Books published by publisher Jewish Publication Society

Talmudic and midrashic folklore use the teachings of the ancient sages to answer questions and teach moral lessons, often with a dash of humor. In this delightful collection, Phillis Gershator takes spiritual and folkloric elements and weaves them together with her unique humor to create a special version of the wondrous tales that have captivated readers for centuries. Stories of flying rabbis, miraculous loaves of bread, wise women, muscle-bound angels, and goats that carry bears on their heads will enchant children of all ages and those who read to them.

2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award, Notable Book for Older ReadersThe tale of Rashi’s granddaughter, a young girl who defies her community to help a friend in need. In this sequel to My Guardian Angel, Sylvie Weil continues the story of Elvina, the 14-year-old granddaughter of Rashi, the famous eleventh-century French Bible and Talmud commentator. It is the spring of 1097 in the town of Troyes, in France. The Crusaders have been marauding their way through Europe, attacking Jewish communities. One evening, a mysterious family arrives in Troyes—German Jews forced by the Crusaders to submit to baptism. The townspeople shun the family, but Elvina befriends eleven-year-old Columba. Columba’s mad cousin, Ephraim, steals a mirror from a member of the Jewish community, believing it will let him see his family killed in the recent attacks. Elvina tries to help Ephraim rid his mind of the terrible images by bringing him her own mirror, in which she claims to see a positive future. Elvina’s story brings the world of Medieval European Jewry to life for young readers.Ages 10 and up

Of all the places in the world, Uri really loves to be at his grandparents’ house. There he can stay up way past his bedtime and eat as many sweets from the chocolate box as he likes. There’s only one forbidden place in that house: the third drawer in Grandpa’s desk. This drawer is locked. No one ever opens it until one day when Uri finds the key to the third drawer. From that moment, nothing is ever the same.Grandpa’s Third Drawer takes up the difficult challenge of discussing the Holocaust with young children, of teaching its heritage and memory, all in a gentle and unobtrusive manner. The story of a silent grandfather unexpectedly confronted by his curious and loving grandchild is accompanied by rich illustrations that show authentic preserved objects donated by Holocaust survivors from Theresienstadt. The original Hebrew edition won the Israeli Ze’ev Prize for Children’s Literature in 2003 and won the first prize in Mits’ad Hasfarim (a nationwide survey of all schoolchildren in Israel for first to third grades) in 2003 and 2012. Grandpa’s Third Drawer is now included in Israel’s “Paths of Memory” nationwide Holocaust learning program in all schools.

Pearls for the Shabbos TableFrom the teachings of The Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem M. SchneersonAdapted By Rabbi Yosef Y. AlperowitzA collection of thoughts on the weekly Torah portions and Jewish Festivals, Pearls for the Shabbos Table will stir the minds of anyone gathered for Shabbos or Yom Tov meal. Its easy-to-read style is designed to be accessible to children, while its powerful messages are sure to inspire deeper discussion even amongst the more seasoned scholars.

Jewish stories are part of the heritage of our people, often capturing the essence of Jewish experience. the stories in this volume will provide hours of reading enjoyment for older children and teenagers. Parents and teachers will turn to them again and again when they are called upon to be storytellers themselves. The contribution of Nissan Mindel to the treasury of Jewish stories is inestimable. He has, for the past five decades, researched and presented to both English and Yiddish reading audiences stories mined from sources inaccessible to the average person. They cover a wide range of subjects: Great Jewish personalities, the festivals, Jewish life in medieval and pre-Holocaust times, the Holocaust, and life behind the Iron Curtain. The world of innkeeper and nobleman, shepherd and woodchopper, spice merchant and gem dealer, comes alive to reveal to us the workings of Divine Providence and the events that helped shape Jewish history.

The village rabbi isn`t feeling very well. The children hold a meeting and come up with a wonderful way to help him feel better.To cheer up their rabbi, Tuvia and his friends construct a train with cars decorated to illustrate the Jewish commandments.Delightful storytelling, lifelong lessons, and hallmark illustrations unite in this treasured collection of childhood classics.

When the Nazis take twelve-year-old Jan’s family away, Jan finds shelter with friends. But a year in their attic becomes too much for him and he ventures into the dangerous streets of the city, where he finds refuge in the old Jewish cemetery and the tomb of Rabbi Loewe, who created a legendary giant—the Golem—to save his people from oppression in sixteenth century Prague. Jan travels back in time. Will he find a way to escape from the fate that was to befall a million and a half Jewish children in Nazi-occupied Europe?