The Jewish Storytime

Mrs. Katz, a widow from Poland, and Larnel, a young black boy in New York City, are uncommon but very special friends. They met when Larnel came to see if Mrs. Katz wanted to take in a scrawny cat - the runt of the litter! Mrs. Katz affectionately calls the cat "Tush" and finds laughter, friendship, and family in Larnel who regularly came to visit her. The book touches on Jewish traditions such as the Passover seder and the kaddish (mourning prayer). It's a book that we love, and we hope you enjoy it too!

Sadie and her four brothers are often hungry. On Chanukah, she ventures out into the forest for some firewood and meets an old woman who gives her a magic skillet. Every night, the skillet serves up crispy, hot golden latkes until the last night, when Sadie leaves to invite the old woman to join them. Despite their promise, Sadie's brothers decide to use the skillet on their own but forget the secret words to make it stop! Will Sadie make it back in time to keep latkes from burying the entire house? What will they would with all those mountains of latkes? Listen to find out!

Leon Ben-Tzion is pretty bummed about having a grandpa name, especially when he realizes that the only other Leon he knows is his Saba (grandpa) Leon. When Saba Leon sits "Little Leon" down for a heart-to-heart and shows him the "Book of Lions" or Leons, Leon is pretty intrigued. Maybe having a "grandpa name" and carrying on the family tradition isn't so bad after all? Tagel loves this book because having a unique Jewish name is something that he's struggled with a bit in school. The story gives her a boost of Jewish pride and hopefully, it will do the same for you!

When Anna's family is kicked out of Russia by the Czar's soldiers, they make the long trek to America. Told with a lot of charm and resilience, the book deals with kindness and optimism in the face of persecution and despair. It's a beautiful story based on the author's family history that traces their journey to freedom. A very apropos book for the times that we are living in and a good introduction to what anti-Semitism is for children 7 and up. If you can get a copy of the book, the illustrations are exquisite.

Gittel and her mama prepare to leave Russia for America but things at the port don't go as planned. When Gittel's mama is denied passage, the nine-year-old must be brave and face the voyage alone (until her mama can come and meet her). Mama gives Gittel year candlesticks but keeps the candles, soon they will be reunited and light them together. Gittel weathers two weeks on the boat only to realize that the address of her cousin Mendel in New York has been smudged. Alone at Ellis Island, how will she find Mendel? (We're currently in the middle of a war here in Israel so you'll hear that Tagel is very much focused on Hashem (G-d's) protection and help as our chayalim (soldiers) fight off Hamas terrorists. G-d willing, it will only strengthen our faith and embolden the Jewish people in our mission to spread light to the world from Jerusalem.)

Brothers Yossi and Laibel set off on a scorching (super hot) day to help a little girl with her broken stroller. Little do they know that they will soon have dozens of opportunities to help more people that they meet along the way. As the rhyming refrain goes, "Because no matter what and no matter who, there's a mitzvah to help every Jew." It's a Jewish library classic packed with fast-paced rhymning and a wonderful message.

This book tells a nostalgic tale of longing and immigrant dreams as Feivel leaves his wife and four children in Russia to create a better life in America. Feivel comes from a long line of wood carvers in Russia and finds himself mesmerized by the beautiful carousels of Coney Island. As luck would have it, he finds a job opening as an apprentice to Mr. Sumner Nathanson and learns to carve the horses that will create the next carousel in Coney Island. Each horse he creates reminds him of his wife and children and he adorns them with special touches reminiscent of their personalities. When the carousel is turned on, Feivel watches but doesn't ride, waiting for his family to try it together for the first time. We had tears in our eyes when we read the ending for the first time, but they finally join him! Wish you could see the amazing illustrations. They're beautiful! Listen along and enjoy with us :)

A little known yet beautiful book produced by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation tells the story of one of the stones of the Kotel or Western Wall. The stone invites children in to hear about how the wall was formed, how the Temple was built and how it was destroyed. It talks about the exile by the Romans from Jerusalem and our miraculous return in 1948 and 1967. Perhaps most interestingly, the stone talks about the different children and adults who come to pray in its plaza and draw inspiration from the holiest place on earth. It finishes off with a very special reminder to 1) Thank 2) Praise and 3) Ask G-d for anything that children need or realize is missing in the world. We love this book and we hope you will too!

Ezra and Esther are the elderly owners of a bakery in old town Jerusalem. Every Friday, they bake challot which their delivery boy, Yaakov delivers with Soosie, their trusted horse. As they make their rounds, you hear the endearing sounds of the cobblestone streets as Yaakov and Soosie clop and clank, neigh, and click away to sell delicious challot to all of the families of Jerusalem. When Yaakov shows up sick one morning it's not clear how people will get their challot in time for Shabbat? But wait! Soosie knows the way! Will she be able to do the route alone without Yaakov and make it back to the bakery on time? Find out!

Matan loves the letters of the Hebrew alephbet but its obvious to his teachers that he will never be able to form them into words or lead the prayers. Based on a tale of the holy Bal Shem Tov, this story ends with a miraculous revelation that even Matan has something to teach the congregation.

Do you know that you can hide from a moose by hugging a tree? Have you ever heard of the northern lights and can you say aurora borealis? In this very unique Hanukah story, a little girl invites us into her world and shares what it's like to be Jewish in Alaska!

Wouldn't it be cool to imagine a story around an archeological find? Well, we'll learn what an archeologist is but FIRST we'll go way back in time to meet Itamar, the son of the High Priest. While fetching the High Priest's precious robes for his papa, the tailor, Itamar discovers that a golden bell is missing? Will he find it or will it be found by someone else some thousands of years later. Listen to find out...

Eli and his Zaida (grandfather) have a beloved tradition of eating bagels together every Sunday. When Zaida slips on some shmutz at Merv's Bakery, Eli has to come to the rescue. Listen to this adorable and touching story about how roles are reversed and how an adoring grandson rises to the occasion and saves the day!

This whimsical tale is set in Washington DC during the Great Depression and follows a young girl, Muriel, through the streets as makes her way home before Passover. A chance meeting with a mystery man (is he the prophet Elijah, who knows) gives Muriel hope that maybe there will be a seder this year... When she arrives at home, Muriel is amazed by a real life miracle that makes this dark, difficult time in her family's life a cause for celebration. The story introduces a period in history that kids may not know about and themes like overcoming poverty, maintaining hope, and believing in miracles. We talked about monuments that honor important people, landmarks like the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, and the White House. It means a lot to me to introduce the kids to their American and Jewish heritage and to make sure that they feel proud to own both identities - even while living in Israel. If you're able to take the book out of the library or feel inspired to add it to your collection - the illustrations are absolutely incredible! Author Susan Kusel | Illustrator Sean Rubin

What do you think the poor Jewish shoemaker could possibly teach the great shah of Kabul? How will he withstand the tests that the shah puts him through? This suspenseful children's book by Ann Redisch Stampler paints a picture of life in the streets of Afghanistan while teaching timeless life lessons. We learn to be happy with what we have, to trust that God will never abandon us, and that everything turns out (as the book's refrain goes) "just as it should". Listen as the kids learn new words such as shah, puli (coins), isha (Muslim evening prayer), royal guard, executioner (yikes!), and contentment (something we could all use a little more of). Hear how the clever and faithful poor man outsmarts and impresses the shah with a surprise ending that will even make the adults in your family laugh!