With the holiday of Tu B’Shevat coming up (sunset February 9 to nightfall on the 10th), we have another fun way to celebrate Jewishly. Called the New Year for the Trees, Tu B’Shevat marks the time when the sap begins to rise in trees in Israel. While Tu B’Shevat Seders are popular, I wanted to share easier, more active ways for you to celebrate. Here are some ideas I culled from articles in Tablet, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore website, and OurJewishCommunity.org. #1 Try a new fruit Love this one! Take the kiddoes to the market with you to choose something they’ve … [Read more...]
Rosie Revere Engineer - #JewishBookFun4Kids - #4
Rosie Revere Engineer, written by Andrea Beauty and illustrated by David Roberts, was totally new to me, until our reading specialist daughter mentioned it. And now, I’m crazy about it. It’s written in comfortable verse (not forced, not over simplified). “This is the story of Rosie Revere, who dreamed of becoming a great engineer.” Little Rosie wants to build amazing things. So during the day, she looks in the trash for bits and pieces she can use in her creations. At night, she makes “gadgets and gizmos,” which she tucks under her bed, so that no one will see … [Read more...]
Harold and the Purple Crayon - #JewishBookFun4Kids #3
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson holds a special place in my heart, because I used to read it to our daughter. And, I have a confession to make. One night, while I was reading it to Sarah for maybe the 10th time, I had an “aha” moment that stopped me. Cold. I realized what an absolutely amazing story this is. Yet, like many of you (I’m guessing), I was double-tasking in my head. While I was reading words and turning pages, I was also making mental lists of lunches to assemble, forms to fill out, laundry to fold. In the process, I had missed the nuance and the wonder. Never … [Read more...]
Miss Rumphius - #JewishBookFun4Kids #1
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney has a magical cadence that, just maybe, inspired our daughter to travel widely and to plant flowers – including lupines. The story begins, “The Lupine Lady lives in a small house overlooking the sea. In between the rocks around her house grow blue and purple and rose-colored flowers.” As a little girl, Alice lived by the sea, where she watched sailing ships. In fact, her grandfather had come to America on one of these ships. He was an artist, making figureheads for the prows of ships and painting pictures. Sometimes, Alice helped him paint in the … [Read more...]
Great Excuse for a Bonfire - Lag B’Omer
Celebrating Lag B’Omer – think bonfires, picnics, ball games, and roasting marshmallows – reminds me of my happy places and might be perfect for your family, too. For me, it’s a (giant) step back to some of my favorite activities as a kid. As a young teen, I attended Jewish summer camps where the magic of nature was truly the major part of our experience. On Saturday nights at Tel Yehudah in upstate New York, we walked to a clearing in the woods where a huge bonfire was lit. Flames shot straight up into the black night sky and the crackling sound of the wood, along with the singing and … [Read more...]
