Shalom, Haver =: Goodbye, Friend [Hardcover]

Barbara Sofer (Author), Shulamith Basok (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996 | Age Level: 10 and up

A photo essay in memory of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who was assassinated in 1995.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5?A photo essay that documents Yitzhak Rabin's life and also addresses the difficult subject of mourning. The text, though brief, consists of carefully chosen words with a repeated refrain: "How do you say good-bye to a friend?" When strung together, these words create a poem. Naturally occurring pauses as the page is turned enhance the rhythm and depth of feeling that the author expresses. There are 46 black-and-white photographs; some show expressions of grief and tributes from children; another shows world leaders attending his funeral; and there are many family photographs that show Rabin not only as a courageous soldier and leader, but also as a brother, father, grandfather, and friend. The text appears in English and Hebrew. A beautiful tribute and memento.?Marcia W. Posner, Holocaust Memorial and Educational Center of Nassau County, Glen Cove, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2^-5, younger for reading aloud. In this compassionate testimonial to the late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, Sofer opens an avenue for youngsters to work through their shock, anger, and grief at his assassination. Recognizing first that we can say good-bye to a friend by remembering him, Sofer displays family photos of Rabin as a boy with his family, as a young man playing soccer and hiking with friends, and as a reluctant but able soldier for Israel. Once past the painful remembering, Sofer urges readers to continue Rabin's work for peace, "because in Hebrew shalom means both good-bye and peace." High-quality photographs are displayed artistically on attractive, uncluttered pages with Sofer's thoughtful and succinct text, which appears, appropriately, in Hebrew as well as in English. Bringing to mind the human being--the grandfather--who was the murdered prime minister, Sofer brings history home to children while sensitizing them to the fact that world leaders are people, too. An exceptional, dignified, and tender memorial. Ellen Mandel

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 46 pages
• Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929371976
• ISBN-13: 978-0929371979
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,778,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A good visual recapitulation of the life of a great man that should have been greater, May 13, 2009

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shalom, Haver =: Goodbye, Friend (Hardcover)

There was a time in the 1990's when it appeared that there would be a true peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The driving force on the Israeli side was Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, former general of the Israeli Defense Forces, which gave him the national security credentials to pursue peace. In a terrible tragedy, it was that very reason that led an Israeli radical to assassinate him.

This book is a brief visual history of Rabin's life, a series of photos with short captions written in both English and Hebrew. Written at the level of children, it is an honorific look back at a man that was great yet could have been even greater. There are few that have the skills and determination to make history, unfortunately while Rabin was such a man, others were even more determined to make sure that it would not happen.