Let's Go to Shul (The Toddler Experience Series) - Hardcover

Benenfeld, Rikki

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1929628080 ISBN 13: 9781929628087

Publisher: Hachai Pubns, 2002

Synopsis

The highlight of the week is the family trip to shul on Shabbos morning. Simple rhymes detail all the important objects and events young children encounter at the synagogue.

About this title

About the Author

I was born in Israel but grew up in Brooklyn and attended Sora Schenirer High School in Boro Park. I am Married and have children and grandchildren, BH. I have always had an interest in book illustrations and enjoyed writing short stories and poems. I especially enjoy and relate well to young children and find that they have a real love and appreciation for books and pick up a lot of information from the illustrations as well. I get pleasure out of knowing how much children learn and pick up from my books.

Reviews

reSchool-Grade 1-In this story that introduces preschoolers to concepts relating to the synagogue, Shul is but one of a number of non-English words that stud the rhyming narrative. A brother and sister wake up, dress in their "good" clothes, and walk happily to Shul with their parents. As they enter, they kiss the Mezuza on the door frame, and sit down quietly. They introduce rituals (davening and reading the Parsha from the Bimah), objects (the Siddur, Ner Tamid, and Aron Kodesh), and customs (having wine and sweets after the service). Although the siblings take turns in telling the story, the girl observes from the women's section while the boy's role is more active, reflecting the physical and ritual gender separation in Orthodox synagogues. The transliteration of a few Hebrew words is colloquial, using an Ashkenazi pronunciation instead of the standard Sephardi. Thus, Shabbat (Sabbath) is Shabbos and tallit (prayer shawl) is tallis. The realistic illustrations are bland and the human figures have an impersonal quality that is reinforced by the author's failure to give her characters names. Young children are unlikely to be engaged by the story but they will gain some knowledge of concepts related to the synagogue and implicitly, but not exclusively, to Orthodox Jewish practice.
Linda R. Silver, Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, OH
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Hachai Pubns
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1929628080
• ISBN 13: 9781929628087
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32