Help!

[rabidsamfan]

Does anyone out there know anything about Jewish holidays? I have to pick books from a list and all I know is that I've already got a gazillion Hanukkah books...

ETA... I've got a midnight deadline on this. *bangs head on desk*

ETA I think I've got it, thanks to everyone who helped or offered to!

*topples into bed*

Comments

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

What do you want to know?

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

How much might a family want books about Tu B Shevat, is a "seussian" haggadah offensive.

Lots of things.

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Tu B Shevat is a pretty minor celebration.

Er, do you mean as in Dr. Seuss?? I find the idea hysterically funny, but then, that's me.

[sayhello.livejournal.com]

Tu B'Shevat is a very minor Holiday, sort of like Arbor day. Selebrating trees.

A "Seussian" Haggadah? I guess it would really depend. If it was not done as a joke, if it was serious (& accurate) I wouldn't be offended...

Hewene

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Which holiday has the seder, which has the four questions, what's shabbos?
'
I could google a lot of this, but I'm basically trying to figure out which holidays families are most likely to want books about to read with their children, or which holidays need explanation to older kids and non-jewish kids who might need the information for school or from curiosity.

[sayhello.livejournal.com]

Um, the four questions is part of Passover (Pesach) in the Haggadah. Passover is actually a much more important Holiday than Hannukah, which is only as big as it is because it's the closest to Christmas, and they didn't want Jewish kids getting jealous.

Shabbos it the Sabbath (Saturday) in the Jewish religion (actually, sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

I'd guess a Passover book would probably be what you're looking for. Just from my perspective.

Hewene

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Passover is when you have a sedar and ask the 4 questions. Big holiday.

Shabbos is the Sabbath, starts Friday at sundown, lasts until Saturday at sundown.

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Is k'tonton a character I want in my library?

[sayhello.livejournal.com]

Never heard of him...

But then, I don't have kids...

Hewene

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Ya got me on that one!

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Yes. The K'tonton stories are a fantasic group of kids' stories that I grew up on. Actually, I don't know how they would have aged, but I loved them.

[gingicat]

K'tonton is *wonderful*.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

I've forwarded your query to some friends, whom I hope see it in time. Good luck!

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Summary: the holiest days are Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah and Passover. Shabbos is the Sabbath, like Sunday only on Saturday. If you're an Orthodox Jew, you don't work on the Sabbath.

The fun ones are Hanukah (of course!), Purim, Sukkos (you build an outside shelter and eat there).

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I think I know how to balance out the books and money now!
*whew*

[sayhello.livejournal.com]

I'd agree with this list. If you cover these Holidays (and maybe Simchas Torah) you'll have the year pretty well covered!

Hewene

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

I did grab one for Simchas Torah. (And just one for Tu B Shavot, since there were five or six on the list.)

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

er... Sukkos is the same as Sukkah and Sukkot, right?

[sayhello.livejournal.com]

Yep. It's all transliteration from Hebrew, so there's a lot of variations in spelling, especially between the "t" and "s".

Sukkah is the little building made for Sukkos or Sukkot, though. It's not the name of the Holiday

[gingicat]

I'd need to see the list...

[gingicat]

I should add that the reason I ask to see the list is that there are some *terrible* books out there written for major holidays. (Rubynye sent me, btw.)

Holidays in order of importance:
Yom Kippur
Rosh Hashanah
Shabbat/Shabbos
Pesach/Passover
Sukkot/Sukkos
Simchat Torah
Purim
Tisha B'Av (remembrance of ancient Temple destruction)
Yom HaShoah (Holocaust remembrance day)
Hanukkah (popular because of proximity to Christmas, but not *important* to religious Jews)
Tu B'Shvat
Israel Independence Day/Yom Ha'Atzmaut
other fast days

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the thought, but I think I've got it now. *whew* I bought several books on Passover and the High Holy days and Purim, and just one or two on the other topics.

Spent more than any other branch in the system, but my collection really needed it, so hopefully the books will find readers!

If you're really interested in the list I can save a copy of it as file and e-mail it to you, though.

[thastygliax.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I was at a wedding today, so only just now saw this...and it's probably way too late to email the Jewish couples I know and get an answer by midnight...

I do, however, know a rabbi's son who is (surprise, surprise) a huge book geek--and also the father of a one-year-old, so should be interested in Jewish holidays kids' books). If you have to do this again sometime, and have a bit more notice then, I'd be happy to put you two in touch.

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

I bought a pile of things, but avoided the board books -- I want to see if they'll "go" at FC. I've got till midnight to adjust, but as you say, it's too late now.

If I'd been paying attention, I would have known about this two weeks ago.

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

If you think your friend would be interested, I can e-mail you a copy of the list I was working from.