Book Review | Hanukkah Around the World
by Tami Lehman-Wilzig
Score: 3
It is always fascinating to learn how other Jewish communities around the world celebrate their Jewish holidays. In this companion volume to Passover Around the World, we learn many new and interesting facts about how the customs and traditions of Hanukkah are interpreted and celebrated.
In Hanukkah Around the World, stories about families in eight different countries illustrate these diverse traditions. A map indicating the location of the country and city where the story takes place and a recipe for the delicious food described accompanies each story. Colorful and charming illustrations complement the characters and their traditions and provide an idea of how the food looks.
Books like this provide wonderful ideas for classroom and home Hanukkah celebrations. I was intrigued by the connection drawn between Tisha B’Av and Hanukkah by the Jews of Italy and attracted to the idea of honoring only women heroes on the seventh night of Hanukkah as practiced in Tunisia. There are, of course, the usual kinds of information here – the Hanukkah story, the dreidel game, etc. The back of the book holds a “Hanukkah Potpourri” with ten extra Hanukkah customs and a Glossary containing meanings for any Hebrew or foreign words used. NOTE: A geographical error. On the map for Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the country at the top of the page is identified as the “Soviet Union” which no longer exists.
Grade Range: 3rd – 5th Grades
Tags: customs, Hanukkah, traditions
Leave a Reply
