Dating the novels

Although the novels were published on consecutive years and one can assume that they were set in those years, but this is called into question by an incident in On Monday the Rabbi Took Off, in which the The Smalls are invited to a get-together to meet his temporary replacement.

The novel was printed in 1972. The notice (p. 61) says that the dinner is for Sunday, December 28. December the 28th falls on a Sunday in 1969, not in 1972. If the year is 1969, then they are leaving for Israel on a Thursday (p. 66), which in 1970 was January 1st

This question affects dating inside the series. For example, Gittel Schlossberg drives a ten year old Renault. If the date is 1972, the model of her car is 1962, making it a Renault 8. If it is 1969, the model is 1959, making it a Renault Floride.