Immediately below, you will find the prologue to the historical fiction that I wrote about the Maccabean Wars. If you are interested to hear more about why I felt compelled to write it, please watch the video above!

If you've gotten this far, I sincerely hope that you will consider donating to my campaign to make the book printing possible. All funds will go directly to help fund the book's printing (the publisher, like most Jewish publishers, works with an author-funded model; meaning the author funds the publication upfront, but keeps ownership over the work and gets a larger percentage of each book sold). And even better-- this fundraiser needs to be conducted only once, as profits from the publication of this book will be funnelled back to the printing of future books, God willing (imagine having a part in the funding of a series on unsung heroes)!

I hope you will consider funding at least “A Book and a Bit” –and if you then send me your address, I will ship you a book once it is printed! And of course, ANY amount donated is extremely appreciated. :)

Here are some more fun donation options!

$36: A Book and a Bit & my gratitude

$50: Personal signed copy

$100: Personal signed copy with an epic poem written just for you

$360: I will do any book club discussion/ educational experience around the book or the historical time period for you and an invite list of your choosing

$500: Thank-you acknowledgement in the printed text of the book

$1,000: Name and development of a character, in this book or a future one

Thank you again for your generosity!

For now: Happy Reading!

-Channah

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To my fellow Jews,

In Alexandria or Shushan or whatever part of the world you find yourself reading this, a part of the world that isn’t at war, like we are--

You will, I pray, forgive me for writing you this message. It would, of course, be infinitely better received had it been written by the hand of anyone but myself. I stand still as the least likely candidate to write you such a thing. But perhaps for this reason, if for no other, you will listen to what I have to say.

I pray again that you will forgive me, but I must say it to you as it is:

Although you live now in comfort, you must come to fight the war alongside Yehuda the Chashmonai, whom we call the Macabi. Until you have made the decision to follow him into battle on behalf of your brothers in Judea– God forgive me, and you yourself reading this too– but until that bridge is crossed in your own heart, you are not whole.

I write my story here because if you read it and embrace it and for only a moment believe that it could have been your own, then you might decide that you want to join us. And at that moment you will have become yourself as a Jew.

In the name of God Who fights these wars for His servants, I wish you peace.

Signed,

A man of the forest

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Guardians of the Flame: Revolt of the Maccabim

By Channah Cohen

Guardians of the Flame: Revolt of the Maccabim

Help Fund a Historical Fiction about the Jewish Heroes of the Maccabean Wars!