Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Children's Literature - Sara Rofofsky Marcus

This basic introduction to the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur provides a very basic, and sometimes misleading, overview of the two holidays. The color photographs are inclusive of all sects of Judaism, which is both good and misleading as the sects are not clearly identified, such as those photographs accepting of a female rabbi. Misinformation includes discussions of when and how Jews pray either aloud or silently as well as the purpose of a rabbi in the synagogue. The text is appropriate to the intended age level, although the pages can be busy with callout boxes and photo captions that provide information not included in the narrative. The glossary is of English words but not of Hebrew words used throughout the text. Part of the "Celebrations in My World" series, the pictures in this volume can provide visual interest, although the material needs to be used with care as the information can be wrong or misleading based on the sect of Judaism one is attempting to explore. Reviewer: Sara Rofofsky Marcus