Elma Ehrlich Levinger (1887 – 1958) author of over thirty books for children and several for adults—all of which emphasize the importance of maintaining Jewish identity in America. Levinger used both drama and the short story as a means of educating young people and women about Jewish history and traditions, hoping to encourage them to participate in Jewish social life.

Elma Ehrlich Levinger was born on October 6, 1887, in Chicago to Samuel and Sarah (Fernberg) Ehrlich. At age eighteen, she became a teacher in rural schools in Iowa and Illinois for two years. After attending the University of Chicago (1907–1908) and Radcliffe College (1911–1912), where she studied English and drama, she gradually extended her talents as a teacher to Jewish education. Combining the arts and community service, she worked as the director of a junior drama league in Chicago in 1912, and as director of entertainment for the Bureau of Jewish Education in New York City (1913–1915).