Four for Chanukah

When the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles celebrated the launch of its anti-illiteracy program KOREH Los Angeles in September, the focus was on educators and celebrities to read children’s books to kids. Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the spotlight at that event were some local women who are equally vital in the campaign against illiteracy: the creators of the children’s books themselves.

Nancy Smiler Levinson, Sonya Levitin, Joanne Rocklin and Erica Silverman are all award-winning authors behind some of the books that line the shelves of our nation’s classrooms and libraries.

With Chanukah upon us, the Journal spoke with them (all old friends) and discovered four distinct voices whose nexus is an appreciation for family, a passion for storytelling, and a shared sense of their Jewish roots.