The Matzah Ball

Romance
Written By Cole Imperi
The Matzah Ball Recommended by Cole Imperi

By Jean Meltzer

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze. 

Cole Imperi

Cole Imperi is a triple-certified thanatologist, a two-time TedX speaker, and one of America’s experts on death, dying and grief. She is best known for her work pioneering the fields of Thanabotany and Deathwork (which includes Death Companioning) and through her development of Shadowloss, Shadowlight and Dremains. Cole is the founder of the School of American Thanatology, which has students from 20 countries across 12 timezones. Cole has worked as a chaplain-thanatologist in a jail, mortuary college professor, crematory operator, hospice volunteer, grief support group leader for children as young as 3 to adults, and served on the board of a green burial startup. Cole served as the first female Board President of the 178-year-old Historic Linden Grove Cemetery & Arboretum in Covington, Kentucky, works with death-related businesses through her consulting firm, Doth, and publishes death and loss-related content. Her forthcoming book, A Guide to Your Grief, will be published by Kids Can Press in 2024.

https://coleimperi.com
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