Here are 100 books that Welcoming Elijah fans have personally recommended if you like
Welcoming Elijah.
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I am a rabbi, educator and author. I have had the privilege of writing many books over the course of my rabbinate. Over the past five years, I have turned the attention of my writing to children’s books. And I am especially attuned to those books that take complicated Jewish ideas and tell them in words and pictures that young children can understand. I try to do this in my own writing, as well.
This is a sweet book that focuses on the essential idea of Shabbat: rest and refraining from work.
It also teaches an idea that is part of the ancient lesson of the Sabbath—everyone rests on the Sabbath including work animals. I like this book—and its lovely illustrations—because it takes a difficult idea that is culled from rabbinic sources.
The virtues of taking a break - and of being thankful - are extolled in the gentle story of a stubborn ox, an impatient farmer, and a day of rest.
Long ago, in the hills near Jerusalem, lived a young ox. For six days each week, she and her owner would toil in the fields, and on the seventh day both would rest. Then it came to be that this young ox was sold. For six days, she toiled in her new owner's fields, and on the seventh day the farmer brought out the yoke and plough, expecting to spend…
I am a rabbi, educator and author. I have had the privilege of writing many books over the course of my rabbinate. Over the past five years, I have turned the attention of my writing to children’s books. And I am especially attuned to those books that take complicated Jewish ideas and tell them in words and pictures that young children can understand. I try to do this in my own writing, as well.
Yom Kippur is a difficult holiday for adults. It is even more difficult and exceptionally abstract for kids.
Words like atonement and forgiveness are particularly hard to grasp. This book focuses on one idea: saying I’m sorry. As a result, it takes an idea that is taught by parents, educators, and caregivers and places it in a Jewish holiday story context that is both playful and profound. I like this book, because it takes a complicated idea and distills it in a very manageable way.
Loosely based on the Hasidic legend "The Tear of Repentance", The Hardest Word is a story about forgiveness.
The Ziz, a wonderful bird who lived long ago, is so big and clumsy that he can't keep from bumping into things. When a tree he knocks over destroys the children's garden, he seeks God's help to fix things. "Bring me the hardest word," God instructs him, and the Ziz flies off to search. He brings back words like rhinocerous, rock, and Rumplestiltskin, but none is acceptable, until he makes an important discovery.
I am a rabbi, educator and author. I have had the privilege of writing many books over the course of my rabbinate. Over the past five years, I have turned the attention of my writing to children’s books. And I am especially attuned to those books that take complicated Jewish ideas and tell them in words and pictures that young children can understand. I try to do this in my own writing, as well.
The fall is overwhelmed by Jewish holidays. Rosh Hashanah (and Yom Kippur) initiate this holiday season.
The so-called High Holidays provide the opportunity to look backwards and forward. Since time is a difficult concept for kids—especially its measurement of it—helpful books like this one are particularly welcome.
I like Measuring a Year, because it provides the reader with guidance as to how to actually look backwards, acknowledge the good times and the things that the child might regret—and plan for the year ahead.
From award-winning author Linda Elovitz Marshall and illustrator Zara Gonzalez Hoang comes this engaging picture book about celebrating Rosh HashanahRosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year. They offer a chance to think about the present and the past, to "measure" a year and ourselves. This sweet and thoughtful picture book, perfect for reading aloud, invites young readers and their families to take stock of the happy times and the occasional regrets, as well as the new friends made and new skills gained over the year. Happy New Year! Shana Tova!
I am a rabbi, educator and author. I have had the privilege of writing many books over the course of my rabbinate. Over the past five years, I have turned the attention of my writing to children’s books. And I am especially attuned to those books that take complicated Jewish ideas and tell them in words and pictures that young children can understand. I try to do this in my own writing, as well.
I remember reading an article in The New York Times about the discovery by archeologists of an ancient seed. I thought to myself, “This would make a great picture book for kids.”
Then I saw The Miracle Seed in print. Lemelman has done a great job telling the story—and also using it as a vehicle to demonstrate the challenges of the Jewish people through a particular period of history—and its rebirth.
The thrilling true story of an ancient plant, wonderfully reborn in the modern era through the hard work of two female scientists.
Thousands of years ago, in a time of rebellion, the Jewish people fought against their Roman rulers. The brutal Emperor Titus ordered the destruction of everything precious to the Jews: towns, villages, even their beloved Judean date palm trees. Centuries passed. The Jewish people were scattered, and the Judean date palm faded into extinction. Then, in 1963, a team of archaeologists uncovered two-thousand-year-old date palm seeds at the ruined fortress of Masada. For another forty years the seeds…
I'm a Conservative Rabbi who served Temple Sholom in Bridgewater NJ from 1975-2015. I'm currently the Rabbi of Beth Judah Temple in Wildwood New Jersey. I've always been intrigued with the Haggadah and its origins, and for almost 50 years I've hosted the Passover seders at my home. I always wanted to search for just the right Haggadah that I could use to make the experience fun and participatory for all. Because of my passion for wanting to give participants at my seder a positive experience, I decided to write my own Haggadah, I've written several including Seder in Motion: A Haggadah to Move Body and Soul coauthored with my wife Leora Isaacs.
This Haggadah is a Haggadah that is ideal when there are younger children at the seder. What makes the Haggadah unique are its puppets (included with the book) which need to be prepared and assembled prior to the seder. Many parts of the seder are set up as a script of a play, where parts can be given out to read. There are also original fun songs to sing. When my children were younger, I used this Haggadah with enormous success, and still have the puppets which I hope to use now with my grandchildren!
I'm a Conservative Rabbi who served Temple Sholom in Bridgewater NJ from 1975-2015. I'm currently the Rabbi of Beth Judah Temple in Wildwood New Jersey. I've always been intrigued with the Haggadah and its origins, and for almost 50 years I've hosted the Passover seders at my home. I always wanted to search for just the right Haggadah that I could use to make the experience fun and participatory for all. Because of my passion for wanting to give participants at my seder a positive experience, I decided to write my own Haggadah, I've written several including Seder in Motion: A Haggadah to Move Body and Soul coauthored with my wife Leora Isaacs.
This Haggadah is perfect for families that want to include all of the traditional sections of the seder without spending a lot of time in discussion and study of text. Nicely illustrated and fully transliterated, the Haggadah also includes interesting facts as well as thought questions throughout. For example, the Haggadah explains that in theHa Lachma anya section (let all who are hungry eat) early in the seder that the language of Aramaic is used. This is a reminder that when we welcome the stranger, we invite our guest in the language he or she will understand
Hosting your first seder? This haggadah and planning guide will help you every step of the way. Everything you need for a meaningful yet concise seder perfect for families of all ages.
I have led many seders using a traditional Haggadah. We would just recite the Haggadah at the seder and put the books away until Passover of the following year. And then one year, after Passover, I read the Haggadah in earnest. I realized that the traditional Haggadah didn’t tell the Passover story very well, that big chunks of the story were missing, that much of the time we had no understanding of what we were reading, and that, for literally decades, we had been doing a rote recitation with little meaning. It was because of that realization that I decided to write my Haggadah.
The venerable Goldberg Haggadah is a wonderful example of a traditional Haggadah. I led seders using it for many years. The translation is very accessible, easy for all participants to read. The book has a great cover, both front and back, which normally wouldn’t be important in a book recommendation, but there is something almost magical about this cover – it just gives the feeling that you’re going to have a wonderful seder. The interior is nicely designed, with clear delineation of paragraphs, lots of white space, attractive fonts in Hebrew and English, and simple but expressive illustrations, all of which are important for a book that will be recited out loud.
Passover Haggadah: A New English Translation and Instructions for the Seder, New Revised Edition It includes the full text and translation, plus instructions, notes and an introduction. Convenient and ideal for groups.
I'm a Conservative Rabbi who served Temple Sholom in Bridgewater NJ from 1975-2015. I'm currently the Rabbi of Beth Judah Temple in Wildwood New Jersey. I've always been intrigued with the Haggadah and its origins, and for almost 50 years I've hosted the Passover seders at my home. I always wanted to search for just the right Haggadah that I could use to make the experience fun and participatory for all. Because of my passion for wanting to give participants at my seder a positive experience, I decided to write my own Haggadah, I've written several including Seder in Motion: A Haggadah to Move Body and Soul coauthored with my wife Leora Isaacs.
This Haggadah is a product of the Rabbinical Assembly of America, the Union of Conservative Rabbis of which I am a proud member. We have used this Haggadah when our participants at our seder included more adults than children. The Haggadah includes a guide to the requisite rituals, detailing how and why each ritual is performed. There is also ample commentary on the text, explaining passages and provoking questions, in order to engage participants, Finally, alternative readings are included to replace or augment the text.
This bestselling Passover haggadah has been a user-friendly favorite at seders for a generation. Provocative and stimulating commentary, clear instructions, and bold artwork grace the pages of this contemporary American classic. Full-color artwork by Dan Reisinger.
I have led many seders using a traditional Haggadah. We would just recite the Haggadah at the seder and put the books away until Passover of the following year. And then one year, after Passover, I read the Haggadah in earnest. I realized that the traditional Haggadah didn’t tell the Passover story very well, that big chunks of the story were missing, that much of the time we had no understanding of what we were reading, and that, for literally decades, we had been doing a rote recitation with little meaning. It was because of that realization that I decided to write my Haggadah.
The Steinsaltz Haggadah is a traditional Haggadah with a traditional translation, but what makes it shine are the explanations. The traditional Haggadah is in many respects a difficult book – much of it is hard to understand as is. Rabbi Steinsaltz provides explanations that bring some degree of clarity to these difficult passages. In addition, Rabbi Steinsaltz provides marvelous explanations of the Psalms of Praise recited at the seder and on Jewish holidays. I’ve recited these psalms many times over many years, and Rabbi Steinsaltz explains them in a way that I’ve never seen. When I study Talmud, I use the Steinsaltz translation, because in both the Talmud and the Haggadah, the explanations are spectacularly clear.
In this user-friendly Haggada, Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz employs his renowned pedagogical skill and insight to explain the texts and rituals of the Seder night, their background and inner meaning. Divided into a clear, concise commentary and thought-provoking expansions, this is a Seder user's manual you have been waiting for.
I am a school and public librarian as well as a writer. I also serve as a member of the Children’s Book Committee of the Bank Street College of Education. We review hundreds of books each year for consideration of a place on our list –The Best Children’s Books of the Year. I've chosen to recommend some lighthearted picture books with Jewish characters or themes because a number of my own books fit into this category. Mitzi’s Mitzvah, Little Red Ruthie, and Dance the Hora, Isadora! are three of my Jewish themed books. Each of these titles has been selected by PJ Library, an organization that sends a book each month to children.
When lighter-than-air matzah balls send Passover guests floating on the ceiling, a remedy is needed to bring them down. The author’s solution is brilliant and hilarious for anyone who has experienced cooking mishaps. There are so many Passover books that dwell on the story of the Jewish people’s escape from tyranny in Egypt and this is undoubtedly an important story to tell. But there’s also a need for holiday books that are just plain fun. This is definitely one of those.
