Celebrate! Stories of the Jewish Holidays

Lively watercolor illustrations complement a family treasury of retellings of Bible stories, recipes, craft projects, a historical map, and commentary that introduces young readers to the eight major Jewish holidays through engaging activities.The Jewish holidays are called the “jewels in the crown” of the Jewish year. This jewel of a collection by respected author Gilda Berger is a celebration of Jewish traditions, including Bible stories, time lines, recipes, crafts, and commentaries on the holidays. Each chapter covers one Jewish holiday, with a retelling of a related story from the Bible, followed by sections called “What We Celebrate,” “How We Celebrate,” and “Crafts and Food.” A time line in each chapter places the origins of that holiday in its historical context, and a map of the Middle East and a complete index are also included. Glowing paintings by Peter Catalanotto introduce and follow each Bible story. The crafts and recipes are written with careful, simple directions, illustrated with clear diagrams when appropriate. Children (with a little help from an adult) can make a homemade dreidel or menorah, stir up a batch of latkes or cheese blintzes, or create Purim puppets with the directions given here. The author’s goal in writing this book was to create one source that could be used by families throughout the year at each Jewish holiday. A superb choice for Jewish families or anyone interested in learning more about these ancient traditions. (Age 4 to adult) –Marcie Bovetz