The Trail Of The Chocolate Thief

Billy loves chocolate. All the chocolate in the town in being stolen.

The delightfulness of chocolate is truly something we can relate to, presently and in the different stages of our lives. It permeates our memories of the holidays and of birthdays, of our children and our grandchildren. Enjoy!

The next time you pick up a piece of chocolate, consider that you are partaking in an aspect of Jewish history. Explore the surprising Jewish connections to chocolate in this historical and gastronomic adventure through cultures, countries, centuries and religions. Rabbi Deborah Prinz draws from her world travels on the trail of chocolate to enchant chocolate lovers of all backgrounds as she unwraps tales of Jews in the early chocolate trade to how Jewish values infuse chocolate today. She shows the intersections of Jews, pre-Columbians, Catholics and Protestants along the chocolate trail and the lasting rituals involving chocolate that the world¿s faith traditions still share. Tasty tidbits include: ¿ Chocolate making in seventeenth-century Amsterdam, home to the largest and wealthiest Jewish community of its time, was known as a special Jewish industry. ¿ Bayonne chocolate makers today advertise that Jews brought chocolate making to France. ¿ Chocolate Hanukkah gelt may have developed from St. Nicholas customs. ¿ Jews pioneered chocolate in North America as successful and well-known American colonial Jewish merchants such as Abraham Lopez and Nathan Simson traded cacao and manufactured chocolate. ¿ A born-again Christian businessman in the Midwest marketed his caramel chocolate bar as a ¿Noshy,¿ after the Yiddish word for ¿snack.¿ ¿ Jewish values of caring for the needy, pursuing economic justice, protecting the environment and promoting sustainability feed into the organic and fair trade chocolate businesses of today.

Explore the surprising Jewish and other religious connections to chocolate in this gastronomic and historical adventure through cultures, countries, centuries and convictions. Rabbi Deborah Prinz draws from her world travels on the trail of chocolate to enchant chocolate lovers of all backgrounds as she unravels religious connections in the early chocolate trade and shows how Jewish and other religious values infuse chocolate today.

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“Fast-paced action, vivid detail, a touch of the paranormal, and hot lovemaking will please readers of adventure romance.” —Booklist Nell MacInnes can spot a forgery from a mile away. After all, she learned from the best—her father is one of the art world’s most notorious thieves. His brutal beating by the very authorities who claim to keep the world safe from harm taught her one more valuable lesson—trust no one. The last thing rugged navy SEAL Dakota Smith needs on his mission is a tempting woman he doesn’t trust. But a sketch by Leonardo da Vinci has gone missing, and the art conservator’s skill in detecting forgery would be invaluable, if only her ties to the criminal world are as dead as she says they are. Soon an edgy partnership and white-hot attraction are forged between Nell and Dakota as they race to Draycott Abbey to track down a ruthless criminal with terrorist ties before time runs out—and the da Vinci is lost forever. “Christina Skye weaves an exciting, action-packed romance that once again connects another puzzle piece to the Draycott Abbey mystery. A fabulous read!” —Fresh Fiction