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Acquisitions

January 2007 – November 2007

Adult (click here for Juvenile books)

Thank You for Being Such a Pain : Spiritual Guidance for Dealing With Difficult People / Rosen, Mark I.

Offers practical suggestions for dealing with difficult people and for turning troubling encounters into opportunities for personal growth

Judaism and Justice : The Jewish Passion to Repair the World / Schwarz, Sid

A comprehensive examination of the contemporary Jewish condition explores the relationship between Judaism, social justice, and the Jewish identity of American Jews, offering a refreshing perspective on the attitudes and behaviors of Jews.

Wounds Not Healed by Time : The Power of Repentance and Forgiveness / Schimmel, Solomon

How should we respond to injuries done to us and to the hurts that we inflict on others? In this thoughtful book, Wounds Not Healed By Time , Solomon Schimmel guides us through the meanings of justice, forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation. In doing so, he probes to the core of the human encounter with evil, drawing on religious traditions, psychology, philosophy, and the personal experiences of both perpetrators and of victims. Schimmel also provides practical strategies to help us forgive and repent, preparing the way for healing and reconciliation between individuals and groups.

Religious Foundations of Western Civilization: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam / Jacob Neusner

Religion defines the foundations of the West. Christianity, meeting at specific times and places with Judaism and Islam, from ancient times to the present day, has formed the basis for Western civilization. The confrontation between Islam and Christianity brought centuries of strife; the conflict between Judaism and Christianity precipitated an unending debate, full of recrimination. Nevertheless, the three religions defined for the West the human situation; determined the goals of the social order; influenced the arts, architecture, music, and literature; preserved philosophy, science, and technology; and engaged one another in religious, political, and cultural dialogue.

Where God was born : a journey by land to the roots of religion / Bruce Feiler

Investigates the historical origins of, and commonalities between, the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions, in a historical tour that visits the locales of key events and considers the role of religion in peacemaking efforts between cultures.

Essential Torah : A Complete Guide to the Five Books of Moses / Robinson, George

A comprehensive overview of the Torah by the author of Essential Judaism traces the origins and history of the heart of the Hebrew Bible--and the first five books of the Christian Bible--as well as its significance to Jewish belief and practice, Jewish history, and role in worship, and provides a companion for individual or group study.

Megillat Esther / JT Waldman

The story of Esther is rendered in breathtaking graphic novel format.

The Good Jewish Home / Bloom, Emily Haft

The Good Jewish Home offers thoughts, ideas, and guidance on how to celebrate your Jewish heritage in a modern family setting. Track the origins of the Jewish faith, understand the events in the Jewish life cycle from the bris or baby naming to the rituals of shiva, how-to hold a Jewish wedding and what to do during the major festivals throughout the year, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, Purim and Hanukkah. The Good Jewish Home includes a brief history of Jewish thought, passages and ideas from biblical text and how they can guide modern daily life, inspiration from great Jewish thinkers and leaders, a discussion of Jewish family roles as they appear in the Torah, and Shabbat's importance as a weekly ritual to reinforce Jewish tradition. As a special bonus throughout the book, Emily Haft Bloom has included simple recipes for traditional Jewish dishes that the modern family can create in their own kitchen: everything from a traditional Shabbat dinner menu to holiday dishes like latkes, honey cake, vegetable kugel, hamantaschen, brisket, stuffed cabbage and tzimmes. The Good Jewish Home gives recommendations on how to meld established religious observance with practical contemporary practices. Let this book guide your family to good Jewish living.

Celebrating the Jewish year : the winter holidays / Paul Steinberg

Learn the origins of a holiday, gain deeper insight into the season's themes, and discover new ways to celebrate. Bursting with primary sources, prayers, rituals, and stories, Celebrating the Jewish Year includes contributions from some of the greatest Jewish thinkers in history, as well as original essays by acclaimed writers of today. Whether you are celebrating for the first time or the fiftieth, Celebrating the Jewish Year will help you create a holiday experience rich in meaning and spirit.

For Hanukkah, Tu b'Shevat, and Purim: Bradley Shavit Artson - Martin Buber - Yitzhak Buxbaum - Gail Diamond - Wayne Dosick - Theodor H. Gaster - Philip Goodman -Theodor Herzl - Mordecai Kaplan - Lawrence Kushner - Lubavitcher Rebbe - Maimonides - Nachman of Bratzlav - Rami Shapiro - Michal Fox Smart - Michael Strassfeld - Alana Suskin - Laurie Hahn Tapper - Jonathan Wittenberg --and others.

Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat : Connect And Celebrate--Bring Your Family Together with the Friday Night Meal / Jacobs, Meredith L.

A guide to creating a family--and religion--centered Shabbat meal covers the importance of the meal, the blessings, and after-dinner family time, and also includes helpful recipes, projects, and discussion questions.

Celebrating the Jewish Year : the Fall Holidays / Steinberg, Paul

JPS's new holiday books take us through the joys, spirit, and meaning of the seasons. Blending the old and the new, they ground us in the origins and traditions of each holiday and open up to us ways we can add our own expression to these special days. Although synagogue ritual is touched upon, the real focus here is on our personal connections to each holiday and our home observance.

As we move from season to season, Paul Steinberg shares with us a rich collection of readings from many of the Jewish greats -- Maimonides, Rashi, Nachmanides, Shlomo Carlebach, Marge Piercy, Elie Wiesel, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Arthur Green, and others -- and he guides us in discovering for ourselves the many treasures within each text.

The readings teach us about the history of each holiday, as well as its theological, ethical, agricultural, and seasonal importance and interpretation; others give us inspiration and much food for thought. These stories, essays, poems, anecdotes, and rituals help us discover how deeply Jewish traditions are rooted in nature's yearly cycle, and how beautifully season and spirit are woven together throughout the Jewish year.

Inventing Jewish Ritual / Ochs, Vanessa L.;

Vanessa Ochs invites her readers to explore how Jewish practice can be more meaningful through renewing, reshaping, and even creating new rituals--blessings for newborn daughters, Miriam's cup, becoming an elder, and more.

101 Things Everyone Should Know About Judaism : Beliefs, Practices, Customs, And Traditions / Bank, Richard D

What's the difference between Reform and Orthodox Judaism? What does it mean to keep kosher? And what are mizvot? Compact and comprehensive, 101 Things Everyone Should Know about Judaism touches on all these basics and more. You'll learn all you need to know about this ancient religion and culture-from the significance of the Torah and Talmud, to the importance of holidays and the meaning of religious objects and symbols.

The Jewish Book of Days : A Companion for All Seasons / Hammer, Jill

Throughout the ages, Jews have connected legends to particular days of the Hebrew calendar. Abraham's birth, the death of Rachel, and the creation of light are all tales that are linked to a specific day and season. The Jewish Book of Days invites readers to experience the connection between sacred story and nature's rhythms, through readings designed for each and every day of the year. These daily readings offer an opportunity to live in tune with the wisdom of the past while learning new truths about the times we live in today.

The Way into the Varieties of Jewishness / Fishman, Sylvia Barack

Explores the religious and historical meaning of being Jewish, how Judaism contributes to contemporary social-environmental issues, and the many ways Jews have interacted with, defended the identity of, and honored non-Jews from biblical times to contemporary Jewish-Christian interfaith dialogues.

God's To-do List : 103 Ways to Be an Angel an Do God's Work on Earth / Wolfson, Ron

The author offers inspiring suggestions on how individuals can make a difference in the lives of others and find meaning in their own lives, covering topics such as honoring your parents, visiting the sick, supporting the poor, and much more.

Tent of Abraham : Stories of Hope And Peace for Jews, Christians, And Muslims / Douglas-Klotz, Neil; Chishti, Murshid Saadi Shakur; Waskow, Arthur; Armstrong, Karen

Three distinguished religious thinkers, representing the three major religions, speak out on the conflict among Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, addressing important questions of deep spiritual and religious significance and providing stories and teachings of reconciliation and understanding to bring peace among the religions.

Jews and Power / Wisse, Ruth R.

Spanning the history of Judaism, from the kingdom of David to the Oslo Accords, an eminent scholar argues that the Jewish people have been corrupted by powerlessness and their role as perpetual victims and addresses concerns that the strategies of the Diaspora continue to shape the Jewish state.

The Wicked Son : Anti-semitism, Self-hatred, And the Jews / Mamet, David

Offers a look at the role of anti-Semitism in modern life and examines the ways in which Jews have turned that hatred inward and overlooked the essential truths and inner meaning of Judaism itself.

Getting our groove back : how to energize American Jewry / by Scott A Shay

In this provocative book, Scott Shay takes on the major obstacles facing American Jewry today. He examines the current state and future prospects of American Jewry and finds a Jewish community that is dangerously adrift and on an overall downward trajectory, due to a community-wide lack of shared purpose, focus, and mutual concern. To counter this downward spiral, the author presents a platform of ten practical and achievable mini-manifestos that can reinvigorate American Jewry as a whole. Casting away conventional wisdom and political correctness, this book carefully brings to bear extensive research as it deals with the most controversial and essential issues facing American Jews.

Guide for the Romantically Perplexed / Aiken, Lisa

Covers every aspect of Jewish dating, marriage, divorce, and remarriage.

Inside intermarriage : a Christian partner's perspective on raising a Jewish family / Jim Keen.

The author of Inside Intermarriage is a Christian father helping his Jewish wife raise Jewish children. Together, they have made many tough decisions. It's no secret that interfaith marriages are complicated, especially when both partners are connected to their own religious faiths and communities. Using humor and insights gleaned from his own experience, Keen provides couples with practical advice and solutions for how to give children a clear Jewish identity while maintaining a comfort level for both parents.

Parenting Jewish Teens : A Guide for the Perplexed / Doades, Joanne

An innovative guide offers constructive advice to help Jewish parents maintain their sanity as their children grow, exploring questions and issues that shape the world in which today's Jewish teenagers live.

40 things you can do to save the Jewish people / Joel Lurie Grishaver

Some really practical things for parents who want to raise "good enough" Jewish kids to insure that the Jewish people last at least another generation

Welcome to the Club : The Art of Jewish Grandparenting / Sonnheim, Moshe

Covers every aspect of the grandparenting process, including the cuddly and cute years; intermarriage and intramarriage; long distance grandparenting; separation, divorce, singlehood, and remarriage; and alternative lifestyles, as well as a new dictionary for grandparents.

Family matters : Jewish education in an age of choice / edited by Jack Wertheimer

In recent years, the high rate of intermarriage and other demographic factors have created a challenge for American Jewry: How can rabbis, policy planners, educators, and parents transmit most effectively Jewish religion, culture, and values to their children? Prior research shows that Jewish education is the one area in which communal leaders and lay people can act to make a positive difference in the future cultural transmission of Judaism. Family Matters offers groundbreaking essays on Jewish education by scholars drawn from anthropology, education, history, and sociology. Essays by Steven M. Cohen, Sylvia Barack Fishman, Shaul Kelner, Jeffrey S. Kress, Alex Pomson, Riv-Ellen Prell, and Jack Wertheimer range from interviews about educational decisions with families, teenagers, and Jewish educators to sweeping new statistical data about the actual state of Jewish education in American cities. Making new links among parents, community, and Jewish schools, Family Matters is a vital study in the sociology of the contemporary American Jewish community.

Folktales of the Jews / Dov Noy, consulting editor Vol.1 Tales from the Sephardic dispersion

Tales from the Sephardic Dispersion begins the most important collection of Jewish folktales ever published. It is the first volume in Folktales of the Jews, the five-volume series to be released over the next several years, in the tradition of Louis Ginzberg's classic, Legends of the Jews.

The 71 tales here and the others in this series have been selected from the Israel Folktale Archives (IFA), a treasure house of Jewish lore that has remained largely unavailable to the entire world until now.

Each of the tales is accompanied by in-depth commentary that explains the tale's cultural, historical, and literary background and its similarity to other tales in the IFA collection, and extensive scholarly notes. There is also an introduction that describes the Sephardic culture and its folk narrative tradition, a world map of the areas covered, illustrations, biographies of the collectors and narrators, tale type and motif indexes, a subject index, and a comprehensive bibliography.

The Way into Judaism And the Environment / Benstein, Jeremy,

Explores the religious and historical meaning of being Jewish, how Judaism contributes to contemporary social-environmental issues, and the many ways Jews have interacted with, defended the identity of, and honored non-Jews from biblical times to contemporary Jewish-Christian interfaith dialogues.

The Hadassah Jewish Family Book of Health And Wellness / Berman, Robin E.

The Jewish people have special concerns, approaches, and attitudes about health and wellness, due in part to certain illnesses known as “Jewish genetic diseases,” such as Tay-Sachs, Niemann-Pick, Gaucher, and others. Beyond these genetic diseases, however, the entire range of topics and issues related to health and wellness has long been of great interest to the religious and secular Jewish community. Jewish tradition has developed many special approaches to health and health-related issues, based on the hallowed traditions and precepts found in the Torah, its commentaries, and the vast literature written by rabbinic authorities throughout the centuries. Similarly Jewish secular culture has developed many special attitudes and approaches to the issues in this book regarding women's health, nutrition, raising children, caregiving, and other special issues.

Objects of the Spirit: Ritual and the Art of Tobi Kahn / Emily Bilski

Objects of the Spirit presents a unique collection of Jewish ceremonial objects created by the internationally renowned artist Tobi Kahn. In addition to crafting singular, functional pieces in bronze and wood, Kahn has created large-scale public works, communal spaces that are sites for spiritual contemplation-all beautifully illustrated in this publication.

Both Kahn's public spaces and his private devotional objects embody the rise of spirituality in America and the desire for ritual in everyday life. The essays offer a wide range of insightful interpretations that address the universal, ecumenical need for ritual and spirituality, as well as the art historical and cultural references in Kahn's work.

The absolutely complete klezmer songbook / by Yale Strom

An exhaustive compilation of nigunim, horas, bulgars, and more. This songbook features melody lines and chords for 313 songs including many collected from the field by Strom himself in Eastern Europe.

Angels in America : A Gay Fantasia on National Themes : Millennium Approaches/Perestroika / Kushner, Tony

Dramatizes the effects of AIDS on the United States through the experiences of lawyer Roy Cohn, a Mormon couple, and a young man called Prior Walter.

A history of the Jewish People / Edited by H.H. Ben-Sasson

A History of the Jewish People presents a total vision of Jewish experiences and achievements--religious, political, social, and economic--in both the land of Israel and the diaspora throughout the ages.

Six distinguished scholars at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, have set forth here the authentic story of the Jewish past that is relevant to the Jewish present. Special attention is paid to the significant historical sources that have come to light in the past decades, to the findings of archaeological research, and to source materials in Jewish studies such as Talmudic literature.

Popular history of the Jews / by Professor H. Graetz

Graetz's History of the Jews is the standard general Jewish history. Though somewhat antiquated and frequently biased, it will always remain the classic work, distinguished by scholarship of a high caliber. This work is a summary (in 6 volumes) of the larger History of the Jews .

Ester and Ruzya : how my grandmothers survived Hitler's war and Stalin's peace / Masha Gessen

The author provides a moving dual portrait of her two Jewish grandmothers, best friends--the rebellious Ester, who risked her life for the sake of her principles, and Ruzya, a censor under the Stalinist regime--who survived both the anti-Semitic cataclysm of the Holocaust and the terror of Stalinism.

1967 : Israel, the War, and the Year That Transformed the Middle East / Segev, Tom

An Israeli historian examines a watershed year in the history of the Middle East, detailing the apocalyptic atmosphere in which Israel existed, the six-day 1967 war, and the implications of the war in terms of reshaping the the Middle East.

The bomb in the basement : how Israel went nuclear and what that means for the world / Michael I. Karpin

Explains how Israel became the Middle East's only nuclear power, giving insight into how it has maintained the secrecy of its nuclear program, the role of America in financing and developing the Israeli bomb, and the ways in which Israeli weapons capabilities shape regional politics.

Last Days in Babylon : The History of a Family, the Story of a Nation / Benjamin, Marina

Draws on the experiences of the author's own family to chronicle the odyssey and ultimate exile of Jewish Iraqis, documenting how Jewish citizens in Baghdad deteriorated from the region's largest and most prosperous ethnic group to a band of a few dozen survivors under the oppression of a hostile Iraqi government.

Ethiopian Jews of Israel : Personal Stories of Life in the Promised Land / Lyons, Len

In 1977 there were about one hundred Ethiopian Jews in Israel; now there are more than one hundred thousand. Their courageous exodus from their native land and their mass immigration to Israel is a unique historical event.

This beautiful and touching book is the first one to recount in captivating photographs and candid interviews the profound challenges and inspiring accomplishments of Ethiopian Jews struggling to become Ethiopian Israelis. Featuring more than fifty men and women--religious leaders, soldiers, lawyers, students, actors, musicians, a member of the Knesset, and more--this fascinating book reveals their personal stories. A historical narrative traces how some Ethiopians became Jewish and how they got to Israel. Then, in their own words, they reveal how they experience Israel as a part of its most impoverished and culturally distinct minority.

Betraying Spinoza : the renegade Jew who gave us modernity / Rebecca Goldstein.

A portrait of the renegade seventeenth-century Jewish philosopher examines the events of his life, his heretical writings and his excommunication by Amsterdam's Jewish community, and the cultural and religious context and influence of his ideas.

The Lost : A Search for Six of Six Million / Mendelsohn, Daniel

The author describes how his family was haunted by the disappearance of six relatives during the holocaust and how he embarked on a determined search to find the remaining eyewitnesses to his lost ancestors' fates, an effort that took him to a dozen countries on three continents.

Marc Chagall / Jonathan Wilson.

A compelling portrait of one of the twentieth century's leading artists reassesses the life and career of Marc Chagall from the perspective of the era's Jewish history, revealing how his work reflects both a nostalgia for the vanished past and Jewish life in the early twentieth century, and his attraction to the secular goals and mores of modernism.

The Dybbuk and Other Writings / Ansky, S.

In The Dybbuk , a drama of mystical passion and demonic possession, S. Ansky brings together the saga of his own youthful rebellion against religious authority, his abiding faith in the power of the simple folk, his utopian struggle for equality, and his newfound commitment to the Jewish people.

Those Who Save Us / Blum, Jenna

A professor of German history begins a long journey back into a past she has pushed aside, returning to Germany to reopen the wounds of her own life--as well as that of her mother--as a child living in Nazi Germany.

Someone to run with / David Grossman

Capturing the lives of Israeli street kids, follows two teenagers--Assaf, a shy and awkward sixteen-year-old, and Tamar, a talented young singer--and the missing dog that brings them together.

Metamorphosis / Kafka, Franz

Writings by and about Kafka and textual notes accompany his translations of his early twentieth-century work about Gregor Samsa, an ordinary man who wakes up one morning only to discover that he has been transformed into a monstrous insect and must deal with his physical alteration, as well as the alienation from his family.

Heir to the glimmering world / Cynthia Ozick

James A'bair, whose father is the author of the popular series "The Bear Boy," has taken in the eccentric Mitwisser family and the orphaned Rose Meadows, who must resist the pull of the actual Bear Boy, in a novel of Depression-era New York.

Puttermesser Papers / Ozick, Cynthia

Chosen as a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, a finalist for the National Book Award traces the adventurous fantasy life of a bookish spinster and New York civil servant.

Satan in Goray / Singer, Isaac Bashevis

Satan in Goray, first published in 1935, is a historical fiction set in the seventeenth century, and loosely based on that period's two cataclysmic events in Jewish life: first, the massive pogroms unleashed against Eastern European Jews by Ukrainian national leader Bogdan Chmelnicki in which thousands of Jews were brutally murdered in 1648-1649; and second, the rise and fall of Sabbatai Zevi, a Jewish man who took advantage of the lingering devastation in the region fifteen years later to declare himself the Messiah, only to smash his followers' hopes by converting to Islam after his capture by the Ottomans in 1666.

Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, And Mysticism / Dennis, Geoffrey W.

An erudite and lively compendium of Jewish magical beliefs, practices, texts, and individuals. Geoffrey Dennis serves up a delicious smorgasbord of the irrational, demonstrating that Judaism has been and is not only a rational and legalistic monotheism, but also a rich storehouse of magical traditions that Jews often fail to recognize.

Inside Judaism : The Concepts, Customs, And Celebrations of the Jewish People / Kolatch, Alfred J.

In Inside Judaism, Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch explores the interrelationship between Jewish thought and everyday Jewish practice. He shows how concepts are manifested in deed. The entries in this wide-ranging encyclopedic work discuss such core ideals as goodwill, holiness, and compassion and demonstrate how they find expression through such practices as inviting a newcomer to one's home on Friday night, observing dietary laws, and supporting community charities. Inside Judaism also examines important subjects including the afterlife, conversion, and aging, and it celebrates life milestones such as preparing for a wedding and naming a baby.

Whether discussing the rationale behind such universally celebrated holidays as Passover or the medieval roots of gefilte fish, in Inside Judaism Rabbi Kolatch explores the essence of Jewish belief and the infinite variety of its practice. By presenting complex information in clear prose, cross-referenced and with a comprehensive index for ready access, he provides us with a level of understanding that makes possible a richer appreciation of the Jewish experience.

Juvenile

The ark : a pop-up / by Matthew Reinhart.

Batik-style artwork with detailed pop-ups brings to life a retelling of the Biblical story about Noah's journey aboard his ark with his pairings of animals during the great flood.

Ten Good Rules : A Counting Book / Topek, Susan Remick;

From one to ten, lists a simplified version of the Ten Commandments.

It's shofar time / Latifa Berry Kropf

Children do traditional activities for the Jewish New Year, such as baking challah, blowing the shofar, and performing tashlich.

On Sukkot and Simchat Torah / by Cathy Goldberg Fishman

A family celebrates Sukkot and Simchat Torah, introducing the traditional ways these holidays are celebrated.

Celebrate Passover / Heiligman, Deborah

Passover commemorates the Exodus of Hebrew slaves from Egypt to freedom over 3,500 years ago. This colorful book explores the many forms that this weeklong celebration takes worldwide. Deborah Heiligman's rich text details the long lavish meals called seders, at which Exodus is recalled in ritual, prayer, song, and story. The historical significance of the food at these Passover feasts is also explained, and delicious recipes encourage readers to experience the full flavors of this internationally observed holiday. Rabbi Shira Stern's informative note provides parents and teachers with a historical and cultural background of the celebration of Passover.

Passover Around the World / Lehman-Wilzig, Tami

Invites readers to travel the globe and explore how Jews from different countries celebrate Passover.

I have a little dreidel / by Maxie Baum

An illustrated retelling of the classic Hannukah song, with directions for playing the dreidel game and a recipe for making latkes.

Four sides, eight nights : a new spin on Hanukkah / by Rebecca Tova Ben-Zvi...

Provides young readers with a fun, informative guide to this 2000+ year holiday through a review of its food, games, and many traditions--enhanced with fun trivia, scientific facts, and more!

It's Purim time! / Latifa Berry Kropf ; photographs by Tod Cohen.

Young children celebrate the holiday of Purim by dressing up and acting out the story of Purim, eating hamentashen, and delivering gifts of food to family and friends.

Beyond the tears : helping Jewish kids cope with death / by Eugene I Kwalwasser

Beyond the Tears serves as a way for young people to pour out their feelings in a constructive, self-fulfilling manner. Using real-life examples, the author shows how others have coped with death.

Includes information on Jewish mourning practices, the answer to questions kids frequently ask about bereavement, and a Memory Book that helps bridge the past to the present and the future.

The kids' fun book of Jewish time / Emily Sper

Introduces the Jewish calendar, including Hebrew terminology related to time and objects used during prayer and festivities.

What Makes Someone a Jew? / Seidman, Lauren

Simple rhymes and photographs reflecting the changing faces of Judaism help youngsters understand what it really means to be Jewish, giving the Jewish children who don't fit the stereotype of what a Jewish person is "supposed" to look like the chance to see themselves represented.

The secret world of Kabbalah / Judith Z. Abrams.

A rabbi introduces Kabbalah by providing its history and explaining its basic tenets using simple examples and kid-friendly text.

Solomon And the Ant : And Other Jewish Folktales / Oberman, Sheldon

A treasure trove of forty-three religious, wisdom, riddle, and trickster Jewish folktales are retold with simplicity and grace, making them perfect for performing and reading aloud.

The little, little house / Jessica Souhami

Retells the Jewish folktale about a man who asks the village wise woman how his family can become happy, as they are miserable living in such a tiny house, and her answer involves six chickens, a cow, a goat, and a rooster.

In the days of sand and stars / Marlee Pinsker ; illustrated by Franc ¸ ois...

Presents ten short stories starring women from the Bible, which explore their lives in an effort to shed new insights upon their meaning in modern times.

Mendel's accordion : the story of the klezmorim / by Heidi Smith Hyde

In his small Eastern European village Mendel is well known for his accordion playing, but after hard times he emigrates to New York, and after many years his playing is forgotten until his great-grandson Samuel finds his instrument.

Hitler Youth : growing up in Hitler's shadow / Susan Campbell Bartoletti.

Explores the various factors which led many of Germany's young people to pledge their loyalty and support to the dictator and join the Hitler Youth during his rise to power.

The flag with fifty-six stars : a gift from the survivors of Mauthausen /...

Offers an inspiring story about a group of Mauthausen concentration camp survivors who made a U.S. flag as a token of gratitude for their liberators, the U.S. Army and Colonel Richard Siebel, that was then flown high over the camp as an appreciated symbol of freedom by all.

Hiding Edith / by Kathy Kacer

Edith Schwalb was one of many Jewish children who were hidden by the Jewish Scouts of France in a large house in the village of Moissac. The townspeople helped to protect the children, warning the house mother of Nazi raids, during which time the young scouts disappeared into the hills on camping trips.

Hidden child / Isaac Millman.

The author details his difficult experiences as a young Jewish child living in Nazi-occupied France during the 1940s.

The cat with the yellow star : coming of age in Terezin / by Susan Goldman

The author recounts her experiences in the Terezin concentration camp, detailing how, despite sickness and loss, the adults tried to make the children's lives bearable and she managed to forge lifelong friendships.

The secret of Priest's Grotto / by Peter Lane Taylor

Two explorers survey caves in the Western Ukraine and relate the story of how an extended Jewish family, fleeing persecution by the Nazis, lived for two years in a large cave, Popowa Yama, and survived the war.

A promise fulfilled : Theodor Hertzl, Chaim Weitzmann, and David...

Presents an historical examination and review of the Zionist movement and the foundation of Israel in 1948, complete with sidebars, timeline, photographs, and index.

Jerusalem sky : stars, crosses, and crescents / by Mark Podwal.

Takes a look at the significance of one of the world's most holy cities through an examination of the religious events that have taken place within the city for Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike.

Escape! : the story of the great Houdini / Sid Fleischman.

A biography of the magician, ghost chaser, aviator, and king of escape artists whose amazing feats are remembered long after his death in 1926. Profiling his early years, personal life, and great accomplishments in show business, the story of the famous magician, Harry Houdini, comes to life through a review of his greatest tricks and most amazing feats, complete with index, photos, and author's notes.

I am Marc Chagall : text loosely inspired by My Life by Marc Chagall

Presents a biography of the Russian artist from his point of view, detailing his struggle to find acceptance for his work and his why he chose the themes he did for his art.

When I was a soldier : a memoir / by Vale´rie Zenatti ; translated by...

The story of one girl's experience in the Israeli national army begins as she finishes her exams, breaks up with her boyfriend, and leaves for service where strict routines, grueling marches, poor food, and lack of sleep are the norm, but service has its rewards as well.

Love me later / Julie Baer.

One afternoon in his backyard, amidst butterflies, squirrels, and other creatures, young Abe asks his parents about what he did when he was little, while avoiding the hugs and kisses their memories provoke.

Bubbie and Zadie come to my house : a story for Hanukkah / Daniel Halevi Bloom

Bubbie and Zadie, two magical characters, bring the spirit of Hanukkah to a Jewish family on the first night of the holiday.

Hanukkah, Shmanukkah! / by Esme´ Raji Codell ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham.

In this spin on A Christmas carol, Old Scroogemacher is a tyrant to the poor workers in his waistcoat factory, even on the last night of Hanukkah. Visited by three rabbis, Scroogemacher travels from the time of the Maccabees to present day.

Vive la Paris / Esme´ Raji Codell.

Fifth-grader Paris learns some lessons about dealing with bullies of all kinds as she wonders how to stop a classmate from beating up her brother at school and as she learns about the Holocaust from her piano teacher, Mrs. Rosen.

Escaping into the night / D. Dina Friedman.

Thirteen-year-old Halina Rudowski narrowly escapes the Polish ghetto and flees to the forest, where she is taken in by an encampment of Jews trying to survive World War II.

The White Ram : A Story of Abraham And Isaac / Gerstein, Mordicai

A white ram, made on the sixth day of creation, waits patiently in the garden of Eden until the time is right, then runs to save a certain child in fulfillment of God's plan.

Bridge to America : based on a true story / Linda Glaser.

Eight-year-old Fivel narrates the story of his family's Atlantic Ocean crossing to reunite with their father in the United States, from its desperate beginning in a shtetl in Poland in 1920 to his stirrings of identity as an American boy.

Emil and Karl / by Yankev Glatshteyn ; translated by Jeffrey Shandler.

In Vienna, Austria, in 1940, two nine-year-old boys, one Jewish and one Aryan, are classmates and best friends when events of the Nazi occupation draw them even closer together as they fight to survive and escape together.

Incantation / Alice Hoffman.

During the Spanish Inquisition, sixteen-year-old Estrella, brought up a Catholic, discovers her family's true Jewish identity, and when their secret is betrayed by Estrella's best friend, the consequences are tragic.

Broken song / Kathryn Lasky.

In 1897, fifteen-year-old Reuven Bloom, a Russian Jew, must set aside his dreams of playing the violin in order to save himself and his baby sister after the rest of their family is murdered.

Willy and Max : a Holocaust story / by Amy Littlesugar

In Belgium during World War II, Willy becomes friends with Max and his Jewish family, and although they become separated, they remain related by a bond of friendship and a special painting.

Across the alley / by Rich Michelson ; illustrated by E. B. Lewis.

Jewish Abe's grandfather wants him to be a violinist while African-American Wille's father plans for him to be a great baseball pitcher, but it turns out that the two boys are more talented when they switch hobbies.

A brief chapter in my impossible life / Dana Reinhardt.

Sixteen-year-old atheist Simone Turner-Bloom's life changes in unexpected ways when her parents convince her to make contact with her biological mother, an agnostic from a Jewish family who is losing her battle with cancer.

Yellow star / by Jennifer Roy.

From 1939, when Syvia is four and a half years old, to 1945 when she has just turned ten, a Jewish girl and her family struggle to survive in Poland's Lodz ghetto during the Nazi occupation.

The Weight Of The Sky / Sandell, Lisa Ann

A sixteen-year-old girl travels to Israel to spend the summer on a kibbutz and discovers who she is and what she wants out of life.

Passover / Schotter, Roni

To begin their Passover celebration, little Moe and his family clean the house, prepare the Seder dinner, hunt for the hidden matzoh, and read the story of Passover together.

A pickpocket's tale / Karen Schwabach.

When Molly, a ten-year-old orphan, is arrested for picking pockets in London in 1731, she is banished to America and serves as an indentured servant for a New York City family that expects her to follow their Jewish traditions.

Stealing home / Ellen Schwartz.

When his mother dies in 1947, ten-year-old Joey--an avid baseball fan who is half Jewish and half African-American--goes to live with his estranged relatives, where he tries to earn his grandfather's love but has a hard time feeling accepted.

The night of the burning: Devorah's story / Linda Press Wulf.

Still sad and frightened after living in Poland through World War I and the Russian Revolution, twelve-year-old Devorah Lehrman, her younger sister, and other Jewish orphans travel with Isaac Ochberg to South Africa and make a new start.

The book thief / by Markus Zusak.

Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.

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