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 – 5^th Grades

© 2007, Kar-Ben Publishing.

This is a lovely book explaining the different ways that Passover is celebrated in various countries throughout the world. The customs are so varied that I believe that matzah may be the only unifying factor in the celebrations!  Nonetheless this book provides students with a number of enlightening versions of Passover traditions that enable them to see that while we share a common religion, we may experience it many different ways.

As someone who tries to enrich the Passover seder in my own home every year, this is a book I will look to in order to find ideas for variety and spice in our family tradition. Whether I will add some “brick” to my charoset recipe or ask my guests to participate in a Passover play remains to be seen, one of these “new/old” traditions will surely appear on the scene this coming year.

The book’s illustrations are charming. The maps used well drawn and clear. There are sidebars inset at the beginning of each chapter to give more details of every story and a glossary in the back (referred to as “Passover Potpourri”) provides additional facts for each country discussed.

Grade Level: 3 – 8

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