Over 500 years ago, the King and Queen of Spain decreed a harsh law on the Jews and expelled them from their homes. The Jews wandered from country to country and looked for another place to live. Some of the Jews got to Greece, and some to France. Some of them went to Morocco and others ended up in Turkey. Some even had their dreams come true and reached holy Eretz Yisrael!
CHALLOS
IN THE
ARON HAKODESH
Adapted by BenShel Abba
Illustrated by Gadi Pollack
~ Review by Cindy
This heartwarming adaptation of a classic Jewish folktale – tells the story of Yaakovo and his wife Esperanza, two Spanish Jews who were among a group who reached Eretz Yisrael.
Yaakovo and Esperanza were the simplest of Jews with a pure love and childlike faith in HaShem. Though they could daven (pray) in Hebrew, the only language they were able to speak or understand was Spanish.
One day while at shul (synagogue), Yaakovo hears the Rav speak of the twelve challos (or challot – special braided loaves of challah bread) which were baked and placed on the table in the Holy Temple each Shabbat and how, following Shabbat, the Kohanim (priests who served in the Temple) would eat the challos.*
Yaakovo, not quite understanding everything the Rav had said, rushes home to tell his wife that she needs to bake twelve holy and tasty challos because Hashem loves to get special challos for Shabbat. So starts this precious and sweet story of the simple hearted Yaakovo and his dear wife Esperanza whose challos were the most delicious of any to be found.
As with all of Gadi Pollacks books, his illustrations are so lifelike I find myself waiting to hear them speak or step off the page.
Challos In The Aron HaKodesh is a touching tale of a simple hearted love for G-d. It has a lesson about emunah (faith) and kindness for all ages. You can purchase this wonderful book from amazon.com – Challos in the Aron HaKodesh.
* Exodus 25:30, Leviticus 24 5-9
