Learning and Teaching Torah through Literature

Great news — now you can browse the book list online, see my notes about the books, including recommended ages, and click on its Amazon description with book reviews.

You can find the book list, still under construction, in the Browse the book list by category section of the Torah through Literature menu.

The main book list includes the list for Seasons and Holidays, which includes the Three Weeks. Don’t miss the Beis Hamikdash and the Holocaust categories! (I did not label the Holocaust books by age, as it is very individual with books on such sensitive topics.)

G-d willing, I’ll be updating the list, and will keep you posted. My apologoies for those without internet access. If you’d like the Three Weeks book list as plain text please email me, and I’ll be happy to email it to you.

Genendel Krohn is the author of numerous children’s books, in which she retells classical and contemporary Jewish stories in an engaging way. The most relevant of her books for this time of the year is When We Left Yerushalayim, which tells about the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in a way that even young children can understand and relate to, without feeling overwhelmed by the atrocities. Below, Genendel Krohn tells us about herserlf and her writing.

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I was born in Baltimore, grew up in Miami Beach, and lived in Eretz Yisroel for nine years after my marriage, where I taught in various seminaries. Since then, I’ve been living in Waterbury, CT. I teach third grade Hebrew studies during the school year and run the learning program in Camp Malka during the summer months. In addition, I spend a lot of time writing, as a Binah Magazine Parasha columnist and as an author of soon-to-be 13 books.
People often ask me how I became a writer if my father-in-law – and not my father – is the famous author and lecturer, Rabbi Paysach Krohn. As it happens, both of my parents are excellent writers and they helped me develop into a writer.
Another question I often get is: When are you writing a novel? The answer is that I never will.
As a child, I never thought I enjoyed reading because most of the books we were forced to read in school were fiction and I never had any interest in getting emotionally involved in a story that was merely the product of someone’s imagination. Until today, I have no interest in fiction. I enjoy reading inspirational stories about real people and those are the types of stories that I write – whether they’re about people who lived long ago or people who are alive today. I put tremendous effort into researching the stories that I write, something I have learned from my father-in-law.
My most recent release, Honorable Mentschen: A Torah-Based Guide to Derech Eretz and Social Skills, took me the longest to write from all my books. Over the course of teaching third grade for many years, I’ve observed the behaviors of my students. By now, I have a pretty good handle on the way elementary school children interact socially, and have seen my share of both negative and positive behaviors. For years, I took notes on actual scenarios that I witnessed in order to teach my students how to behave properly. After accumulating all that material, and seeing how I was in fact able to train my students to behave with more derech eretz, using specific, every-day examples, I decided that I wanted to share the wealth with others. I think that one of the reasons the book has been so well-received is because children see themselves in the scenarios and recognize their own behaviors.
I believe that children are eager to do the right thing, but they simply need to be trained. In this comic-style book, children learn how to behave at a Kiddush, how to be a good guest and host, how to sympathize with a friend, how to speak to an adult with derech eretz, and so much more. Parents, teachers, and therapists are using this book to help cultivate within their charges proper behavior and social skills. And believe it or not, many adults have told me that it has helped them too by making them into more sensitive people!
I hope to have the zechus to continue teaching and writing for many years to come!
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More books by Genendel Krohn:

The Miracles of Chanuka Then and Now

Once Upon a Pesach

The Story of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

It’s the Hebrew month of Tammuz, and soon we will enter the Three Weeks, when we mourn the destruction of our Temple, the Beis Hamikdash. G-d willing, I will post a recommended reading list, but meanwhile, I wanted to tell you about two amazing books that bring the Second Temple, and its destruction, to life. Both are by Rabbi Meir Uri Gottesman.

The Morning Star consists of two parts, one happening in the present and the other taking place in the Second Temple period. Well written and engaging, it not only accurately portrays the goings on in the Temple, but also touches on deeper issues of reincarnation, our purpose in this world, and final redemption. It is thought-provoking for adults, but also enjoyed by kids ages 10 and up.

The Harp is the story of the destruction of the Second Temple. Beautifully told and mystical, it portrays the struggles of Jews living in that time period and the siege and battle over Jerusalem and the Temple. Some scenes are graphic and gruesome and are not for the faint of heart or for younger children, though they are, unfortunately, too accurate. Very appropriate reading for this time of the year.

I recently read a book that came out less than a year ago, called Journey to the End of the Earth, by Devora Rand, distributed by Feldheim. Two of my children read it too, and enjoyed it very much. It is an enagaging and suspensful historical novel, set in the 1600s, which depicts the trials and tribulations of the wandering Jew, unwanted and persecuted by other nations. The readers meet Jews who are forced to flee from various parts of the world: Poland, Spain, Portugal, and even South America. The plot follows Rabbi Menashe ben Israel and his son Shmuel, who try to convince the British government to allow the Jews back in, after they were exiled and banned from England in the 1200s. The book is very well researched and informative, and would be of great help to those studying Jewish history in the 1600s. The reading level is middle grades and higher.

A recent release, At Masada by Sara-Ester Varnai, looks interesting. I haven’t read it yet, but here is some information from the press release:

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A woman with a mission: Sara-Ester Varnai is on a mission to bring Israel to life for children around the world.

“Israel is at the center of the world’s attention,” says Varnai. “But much of that attention is distorted and slanted against Israel. I designed the Kids Discover Israel Series to combat that, to educate children about Israel, and to inspire them with a love for the Holy Land and the Jewish people.”

Dovid and Esty: At Masada is the first volume in this new children’s series. Masada’s majestic story will come alive in the hearts and minds of children everywhere when they read this exciting adventure of young Dovid and his sister Esty who travel back in time to the original Masada. Their search for the clue to an ancient mystery leads them to witness firsthand the desperate fight for Jewish survival against the mighty Roman Empire.

“Each volume in the Kids Discover Israel Series will explore a different ancient, archaeological site,” says Varnai. “They are historical novels, so there is a lot of research necessary in order to present historical truths. The research I’m doing is extensive – and fun. It’s truly amazing. I’m learning so much!”

Dovid and Esty: At Masada is a work of fiction based on true events that took place on Masada, a mountaintop fortress in the Judean Desert in Israel, almost 2,000 years ago. The book is replete with original photography of the site and has an appendix with additional archaeological information. The delightful artwork brings the characters to life and will captivate young readers aged 7-12.

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Bracha Goetz is the author of thirty Jewsih picture books — from board books for the very young to early reader for kids to read on their own. A number of her books touch on complex subjects, making it easier for parents to discuss difficult topics with young children. In this post, she tells us about her writing journey.

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I feel that one of my missions in life is to write about deep and sometimes difficult subjects in as simple and upbeat a way as possible, so that children can grasp the concepts.

My background is that I graduated from Harvard University and then went on to medical school, with plans to become a psychiatrist. During the summer between my first and second year of medical school, I went to Israel during my six week break to volunteer in Hadassah Hospital. While there, I began learning about Judaism at the women’s division of Ohr Someyach, in a depth I had not known.

A thread throughout my life is that I was always seeking out truth. So when I began to learn about the wisdom in the Torah, I began to try to follow the Torah’s guidelines, and soon after that, I started writing the kind of books that I would have wanted to read when I was a very young child. I sought to write books that could help our littlest ones to see the world with a joyful Jewish vision, integrating life’s truths as early as possible.

Children can readily absorb that at their core there is an infinite potential for joy and goodness. Picture books can help to foster a loving self-awareness that remains for life. For instance, Invisible Book is about many invisible things in which we believe, making our souls that much more comprehensible. Aliza in MitzvahLand shows how there is never a reason to be bored since there are always mitzvahs just waiting to be found. Another example is Hashem’s Candy Store. It educates our children about the joy of eating Hashem’s amazing goodies.

Soon, G-d willing, there will be a new book released that will hopefully help children in our community to have a better understanding and appreciation of the abilities of people who have disabilities. It’s called Let’s Appreciate Everyone!. Actually, we all have disabilities – whether they are visible or not – and we all also have important contributions to make in our world too.

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Here are some of Bracha Goetz’ books on complex subjects:

Let’s Stay Safe!

I Lost Someone Special

Talking About Private Places

For more of Bracha Goetz’ books click here.

It seems that the images in the previous post didn’t get delivered by email. I’m sorry! Here is the same post, but with text instead of images.

The first day of Shavuos is also the yahrzeit of both David Hamelech and the Baal Shem Tov. Here are some book recommendations about them:

Dovid: The Little Shepherd

This book about David Hamelech is a classic and a preschool favorite, perfect for the younger ones.

The Money in the Honey: A Midrash About Young David, Future King of Israel

This is a nice story involving David Hamelech, with great illustrations. It’s an older kids picture book.

Dovid Ben Yishai: A Spellbinding, Illustrated Story of the Life of the Jewish Biblical Hero King David Based on Tanach, Gemara, and Midrashim

Dovid Melech Yisrael

These two volumes are graphic novels detailing the life of David Hamelech based on midrashim. Good for anyone who likes graphic novels, of any age.

In the Footsteps of the Prophets, A Treasury of Midrashic Chronicles, Volume Two, King David

This one is for older kids, and for adults.

Wonders of the Baal Shem Tov and his Students: Amazing Stories from the Lives of Chassidic Gedolim

Graphic novel-style stories about the Baal Shem Tov.

A Never-Ending Tale: Illustrated Parables of the Ba’al Shem Tov and His Disciples

A masterpiece, in Gadi Pollack’s inimitable style. For all ages.

There is still some time left to get these books before Shavuos, either with Amazon Prime or at your local bookstore or library. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful Shabbos and Yom Tov!
Yehudis
torahthroughliterature.com

The first day of Shavuos is also the yahrzeit of both David Hamelech and the Baal Shem Tov. Here are some book recommendations about them:

This book about David Hamelech is a classic and a preschool favorite, perfect for the younger ones.

This is a nice story involving David Hamelech, with great illustrations. It’s an older kids picture book.

These two volumes are graphic novels detailing the life of David Hamelech based on midrashim. Good for anyone who likes graphic novels, of any age.

This one is for older kids, and for adults.

Graphic novel-style stories about the Baal Shem Tov.

A masterpiece, in Gadi Pollack’s inimitable style. For all ages.

There is still some time left to get these books before Shavuos, either with Amazon Prime or at your local bookstore or library. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful Shabbos and Yom Tov!
Yehudis
torahthroughliterature.com

Here are some wonderful books that can help our children/students learn about Shavuos and Megillas Rus. I will attempt to classify them by age, though each child is different, so please adjust accordingly. Also, if the parent or teacher is reading the book aloud younger children can also appreciate books written for older children.

Ages 2 – 8:

Shavuos: With Bina, Benny, and Chaggai Hayonah (The Artscroll Youth Holiday Ser.))

Very Best Gift

Tell Me The Story Of The Year: Shavuos- The Story of Megillas Rus(Ruth)

A Dozen Daisies for Raizy

A Mountain of Blintzes

Ages 8 – 12:

The Artscroll Children’s Book of Ruth

A Children’s Treasury of Holiday Tales (ArtScroll Youth Series)

Ages 12 and up:

Let My Nation Serve Me

Torah Anthology Meam Loez Exodus 6 Volume 9

Complete Story of Shavuot (The Festival Series)

Let Me Join Your Nation: The Story of Ruth, from Moabite Princess to Matriarch of the Davidic Dynasty

Torah Anthology – Book of Ruth (Me’am Lo’ez Series)

The Navi Journey, Megillas Rus

Hope you find this list helpful!
If you haven’t had a chance to fill out the survey yet please fill it out and let us know how we can best help you in your educational/homeschooling/parenting journey. For your convenience, here is the link again: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C85BZJL

Thank you!
Yehudis Litvak
torahthroughliterature.com

I’ve asked some of the authors of the books in the book list to tell us a little bit about themselves and how they wrote their books.

Introducing: Menucha Chana Levin, whose books The Youngest Bride and The Castle Builders appear in the Jewish history section.

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I have connections to three continents – born in Africa (Cape Town), raised in North America (small towns in Canada) and now live in Asia (Jerusalem).

At school my favorite subjects were English (creative writing, not grammar)and history.

I still read everything. When I’m desperate I’ll read the backs of cereal boxes, shampoo bottles, even the sports page. Now living in Israel, though my Hebrew reading is far from great, I have taught
myself to read ads posted at bus stops and in magazines.

Although I started writing stories at age five, I only got published after making aliyah 23 years ago. As the old Yiddish saying goes, ‘When you change your spot, you change your luck.’ I began with short stories and articles, then graduated to a novel. I didn’t have a computer back then, so wrote it all by hand in several notebooks.

Although that story ‘Someone for Elisheva’ was not published as I first wrote it, several years later I transplanted some of the characters into my novel ‘A Family for Frayda.’

While recuperating from hepatitis, in six weeks I wrote my novel called ‘The Youngest Bride’. It was based on an old family story about my great-grandmother who was married as a child to save her young husband from being conscripted into the Russian army. For a short time they did not draft married men, no matter how young they were. The story always intrigued me. How did my little ancestor feel when she grew up and realized she was already married? Unfortunately that part of the story did not get handed down so I had to fictionalize it, plus add other family stories I’d heard from my mother.

A few years later, I wrote ‘The Castle Builders’ about four women friends, all Holocaust survivors, who find it too painful to discuss their horrific pasts.

‘The Castle Builders’ was written in tribute to those who managed to survive and rebuild their lives and in memory of my grandparents, among the six million kedoshim, who sadly did not. My own father zt’l escaped from Europe one month before World War Two. If he had not, I would not be here writing my novels.