Out of the Jew­ish immi­grant expe­ri­ence, with its tra­di­tions of self-help and char­i­ty, comes a lilt­ing sto­ry about a lit­tle girl who learns a secret that must nev­er be revealed. It con­cerns the giv­ing and tak­ing of char­i­ty and through vivid scenes of a land­sleit pack­age par­ty and Zeesie’s dawn­ing aware­ness of what a mitz­vah real­ly means, an impor­tant theme is deliv­ered with tact. When Zayde Danced on Eldridge Street and Rivka’s First Thanks­giv­ing, both by the author, are also effer­ves­cent excur­sions into immi­grant life on the Low­er East Side.