Books with author Allison Maile Ofanansky

As a child, David watches his grandfather, a Torah scribe or sofer, finish a Torah scroll for the synagogue. "A Torah is not something to be thrown away," his Grandfather explains. David's grandfather carefully stores the old Torah his new one has replaced in his cabinet, hoping to one day repair the letters so the Torah can be used again. David grows up and becomes a sofer just like his grandfather. Through the years, people bring him damaged Torahs they have saved from danger and disaster - one damaged by Nazi soldiers during World War II, one damaged in a fire in a synagogue, and one in flooding during Hurricane Katrina. David stores each of these precious Torahs in his cabinet, until his granddaughter Leah gives him the idea to make a recycled Torah from the salvaged Torah scrolls.

As a child, David watches his grandfather, a Torah scribe or sofer, finish a Torah scroll for the synagogue. "A Torah is not something to be thrown away," his Grandfather explains. David's grandfather carefully stores the old Torah his new one has replaced in his cabinet, hoping to one day repair the letters so the Torah can be used again. David grows up and becomes a sofer just like his grandfather. Through the years, people bring him damaged Torahs they have saved from danger and disaster - one damaged by Nazi soldiers during World War II, one damaged in a fire in a synagogue, and one in flooding during Hurricane Katrina. David stores each of these precious Torahs in his cabinet, until his granddaughter Leah gives him the idea to make a recycled Torah from the salvaged Torah scrolls.

Visit the people who make Torah scrolls and decorations. Find out how parchment is scraped and stretched, how tree sap becomes ink, how a computer program checks for mistakes, and why people spend so much time and care making Torah scrolls by hand. More than 100 full-color photographs and interviews give a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at scribes, artists, and craftsmen in their workshops in Israel and the US.The Do It Yourself feature helps kids write with a feather quill pen just like a scribe, make ink from berries, make a clay yad (a pointer), and design a Torah scroll cover.

How is a menorah made? Why does it have nine branches? What is Hanukkah, anyway? Meet the people who make different menorahs, and find out how an ancient Jewish tradition is celebrated. What are the different elements that make a menorah? When do we light it? What blessings do we say, and how does it all fit in with the miracle of Hanukkah? Make and decorate your own menorah, roll candles, and discover what the letters on the dreidel mean. Discover all this and more, with over 100 explanatory photos that reveal a fascinating world behind the scenes.This informative and engaging book is highly recommended for all ages --The Jewish Book Council An engaging glimpse into the art and craft of Hanukkah candle lighting --Kirkus Reviews

It’s Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of a new month in the Jewish calendar! In celebration of this monthly event, a family goes out to the Negev Desert to camp out and observe the moon. A photo essay about the changing phases of the moon and their relationship to the Jewish calendar, this beautifully photographed book explains the basics of the Jewish calendar, which is based on the moon rather than the sun. Instructions for building a papier mache moon are included. This book is the fifth in Kar-Ben’s “Nature in Israel” holiday series by this author/photographer team.

As a child, David watches his grandfather, a Torah scribe or sofer, finish a Torah scroll for the synagogue. "A Torah is not something to be thrown away," his Grandfather explains. David's grandfather carefully stores the old Torah his new one has replaced in his cabinet, hoping to one day repair the letters so the Torah can be used again. David grows up and becomes a sofer just like his grandfather. Through the years, people bring him damaged Torahs they have saved from danger and disaster - one damaged by Nazi soldiers during World War II, one damaged in a fire in a synagogue, and one in flooding during Hurricane Katrina. David stores each of these precious Torahs in his cabinet, until his granddaughter Leah gives him the idea to make a recycled Torah from the salvaged Torah scrolls.