Kerry Olitzky

How long will a dreidel spin in outer space? Who created the first teddy bear? How big was the world's largest matzah ball? Why do Russian Jews put salt in their pockets?In their 5,000-year history, the Jewish people have done some astonishing things. Inspired by the Weird But True series and other books of fun facts, this book brings together 180 surprising facts about the Jewish people, culture, and history. These bite-sized info-morsels are collected from across the Jewish universe on subjects ranging from holidays to entertainment, science, pop culture and more.Bright eye-catching images and humorous details will captivate children and adults alike, including trivia enthusiasts and reluctant readers.What a fun gift!

SPANISH LANGUAGE EDITIONFrom social justice activist to Nobel-winning scientist to the first woman (and first Jewish!) president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum faces each new challenge by saying, "sí!", "yes, I can."Just like the migrating butterflies in Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum has grown and changed.As a little girl, she was fascinated by nature and the beautiful mariposas that would flutter around Mexico City, signifying the coming holiday of Hanukkah. She was a dancer, an advocate for equality, and a professor of environmental science. With each new role, Claudia needed to undergo her own metamorphosis, but the challenge was worth the effort.All her hard work brought her to the mayor's office to fight pollution, and Claudia saw yet another new path forward where she could make the laws that would help bring about more than just a change in herself, but for all of Mexico.

From social justice activist to Nobel-winning scientist to the first woman (and first Jewish!) president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum faces each new challenge by saying, "sí!", "yes, I can."Just like the migrating butterflies in Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum has grown and changed.As a little girl, she was fascinated by nature and the beautiful mariposas that would flutter around Mexico City, signifying the coming holiday of Hanukkah. She was a dancer, an advocate for equality, and a professor of environmental science. With each new role, Claudia needed to undergo her own metamorphosis, but the challenge was worth the effort.All her hard work brought her to the mayor's office to fight pollution, and Claudia saw yet another new path forward where she could make the laws that would help bring about more than just a change in herself, but for all of Mexico.

In time for the 2025 Maccabiah Games, this picture book biography tells the origin story of the third-largest international sporting event and the unique problem-solving creator Yosef Yekutieli employed to make his dream possible.In 1912, 15-year-old Yosef Yekutieli listened to radio broadcasts from the Stockholm Olympics and hatched an idea: an Olympic-style competition for Jewish athletes from around the globe in the brand-new city of Tel Aviv.People initially didn't take him seriously, but that wouldn't stop Yosef. For the next two decades, he worked to make this idea a reality. There was no stadium, pool, or running track anywhere in British Mandate Palestine. But Yosef wasn’t deterred.There was one big problem left: there was no easy way to tell athletes about the games!The solution: Motorcycles. Riding thousands of miles, over mountains and through deserts, motorcycle brigades announced the games to the world Jewish community. In 1932, the Maccabiah Games were born.

Atara loves to wear her crown - to the library, to the dentist, even to her swim lessons. It gives her confidence, and shows the world that she is a girl, not a boy, like everyone thought at first. But when Atara reads the story of Queen Esther, on the Jewish holiday of Purim - she realises that you don't need a costume to express who you really are...

"An uplifting historical tale exploring the intersection of art history and religion." —Kirkus Reviews"Refreshing....This title is recommended for all libraries." —Association of Jewish LibrariesA Junior Library Guild SelectionIs there a story behind Rembrandt's famous painting of Queen Esther?In Rembrandt Chooses a Queen, the famous artist has a problem. He wants to paint a scene from the biblical Purim story, but his model is too vain to portray the beautiful yet humble Esther. Samuel, a Jewish apprentice in Rembrandt's workshop, believes his sister Isabel would be the perfect replacement. She knows the Purim story well, is inspired by Esther's bravery, and proud to be Jewish. Now they just need to convince the great artist.Based on the real Rembrandt painting Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther, this inspiring story of Judaism and art intersecting in 17th century Amsterdam includes an author's note about Purim and a short biography of Rembrandt by a professor of art history.

"Families looking for a new take on celebrating the Passover seder will be delighted by this Haggadah..." —Association of Jewish LibrariesIn The Heroes Haggadah: Lead the Way to Freedom, the traditional texts and songs of a 30-45 minute Passover Seder are paired with profiles of 46 influential and diverse Jewish people in fields ranging from pop culture to science, art, and political activism, whose biographies add to the heroic and enduring story of freedom that began with the ancient Exodus.More than any other Jewish book, the traditional haggadah is continually renewed and rewritten. In this haggadah, each traditional section is also connected to a particular theme, such as commitment, sustainability, hope, activism, perseverance, gratitude, and rejuvenation. Each theme is reflected in the profile of a modern hero as well as in quotes and interpretive English translations of traditional Hebrew blessings, capturing how human heroes partner with God to better our world.Profiles include: Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Israeli activist Anat Hoffman, one of the founders of Women of the Wall; Polish resistance fighter Tuvia Bielsk; Regina Jonas, first woman to be ordained as a rabbi; Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, first Asian American Cantor and Rabbi: Helen Suzman, for years the sole member of the South African Parliament to stand against apartheid; Eliezar Ben-Yehuda, champion of the rebirth of Hebrew as a spoke language; Pnina Tamano-Shata, first Ethiopian-born woman to serve in Israel's Knesset; Gershom Sizomu, the first native-born Black rabbi of the Abayudaya community in Uganda; Black Jewish rapper Daveed Diggs, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Short biographies of all those profiled are included in an index at the back of the haggadah. Space among the profiles is reserved for participants to include a hero from their own family or community.The haggadah is welcoming of participants from any background and presents all prayers and blessings in Hebrew, transliteration, and English translation. Songs included are Dayeinu, Eliahu Hanavi, Echad Mi Yodea (Who Knows One), Chad Gadya, and Adir Hu, all presented in English, Hebrew, and transliterated Hebrew. A seder planning guide is provided, along with seven recipes, including a Ugandan Charoset from the Sizomu family, a West African Brisket and a Caribbean Compote, both from cookbook author Michael Twitty, and Groucho Marks' Matzah Balls."The idea that it’s possible to move from slavery to freedom and from darkness to light and from despair to hope—that is the greatest Jewish story ever told." —SHARON BROUS, FOUNDING RABBI OF IKAR (from The Heroes Haggadah)

"A joyful peek into Jewish life in a place that is likely to be unfamiliar to many American readers." --Booklist"Young readers’ images of Jewish people will expand with this portrayal of the Abayudaya, Jews of color in contemporary Uganda...This joyful, colorful, and well-designed book will make children and adults want to jump up and join in the dance." --Sydney Taylor Shmooze"Reminds read­ers that there are many Jew­ish com­mu­ni­ties world­wide, and they all cel­e­brate Shab­bat in their own ways." --The Jewish Book CouncilUgandan artist John Baptist Tumuhaise brings a Jewish Ugandan village to life in this story of a young girl who is distracted from her Shabbat preparation chores by the lure of a dance troupe that comes to her village.Young Miryam wakes to a bright morning and the many chores needed to help get ready for Friday night and Shabbat in her small Ugandan village. As readers follow her through her day, they learn elements of celebrating this weekly Jewish ritual that are both universal in Jewish culture and unique to the Jewish Ugandan community, the Abuyadaya, or Tribe of Judah. A glossary explains the names of ritual foods, Ugandan terms, and landmarks used in the story.

After many years, Leila is back in her birthplace, Jerusalem, and she's on a mission. Before she left for the Holy Land, Leila promised that she'd say a healing prayer for her best friend back home, even though Leila is Muslim and has never prayed in a Christian church. While making her way through the crooked streets in the Old City of Jerusalem, Leila meets Asma and Rachel, two girls also trying to find holy sites of religions that are different from their own. Together, they'll discover that Jerusalem is perhaps the most special and welcoming place in the world.

After many years, Leila is back in her birthplace, Jerusalem, and she's on a mission. Before she left for the Holy Land, Leila promised that she'd say a healing prayer for her best friend back home, even though Leila is Muslim and has never prayed in a Christian church. While making her way through the crooked streets in the Old City of Jerusalem, Leila meets Asma and Rachel, two girls also trying to find holy sites of religions that are different from their own. Together, they'll discover that Jerusalem is perhaps the most special and welcoming place in the world.

Free from slavery at last, the Israelites headed to the Promised Land."Are we there yet?" cried the children.In the harsh desert, the Israelites wander on rugged paths, under the blazing sun, through chilly nights. It feels endless.One day, the children discover a creature with a horn that glows like the moon and a coat that glistens like stained glass. A creature as real as hope, as real as joy. The journey to the Promised Land will be long, but the desert unicorn will light the way in this story inspired by an ancient rabbinic understanding of a creature named in the Book of Exodus.

What happens when two boys--one Jewish, one Muslim--play football together in Jerusalem amidst the challenging political environment that surrounds them? Friendship. This is the story of these two boys Avi and Ahmed, along with their families, who bond together. But when Ahmed doesn’t show up for Avi's birthday party, Avi assumes the worst. Their story provides hope for the reader that anything is possible when people care about each other.

Uh-oh The animals need to go. Not just on a journey on Noah's Ark, but to the potty, too Noah's wife, Naamah, helps each animal--owl, giraffe, monkey, raccoon, and even elephant--go potty while on the big ark.

This encyclopedia presents historical accounts of Jewish rituals, the meaning behind their development, and descriptions of how the rituals are practiced among different Jewish communities. Entries discuss how the rituals evolved over time and what they are designed to symbolize. Whether practiced in the personal or public realm, the rituals included in this volume are generally acknowledged as such by the Jewish community, even if they are not practiced by large segments of the community. Comparisons are drawn among rituals as they are practiced by Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox Jews. This volume brings together a wealth of information about the often complicated rituals practiced in Jewish communities throughout North America.Readers desiring to learn more about Jewish rituals will appreciate the mix of historical and practical concerns each entry details. Specific information is readily accessible in the encyclopedic format. Entries are cross-referenced throughout, and each concludes with references for further research. An index is included.

The institution of the American synagogue has played a significant role in the history of American Judaism, which remains an incomplete history if it is limited to the lives of individuals and events. This work helps complete the history as it is the first reference book to document the historical development of many individual synagogues in the United States and Canada. It includes over 350 entries of synagogues from among the four main movements, each of which have made an impact on the Jewish community, either locally or beyond. It is an essential tool for researchers, scholars, and students, as well as anyone interested in the historical aspects of American Judaism.An essay on the historical development of the American Synagogue by Frances Weinman Schwartz, introduces the volume. Entries are arranged alphabetically by city within each state. Synagogue descriptions include the date of the congregation's founding, the reason for its founding and its congregational mission, the history of buildings and neighborhood, its local or national historical impact, its significance in the movement to which it belongs, major episodes in the congregation's history, as well as details about the service of its rabbis. A brief bibliography follows each entry, and a general bibliography and index complete the volume.

This valuable reference extensively documents the lives and careers of the most influential leaders of Reform Judaism in America. The editors have assembled concise but informative biographical profiles of approximately 170 people. The work spans the period from the beginning of the Reform movement in 1824 through the 1976 Centenary Perspective. The individuals profiled were selected because of their impact on Reform Judaism at a national level. Included are the principal architects of reform, national organizational leaders, distinguished rabbis and academicians, outstanding cantors, volunteer lay activists, and women. The work begins with an essay on the history of Reform Judaism in America. A biographical dictionary follows. Each entry in the dictionary assesses the career and contributions of a particular leader and closes with a short bibliography of works by and about that individual. The dictionary is followed by a set of essays that overview the history of associations related to Reform Judaism. A section of appendices lists the principal figures affiliated with these organizations. An extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources concludes the work, making it an indispensable reference tool.