Joyfully Jewish


Book Description

"Joyfully Jewish" is the first coloring book for adults in the "Color Your Soul" series of family and adult coloring books that integrate the relaxing, meditative art of coloring with deep chassidic secrets of Judaism. It includes more than 40 fun designs to color and unique Jewish quotes from contemporary Jewish masters written in beautiful calligraphy. This coloring book for grownups and families is a relaxing, uplifting and meditative introduction to Jewish spirituality. Coloring for relaxation and stress relief is a peaceful, meditative activity. As you color in the pages, contemplate the Artnotes thoughts on them and try to internalize them. If you're doing this as a family activity, discuss the ideas while you color them in together. Afterwards, hang up these beautiful family treasures around your home to set a Joyfully Jewish tone. The designs are printed on one side of the page only to prevent bleed-through in this adult coloring book for relaxation.




Becoming Frum


Book Description

When non-Orthodox Jews become frum (religious), they encounter much more than dietary laws and Sabbath prohibitions. They find themselves in the midst of a whole new culture, involving matchmakers, homemade gefilte fish, and Yiddish-influenced grammar. Becoming Frum explains how these newcomers learn Orthodox language and culture through their interactions with community veterans and other newcomers. Some take on as much as they can as quickly as they can, going beyond the norms of those raised in the community. Others maintain aspects of their pre-Orthodox selves, yielding unique combinations, like Matisyahu’s reggae music or Hebrew words and sing-song intonation used with American slang, as in “mamish (really) keepin’ it real.” Sarah Bunin Benor brings insight into the phenomenon of adopting a new identity based on ethnographic and sociolinguistic research among men and women in an American Orthodox community. Her analysis is applicable to other situations of adult language socialization, such as students learning medical jargon or Canadians moving to Australia. Becoming Frum offers a scholarly and accessible look at the linguistic and cultural process of “becoming.”




Big Dreams, Small Fish


Book Description

Sydney Taylor Honor Book In the new country, Shirley and her family all have big dreams. Take the family store: Shirley has great ideas about how to make it more modern! Prettier! More profitable! She even thinks she can sell the one specialty no one seems to want to try: Mama’s homemade gefilte fish. But her parents think she’s too young to help. And anyway they didn’t come to America for their little girl to work. “Go play with the cat!” they urge. This doesn’t stop Shirley’s ideas, of course. And one day, when the rest of the family has to rush out leaving her in the store with sleepy Mrs. Gottlieb…Shirley seizes her chance! P R A I S E “Charming. Paula Cohen tells an all-American tale of the Yiddish diaspora.” —The Wall Street Journal “Timeless: an indomitable protagonist and the loving family who dotes on her.” —Publishers Weekly “Beau­ti­ful­ly illus­trat­ed….Shirley is one smart child, a real asset to her striv­ing fam­i­ly. She is full of inno­v­a­tive ideas, which are depict­ed by Cohen with both humor and respect.” —Jewish Book Network "An affectionate ode to family, fish, and creative problem solving." —BookPage




Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom


Book Description

Learn Ladino words and celebrate Shabbat.




Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein


Book Description

For anyone who's ever asked "Why can't we have a Christmas tree?" comes a lighthearted story about being Jewish during the holiday season—by actress Amanda Peet! Rachel Rosenstein is determined to celebrate Christmas this year—and the fact that her family is Jewish is not going to stop her. In a series of hilarious and heartwarming mishaps, Rachel writes a letter to Santa explaining her cause, pays him a visit at the mall, and covertly decorates her house on Christmas Eve (right down to latkes for Santa and his reindeer). And while Rachel may wrestle with her culture, customs, and love of sparkly Christmas ornaments, she also comes away with a brighter understanding of her own identity and of the gift of friends and family. Inspired by actress Amanda Peet's experience with her own children, Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein is sure to be a new holiday classic! "Will help introduce young readers to other cultures while allowing them to preserve the magic of their own."—Booklist "Actress Peet and her friend/coauthor Troyer, both newcomers to children’s books, handle Rachel’s obsession and her family’s strong sense of religious identity with equal empathy and humor."—Publishers Weekly "There’s lots of humor in the text and in the lively, scribbly, colorful illustrations. But the authors wisely don’t gloss over Rachel’s feelings—which can be common for anyone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas that time of year, a notion that steers the text toward a happy, multi-culti ending."—The Horn Book




Living Life Joyfully


Book Description

Using the Bible as her source material and Jesus as the expert Mrs. Guerne directs the reader through contemporary issues using the Bible as the example and guide to a joy filled life. She addresses many joy stealers that people face each day and offers hope and joy through the promises of Scripture. The reader may be surprised to recognize themselves in the voices of the New Testament people and the problems they faced. Mrs. Guerne shines a light on those New Testament people and their problems in her unique way and brings them into today’s world and into today’s problems, helping the reader understand and live joyfully through their own problems. Following each chapter there are a few study questions, designed to challenge the reader and help them dig a little deeper in the chapter subject matter. Thank you Mrs. Guerne for your unique voice on this much needed subject.




Jewish Spiritual Parenting


Book Description

Spiritually nourishing approaches to help you become more insightful, inspired parents and raise soulfully engaged children. Kipnes and November share their hard-won parenting techniques and spirit-filled activities, rituals and prayers to help you cultivate strong Jewish values and cherished spiritual memories in your own family.




The Tunnel


Book Description

A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE A FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD From the award-winning, internationally acclaimed Israeli author, a suspenseful and poignant story of a family coping with the sudden mental decline of their beloved husband and father--an engineer who they discover is involved in an ominous secret military project Until recently, Zvi Luria was a healthy man in his seventies, an engineer living in Tel Aviv with his wife, Dina, visiting with their two children whenever possible. Now he is showing signs of early dementia, and his work on the tunnels of the Trans-Israel Highway is no longer possible. To keep his mind sharp, Zvi decides to take a job as the unpaid assistant to Asael Maimoni, a young engineer involved in a secret military project: a road to be built inside the massive Ramon Crater in the northern Negev Desert. The challenge of the road, however, is compounded by strange circumstances. Living secretly on the proposed route, amid ancient Nabatean ruins, is a Palestinian family under the protection of an enigmatic archaeological preservationist. Zvi rises to the occasion, proposing a tunnel that would not dislodge the family. But when his wife falls sick, circumstances begin to spiral . . . The Tunnel--wry, wistful, and a tour de force of vital social commentary--is Yehoshua at his finest.




Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!


Book Description

In this perfectly pitched novel-in-letters, autistic eleven-year-old Vivy Cohen won't let anything stop her from playing baseball--not when she has a major-league star as her pen pal. Vivy Cohen is determined. She's had enough of playing catch in the park. She's ready to pitch for a real baseball team. But Vivy's mom is worried about Vivy being the only girl on the team, and the only autistic kid. She wants Vivy to forget about pitching, but Vivy won't give up. When her social skills teacher makes her write a letter to someone, Vivy knows exactly who to choose: her hero, Major League pitcher VJ Capello. Then two amazing things happen: A coach sees Vivy's amazing knuckleball and invites her to join his team. And VJ starts writing back! Now Vivy is a full-fledged pitcher, with a catcher as a new best friend and a steady stream of advice from VJ. But when a big accident puts her back on the bench, Vivy has to fight to stay on the team.




Turtle Boy


Book Description

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER A boy who has spent his life living inside a shell discovers the importance of taking chance in this "winner" (Booklist, starred review) of a friendship story that's perfect for fans of Wonder. Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. And for his bar mitzvah community service project, he's forced to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. At first, the boys don't get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster; go to a school dance; swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with the turtles he collects. But as RJ's disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend's behalf before it's too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will's comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ's guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell. "Everyone deserves a friend like Will Levine." --Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale