While those who attend Jewish services will likely find this the most attention-grabbing, this is still pertinent to readers...
Learn the many specific steps necessary to create a Torah.
The Torah is “the holiest text of the Jewish people.” The words written on the Torah scroll are commandments for living and stories of creation. They have been preserved and revered for countless generations. In this copiously illustrated book, the author and photographer provide step-by-step directions for making a Torah scroll, from preparing the parchment and ink to writing the words and decorating covers. Ofanansky frequently engages readers in the process by asking questions such as “What tradition do YOU like to keep” and also includes interactive features, such as matching the correct answers in columns. There are many factoids, as in “304,805 / The number of letters in a Torah scroll,” as well as quotations from those engaged in the process. Readers can also learn how to make a yad, or pointer, used when reading from the text. There is a strong sense of community and modernity as men and women and girls and boys all work together for this very special creation.
While those who attend Jewish services will likely find this the most attention-grabbing, this is still pertinent to readers interested in religious studies. (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68115-516-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The combination of concise, easy-to-understand text and copious photography presents an accessible understanding of Passover...
All about that flat, unleavened holiday food—from dough to desert.
Starting with a brief description of the spring festival of Passover, which celebrates and commemorates the exodus of Jewish slaves from Egypt, Ofanansky goes on to describe, step by careful step, the preparation of matzah. Timing is all-important, as everything from preparing the dough to baking must be completed in less than 18 minutes. It is at the Passover Seder where the reading of the Haggadah, the story of the exodus, takes place. A Seder plate containing foods relevant to the tale and the time of the year sits on the table, and three boards of matzah in their own special cover are placed nearby. Children are always included in this family celebration, and in that spirit there are also instructions for baking matzah at home and creating a matzah cover, Seder plate, and cup for the prophet Elijah, who is invited into the house during the evening. Children familiar with the holiday will enjoy the close-up photographic details. Those new to the festival will learn much, especially benefitting from a well-captioned photograph of the Seder plate. The interactive text is engaging for all.
The combination of concise, easy-to-understand text and copious photography presents an accessible understanding of Passover and matzah . (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68115-524-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lively introduction to the work of a Hebrew language scholar and lover—and his family.
The ancient Hebrew language enters the modern world.
In 1885 Jerusalem, a young boy named Ben-Zion cannot converse with the polyglot children of his age because his father has decreed that he speak only Hebrew, “the first child in more than two thousand years” to do so. The father, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, is a Zionist immigrant to Palestine and fervently believes that Jews from every country, speaking so many different languages, should return to the language of their ancestors and of Jewish Scripture. Ben-Zion is not popular in the neighborhood; some consider Hebrew a holy tongue to be used only in prayer. The father persists and finds that he needs to invent words to modernize the ancient language. Thus, by combining the Hebrew words for “wheel” and for “a pair of” he creates a word for bicycle. Ben-Yehuda’s work leads to a network of schools, a dictionary, and the eventual designation of Hebrew in 1948 as the national language of Israel. Michelson’s account, based on history, is presented as a story with invented dialogue, which he addresses in his author’s note. Gudeon’s digitized watercolor illustrations, full of children, are lively and feature Hebrew words and letters as part of the page design.
A lively introduction to the work of a Hebrew language scholar and lover—and his family. (afterword, further reading) (Picture book. 7-10)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58089-636-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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