Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a major Jewish holiday celebrated in the spring. Its history goes back thousands of years; modern Jews tend to combine tradition and innovative symbolism in their celebrations today. It is a holiday celebrated at home rather than in the synagogue, and it emphasizes family and learning. Before I share my […]
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Purim is not the Jewish festival of Passover, when our people escaped slavery to be free. It is not about the oil burning longer than imagined and restoring the temple. Purim is not about presents though we give bundles and presents to those who are in need. It is not spinning a dreidel or casting down
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The #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement has brought much-needed attention to children’s literature with diverse characters and themes, but recognition for these books is not a new idea. Youth literature awards exist for minorities from American Indians to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community to the differently abled. As a synagogue librarian, my particular minority focus is on awards for literature
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In recent years, publishers have begun to offer more Hanukkah books depicting the diversity of Jewish families. We have a wonderful list of diverse Hanukkah books for you, but first a few facts about the holiday. Hanukkah Facts The dates of Hanukkah change each year on the Western calendar, falling in November or December. That’s
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Winter is the season of gift-giving, but Hanukkah has its own reasons and history. Read on for some of the background of gift giving on Hanukkah, plus some great gift ideas! Back when the Hanukkah story happened, the Jewish nation was forbidden from studying their holy Torah. This was a rule that cut at
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