May is Jewish-American Heritage Month. Saddened by the wave of anti-Semitism in part due to the conflict in Israel, I checked out a bunch of books featuring Jewish characters and traditions to read to my kids. I am a firm believer that the more open you are about current events, the more you can understand and empathize with many types of people. Here are 10 books for Jewish-American Heritage Month.
The Bagel King by Andrew Larsen and Sandy Nichols. This is the SWEETEST book about a boy and his grandfather who bring bagels to their friends every Sunday morning. Then when his grandfather falls and is ordered to rest for two weeks, the boy decides to carry on the tradition on his own. I guarantee this book will make you crave bagels (I am craving them just writing this). More importantly, though, it has Yiddish words sprinkled throughout and is a great way to talk to your kids about Jewish culture.
A Scarf for Keiko by Ann Malaspina and Merrilee Liddiard. I actually included this in my list of picture books featuring AAPI characters last month. However, what’s unique about this book is that the boy, Sam, is Jewish and realizes when his friend Keiko is forced to relocate to a Japanese internment camp, it’s similar to what people of his own faith are experiencing in Europe. I love the way this story helps kids connect to the world around them.
Just Like Rube Goldberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Behind the Machines by Sarah Aronson and Robert Neubecker. You’ve probably heard the term Rube Goldberg used to describe a complex machine meant to perform a simple task (like buttering bread). You might not know that Rube Goldberg was actually a Jewish engineer-turned-cartoonist. I’ve shared this book before, but it’s an amazing story of perseverance.
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story about Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards and G. Brian Karas. In this cute book, a Jewish woman, Mrs. Goldman, knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood. Sophie thinks knitting is too hard, so she makes pompoms for the hats instead. Once winter comes and Mrs. Goldman is still serving everyone else, Sophie decides to try to make a hat for Mrs. Goldman herself. I love the Yiddish words like mitzvah (kind deed) and keppie (head) in the story and how it also shows kids that knitting is for everyone.
It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach. I first discovered this book last year at the height of the pandemic when I was feeling particularly sorry for myself. It’s a Yiddish folk tale about a man who comes to his rabbi complaining that he and his wife and their six children live in a one-room hut. The rabbi keeps giving him advice that makes the situation worse and worse (like adding animals to the mix), and he realizes that the cure for most ills is gratitude. It may have been the time in which I read this book, but it has stuck with me ever since. I even bought a copy of it for my family.
Here is the World: A Year of Jewish Holidays by Lesléa Newman and Susan Gal. If you’re unfamiliar with Jewish holidays and traditions (I was really only aware of Passover and Hanukkah), this is a great introduction to them. It has simple rhyming text and also includes more in-depth explanations of the holidays at the end.
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy and Elizabeth Baddeley. There’s SO much I loved about this book: nontraditional gender roles (Marty Ginsburg cooked dinner for the family every night), perseverance in the face of anti-Semitism, and a dedication to equal rights. RGB is my hero. The book even explains Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collars and why her Supreme Court decisions were so important.
Chik Chak Shabbat by Mara Rockliff and Kyrsten Brooker. This story reminds me a lot of Thank You, Omu! (another favorite) but with a Jewish twist. Goldie cooks cholent, a type of stew, every Friday for shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath day), and all the neighbors in her apartment building join her despite not sharing her faith. One Friday, Goldie gets sick and doesn’t have time to make the cholent in time for shabbat. Luckily, her neighbors help her feel better by bringing their own specialties to her home to eat on shabbat. Note: Several Amazon reviews point out that Goldie does not observe the Torah because the neighbors bring non-kosher food. If you are Jewish or want to teach your kids more about shabbat, this might not be the best book for your family.
Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman. If you’ve read Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree, this story will seem familiar. Joseph’s grandfather makes him a beautiful blanket when he’s a baby. As Joseph gets older, the blanket is worn, so his grandfather makes it into a jacket for him. Then it becomes a vest, a tie, a kerchief, and a button. The illustrations are endearing, with a little family of mice making clothes, tablecloths, and blankets from the scraps of Joseph’s blanket each time Grandfather cuts it down. I like the moral of using what you have until it’s gone, and the message that you help others when you reuse things, too.
The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine by Linda Elovitz. While this book focuses much more on Dr. Salk’s work creating vaccines, it does touch on Salk’s heritage. He was born to Jewish immigrants who had nothing, and he determined to spend his life helping others. I also had no idea that Dr. Salk helped to create a flu vaccine in response to the 1918 flu pandemic. This book is especially timely given our current pandemic. It also helps kids understand why vaccinations are important.
I would love more recommendations to teach my kids about Jewish culture! Please share your favorite books for Jewish-American Heritage Month with me.
