1. What kind of boy is Isaac? Does he fit the description of young Isaac in the introductory story, "Who I Am"? What are his main character traits?

2. Isaac's father, Rabbi Singer, does more than officiate at religious ceremonies. What are some of his other functions? Why does the woman come to him, for example, in "Why the Geese Shrieked"? What is a rabbinical court?

How is it different from other courts?

3. What attraction does the countryside have for young Isaac? Why does he love nature so much?

4. What is the Cabala? Why are young boys such as Isaac not allowed to study it? When Isaac brags to his friends that he studies it, what aspect of his character is revealed?

5. The customs and rites of Hasidic Jews may seem strange and exotic. Does Singer apologize for them, explain them, or simply present them as...