Learning Yiddish, the old way

 

Yiddish is becoming a lot of attention lately, but please stop assuming that it is a ´dead language´ or that we are experiencing a ´revival´. Yiddish was always here and in the last decades was more than alive and kicking so well. It´s only that the non-religious, often non-Jewish, public is becoming interested in it and I don´t see anything bad in this phenomenon. Only that it´s more appropriate to have the proper historical context about this situation.

In the last months, everyone is talking about the much praised Duolingo Yiddish and hopefully once I will be at the end of the course myself, I will be able to provide my modest point of view. However, there are many other ways in which Yiddish can be learned: by using the classical books and eventually an old notebook and a pen. That´s how I learn most of my languages and I will never get disappointed by my method - which I alternate with other e-formats because it´s good for the learning cause. 

My First Yiddish Word Book published by one of my favorite Jewish edition house, Kar-Ben Publishing is an excellent support for both children, parents, new adepts of the Yiddish language as well as teachers. It has one of the features I always appreciate by a language learning book: it offers the right vocabulary aimed to describe certain situations, organised on topics and with the bare minimum that can be used in various contexts and conversations. You can create your visual cards and create topics of conversations around the various subjects, covering, among others, the seasons, the playground, description of the human body, of the house and some of the rooms, the family etc.

It offers a cute visual support as well, which at least for pre-school and first grade children is very important to keep the attention awake. Another good point of the book is that it provides both the Latin reading of the words, besides the English translation and the Yiddish variant. 

At the end of the reading, one can consider him/herself an Yiddish basic connoisseur and this is more than enough for a steady beginning of learning a language.

Definitely a recommended read to all those who love Yiddish at least as much as I do.

Rating: 5 stars

What to read your children this Pesach

Pesach is a special time of the year for children: they are allowed to stay out late, presents are expected and there are always more occasions than usual to spend more time with family and relatives. It is a time for family and being together, which can be used also as an opportunity for learning about the traditions of the holiday and Judaism in general. For this post, I collaborated with Kar-Ben Publishing House to bring you the best reading list for the holidays. With a good book, the memories are even stronger.

A Different Kind of Passover 

Pesach night is a different night from all the other nights, but this time, Jessica is sad that she would not be able to show to his grandfather how good she is at telling the four questions in Hebrew. For her, Pesach means to be together with the family, especially with the grandparents. 'Even though seder night is supposed to be different from all other nights, what I love most about Passover at my grandparents' are the things that are always the same'. But this time, the grandfather is sick in bed and he cannot lead the Seder, it seems. However, Jessica found a solution to bring back the ambiance of the old times, involving the grandpa into this year Pesach. A delicate story about family love and respect, explained through beautiful and dramatic illustrations. 

A Place for Elijah

During a power cut occuring during the first night of Pesach, the neighbours are pouring one by one through the door left ajar on purpose to welcome the propher Elijahu. Not all of them are Jewish but they are well welcomed around the table. They are more and more of them coming, and even the chair left free for the prophet is taken. But this is all for good and surprisingly, it seems that Elijah is around...

A Place of Two Seders

When parents are separating, children always suffer but how the situation will be further managed is only the responsibility of both parents. A girl - unnamed - is worried how she will spend the holidays now, after her mother and father got divorced. Hopefully, there are two Seders therefore Pesach can be spend in two places. One year after the other, she is adjusting to the new painful reality but as her mother wisely said 'families are charoset. Some have more ingredients than others, some stich together better than others, some are sweeter than others. But each one is tasty in its own way'. Besides a glossary of terms, the book has also a couple of charoset recipes, including a very special Yemenite one. A book recommended for 5 to 9 years.

ABC Passover Hunt

On Pesach, children are preparing very well not only for the four questions, but also for understanding the various customs and episodes part of the seder. This book is an excellent resource to check the knowledge about the holiday, with questions and answers, puzzles and other entertaining challenges. It is aimed for children just learning to read, but also to the smaller one, only recently introduced to the holiday. If you plan to have a special seder for children, this book is a must, as it is well written, smart and can be used for group activities. 

The Story of the Shanghai Sukkah

I love to read Jewish stories about less-known episodes of Jewish contemporary history, especially in relation with Asia, topics that are still not enough explored nowadays.

Shanghai Sukkah by Heidi Smith Hyde, with illustrations by Jing Jing Tsong was published by the resourceful Kar-Ben Publishing which is a top inspiration for intercultural and cross-cultural children books. It is inspired by the Jews who fled Nazi Europe - particularly Germany - for a safe heaven in Asia. With the help of the Japanese diplomat Chune Sugihara, dispatched in Lithuania since 1939, many Jews were able to secure a visa to Japan and from there, they flied to Shanghai, where most of them settled in the city´s poorest part. 

In Shanghai Sukkah, Marcus, recently refugiated from Berlin with his family, is longing for his friends and the life he left behind. He is learning in a yeshiva together with other children from refugees families. One day, he meets Liang, with whom he learns to communicate through the language of friendship, which overcomes the language gap.

Liang invites him to the local Moon Festival, and helps Marcus to set up a Sukkah as he never had before. No matter the language and the place, friendship is always the right answer to everyday life challenges. 

I loved the open perspective of the book. It teaches about how much we can learn from the others and how important is to value friendship, no matter the cultural background. Sharing our own traditions and cultural habits is very important, especially for children, as it teaches mutual respect and understanding. The illustrations are also beautifying the story, with simple pastels-like background. Although the Shoah is slightly mentioned, it is also a noteworthy reference for the book, although in a way which can be eventually better explained to children.

Rating: 4 stars

5 Books to Read for Jewish Children this Summer

Summer holidays are here and when the little ones are not running around the parks or the house, enjoying a play date or spending some quality time far away of the parents in a summer camp, books are a perfect companion to fill the long hours of the summer days.

For curious children and smart parents, I made a short selection of recommended books for children, offered by Kar-Ben Publishing House.

With beautiful colourful illustrations, this book offers a 'creative legend' about the father of world's great religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It starts with the story of a little boy who lived in the city of Ur, surrounded by idols, which were not offering him a satisfactory answer to his questions. He starts his own journey of finding something greater than the idols, his search ending with the discovery of something the One how created all. A book recommended to kids at the age of big questions. 

Through the story of a family moving to a new house, this story explains the meaning of the mezuzah. Recommended to children from 3 to 7, it is more than a didactic introduction, but goes far beyond bringing life to a lot of funny characters. It is a story about friendship and sharing common memories, like the mezuzah is supposed to remind, among others.

As a first book for children until 3 years old, Before We Eat. A Thank you Prayer is a perfect introduction to the bracha after food. It teaches that saying 'thank you' for the gifts and blessings we have is not a compulsory act, but an act of gratitude. Easy written with big colourful illustration, it makes it an easy pleasant yet meaningful read for toddlers.

This book is just adorable. Populated with funny and friendly and guests-welcoming characters, it tells a hilarious story of a Seder evening which seems to have a generously open list of guests. Every important moment of the Pesach meal is outlined by the apparition of more and more sheep-guests. Many are bringing in presents, others are just bumping through the door happy to find a place to celebrate the evening, a delight for the children, and a big organisational challege for the parents - where can all of them be seated, after all? A funny children read for the long Pesach Seders or just for the bedtime stories time, thinking about that time of the year. 

Inspired by true stories of Jewish immigrants in America from the 19th century, this beautifully illustrated story has a sparkle of magic. Feivel, a wood-carver, left his family in Europe while landing to New York to make a fortune and start a new life. Luckily, during a weekend trip to Coney Island, he finds a job opening to work for a carousel company. The figures he created and which brought him enough money to pay the passage to America to his beloved one, are inspired by his sons, wife and daughters. It is a story which resonates with immigrant families in general, and creates empathy for similar contemporary stories. 

Disclaimer: Books offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

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