Discovering Jewish Diversity for Children: Almost a Minyan

 

Learning as a child, with love about different customs and approaches to the daily practice is an important step towards embracing diversity at the old age. No matter our own personal choices, acknoweldging and further on accepting that other people may have a different understanding of Jewish practice is relevant for building up a healthy realm of tolerance and mutual acceptance.

Almost a Minyan by rhymes by Lori S. Kline, and illustrations by Susan Simon, published almost five years ago by Sociosights Press can guide pre-school and first grades children towards the path of acceptance. 

A girl is watching her father every day leaving the house early in the morning to pray at shul. She is waiting for the moment when she will be counted as part of the minyan - the ten persons required for a praying quorum within the small Jewish community she is living. As her zayde - grandfather in Yiddish - died, she will replace him, by using the tallit and tefillin who belonged to her grandpa. 

Some may not be used with the idea of women wearing a tallit or kippa or tefillin or being counted as part of the minyan. Many may reject it automatically as a corruption of religious practices. Nevertheless, there are women and communities who do practice differently, including by assigning different, more diverse roles to women. Exactly what Almost a Minyan is outlining, especially by the match between old and new traditions. 

A recommended read, including for your long winter Shabbos days, or as an inspired lecture preparing for the next month of chagim.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom!

 

A fierce supporter of Ladino culture, Sarah Aroeste is a complex personality, besides being a singer she also published one year ago a book featuring Sephardic traditions. Buen Shabat/Shabbat Shalom, illustrated by Ayesha L. Rubio is a good introduction to both children and parents into the world of Sephardic Jews.

Particularly, the book does a good work of introducing the world of Ladino, the language spoken by Jews originary from the Iberian Peninsula. In a very simple and genuine way, the reader is introduced to a couple of words said on Shabbat in addition to a couple of visual details to be added to the general story. It is a very short read but leaves strong memories, especially to children. 

As someone who is trying to learn more about the Ladino culture and heritage, this book was exactly the easiest incentive to want to find out more. Actually, I may have some interesting books related to the Ladino language and culture coming up for review very soon.

Until then, I am glad that my son was so interested by the book that he keeps repeating over and over again Buen Shabat, Buen Shabbat...It´s a big step, I think, towards the celebration and preservation of the Sephardic culture. One baby step at a time.

Rating: 5 stars  

The story of Israel Philharmonic Orchestra told to children

Telling to nowadays children stories about the past, especially about history, is quite a challenging task. You need to find your way smoothly towards their preferences and sensibilities and interests, and when it comes to books, the challenges are even higher. However, a good book telling a good story is always a win, and regardless how much your kid loves playing network games on the computer, he or she will always find some time for listening to a quality narrative.

A Concert in the Sand tells beautifully, both through text and very inspiring images, the story of the first performance of what will later be Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, in 1936. Created by the once child prodigy Bronislaw Huberman, it gathered the best European Jewish artists, and their performance in Israel meant bringing back warm memories from the 'old country'. 

Through a very personal story, between a grand mother and her nephew, an entire world is delicately created, without teaching on purpose or aiming to lecture. The historical details are coming along smoothly and the beautiful images helps to fix it in the long term memory.

This book is recommended to any history lover kids. It brings to life a story less known and unjustly forgotten from the history of Israel, whose European culture remains an important asset through decades. 

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher

A Gefilte Fishy Tale

It is Friday and Bubbe Judy is ready to prepare the Shabbos table. Of course the fresh gefilte fish jar, her grandson's favourite dish is there, and everything seems to be under control. Everything until the sturdy nasty jar doesn't want to open. At any price, even if you take it to the doctor. Hypnosis doesn't help either. Everyone keeps going on and around the jar trying to find help for fixing this very important issue, but without any success. What's to be done? The more they try the more desperate they are. It seems the jar is listening only to those whom share the ardour for the delicious gefilte. Nephew Jack is the chosen one who will be able to open the jar just by saying 'Please'. Sometimes, we forget how easy and beautiful is to utter this very magic word. This could be the Shabbos lesson for this week.

I've found the book very inspiring, funny - the verses are flowing well and the choice for poetry is quite appropriate for this story - and with dynamic illustrations. The characters are modern - not wearing sheitels or long skirts - but still anchored in the tradition: they buy kosher and prepare the Shabbos table and use once in a while Yiddish - a dictionary is provided for the newbies. A typical Jewish American family nowadays, but it can resonate with other Jews that still want to keep the old traditions, but in their own way. Being non-judgmental is the best way to understand the new ways of being Jewish nowadays, outside the religious shtetls. 

As a lover-without-borders of gefilte fish, I fully approve this book. Ironically, it happened to me more than once to deal with serious jar stubborness, and only the kindness of my neighbours saved our Shabbos meal. I never tried the magic word with the jar though...In the book, Bubbe promised herself to choose a can the next time and maybe I should too.

The book has also a Shabbos song, and a recipe for gefilte fish muffins that maybe I will try once in a while.

If you are looking for an inspired present for your children for the coming holidays, this book is a good idea.

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange of an honest review