Menorahs, Mezuzas, and Other Jewish Symbols

by Miriam Chaikin, Erika Weihs (Illustrator)

Overview

Explains the history and significance of many Jewish symbols and discusses how these symbols are used in holiday rituals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618378357
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/18/2003
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	639,611
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.26(d)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Miriam Chaikin is the prize-winning author of more than 30 books for young readers. She lives in New York City and spends part of each year in Israel.

Editorial Reviews

"This smoothly woven patchwork of history and culture is a fine introduction that will attract browsers and be useful for children." Booklist, ALA —

From the Publisher

Gr 5-8-- Chaikin succeeds admirably both in covering the whole range of Jewish symbols and in presenting their underlying ideas with clarity and succinctness, distilling the scholarship (attested to by seven pages of notes and two pages of reference books) into a form easily comprehended by the intended audience. There have been other books about Jewish symbols, but none are of this scope and calibre. The book is divided into nine chapters, each dealing with an aspect of Judaism and/or Jewish culture and the concepts and symbols associated with it. The narrative, while conversational in tone, is interwoven with references from the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, folklore, and history. Weihs's attractive black-and-white scratchboard illustrations have movement and drama, but contain errors; only one candle is lit on the Sabbath, and the priestly blessing lacks the correct placing of the fingers. In spite of these pictorial mistakes, this is a unique book that will be of use in general collections. --Marcia Posner, Federation of New York and the Jewish Book Council, New York City

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