Customer Reviews

Portraits of Jewish American Heroes

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This is a welcome book that fills an important void. At a time when Jewish heroes are largely absent from American history classes, Malka Drucker has done us a wonderful service. As she explains to the readers, "The people in this book tell the story of what it means to be both a Jew and an American." Her selection of heroes spans time, age and gender to provide stories of individuals who made a positive contribution to American history. From Haym Salomon at the birth of America to Daniel Pearl whose life was recently taken by terrorists, the book allows readers to transcend time and connect with people who made a difference. The book should accompany every child's American history text to fill the missing details of Jewish involvement. The creative design and, in particular, the striking and colorful illustrations by Elizabeth Rosen make this book especially attractive. Each of her distinctive portraits varies in media to match the individual she is portraying. The results are visually striking. A useful glossary, timeline and suggested reading list are provided. Ages 9-12. Reviewed by Norm Finkelstein

Kids in grades 4-6 will relish this different survey of Jewish history and biographical sketches of key figures, PORTRAITS OF JEWISH-AMERICAN HEROES. Rabbi Malka Drucker provides compelling stories of over twenty individuals who have had lasting impact on Jewish culture and the lives of all Americans. From Levi Strauss and Golda Meir to Albert Einstein and Harry Houdini, kids with good reading skills will appreciate the detailed coverages.

This is a great book to read to younger children who are not quite ready to read at this level. It's a wonderful book for older children as well as adults. I bought the book for my grandchild, & no, we are not Jewish; however, I taught my son all people are the same and to be respected. The best thing about this book is the wonderful artwork & some would call illustrations by Elizabeth Rosen. Everyone can find something to love about this book.

This book turned out to be not what we expected. It's very political and some of the people mentioned in the book never really identified themselves with Judaism. ALthough they may have made contributions to US, it is a far stretch to call some of them Jewish Heroes.