Recommended Reading on Jewish Life

There are many books available to support a study of Jewish life. Below is a listing of some our favorite nonfiction and fiction literature.

Know of another book that belongs in this list? Please comment below and share your ideas with fellow educators.

NONFICTION

On Synagogues…

What You Will See Inside a Synagogue
Author:   Eric A. Kimmel
Grades:    3-6
About:     This book emphasizes the Synagogue’s core purpose as a house of prayer, learning, and community and focuses on the weekly Shabbat service, holidays, and life cycle events. 31 pp; illustrated. Excerpted from School Library Journal.

Landmark of the Spirit: The Eldridge Street Synagogue
Author:     Annie Polland
Grades:      High School and beyond
About:       The complete and fascinating history of the rise, the near fall, and the rise again of Eldridge Street Synagogue on New York’s Lower East Side. 192 pp; illustrations and photographs.

American Synagogues: A Century of Architecture and Jewish Community
Author:     Samuel Gruber
Grades:      High School and beyond
About:       How was Jewish history expressed in 20th century synagogue design? This architectural tour includes synagogues designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Philip Johnson, and Minoru Yamasaki. 240 pp; photographs by Paul Rocheleau. Excerpted from Amazon.

And I Shall Dwell Among Them: Historic Synagogues of the World
Author:     Yom Tov Assis
Grades:      High School and beyond
About:       The architectural diversity of these historic synagogues not only reflect the countries they were built in, but they also reveal the Jewish story of migration and survival. 176 pp; photographs by Neil Folberg.

On Jewish Symbols…

Sofer: The Story of a Torah Scroll
Author:   Eric Ray
Grades:   Middle School
About:    Children learn how a sofer (scribe) makes mezuzot, tefillin, and the sefer Torah. This book is somewhat text heavy, but can serve as a useful reference. 32 pp; photographs.

Menorahs, Mezuzas, and Other Jewish Symbols
Author:   Miriam Chaikin
Grades:    Grades 4-6
About:     From the Star of David to the yarmulke; from numbers to angels to stars, this book explores the significance of familiar – and less familiar symbols – in Jewish life. 112 pages; illustrations.

On Jewish Ritual…

Bar Mitzvah: A Jewish Boy’s Coming of Age
Author:   Eric A. Kimmel
Grades:    6-8
About: Kimmel describes the reason for the coming-of-age ceremony; what happens before and during it; its origins and transformations throughout Jewish history. The author includes facts about the sacred books of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims and looks at the similarities and differences in the three religions. Pages 160; illustrations. Excerpted from School Library Journal.

Bat Mitzvah: A Jewish Girl’s Coming of Age
Author:   Barbara Diamond Goldin
Grades:    6-8
About: Explores the elements of the ceremony, its evolution since it was first performed in 1922, and its impact on a variety of women. 160pp; illustrations. Excerpted from Publishers Weekly.

On Jewish Holidays…

Dance, Sing, Remember
Author:       Leslie Kimmelman
Grades:       K-4
About:        Delightful drawings, simple holiday explanations, and accompanying activities for the entire Jewish year. 48 pp; illustrated reference book.

The Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays
Author:   Malka Drucker
Grades:    K-7
About:     A guide to holidays and Shabbat with stories, crafts, songs, recipes, and a Purim play. 192 pp; illustrated. Excerpted from Publishers Weekly.

Chanukah
Author:    Dana Meachan Rau
Grades:     Elementary
About:      The history and traditions of Chanukah are explained and enhanced by historic paintings, artifacts, and photographs. Excerpted from Children’s Literature.

Hanukkah Around the World
Author:    Tami Lehman-Wilzig
Grades:     Grades 3-5
About:      Italy…Uzbekistan…Tunisia… learn how Hanukkah is celebrated around the world. Enjoy unusual recipes for fried burmelos, latkes, and precipizi. 48 pp; illustrated. Excerpted from childrensbooks.about.com.

The Great Matzah Hunt
Author:     Jannie Ho
Grades:      Pre-K
About:       Hunt for matzah in this cute flap book uncovering a Passover tradition.

The Passover Seder
Author:    Emily Sper
Grades:     Grades K-3; read aloud for younger readers.
About:      A colorfully illustrated story of Passover; includes Hebrew words and how to pronounce them. 24 pp; illustrated.

Wonders and Miracles: A Passover Companion
Author:    Eric A. Kimmel
Grades:     K-5
About:      Kimmel weaves together story-telling, recipes, songs, and prayers and includes paintings, photographs, artifacts, and illustrations from historical Haggadahs. 144 pp; illustrated. Excerpted from School Library Journal.

FICTION

On Jewish Holidays…

The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah
Author:    Leslie Kimmelman
Grades:     Pre-school
About:      The famous nursery tale with a Passover twist!  32 pages; picture book. Excerpted from Jewish Book Review.

Nachson, Who was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story
Author:     Deborah Bodin Cohen
Grades:     K-4
About:      The story of Nachson, the first Hebrew slave to walk into the Red Sea after the Jewish exodus from Egypt. 32 pages; illustrated

When Mindy Saved Chanukah
Author:    Eric Kimmel
Grades:     1-5; read aloud for younger children
About:      The miniature sized members of the Klein family live behind the walls of the Eldridge Street Synagogue on the Lower East Side of New York. They need to find a candle for Chanukah but it’s not a simple task when a large, pouncing cat lives in the Synagogue as well! 32 pp; illustrated.
Staff Pick:  Beautiful illustrations of the Eldridge Street Synagogue make this book a Museum favorite!

The Trees of the Dancing Goats
Author:    Patricia Polacco
Grades:     3-5
About:      Beloved author/illustrator Patricia Polacco tells a beautiful story about  about Hannukah, Christmas, and the blessings of friendship. 32 pp; illustrated.

Make a Wish, Molly
Author:     Barbara Cohen
Grades:      1-4; read aloud for younger children
About:       Wishing desperately to fit in with her new American friends, Molly, a Russian Jewish immigrant is very excited when she’s invited to her first American birthday party.  Unfortunately, the party is held during Passover, and Molly’s excitement turns to embarrassment and anger when she is not allowed to eat the cake with her new friends. A sequel to Molly’s Pilgrim, 48 pp; illustrated.

The Carp in the Bathtub
Author:     Barbara Cohen
Grades:      2-5; read aloud for younger children
About:       Two children growing up in Depression era Brooklyn decide to save the carp their mother is planning to make into gefilte fish for Passover. Considered a Passover classic.  48 pp illustrated; Excerpted from Scholastic.

On Jewish Symbols…

The Tattooed Torah
Author:   Marvell Ginsburg
Grades:   3-5
About:     Based on the true story of the rescue and restoration of a small Torah from Brno, Czechoslovakia. 32 pp; illustrations; Excerpted from Publisher’s description.

On Jewish life…

The Chosen
Author:   Chaim Potok
Grades:    8-12 and beyond
About:     Chaim Potok’s compelling novel about the depths – and limits – of friendship, tradition, and religion. 291 pp.

Ner Tamid

Ner Tamid. Cast Bronze. Eldridge Street Synagogue.

About

The ner tamid is the light that traditionally hangs above the ark within synagogues. Hebrew, for “eternal light,” the ner tamid remains lit continuously, even when other lighting is switched off. The concept of an eternal light connects to the menorah, or ritual candelabra, that burned historically in the Temple in Jerusalem. Additionally, the light is a reminder of the ever-presence of God in the Synagogue.

The upper portion of the ner tamid in the Eldridge Street Synagogue consists of a griffin head with  golden wings, which connects the fixture to the Ark.  From the griffin head’s mouth extends a chain from which hangs a delicately carved basket containing the ever-burning light. Although the original ner tamid is no longer extant, the contemporary ner tamid created by artisans at Aurora Lampworks during the synagogue’s restoration hangs as a modern recreation of the 19th century piece. The fixture is cast in bronze and ornamented through chasing and repoussé, two inverse processes that shape malleable metal by sinking or raising the material’s surface with chisels and hammers. These techniques allow for great ornamentation and detail, which is particularly evident in the “crown and basket”  at the bottom of the fixture.

Ner Tamid, detail. Cast Bronze. Eldridge Street Synagogue.

The griffin head was inspired by several old photographs of the synagogue’s interior.  A mythical creature, griffins have the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. This enigmatic form invites several possible interpretations.  Within the Jewish tradition, a lion has historical associations with the tribe of Judah and the modern city of Jerusalem.  The eagle head motif might reference the following passage:

He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)

In this interpretation, the eagle might symbolize the strength needed for the Jewish immigrants to create a new life in America. Another common association of the eagle is with American democracy.  The eagle might therefore be a patriotic expression of the immigrant founders of the Eldridge Street Synagogue.

Certainly, there are additional interpretations of the griffin head motif, as well as the likelihood that its significance is no singular association, but rather a compilation of many. What we do know is that once considered the guardian of treasure and the divine in antiquity, the griffin of the ner tamid at Eldridge Street stands watch both day and night.

Discussion Questions

• Brainstorm associations of light. Where else, or in what other traditions, is light symbolically used? Why?

• Consider the three architectural elements that are fundamental to a synagogue—the ark, the reader’s platform and the eternal light. What do these elements have in common? What are the core architectural elements of other places of worship you have visited?

• We do not have any information regarding the original intent for the design of the ner tamid. What do you think the griffin represents?

Classroom Extensions

• Conduct research on use of light in other religious spaces.  Compare your findings with the use of light within the the Eldridge Street Synagogue.

• Explore the techniques of chasing and repoussé that  Aurora Lampworks used in recreating the ner tamid. Use a toothpick to create a design in heavy duty foil.

• Learn more about Aurora Lampworks and their work at the Eldridge Street Synagogue on their website where a case study of the project is featured.

Eldridge Street Synagogue Interior

Eldridge Street Synagogue Interior. Photograh by Kate Milford. Museum at Eldridge Street.

About

The magnificent interior of the Eldridge Street Synagogue offered a powerful contrast to the squalid and crowded neighborhood just outside the doors. The sanctuary’s 3,060 square feet, 50 foot high barrel vaulted ceiling, and 67 glorious stained glass windows created a sense of light and space rarely found on the Lower East Side.

This grand sanctuary comfortably seats 750 worshippers and has accommodated more than 1000 on the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement).  Men and boys sit in the lower level and women and girls sit in the balcony above, called the ezras nashim in Hebrew, in accordance with Orthodox tradition.

Stained Glass. Glass and Tracery. Photograph by Kate Milford. Museum at Eldridge Street.

The focal point of the room is the walnut ark, or aron, on the eastern wall, which held the congregation’s 24 Torah scrolls. Its majestic stature and beautiful carvings replicate details found on the building’s facade.  Blue tablets containing the Ten Commandments painted in gold top its upper circular form. Surrounding the commandments are bare light bulbs, which were added in 1907 when the building was electrified. A golden eternal light called the  Ner Tamid hangs from the ark.  Stars of David mimic the outdoor finials that crown the building’s edifice.

Ten Commandments. Photograph. Museum at Eldridge Street.

In front of the ark is the cantor stand, from which the cantor or chazzan leads the service.  Its elaborate detailed carving signifies the importance placed on cantorial singing by the founders of the  Eldridge Street Synagogue. The stand includes two of the building’s popular symbols, the circle and the Star of David. The ledge holds music sheets or prayer books. Sawtooth hinges adjust the ledge to the cantor’s height.

Cantor Stand. Carved Walnut. Photo by Kate Milford. Museum at Eldridge Street.

In the center of the sanctuary is the bimah, an elevated platform from which the Torah scrolls were read.

Bimah. Walnut, Metal, and Velvet. Photograph. Museum at Eldridge Street.

A Victorian style chandelier hangs down from the painted ceiling.   Composed of over 400 parts, the brass fixture adds light and grandeur to the sanctuary.

Grand Chandelier. Etched Glass and Brass. Photograph by Kate Milford. Museum at Eldridge Street.

Discussion Questions

• What design motifs and symbols do you notice? What might they represent or symbolize to the congregation that worships at Eldridge Street?
  
• How does the interior of the building communicate its function?
• In what ways is this sanctuary similar or different to other places of worship you have visited?
  
• Historian Annie Polland described the interior of the Eldridge Street Synagogue as an architectural sabbath. Just as the sabbath provides a sense of  space from the rest of the week, the sanctuary of the Eldridge Street Synagogue provides a space distinct from the cramped living conditions of the Lower East Side pictured below.  Do you agree with her statement?
  

  A Scene in the Ghetto, Hester Street, 1902. Photo by B.J. Falk (1853-1925). Library of Congress.

Classroom Extensions

• Look at the drawing Reading from the Scroll to see a service being conducted in the sanctuary. How does the drawing compare to this photograph?

• Have students take on the role of an architecture firm designing a synagogue sanctuary.  Students should design everything from window patterns and lighting fixtures to ritual objects like the Ark and the Bimah. Attention should be given to the function of the space and to the selection of a palette and materials.

• Watch a movie documenting the restoration of the interior of the synagogue and hear from the artisans who helped to make this sanctuary grand once again.

• Learn about the first president of the Eldridge Synagogue, Sender Jarmulowsky.

Bimah

Bimah. Walnut and metal. Museum at Eldridge Street.

About

This wooden structure is called a bimah, the Hebrew word for stage or elevated platform.  In a Synagogue, the bimah is the platform from which the sacred Torah scroll is read aloud during a service.  This bimah at Eldridge Street also serves as extra storage. Notice the metal lock affixed to the wood to ensure the safety of the ritual items stored within.

At the Eldridge Street Synagogue, the bimah is located in the center of the sanctuary.  The central location reflects the historic placement of the altar in the Second Temple.  By the mid to late 19^th century however, it was more common for congregations in America and Western Europe to place the bimah in the front of the synagogue. Influenced by the Protestant custom of installing reading platforms in the front of the church, many Jewish congregations were motivated to do the same.   There were also practical reasons behind the bimah’s location.  Jewish congregations often bought churches, converted the building into a synagogue and simply left the reading platform in its original spot up front. By placing the bimah in the center, the leaders at Eldridge Street Synagogue made a conscious choice to preserve their own traditions.  They also wanted to ensure that everyone, regardless of the location of his/her seat, would be able to hear the reading.  In this way, placing the bimah in the center was also a democratic choice. Now the Torah reading was as accessible to the peddler sitting in the back of the sanctuary as it was to the wealthy merchant seating in the front.

Discussion Questions

• Where have you heard someone speak or read from an elevated platform?  What were they reading? Why do you think they chose to read from a platform instead of from the floor?

Classroom Extensions

• Have students take on the role of an architecture firm designing a sanctuary for a synagogue.  The congregational leaders can’t decide if they should place the bimah in the front or middle of the sanctuary. Have the students debate the placement of the ark within in the floor plan they are developing and present the pros and cons of each choice.

• Compare and contrast speaking from a platform with speaking from the floor, as well as speaking in the front of a crowd versus from their midst. Have students recite a speech while standing first on a platform in the front of the classroom and second in their midst. Follow this exercise by having students speak in both location from the floor. Discuss the experience from the vantage point of both speaker and audience. Explore how the speeches compared when the placement of the speaker shifted.

• Look at the drawing Reading from the Scroll to see an image of how the bimah is used during worship.

Tzedakah Box

Tzedakah Box. Iron and Gold Paint. Photo by Ed Cheng.
Museum at Eldridge Street.

About

Tzedakah is a Hebrew word commonly translated as charity, however the word is more closely connected to the English word justice. Tzedakah refers to a Jewish obligation to contribute to the creation of a just world. It is important to note that tzedakah is not only money, but refers to any act that creates a more just world. Giving tzedakah is so important that is considered one of  three acts – along with repentance and prayer – that can save a person from death.

The iron tzedakah box pictured above was installed within the wall at the Eldridge Street Synagogue.  Its unique 6-slotted design allows us to explore how people gave tzedakah in the late 19th century. The choice of six slots for coins or dollar bills correlates to the six days of the week an Orthodox Jew can give money, since handling money is forbidden on the Sabbath. Each slot also represents six different charities. Listed in Hebrew on the boxes from left to right, they are explained below:

i. Rabbi Meir Ba’al HaNes: Supports the poor of Palestine (today Israel). Giving to this charity is rumored to help you find lost objects.
ii. Tzedakah Gedolah: Supports a group of local Jewish charities.
iii. Tikkun Seforim:  Supports the repair and care of Jewish books.
iv. Yeshivas Eitz Hayyim:  Supports a Jewish religious school located on the Lower East Side.  Over time, this institution grew into the modern day institution Yeshiva University.
v. Hazkaras Neshomos:  Supports the upkeep of cemeteries.
vi. Bedek Haboyis: Supports the building maintenance of the synagogue.

Discussion Questions

• What does charity mean to you?
• What could we learn about the congregants of the Eldridge Street Synagogue based on the six organizations they  supported?
• If you only had one dollar, which of the causes included in the Eldridge Street Synagogue’s Tzedakah Box would you donate your money to? Why?
• The Jewish concept of charity includes acts that contribute to a just world.  What are some other ways to help someone in need aside from financial assistance?

Classroom Extensions

• Have students create their own tzedakah box for their school or classroom. Students should decide on six causes they are interested in supporting.  This activity can be purely theoretical or can be followed with an actually collection drive. If money is collected, students should track which charities are most and least popular and consider what that says about their community.

Passover Matzo Cover

Matzo Cover. Embroidered Textile. Museum at Eldridge Street.

About

This colorful textile is a matzo cover used on the Jewish holiday of Passover. Celebrated for eight days each spring, Passover is also known as Chag HaMatzot – the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During the holiday, Jewish people traditionally abstain from eating leavened bread and instead eat matzo, an unleavened cracker-like flatbread made only with flour and water. This tradition dates back to the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt.  According to the Bible (Exodus 12:39), the Jews fled Egypt in such haste that they had no time to wait for the bread dough to rise. Instead, it cooked in the hot sun on their backs, producing matzo.

Hand made from a flattened ball of dough, matzo was originally baked into a round shape, not the square we are more familiar with today. In the mid 1800s however, the industrial revolution challenged thousands of years of tradition and changed the shape of matzo from round to square. Easier to cut by machine, square matzo was far more efficient to mass-produce. Today only handmade matzo retains the original round shape. Notice the matzo cover in the above photograph is also round – a clue to matzo “historians” that it was designed to place over hand made matzo!

The gold Hebrew letters along the circular border of the cover reads: “Leshanah haba-ah beyerushalyim habenuyah,” which means “Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem.” This verse echoes the ancient Jewish hope of rebuilding the destroyed temple and for all Jews to celebrate and reunite “next year” in Jerusalem. The word in the center of the cover says “pesach,” the Hebrew name for Passover.

The unknown artist included several common Passover motifs within the cover’s design. The buildings depict the ancient city of Jerusalem. The goblet and grapes represent the four cups of wine Jews drink during the special Passover feast, or seder, while recalling the story of the Exodus.

Discussion Questions

• Matzo is symbolic of redemption and freedom and servitude and affliction. In what ways does it represent both of these ideas?
• Food plays a central role in many cultures. What are some other traditional foods you have encountered? What stories do they recall?

Classroom Extensions

• The Streit’s Family have been making matzo on the Lower East Side for over 100 years. Take a guided tour of their factory with  Martha Stewart and learn about how matzo is made.

• Students design a textile for a personally meaningful holiday. In creating their design, students should consider what symbols and words to include that elicit holiday themes and traditions.  Exhibit students’ work and as a class, discuss common choices and themes.

• Watch an old home movie of Lower East Side Passover rituals.

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Service at the Synagogue

Wheatley, Richard. Reading from the Scroll. Century Magazine, 1892.

About

This 19th century illustration of a service at the Eldridge Street Synagogue is the only image we have of the building’s interior prior to its restoration.

The drawing includes many architectural features unique to synagogues. The two tablets containing the Ten Commandments are above the ark. Just below is the menorah, or candelabra, a symbol of the Hanukkah holiday. In the foreground is the central platform, or bimah , from which the Torah scroll is read.

Notice the clothing worn by the congregants. Combining ancient tradition with 19th century fashion, many are wearing Talesim, traditional prayer shawls, together with top hats. Congregants are also holding siddurim, or prayer books, as they participate in the service.

Discussion Questions

• What do you notice?
• What can you tell about a Jewish worship service by looking at the image? What questions do you have?
• How is the architecture of the Sanctuary similar and different to other spaces you have visited? Compare the windows and furniture depicted in this drawing to those of other buildings.

Classroom Extensions

• Listen to a recording of the Torah being read.
• Richard Wheatley, wrote the article that accompanied this image.  Use this link to read his article and  learn more about the Jews of New York.
• Look at a photograph of the interior of the synagogue taken in 2007. Compare and contrast the two images.

Eldridge Street Synagogue Facade

About

On November 14th, 1886, the congregation Kahal Adas Yeshurun gathered to lay the cornerstone of the Eldridge Street Synagogue, the first great house of worship built by Eastern European Jews in America. The building was designed by Roman Catholic tenement builders, Peter and Francis Herter. The expense of the land and construction, cost $91,907.61 and took one year to build.

Notice the elaborate Star of David patterns set in terra-cotta bands, carved on the wooden doors, and raised atop the roof-line finials. Proudly displaying the building’s Jewish identity to all passer-bys, the synagogue’s architecture expressed the hope that the immigrants’ religion and culture would flourish on American soil.

Finial, Eldridge Street Synagogue. Museum at Eldrdige Street.

Rose Window, Eldridge Street Synagogue. Museum at Eldridge Street.

Terracotta, Eldridge Street Synagogue. Museum at Eldridge Street.

According to Jewish law, a synagogue’s sanctuary should be oriented in the direction of Jerusalem. This is the only Jewish law pertaining to synagogue architecture and as a result, Jewish synagogues around the world reflect an extraordinary architectural and cultural diversity. The Moorish style, to which Eldridge Street belongs, became popular in the 19th century. This style  distinguished synagogues from churches and hearkened to the Golden Period of Spain, when Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together peacefully. In addition to its Moorish arches, finials, and patterns, the Eldridge Street Synagogue also contains elements of  other architectural styles.  On the facade, notice the Gothic rose window and  the Romanesque masonry.

Though we have no proof, it is interesting to speculate that the congregants and the architects might have designed the building with Jewish numerical symbolism in mind:

• 12 stars lining the circumference of the Rose Window →12 tribes of Israel

• 10 tablets on the rooftop →10 Commandments

• 5 keyhole windows below the Rose Window →  5 books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

• 3 bays/ staircases in the building → 3 Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

• 4 doors in the building → 4 Matriarchs:  Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.

Discussion Questions

• What can you learn about the building from exploring its facade?
• What about this design might have appealed to its immigrant founders?
• Where else have you seen similar design elements, like stained glass and finials? What comparisons between the sites mentioned and Eldridge Street can be drawn?
  

Classroom Extensions

• Have students take on the role of an architecture firm hired to design a place of worship. Students can work individually or in groups to create their design and should consider how the materials, colors, symbols and composition will appeal and relate to the congregants who will worship there.