Twelve-year-old Jason has ambivalent feelings about Hanukkah until he finds himself transported back to the time of the Maccabean revolt in Judea.

Traces the history of the Jews from Biblical times to the present and describes the events that led to the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

Discusses the fate of those Jews who survived annihilation by the Nazis: their further persecution, search for a homeland in Palestine, and hunt for war criminals. Also examines other cases of genocide in Bosnia, Rwanda, and elsewhere.

Examines the origin and development of antisemitism as well as the effect it has had on the Jewish people.

Provides a historical overview of the treatment of Jews and discusses the role of various individuals and specific events in leading to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.