Non-Jewish families would do well to acquaint themselves and their children with various holidays and observances celebrated within the Jewish communities.
This helps broach understanding and enables ability to function as caring members of society.
These children's books take a sweet look at the Jewish New Year and the Sukkah Festival of Booths both celebrated in September.
The Sweetest Rosh Hashanah [ISBN: 9781536244717]
What is Rosh Hashanah?
The Jewish New Year festival, held on the first (also sometimes the second) day of Tishri (in September). It is marked by the blowing of the shofar, and begins the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur.
My thoughts: A sweetly illustrated story about a Jewish family celebrating the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and the preparations for special sweets they put into this time. It is also a story about extended family relationships and family gathering for a special holiday. It addresses forgiveness and sharing as young Ellie learns to forgive her cousin.
A recipe for Challa bread is included with illustrated instructions.
A light introduction to understanding Jewish holidays.
About the book: Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with Ellie and her family—and try your hand at some baking and making of your own.
Shorter days and cooler air mean autumn is here. For Ellie, the best part is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year! Ellie loves helping Mom bake round challahs, sampling the raisins, and assisting Dad with the sweet honey cake. As the house fills with delicious smells and the sky grows dark, her grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins arrive to mark the holiday with them—including bossy Lara. Can Ellie find it in her heart to forgive Lara for “borrowing” her paints last year? As part of a warm family series about festivals, The Sweetest Rosh Hashanah features two activity spreads inviting young readers to make their own challah bread and create a festive card to give to someone they love. Shana Tovah!
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Our Spectacular Sukkah [ISBN: 9781536235104]
What is Sukkah?
The word sukkah literally means a “shaded booth.” In a rather cryptic verse, the Torah tells us to dwell in a sukkah for seven days so that coming “generations shall know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in sukkot when I took them out of the land of Egypt.”[from https://www.chadbad.org/library]
My thoughts: A cute story about a Jewish family getting ready to celebrate Sukkah as a reminder of the 40 years of dessert wandering the Jewish people did after escaping Egypt bondage. They are designing and building a spectacular Sukkah and then a storm arises and blows the Sukkah apart and scatters it all over the neighborhood. Kind neighbors pitch in and return it to them.
The story is lovely! The back matter material on the holiday is quite interesting and beneficial. Love the craft included of how to build your own Sukkah.
Another delightful story to educate on Jewish holiday celebrations.
About the book: Community, connection, and a capricious turn of weather each play a role as a family sets out to create a homemade shelter in celebration of the Jewish Sukkot holiday.
For one excited family, it’s time to build a sukkah in their backyard—a glorious, sturdy sukkah just for them. They can’t wait to eat, play, and sing in it for seven days and watch the stars through it for seven nights. Everything is perfect until . . . whoosh! A sudden, powerful burst of wind crashes through and ruins everything. But wait, could all those neighbors toting stray branches and other bits and pieces help to make this the family’s—and the neighborhood’s—most special Sukkot yet? With its themes of connection, helping, and sharing food, this sweet story from the creative team behind the award-winning Rising has appeal both to Jewish families who mark this harvest holiday every year and to families just learning about it for the first time. Back matter offers more information about Sukkot and instructions on making a miniature sukkah of your own.
DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary books to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
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