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Beni's family treasury: Stories for the jewish holidays
Zalben, Breskin Jane
Beni is so excited because he's finally old enough to really understand his Jewish heritage and the traditions of his faith. In his quest for understanding, he encounters a number of situations, from learning the beauty of togetherness after reconciling with his feuding cousin, Max, to recreating the Pukim in a play with his friends and cousins. Through all of this, Beni truly begins to see the magical feeling of togetherness and heritage that his religion encompasses.

Why does it always rain on sukkot?
Youdoin, S.S.
Each of the Jewish holidays are explained through a story. The chief angel gives each holiday a gift which explains its meaning.

Arthur yorinks' the flying latke
Yorinks, Arthur
A traditional family celebration of Hanukkah turns into a national emergency when a minor dispute between family members triggers a food fight that sends a latke flying out the window into outer space. The flying potato pancake is mistaken for a UFO by news reporters which forces the family to remain in the house with only the company of each other and the remaining plate of latkes to survive on for eight days and nights. In the end, they learn to get along and the true meaning of Hanukkah is shared.

The never-ending greenness
Waldman, Neil
A young boy plants trees to cope with the separation and loss he feels from his father who is at war. In doing this he single handedly turns a gloomy countryside destroyed by war back into the beautiful, alive place it once was. He also starts a holiday known today as Tu b'Shvat.

Erika's story
Vander Zee, Ruth
After being thrown from a train as a baby during the Holocaust, Erika finds safety, love, and peace in the family that saves her.

Annushka's voyage
Tarbescu, Edith
When Tanya and Annushka's mother dies, their father has no choice but to leave Russia for the streets paved with gold. Several years later, the girls' father sends two tickets for their own voyage to America. Before the girls leave, their grandmother gives them each a Sabbath candlestick which will light their way to the New World. Tanya and Annushka's voyage is filled with many sick and sleepless nights. The girls unite with their father by raising their candlesticks.

The fourth wise man
Summers, Susan
Atraban is the fourth wise man who is to go see the new born King of the Jews. He never meets the Messiah, but during his travels he is able to help many people with the gifts he carries for the King. After years of travel, Artaban still hasn't met his King, but before both men die Artaban hears the voice of the Messiah.

The magician
Shulevitz, Uri
A magician, who is actually the prophet Elijah, comes to town. He gives an old, poor couple dinner and a soft place to sit during the Passover celebration. The reason the couple is chosen is because they are unselfish and they do not think that they are that bad off, since they have each other.

The peddler's gift
Schur, Maxine Rose
Shnook the peddler arrives in the town of Korovenko with his assortment of beautiful, hand-carved dreidels. Leibush notices on that is left behind and makes excuses for keeping it. He soon realizes that the peddlers ways may be a cover for wisdom and forgiveness. As Hanukkah approaches, Shnook leaves Leibush a gift that will last a lifetime.

A fruit and vegetable man
Schotter, Roni
For over fifty years, Ruby Rubenstein has owned a fruit and vegetable store on Delano Street. Sun Ho, a young school boy, comes everyday to watch Ruby stack the fruits and vegetables in the most beautiful displays. Eventually, Ruby teaches Sun Ho how to work the register and buy the fruit and vegetables at the market. Ruby gets sick so Sun Ho and his family run the store for Ruby.

The tie man's miracle: A chanukah tale
Schnur, Steven
On the last day of Chanukah, an old man stops by Seth's house to sell ties. After talking with the old man for awhile, Seth learns how the man lost his whole family in the Holocaust. Seth makes a wish for the old man as the menorah candles burn out.

The little old man and his dreams
Ross, L
A little old man's wish before his death is to attend his granddaughter's wedding and see her happy with her new husband. His journey is plagued with troubles and his gift of pearls is stolen.

A thanksgiving wish
Rosen, Michael
A family overcomes the loss of their grandmother and run into obstacles when cooking Thanksgiving dinner. All their Thanksgiving wishes come true with a kind, helping hand from their new neighbors.

Elijah's angel
Rosen, Michael
Elijah and Michael have a unique friendship. Elijah is an 80 year old black Christian barber and Michael is a 9 year old Jewish boy. Elijah and Michael exchange Hanukah and Christmas gifts and reach a level of understanding between their different religions.

Bonjour, lonnie
Ringgold, Faith
Lonnie is an orphan who learns his family heritage through the help of the Love Bird. He eventually finds his adoptive parents.

Pumpkins: A story for a field
Ray, Mary Lyn
A man is sad to see a beautiful field become a residential development, so he raises money to buy the field by growing pumpkins and selling them all over the world.

What zeesie saw on delancey street
Rael, Wlsa Okon
On her 7th birthday, Zeesie goes with Mama and Papa to her first party where suprise packages are auctioned off to raise money. While there she explores a secret money room, and learns a lesson about money, generosity, and the importance of community.

Tikvah means hope
Polacco, Patricia
When Justine and Duane help the Roth's build their Sukkoth, they do not realize how special it is until tragedy hits. A large fire rages over the land, saving very few things, yet a miracle does occur.

The butterfly
Polacco, Patricia
When a little girls meets a ghost which turns out to be a girl that is hiding in the cellar with the rest of her family from the Nazi's. They form a friendship that is strong. But the friendship is broken up by the sudden movement of her and her family. But butterflies show that everything is fine even though they are apart.

Mrs. katz and tush
Polacco, Patricia
Larnel unexpectingly finds himself befriending an old, Polish woman. From Mrs. Katz, he learns Jewish history and begins to appreciate his own African roots.

The sign in mendel's window
Phillips, Mildred
A small Jewish community is very trusting of a stranger who rents out half of Mendel's shop. But when the man returns to town with two policemen, will Mendel be charged with stealing?This closeknit community works together

Who was the woman who wore the hat?
Patz, Nancy
In the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam, a lone hat is on display in a glass case. It is all that remains of a woman's life. A pictorial and poetic view of this hat, worn during the Holocaust, is poignantly expressed.

The lily cupboard
Oppenheim, Shulamaith
Miriam, who is Jewish, must go live with another family in the country because the Germans are killing the Jews. She learns a new life in the country and successfully hides when the soldiers come to look for her.

The wisdom bird: A tale of Solomon and Sheba
Oberman, Sheldon
Queen of Sheba, the wisest woman in the world, travels to Jerusalem after hearing about King Solomon, the wisest man in the world. She hopes to learn something new, but after asking for a palace made out of bird beaks, they both learn something important. This folktale is derived from Jewish, African and Biblical tales.

By the hanukkah light
Oberman, Sheldon
It's Hanukkah so Grandpa and Rachel get ready to light the menorrah. As the family gathers, Grandpa tells the story of how Hanukkah began. When the children ask for another story, Grandpa tells them about Hanukkah when he was a boy during World War II.

The always prayer shawl
Oberman, Sheldon
A person's life is followed from birth to almost death. Jewish traditions, culture, and families are highlighted.

Passover
Nerlove, Miriam
It is time for Passover and a father tells his son the tradition of Passover. He explains the different types of food that are eaten and the hunt that occurs after dinner. They then sing songs together.

Flowers on the wall
Nerlove, Miriam
During 1938 in Poland, Rachel and her family are struggling to survive along with other Jews in the area. Her father loses his store, Rachel and her brother stop going to school, and they have nothing to eat. Rachel paints flowers on their apartment walls to pass the time.

Hidden child
Millman, Isaac
Over fifty years have passed, and Isaac finally tells his story. He is one of the few survivors of the Holocaust. Isaac experiences many tragedies during the war including losing both parents, friends, and being left to strangers, but finally, was adopted into a home. Although he changes his name, he is adopted in a home where people grow to love him.

Grandpa's gamble
Michelson, Richard
A brother and sister are tired of always having to be quiet so as not to interrupt Grandpa Sam while he is praying. The children think they have a very boring grandfather. Grandpa Sam overhears the children and tells them the story of his life. He was born a Jew in Poland and to escape persecution he came to the United States. He learns to gamble to make a living but when his daughter becomes very ill he decides to lead an honest, humble life and pray every morning and night. The children are now amazed by their Grandpa Sam's story and respect his prayer time.

Look what i see! Where can i be? At the Synagogue
Michels, Dia L.
Baby travels with her family to the Synagogue and learns and sees many things related to the Jewish religion and customs.

Ruth and naomi
Marzollo, Jean
After their husbands sadly pass away, Ruth moves to Bethlehem with her widowed mother-in-law Naomi. With no money and no sense of hope, the two women are unsure as to what will happen. A kind farmer known as Boaz, however shows his kindness and restores their happiness so that they can begin anew.

The matzah that papa brought home
Manushkin, Fran
A little girl and her family celebrate the Passover Seder in repeating rhyme form. The family feasts on matzah, bitter herbs, green vegetables, and haroset.

The key from Spain: Flory Jagoda and her music
Levy, Debbie
Just as her ancestors were forced to leave Spain during the Inquisition, Flory flees Europe for a new life in the United States, bringing with her a precious harmonica and a passion for Ladino music.

This is the matzah
Levine, Abby
A Jewish family shops, cooks, and prepares for Passover. The traditions and the meanings behind them are explained in a rhyme.

Don't forget
Lakin, Patricia
Sarah shares secrets with her neighbors, the Singers, who are Holocaust survivors. She talks with them while out shopping for ingredients for her mother's birthday cake. An orange, cake flour, baking powder, sugar, and eggs are part of the birthday surprise.

Welcoming babies
Knight, Margy Burns
People celebrate the gift of a new baby in different ways around the world. Babies are welcomed into their families using different customs like singing, kissing, touching, blessing, naming, and other special actions.

The chanukkah tree
Kimmel, Eric A.
The citizens of Chelm are tricked by a salesman selling Christmas trees. All the citzens of Chelm are Jewish and celebrate Hanukkah. The salesman tells them that Hanukkah trees are the latest trend in America. They believe him, buy the tree, and find out they were tricked. The citizens make the best of it by continuing the Hanukkah tree for the birds to enjoy.

When mindy saved hanukkah
Kimmel, Eric A.
Mindy, a mouse-sized girl, bravely faces a cat in the synagogue to retrieve a candle for her tiny family's Hanukkah menorah. Her mission allows her family to celebrate their special holiday together.

Hershel and the hanukkah goblins
Kimmel, Eric A.
Hershel spends his Hanakkah holiday in the old town synagoue. his purpose is to ward off the terrible coblins that keep the villagers from celebrating Hanukkah. Hershel restores the holiday to the village by out-smarting the goblins.

Asher and the capmakers: A hanukkah story
Kimmel, Eric A.
Asher, a Jewish boy, wonders into the night to borrow an egg for his mother. Along the way he gets lost and discovers a house with three old women inside knitting caps. Asher finds out that these caps are magical and he, the women, and the fairies fly off to Jeruselum for a Hanukkah party. He returns home some time later to discover his family thought he was not coming back.

The chanukkah guest
Kimmel, Eric A.
Bubba Brayna, a very old woman, fixes a Hanukkah dinner for the rabbi and friends. She has an unexpected guest when a bear appears instead.


All-of-a-kind family hanukkah
Jenkins, Emily
Gertie, the youngest of five children, wants to help her mother cook for their family dinner on the first night of Hanukkah in New York City’s Lower East Side. After many attempts of trying to help in the busy kitchen, Gertie is sent to her room by her mother and is eventually called down for dinner by her dad. In order to get her to come downstairs, Gertie’s father asks for her helping to light the candles of the menorah for the first time and Gertie happily accepts the offer.

Kaddish for grandpa in Jesus' name amen
Howe, James
A young girl finds her own spirituality while observing the differing social customs of her Jewish and Christian relatives following her grandfather's sudden death. She interacts with her family to remember her grandfather in special ways at home, at church, and before bed.

Star of fear, star of hope
Hoelstlandt, Jo
Helen doesn't understand why her best friend, Lydia, has to wear a yellow star. On the eve of Helen's birthday, Nazis begin rounding up Jews. Their friendship is lost forever.

The rabbi and the twenty-nine witches
Hirsh, Marilyn
Once a month, when the moon is full, twenty-nine of the meanest, scariest, ugliest, wickedest witches that ever lived came out of the cave to terrify the villagers...until one day the wise rabbi invents a plan to rid his village of those wicked witches forever. The rabbi's clever plan works with hilarious results!

When jessie came across the sea
Hest, Amy
Jessie and her Grandmother are very close family to each other because there are no other relatives. Grandmother teachers Jessie to sew and Jessie teaches Grandmother to read. One day, Jessie is requested to travel to America by the rabbi. Her journey by ship is hard, but she meets a young man, Low, who she finds again in America and marries. Grandmother travels to America on the money that Jessie earned sewing lace for three years.

Just enough is plenty: A hanukkah tale
Goldin, Barbara Diamond
It is almost time for Hanukkah. Malka's family invites a peddler for dinner. They are surprised when they wake up in the morning and find that the peddler has left behind wonderful gifts.

Cakes and miracles: A purim tale
Goldin, Barbara Diamond
Hershel is a blind boy who loves to play outside and catch frogs in the river. His mother is always angry when he comes home covered with mud. One day Hershel has a dream that he can see. After that, he is able to help his mom make three-cornered fat cakes and cookies to sell at the market so they can earn money.