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March 1, 2002
Handbook for holidays
A colorful and comprehensive guide for children.
PAT JOHNSON REPORTER
Tastes of Jewish Tradition:
Recipes, Activities and Stories for the Whole Family
Published by the Jewish Community Centre of Milwaukee, 2002.
300 pages. $26.95 US
A new book celebrating the Jewish holidays should be on the shelves
of families who want to celebrate simchot with arts, crafts and,
of course, food. Tastes of Jewish Tradition: Recipes, Activities
and Stories for the Whole Family is a fun book that will appeal
to all ages.
The colorfully illustrated pages give the background to each of
the traditional Jewish celebrations, beginning with Shabbat and
carrying on through the High Holy Days to the less major days of
the calendar.
Each section has a variety of activities for little hands. In preparation
for Shabbat, for example, kids are instructed how to make candles,
candlesticks, challah covers, kiddush cups and spice boxes, among
other options. Granted, these might not be reminiscent of bubbe's
table - one scheme for candlesticks is made from a soda bottle -
but they will certainly give children a sense that they have contributed
to the special day.
The book's sense of participation does not shy away from the sombre
holy days. On Yom Kippur, for example, kids are urged to compose
their own prayers, using a template that queries them about what
special gifts God has given them and asks how they behave when they
are sorry for an action.
Each holiday has a story or series of stories that illuminate some
aspect of the tradition. The Purim section, of course, details the
story of Esther but goes further, to extrapolate from that example
lessons for the present regarding anti-Semitism.
Passover includes a story which begins with the reasonable question
"So how did we end up in Egypt?"
The section on Yom Ha'atzma'ut, Israel's Independence Day,
tells the story of the creation of the state and offers various
projects, such as creating a salt dough map of Israel. A suggested
menu includes typical Israeli nosherei, such as hummus and falafel.
One criticism that could be levelled at Tastes of Jewish Tradition
that the recipes are sequestered at the back of the book, which
detracts somewhat from the thematic consistency of the book, but
this is a matter of taste.
The projects are relatively simple, unlike the impossibly elaborate
efforts that have been recently popularized by Martha Stewart, but
that doesn't mean every one will be a winner. The soda bottle wind
sock, in which the top is cut off a plastic pop bottle and strung
with ribbons looks like the kind of contraption that deserves to
be in the back of the closet. Some of the projects are definitely
kitschy but, for each holiday, there are at least a few ideas to
appeal to almost any young person. There are plenty of fun projects
that will keep kids busy and give them a sense of accomplishment.
It also provides a great opportunity for parents or other adults
to spend time with younger people, working together to create both
memories and tangible souvenirs of the occasion.
There is the burning bush table centrepiece for Passover (it's not
as frightening as it sounds), groggers for Purim and sponge-painted
wrapping paper for Chanukah.
The book is a fund-raiser created by the Jewish Community Centre
of Milwaukee, but it is thoroughly professional in its production
qualities. To obtain a copy, call 1-888-644-1847 or go online at
www.jccmilwaukee.org.
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