love it even more if one of my kids would take time to breed it with her. Maybe there's some way because I love these sort of generation crossing experiences. Anyway, it was lovely. Such a lovely summer. Thank you. Thanks, Subi. Really. And funny, you know, per usual. Love the friends. You know, you could see it, know, calling in the middle of the night and it was just

[8:19]Terri Libenson: really fun. I had a lot of fun because I've been doing the picture books. You know, I have the middle grade novels, but, know, for the past five years, it's been picture books and it was so fun to get back into storytelling.

[8:32]Zibby Owens: And speaking of your picture books, Terry, I'm coming back to you, I promise. What, do you have another meet the dot dot dot on the horizon or what is the, what is the scoop? The scoop is I've done the three Meetahs. You know, I've got the the Hanukkah, the Passover, and the Purim.

[8:49]Terri Libenson: I've now moved on to doing more fables. So I'm doing the bagel who wanted everything as coming out also in May.

[8:59]Zibby Owens: Gosh. I love It's a story of identity and searching for meaning and that's all I'll say. But it's fun. It was fun to do. I have to show you wait. I thought it was right here. I just got there's a new line of greeting cards, and one says, you're everything. And it kinda looks like that bagel. There's a bagel on I must have left it in the kitchen. But anyway Oh, that's sweet. I'll connect you with that woman or Okay. Well, that's very exciting. And, Teri, your story is more about the relationship of this tree to the events that go on around the tree and how the events that the good and the bad that we do in life essentially has more repercussions than we might think, know, what we put out in the universe embodied by this tree. I mean, I'm reaching here for this, you know, metaphor, if you will, but that we're really putting good and bad into the universe when we do these good deeds and mitzvahs and all of that. When we do harm, know, anyway, why don't you tell a little bit about your story and how it came to be? Sure.

[10:03]Alan Silberberg: I think you summed it up beautifully. Yeah. I absolutely did not know where I was going with this. I kind of winged it, to be honest. I've never done a short story before or been part of an anthology. I thought I'd just have fun with it. And I wrote it very much in the vein of my Emmy series where it kind of goes back and forth between doodles and texts. And it just kind of spun into this fantasy, came out of nowhere. I had no idea that was where it's going. I'm so used to writing realistic fiction. It was pretty fun. Really actually, they kept the sketches. I was going to do final art, but I think we had a bit of a rush on the publication. So we just kept it as doodles. It was very fast. I like it as doodles. So, yeah, I mean, there are definitely some things that came out of my life while writing this story. I named a lot of people after my own family members, grandma Molly. I love that there are all these stories about grandparents and grandkids. I love that. So Molly, I had a grandma Molly, my daughter's name is Molly so that's just a wonderful family connection. Wines Grandma aside from

[11:19]Zibby Owens: Molly, by the way, who's like a power walker and put us all to shame. So hats off to grandma Molly.

[11:27]Alan Silberberg: Yes. And that's definitely a tribute to my own mother. She has been a powerhouse for her whole life. She loves fashion. She's quite the fashion plate. So that was my little nod to her. I even forgot to mention at Davis Bakery, my husband's family, last name's Davis. They had this big bakery this bakery chain throughout Cleveland. But I just basically had fun with it and the meaningfulness of the story just kind of came organically. So yeah.

[12:03]Terri Libenson: Amazing. It was lovely. I really enjoyed it and seeing your, I know your final art, but seeing your doodles

[12:10]Zibby Owens: was just so delightful for me, you know, who is a doodler. So I just love seeing the line art. It was beautiful. Mean, I wouldn't call doodles as well. Mean, this is like real art. I wouldn't call these doodles. I mean, what is the difference? It's amazing.

[12:25]Alan Silberberg: It's very immediate.

[12:29]Zibby Owens: It's pretty obvious. The chicken scratches. No. Okay. Yeah. Okay. These are your traits. Says the, you know Says the bestselling author. Okay, fine. This is, you know, this is a crazy time in the world, and being Jewish now is very fraught and emotional. And, you know, especially in the past year, I actually have my own anthology coming out now called On Being Jewish Now, which I'm happy to send to both of you, by the way, if you're interested. But Yes. You know, the the the question is, you know, what is sort of being Jewish mean to you and how does it feel and how does it feel differently in the last year? And I was just wondering if you would share how you feel about it. You don't have to. But Today's episode is sponsored by Quince. Summer always makes me rethink what I'm reaching for every day. Lighter fabrics, better materials, pieces that just feel good the moment you put them effortless. That's why I keep coming back to Quince. They focus on high quality essentials. Think breathable linen, soft organic cotton, washable silk, but without the luxury markup. It's that rare balance where everything feels elevated but still easy. Quince has beautiful everyday pieces like 100% European linen pants, dresses, and tops with styles starting at $32. Their denim is soft and easy to wear. I wear my jean jacket all the time. And their organic cotton sweaters are perfect for layering on cool summer nights. Everything at Quince is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. Quince works directly with ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen, so you're paying for quality, not brand markup. And it's not just clothing. Quince has really become a destination for elevated across home, kitchen, bedding, and beyond, making it easy to bring a more premium feel into everyday life. In addition to my jean jacket, I recently got a white tank top dress with a beautiful cotton skirt that is absolutely gorgeous, and I can't wait for it to be warm enough so I can wear it every day, but it has been a cool spring. Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com/zippy for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty five day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's quince.com/zibby for free shipping and three hundred and sixty five day returns. Quince.com/zibby.

[15:56]Terri Libenson: Terry, please. Go for you you may go first.

[16:00]Alan Silberberg: Sure. Oh my gosh. I mean, where to begin? Yeah. Just so many emotions. It really has me digging deep, I think, in an unusual way for the first time in my life. Like, I don't know about you too. I've never really experienced overt antisemitism in my own life. I really don't know either, but I see it. I feel it. It's palpable. I hate what's going on in The Middle East. I think on all sides, it's so heartbreaking. And so there are just a lot of mixed emotions. And of course, I was actually supposed to go to Israel in the fall, I believe, with Sephardic authors initiative. And of course, that fell by the wayside. We ended up just staying in New York, which was wonderful in and of itself. But it's, yeah, it's just a crazy time. I feel bad we missed that opportunity, but I understand. And just my heart is with everybody in Israel and The Middle East, I hope things get better. That was a lot of rambling. No,

[17:07]Terri Libenson: no. It wasn't for me. I appreciate knowing, I think we all, as Jewish people have such different backgrounds and such different childhoods and relationships with Judaism. Mine was always kind of from a distance. And just from the beginning of doing, I fell into these books. I never intended to write Jewish books. And with every book that I create that has some sort of Jewish theme, doesn't make me more Jewish, but it connects me in a way to something that is deep inside me. And to think about this past year, I live in Montreal, that there is antisemitism and I don't overtly feel it like Terry said, but it is palpable. And I was just in New York and staying downtown and there was, I'm looking at my feed and three blocks from me was a Wall Street, free Palestine, choose for Palestine protest. And it makes me very sad. I'm very sad about the instability and the kind of, it's hard for me to, I don't take sides, but I have such empathy for what I see is just destruction and death and violence. And it creates a weird kind of experience for me as a Jew. Yeah. I don't know about you Zippy, but No, it's

[18:44]Zibby Owens: complicated and terrible. And I think really frightening on so many levels. Yeah. You know, I I feel when something that is a part of you gets attacked, you can't help but have it shine brighter in a way. You know, it's like, I don't want people making fun of my mom, but I can make fun of my mom type of thing. You know? Yeah. I mean, that's a silly example in a very serious situation, but, you know, I've I've felt immediately protective and and heartbroken. And I have had a lot of overt antisemitism, so I'm glad you two have not experienced that. But I think, yeah, it's been it's been quite a a time, and I feel like people sharing their stories is the most powerful thing we can do as a community, you know, to bring in all those different perspectives and stories like the ones you have in your anthology, which just depict joy and sadness and everyday life and possibility in the supernatural things and how everything is all connected. So I think I think just getting stories out there is the most powerful thing we can do, especially as people in this field. So but, yeah, it's overwhelming. I just watched did you watch the the hot rabbi show on Netflix yet? I can always nobody wants this.

[20:02]Terri Libenson: I I'm halfway. I'm halfway through.

[20:05]Zibby Owens: Yeah. Just we just finished. Just finished. And I'm like, you know what? Maybe I don't need to worry about it. Like, we're gonna be just fine. Look at us on it's on Netflix.

[20:17]Terri Libenson: We're always just fine and we always have food at the end, but it is not an easy path. It never has been. Don't really think it ever will be easy. Yeah.

[20:30]Alan Silberberg: And I agree. I think it's really important to get stories out there. I actually feel more connected with Judaism than I ever have before. And I've actually feel more connected with both sides of my family, especially the Sephardic side. I think those are some majorly untold stories and trying to focus on that too so that people see there's so much diversity within Judaism. I I think that's getting lost, and I think that's important as well.

[20:58]Zibby Owens: Yes. 100%. So for Hanukkah this year, what are your plans and how are you celebrating? And can you believe it's even coming up again? No, I can't, but it's late this year.

[21:10]Terri Libenson: They say early or late as if it makes a difference, but it is late this year. My plans, life keys of course, that we smell the apartment up and air it out for all of January. And I'm not sure our son will come up or he may be staying in New York for the holidays. I'm not sure. And I just love it. I just love the cozy feeling of Hanukkah. My extended family is too far away to go to the yearly Hanukkah party, but we make do here. What about you, Teri? When is Hanukkah?

[21:47]Zibby Owens: I think it's like on Christmas this year. I think it started. I

[21:52]Alan Silberberg: know I looked it up and I couldn't remember. Okay. Strangely, we're gonna be out of the country. We're going to Morocco of all places. My niece is marrying someone from Marrakech and my entire extended family will be there celebrating and then touring around. Highly unusual. Normally, it's just me, my husband, the kids will come home from, I was going say both will come from college, but one's out of college now and is actually in the working world and they usually come and we we do it up. We just have a fun celebration. We dress up the dog.

[22:31]Terri Libenson: Well, want pictures, please. I'd like to. Oh, absolutely.

[22:36]Zibby Owens: Wow. That's amazing. Really awesome. What are your plans, Subi? What will you Yes. We're trying to figure it out. I often change plans. So we have two different trips and sets of tickets. A and b. A and b. So we're trying to decide, one of which is going to LA because I really wanna be around and by the store and everything, and but that's not as exciting to them. So I don't know. We're I'm on the fence. But the other one is nonrefundable, so it seems like a waste if we don't take the trip. But, anyway, we're gonna be traveling for the first week. I'm not sure. Hopefully, just in LA. But, yeah, they I already have their notes apps, you know, the the notes with all of the things that they want. Have they've been the lists have been started and, you know, I just follow along. So

[23:20]Alan Silberberg: My kids still do that, and they're in their twenties.

[23:23]Terri Libenson: Yeah. Oh, really? My son has let go of like, we just try to find something that appropriately makes him happy. He doesn't make the list anymore. That's nice. Yeah. I don't make lists anymore either.

[23:41]Zibby Owens: I also loved even just the image of the wax covered menorah. Our menorahs are not wax covered. And, you know, actually, my kids love the, like, sensory of the scraping off of the wax every time. Yes. Yeah. But that's such a nice idea. And I feel like maybe I should just start one off to the side that becomes wax covered. I mean, it's never too late to start that tradition. Right?

[24:00]Terri Libenson: I can't say it was a real tradition that existed, but I also just, we had one old manure that was like just coated and covered in it. The image just stuck with me that why clean it? Let I it

[24:18]Alan Silberberg: love that. That was so inspiring. And I'm such a type A, anore kind of person. Like, I've got to get every piece of wax off there. And now I feel like, I mean, you've inspired me. I feel like letting go.

[24:33]Zibby Owens: Yeah. Sometimes the the time we spend cleaning up our messes is ends up not being worthwhile when the mess is sometimes where the meaning is.

[24:43]Alan Silberberg: Yes.

[24:43]Terri Libenson: Mhmm. Beautifully put. That was that was very lovely.

[24:47]Zibby Owens: It's a deep deep thought of the moment. Thank you very much. Okay. Just before you go, in terms of reaching this age, because it is a confusing time in the world to be younger as well as, you know, people like us, we can at least try to articulate our thoughts, and we have a lifetime of history and a lot of education and context to put everything. And here we are trying to spread joy about Hanukkah to a younger generation. How do we how do you think about that? And is there anything you feel like as older people, not old, but older than them, you try to convey in your writing to younger people or just conversation or, like, what should we do? What's our responsibility?

[25:31]Terri Libenson: It's a really great question. And I think joy is so lost on us all really. And the Hanukkah has, it has a history, which we don't tend to really go into it. It's more of a mythology at this point, but I just love that it is eight days of hopeful exuberance, light, love, and humor, which is always joy for me. I mean, if we can continue, you know, that whole idea, the image of the menorah to me is just so lovely and magical as it grows each night and light just gets brighter and brighter. I just love to embrace that and share that.

[26:24]Zibby Owens: Love it.

[26:26]Alan Silberberg: How about you Terri? Yeah, I fully echo that. I think I'm on the same page. I love spreading joy through humor as well. And that's kind of my whole vision. That's how I feel like I connect with both kids and adults actually the best for myself. So yeah, I echo that. Always love Hanukkah. It's definitely one of the more joyful times, that kind of light in the middle of the darkness of the season and the whole mythology. But so, yeah. Yeah. I would say ditto.

[27:02]Zibby Owens: Amazing. Well, I have to thank collection is amazing, particularly your stories and a great gift item for the holidays along with your other books, which are so wonderful. And the two of you, I am indebted to you both for the all the time my kids spend with the books that you've put into the world. I mean, you have both had a real impact on our time here and our family, and I mean it. So thank you. It's really nice to be able to say thank you to people who have brought actually all that joy into my own home. So thanks. Blushing. Blushing. Thank you.

[27:40]Terri Libenson: Just wanna thank you for the joy that you connect us all with through books, through sharing, through just connectivity. It's a real gift to be able to

[27:54]Zibby Owens: know you. Aw, thank you. Thank Best of luck. Oh, thank you, Terry. Thank you. Best of luck. Congratulations on the festival of lights, 16 Hanukkah stories. Very exciting, and I hope you both have a very, very happy Hanukkah.

[28:10]Terri Libenson: Thank

[28:11]Zibby Owens: you. Same to you and your family. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Bye. Thanks for listening to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books. If you love it, please leave a review and follow us on social Zippy Owens and at Zippy Readers.