SHAKE A PALM BRANCH: The Story and Meaning of Sukkot

As Miriam Chaikin and Malka Drucker both work their way through the Jewish holidays, two fine sets of books are emerging: for slightly younger children, concerned more with the here-and-now, Drucker's informal, feelingful interpretations, with imaginative ideas for celebrations; and for somewhat older children, or the child with a strong historical sense, Chaikin's explanations not only of the festival's ancient origins, but of how it was observed (rules were established, new customs were added) from Biblical times to the present. In the case of Sukkot, the harvest festival, the rituals were once extremely elaborate--involving altars, sunrise sacrifice, all-night singing and dancing. And while the latter part of the book describes how Succot is observed among American Jews today, Chaikin not only looks at different forms of observation (in the Middle East, Russia), but at Sukkot during the Holocaust. As in her previous works, the holiday acquires an added dimension.