Hilarious and sad at the same time, Ehrlich’s collection of short stories, Who Will Die Last is an original and moving work of fiction. Ever deeply humane, the author takes his characters on a tantalizing journey through their souls. His understated style transforms even a heartbreaking plot into an uplifting and funny story. Israel’s special history, landscapes, and conflicts add to the drama and passion of the book. Ehrlich’s themes relate to gay life in Israel, the pull of loneliness, and the power of community. Rather than a single translator, this collection employs a variety of translators, reflecting in many ways the luminous diversity of voices in the stories.

David Ehrlich has published two books of short stories in Hebrew, 18 Blue and Tuesday and Thursday Mornings. His bookstore in Jerusalem, Tmol Shilshom, is a haven for avant garde artists and writers, hosting readings by authors such as David Grossman, Etgar Keret, and A. B. Yehoshua. Ken Frieden is B. G. Rudolph Professor and director of the Judaic Studies Program at Syracuse University. He has published numerous books and essays on Yiddish and Hebrew literature. He is the editor of Classic Yiddish Stories of S. Y. Abramovitsh, Sholem Aleichem, and I. L. Peretz.