Join Keren in lighting the lights on the first night of Hanukkah HERE

And enjoy this beautifully illustrated and stirring story of one family’s special Hanukkah tradition… (With special thanks to Gayle Ann Cater for gifting Dwight and me with this book many Hanukkahs ago!)  ~Keren   

THE MYSTERY BEAR
A Purim Story
by Leone Anderson 
Illustrated by Naomi Howland

Read by Keren Hannah

A hungry little bear crashes a Purim party.

Click on arrow to Listen. 10 mins.

You can buy this sweet story here from Amazon.com: The Mystery Bear: A Purim Story

Sofer – The Story of a Torah Scroll
by Rabbi Eric Ray, z”l

There are interesting facts to be learned about the production of a Torah scroll. The sofer who writes a scroll by hand has very strict guidelines and a set procedure by which he writes a scroll. These have ensured that the words of a scroll have been preserved accurately and perfectly through the centuries.

Rabbi Eric Ray shares these things with us in his well illustrated book, written for all the family to understand. Join us and learn!

~Keren

NOTE: Apologies for the recording glitch on page 17. It only last a few seconds, so please persevere.

Young Yussel,  although he cannot read, saves the holy day of Yom Kippur with a true prayer.

Read by Keren

Terrible Things is a gentle introduction to the Shoah.*

Our sharing this book with you comes with a caution. Please watch it along with your child and be prepared for questions, for example,  “What are the Terrible Things?” “Where did the Terrible Things take the animals?” “What are concentration camps?”

You may consider watching this video first to see if it is suitable for your child’s level of understanding.

Read by Keren

• Shoah is a Hebrew word which means calamity. It is the preferred word used in Israel for Holocaust, an English word, which means “burnt offering” or “sacrifice to G-d.” The Jews of Europe were not sacrificed, they were murdered in a genocide of man’s hatred.

Anna Olswanger never knew her great-grandparents Elias and Dora Olschwanger, not even their names, until 1982. That was the year she made the first of several trips to St. Louis to research her family tree.

With the help of relatives she had never met and St. Louis historians, she located a number of newspaper articles that mentioned her great-grandfather “Reb Elias Olschwanger.”*

These articles became the basis for her book in which she shares a copy of each article on the last pages of this very fun and very colorful read.

Shlemiel, by the way, is a Yiddish term for an idiotic person who is rather lacking in the brains department.

Enjoy the story with Keren and / or purchase your own copy by clicking on the following title:

Shlemiel Crooks

* Anna Olswanger, Shlemiel Crooks postscript

Read by Keren 

If you enjoyed this post, try the following:

Appointments With G-d — Purim
The Queen You Thought You Knew
Rosh Chodesh – The Hebrew Month of Adar
Have A Purim Puppet Show

BEHOLD THE TREES
by Sue Alexander
illustrated by Leonid Gore

Read by Keren

If you enjoyed this post you might also enjoy the following:

TU B’SHEVAT – and a Tu B’Shevat Seder / festive meal
11th Hebrew month – SHEVAT and the blessings of Trees

Read a review of the book Behold The Trees

Sit back and enjoy!

Read by Keren

Read by Keren

Part 1 – The Story of the Maccabees

Part 2 – The Festival of Lights

THE PATCHWORK TORAH
by Allison Ofanansky
illustrated by Elsa Oriol

Read by Keren

If you enjoyed this post you might also enjoy the following:

Simchat Torah – Joy of Torah
Torah Portion – Monthly Highlights

THE HOUSE ON THE ROOF – A SUKKOT STORY
by David R. Adler
illustrated by Marilyn Hirsh

Read by Keren

If you enjoyed this post you might also enjoy the following:
Sukkot – Feast of Tabernales
Tikvah Means Hope
The Mysterious Guests
Ushpizin
The Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays

THE HARDEST WORD
A Yom Kippur Story
By Jacqueline Jules, Illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn

After the gift of life itself, one of the greatest gifts of our Creator His Word of love and truth.

This is the story of one tiny Torah scroll that, although consumed in a valiant flight of man into Space, lives on as a testimony to the brave, true spirits of those who have carried its story.

May their memories always be a blessing.

~Keren

See also – The Promise IIan Ramon & The Holocaust Torah Scroll

Oy vey! – the chutzpah of these five little gefilte fish who venture out of their jar and into the big, big city! Poor Mama Gefilte is left kvetching but soon kvells with happiness.

Gefilte fish is a dish traditionally enjoyed by Askenazi Jews on Shabbat or special holidays such as Passover.

Enjoy this cute story by David Horowitz with your little ones… or to chuckle at all by yourself. Won’t hurt!

Read by Keren