Reflection on Texts

When choosing to take a look at Jewish American children’s literature I was excited to see how much new information I would take away. After attending Hebrew school for 8 years one would think I had a lot of knowledge on the religion however, in teaching my own Sunday School class you realize that even in your own religion and culture there’s something new to be learned every day. As an insider to the Jewish American culture I enjoyed reflecting on these texts. All three books explained Jewish values and beliefs but did not only cater to Jewish people.
The Shabbat Box’s imagery was realistic and to date. I enjoyed how Lesley Simpson portrayed the children and the classroom in the story. Many children in America can relate to the imagery because it is what they know and see in their daily lives. The colors are bright and attract my attention keeping me focused on the story. The whole idea in general of the Shabbat Box is a great concept to use in any classroom. It does not have to be a Shabbat Box but it can be any box the kids bring home that holds important meaning to them that they want to share with the class. Shabbat is an important day of the week in the Jewish religion and reading this book makes readers more aware and knowledgeable on the topic.
Gershon’s Monster and The Very Best Place for a Penny’s illustrations are watercolors. Gershon’s Monster reflects a time in another country while The Very Best Place for a Penny is in America yet it holds a past day vibe. Both stories revolve around extremely significant issues in the Jewish religion. One being the most important holiday of the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah and another being the important concept of Tzedekka, giving charity. Each book teaches lessons that can be used throughout ones life whether their Jewish or not which is a major reason I enjoyed both books so much. Being culturally diverse is something I am thankful for in my every day life and reading these books makes me appreciative. I look forward in my own classroom to be able to share diverse literature to hopefully allow other children to appreciate their differences as well.

Professional Resource

Envisioning the Jewish Community in Children’s Literature

May, Jill P. "Envisioning the Jewish Community in Children's Literature: Maurice Sendak and Isaac Singer." The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association 33 (2001): 137-50.

This article is written about the lives and careers of Isaac Singer and Maurice Sendak. Both are award winning children’s authors/illustrators and have led interesting lives. First, Isaac Singer’s life is examined and he makes a claim that I find to be the most interesting in the article. He discusses why he writes about Jews in Poland and explains, “I write about people I know best” (138). This could not cater more to the discussion on insider vs. outsider perspective. Singer is a Jewish immigrant from Poland and wants to captivate his readers by giving them this insider perspective because he feels most comfortable writing about a culture he knows and lives. Isaac discusses that after moving to America he felt uncomfortable with the way he was treated. “I [Isaac] lived through a terrible disappointment. I felt then - more than I do now – that Yiddish had no future in this country” (138). Supposedly America is the melting pot of society; excepting of all different cultures yet Isaac felt different. Although Isaac was considered a rebel by his family he “hoped to keep his Jewish heritage intact” (140) by expressing himself through his literature. The article also explains about the two different categories Singer’s literature falls into; one being based around his polish village and the other about spirits. Singer has won the Nobel peace prize and his work is appreciated around the world.
Maurice Sendak is the focus over the second half of the article. He is the “best known children’s illustrator of the 20th century” (142). He has won the Caldecott award and is an icon throughout America. What strikes me the most interesting about Sendak was that the article mentions his childhood seclusion and the fact that he was not religious growing up. This Jewish author/illustrator chooses to write focusing on the American city child. He does not want to only appeal to his own culture but he wants a wide range of audience, the American child being a particularly large one.
The three children’s literature books I have chosen to focus on appeal to a wide audience. These author/illustrators both show their heritage in their work but don’t bog down their pieces with the culture of Judaism. As a reader I feel an insider perspective is extremely important and I would be interested in reading and looking at both of these artists work. Sendak states that by illustrating he is “preserving his family in the art” (148). Both men value their diversity and it is certainly appreciated throughout the world.

Gershon's Monster

Kimmel, Eric A., and Jon J. Muth. Gershon's Monster : A Story for the Jewish New Year. New York: Scholastic P, 2000.

Awarded the Sydney Taylor Book Award, Gerhson’s Monster is “a story for the Jewish New Year” (Kimmel, 1). This story follows an older gentleman by the name of Gershon and his wife Fayga in the fictional city of Constansa. “Unlike most people, Gershon never regretted what he did” (Kimmel, 1). This is the first character description we get dealing with the main character and it is an unpleasant one. Gershon only finds the need to repent on his wrong doings once a year over the Jewish New Year because it is the time of forgiveness. After deciding the couple want children Gershon arrives at the “Tzaddik’s” house in hopes of finding out what could be done to get the family his wife and him desire. The Tzaddik explains that Gershon has done many wrong doings and should start behaving more thoughtfully. He states, “God is angry with you” but ultimately explains to Gershon that his wife will have twins that will be taken away on “the morning of their fifth birthday” (Kimmel, 9). Years pass and Gershon continues in his reckless ways only asking God for forgiveness on the Jewish New Year. On the morning of the twins fifth birthday they go out to sea and are almost killed. Gershon asks the monster to take him instead; he did not want his children to be punished for all his thoughtless deeds. Gershon finally felt sorry for all the sins he had done and realizes how blessed he is and by doing so the monster goes back into the sea. This story ends with the realization of how important it is to “keep your soul clean, your best self will always shine through” (Kimmel, 28).
Not only is this children’s book working to incorporate information about the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, it is conveying an important message for all people. The story encourages individuals to stay positive and be thoughtful to all actions that may have an effect on others. As a Sunday school teacher I teach my kids about this holiday. We go around the room saying all the things we regret having done in the past year and talk openly about them. It is important for students to realize that no one is perfect and it is okay to say sorry. As long as you realize your wrong doings you can try and change how you behave in the future.
This story is centered on the Jewish religion dealing with an extremely important concept in the religion yet the lesson is universal. No one in the entire world is perfect and most can benefit if they are able to forgive themselves for all their wrong doings. The language as well as the images is not overbearingly Jewish. Gershon wears typical Hasidic Jew attire and the Tzaddik’s attire represents one of a Rabbi. Individuals who are not knowledgably about the religion may not know what certain words mean or why the characters dress they way they do but knowing this information previously does not take away from the story itself.
Kimmel does a good job as an insider to make the story appeal to children as well as teach a widespread lesson. This lesson is my favorite part of the book because it is one everyone can benefit from. The watercolor imagery is appealing but not stimulating and exciting as it could be. I enjoyed the book and appreciate the positive message therefore; I would use it in a public school setting. I like that the story centers on the Jewish New Year because it teaches people what the holiday’s significance is. This holiday is the most important in the Jewish religion and learning about it adds to the student’s knowledge of cultures and diversity, something I want to highly focus on in my own classroom.

The Very Best Place For A Penny

Rosenfeld, Dina H., Leonid Pinchevsky, and Eliyahu Meshchaninov. The Very Best Place for a Penny. Brooklyn: Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, 1984.

The most intriguing aspect of the book as I read this story is the narrator’s voice. This books narrator is a penny and readers follow the penny’s journey around a young boy’s room until it is properly placed in the perfect spot. I enjoy the animation and human characteristics the penny takes on as it tries to find “the best place for a penny” (Rosenfeld, 7). The author uses personification as the penny talks to the paper clip, holds items with its hands, walks using legs and dances in the Tzedakah box with all his “many friends there, dollars, quarters, nickels and dimes” (Rosenfeld, 23). The author creatively uses objects found in a small child’s room as characters throughout the story. Young readers can relate because the objects used such as bouncing balls, paper clips, and rubber erasers are things children can associate with using.
If not for the illustrations within this children’s book as well as the last page of text I would not have associated it with being a Jewish American literature book. The author, Dina Herman Rosenfeld writes this book to be read and appreciated by everyone of different races, religions, and cultures. The book has an extremely positive message and shares with children the importance of giving what is called Tzedakah in the Jewish religion but more commonly referred to as giving charity. What appeals to me the most about this book is the fact that the message is so meaningful to everyone around the world and shares with children such an important and positive meaning. Although the children in the book wear kippot, a small cap many Jewish people wear to show their respect for G-d and the boy’s room is filled with pictures displaying Hebrew letters and Jewish ritual objects the story reflects the universal topic of giving charity. The story is in no way over bearing with its usage of terms such as Tzedakah and Mitzvah, both of which are defined in the glossary at the end of the story. This Jewish American book teaches a significant concept in today’s world as well as shining a positive light on the Jewish religion. While reading this book I begin to associate Jews with the act of giving charity because it is a concept looked so highly upon within the religion itself. Dina’s insider perspective allows her to share knowledge about the Jewish religion and the importance of giving Tzedakah as well as making the story appeal to all readers.
I enjoyed the overall message of the book and would therefore use this in a classroom setting. I feel as though doing a “mitzvah, a good dead. One of the 613 commandments in the Torah” (Rosenfeld, 25) shares such a hopeful message and teaches children the importance of giving. I don’t know if I would particularly use this specific book to share that lesson because there may be more children’s books out there that deal with all the things charity can go for.
In my future classroom I feel as though setting up a small jar for any type of donation and charity is extremely beneficial. Working as a class, the kids can bring in spare change whenever they want or whatever they have to donate and we can learn about the different charities and people that would benefit from this money. Showing how our spare change can help so many different people around the world will only motivate kids to continue to contribute to society as they grow up.

The Shabbat Box

Simpson, Lesley, and Nicole In Bosch. The Shabbat Box. Grand Rapids: Kar-Ben, 2001.

“Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) comes every week. It is a time of joy and family celebration. On Friday at sundown, Jewish families welcome Shabbat by lighting the candles and saying blessings over wine and challah (braided bread)” (Simpson, 1).

This brief quote is given before the story begins and immediately allows readers of all religions and ethnicity’s to understand what the book is going to be discussing. This book follows a classroom ritual of giving out “The Shabbat Box” every Friday afternoon. Each week a student is picked to take the box consisting of fresh challah, candlesticks, a Kiddush cup, and a challah cover home with them to share with their family. When the school week begins the kids are to bring the box back to school with them for the next student to take home that Friday. The children all have an overwhelming excitement to take the box home with them and cannot wait for their own turn. The narrator follows Ira as he patiently waits his turn for the box. When that winter day comes, a storm arrives and he ends up loosing the box. Ira is devastated and knows his class will be so disappointed he lost the box. He decides to create his own box, decorating a pillow case as a challah cover, painting grapes on his water cup for a wine glass and even adding candies and treats his class will enjoy. When he comes to school he reveals this new Shabbat box and the class goes wild. They love everything he did and cannot wait to take it home. After this show and tell the teacher reveals she found the original Shabbat box in the snow and has decided to keep both in the classroom so two kids a week will be able to take this special box home.
As a future teacher I love the idea of allowing children to take something that is important to them in the classroom home with them. I think Lesley Simpson does a fantastic job in giving an accurate portrayal of how kids feel about showing their families important items from their classroom. In my own experience I have witnessed this excitement kids have when showing off new items that have a special significance to them. I feel as though the author sticks with the Jewish American theme throughout informing the readers about the Shabbat ritual. She does not give an overbearing description of everything entailed however; people may feel more educated on a subject they were previously unfamiliar with.
The illustrations in this book are also colorful, bright and upbeat. I want to continue reading to see the pictures as the story progresses. People of other religions will see that Jewish Americans dress and look just like them. The school setting looks like any other school, Ira’s home looks like any other home and the neighborhood looks like any other neighborhood. Children and adults can relate to the illustrations because they are so neutral throughout. Nicole Bosch does add her own touches to the pictures giving the men kippot, a small cap they wear to show their respect for God as well as adding Hebrew letters on the chalkboard in the classroom. These small images add more the Jewish American aspect of the book.
One thing I particularly enjoyed at the very end of the book was a page titled, “Make your own Shabbat Box”. Reading this book I am sure kids would love to make their own and include their own special decorations and uniqueness. This is a fun activity for everyone and does not necessarily have to be a “Shabbat box” but a box that contains important items for any ritual or holiday. I really enjoyed this book throughout and think it is a great resource to not only teach children about Shabbat but about the overall excitement felt by children when they get the chance to share something about their school life at home.

Final Post

Before taking this class I always felt like I could handle the topic of diversity easily within my own classroom. I knew there would be different races and religions coming from all over the world but I looked at the situation as something I could overcome because its simply school. I now realize how hard it is to handle issues of diversity especially some that I had never even thought of as being so offensive [Such as schools mascots being Chiefs]. This class has truly opened my eyes and I could not be more thankful. In my own classroom I am starting to only think about using books that cover issues of diversity. It is such an important topic and I feel the earlier children are exposed to these types of issues and controversy the greater impact it will have on them in the future. Everyone needs to be exposed to the world out there even if it is only through books.
I always enjoyed critically analyzing the books we read in class because they all really got me thinking. I was looking for a deeper meaning behind every word and enjoyed hearing what my classmates thought of the book as well. One book can mean so many different things to different readers and questions arise that I would not have even thought about. The main topics in the books we read dealt with identity, discovery, inclusion, and cross cultures. These issues will most definitely be seen in an elementary classroom. Children are growing up and if they can be taught about these sensitive issues early on there is no doubt in my mind that their rate of succeeding in life will be much greater than those that are so sheltered in society they do not know any other cultures exist.
Stereotypes and generalizations have to be the most important issue talked about in class relating to all the articles and books we read throughout the semester. It is so important to understand why we need to distinguish between the two and what they both mean. This class has taught me to take everything in and look at it from different viewpoints. I know that all this information will make me a better teacher when I have a classroom of my own.

International Day

On November 19th, I attended International Day at the Engineering building on Campus. Jenna and I arrived right on time before the actual festivities were beginning so we started talking to some of the people that were running the celebration as well as artists sitting at the tables showing off their creations. The first lady I spoke to was creating cards for all of the different ethnic cultures around campus. She said how she wanted to make something that would appeal to everyone. If we wanted a card that said hello in Ghana she was willing to do it. The next booth was an African American artist by the name of Julian K. Van Dyke. He painted murals and portraits that displayed African American culture. After admiring all the different paintings he had done he talked to us about his inspiration that mainly derived from bible readings he had read and learned about.
After speaking with Julian I immediately I spotted a women across the room wearing a non-traditional type of garment. Jenna and I asked her what type of dress she was wearing and she said her dress was from an African culture and it was called a "bu bu". She said typically one would wear this at a wedding, such as the mother of the bride or a bridesmaid. It turns out this women, Maggie Blair-Ramsey was in charge of the celebration and was so excited we had come to see everything going on. She said International Day was designed to take into account all the different cultures of people that come from all over and end up here, at Michigan State. We were handed an agenda that showed us what was going on throughout the event such as bongo players and dancers. We saw many people walking around in their nations traditional garment and it was a real eye opener. It was nice to see how proud people are of their heritage even if their outfits are not the standard here in America. International Day was a success and I had a great time walking around and talking with people.