Customer Reviews

Jews One People

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I know this book really well considering it was written by the director of my synagogue Barbara Bar-Nissum (that's actually her full last name) back in Livingston, NJ. It was Temple Emmanu-el and she made sure that was one of the synagogues illustrated in the book. I can't believe it was published almost 20 yrs ago. Makes me feel a little old even though I'm 26. Hopefully I can get my hands on a copy someday and so when I have kids I can share the knowledge that our different locations and different cultures may vary from region to region, but we all follow the central ideals and customs of Judaism and that different isn't bad, it's amazing. :)

This beautiful 54-page volume provides an excellent introduction to small children (up to age 5) to Am Yisrael, the Jewish people.

There are only 14 million Jewish people worldwide, a fact not mentioned here. But kids learn that the Jewish people comprise a diverse and vibrant global community whose traditions herald from virtually every region of the planet, including Israel, Africa, the Arab Middle East, South America and of course America and Eastern and Western Europe.

The book opens with a full-page watercolor illustration of the globe. "There are Jews living all over the world," the author notes, showing speech bubbles saying "Hi, I'm Jewish" in 17 languages.

The next two-page spread shows children in a wide array of dress, playing together on swings and a slide. "We do not look alike. We do not dress alike."

The third spread opens with the comment, "We do not pray alike." And here children visit the prayer services from Tunis to Belgium and London.

But, children learn, all Jewish people share "a believe in one God, in Torah, in Shabbat" (and here they see a two-page spread of the world of animals and plants, with a rainbow painted over with the universal part of every Jewish prayer, Shalom, "Peace.")

They also see that all Jewish people have synagogues, from Leningrad (you can tell this book was written before the Iron Curtain fell), Ethiopia, Kingston Jamaica and Prague.

Another highlight included is of course the Jewish prayer, the Shema, and the common use of Hebrew as a liturgical language.

And while Jewish people all love to eat, dance, sing, and celebrate Jewish holidays, the foods from varied regions are as diverse as the other customs.

From this generalized introduction, the book moves on to the Jewish holidays themselves, each one explained in a two page spread beginning with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and moving on to Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu B'Shevat, Purim and Pesach. This list of holidays include a few modern ones as well--Yom Hashoah, the remembrance of six million murdered in the Holocaust, and Yom Ha-Atzmaut, Israel's birthday--and with Shavuot, the celebration of the gift of Torah.

But unlike many explanations of Judaism for small children, this book does not stop with the Holy Days and Festivals. It also includes life-cycle events, such as naming ceremonies for Jewish girls and Brit Milot for boys, the critical position of study in Jewish life, and the Bar and Bat Mitzvah for boys and girls. Children also learn about various Jewish wedding customs and the Jewish custom of sitting Shiva for a week after someone dies.

In sum, this is a terrific introduction to Jewish life, regardless of the traditions or region from which one hails. Alyssa A. Lappen