Sue's Bookshelf: The Wick and The Flame

The Charlotte Jewish News August 2022

By Sue Littauer

From Paris to Prague, from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, “The Wick and The Flame” captures the heart and soul of a nation at its birth, seen through the eyes of those who put their lives and hearts on the line to ensure its future. (Goodreads)

Hilary T. Cohen, a seasoned traveler to Israel, visited The Ayalon Institute for the first time in 2016 and was inspired to write her historical fiction novel “The Wick and The Flame” to share the institute’s story. Touched by the narrative of the young people who risked their lives for the dream of a State of Israel, which reminded the author of the story of the Maccabees, she began her research in earnest to learn more.

From the Council for the Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel:

The Ayalon Institute brings alive one of the most fascinating chapters in the story of the establishment of the State of Israel. Here, right under the nose of the British, a factory the size of a tennis court and eight meters underground, produced 9mm bullets for the Sten submachine guns used by Palmach fighters. Forty-five youngsters, members of the ‘Tzofim A’ youth group and others, secretly manufactured more than four million bullets. The highlight of the tour is identifying the secret entrance concealed inside in an innocent-looking laundromat.

“The Wick and The Flame” is skillfully told through the eyes

of four young adults:

Evie, an Englishwoman seeking a more meaningful life than the one planned by her society mother and British diplomat father.

Naomi, an American studying journalism at Tel Aviv University who dreams of sharing her stories with the world.

Judah, devastated when his first love was killed during a bomb explosion, is part of the inner circle in the fight against the British.

Albert, a French Jew whose family perished in the Holocaust, escaped France and met Judah in Prague, where he was convinced to join the cause.

Although the book is very much a love story, its value to me was to learn about the heroic efforts of the young adults, many of whom were displaced during World War II, all of whom were fighting for a homeland for the Jewish people. To learn more about The Ayalon Institute, visit www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ the-ayalon-institute

Curious about the author, I took the opportunity to speak with Hilary T. Cohen, an award-winning editor who worked and consulted in the publishing field for more than 25 years and who first began writing her own novels at age 57. When I asked what the impetus was for her to start writing on her own, she said that her birthday is 5/7, her lucky numbers are 5 and 7, and on her 57th birthday, she decided to sit down by herself to write her first book. Subsequently, she has written eight novels! A voracious reader, Hilary Cohen’s favorite authors are Alice Hoffman and Anna Quindlen, and she highly recommends the book “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. She is currently working on another historical fiction novel about German Jews who carved Torah arks, came to the U.S. in the first wave of immigration, and carved carousel horses in Coney Island!

Our next Center for Jewish Education Book Club meeting is Wednesday, August 10 at 10:30 a.m. in room A110 on Main Street at Shalom Park. We will be discussing “An Observant Wife” by Naomi Ragen. For more information, contact sueb. littauer@jewishcharlotte.org.