|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
||||||||
URJ PRESS Offers Children's Chanukah Gifts The Chaunkah Blessing, a heartwarming children's tale set in a snowy village on the fifth night of Chanukah, heads the list of this season's gift ideas from the URJ PRESS. Arriving just in time for Chanukah gift-giving, this book and other selections from the Press's catalog will surely delight Jewish children of all ages. The Chanukah Blessing, written by Peninah Schram and illustrated with warmth and feeling by Jeffrey Allon, tells the tale of a mysterious stranger's visit to a poor family's home, its window lit only by a makeshift potato menorah. Although the family has little to share, they gladly allow the stranger to come in and celebrate the holiday with them. As the family divides its delicious latke-kugel and settles down by the fire to listen to the stranger tell the story of Chanukah, magic is in the air - for the very next morning, the family is repaid for its generosity with enough potatoes, flour, and money to last them through the end of the holiday. Schram, a noted storyteller, professor, recording artist, and author, adds a new twist to the ancient legend of the prophet Elijah. The Chanukah Blessing is a wonderful tale, one that will add joy to the hearts of tellers and listeners alike, and will teach children the value of welcoming the stranger and the true meaning of giving during Chanukah. Appropriate for children in grades K-3, it retails for $12.95. Two new workbooks from the Press, Lisa Rauchwerger's Chocolate Chip Challah Activity Book and Ann D. Koffsky's My Jewish Holiday Fun Book both contain sections that guide children through a variety of fun and engaging Chanukah activities. The Chocolate Chip Challah Activity Book (the sequel to the author's best-selling Chocolate Chip Challah cookbook) features a set of cut-out dreidel chains, placemats and Chanukah finger puppets. My Jewish Holiday Fun Book includes a board game in which the reader helps the Maccabees light their menorah. Both offer a lively mix of fun and learning that will delight children in grades K-3 throughout the year. Koffsky's book sells for $6.95 and Rauchwerger's for $7.95. Let There Be Lights, the second in a series of beautifully illustrated board books by author Camille Kress, introduces toddlers to the symbols and images of Chanukah - menorah, dreidel, latkes - as well as the story of the Maccabees and the joy of family togetherness. The perfect gift for families with young children, the book retails for $5.95. Other URJ PRESS selections suitable for the holiday include Chanukah Is…, Martin Lemelman's delightful board book for preschoolers that sells for $4.95, and The Eight Nights: A Chanukah Counting Book, which uses lively rhymes and exquisite full-color graphics to depict all the delights of the season. The three blessings for the candles, in English and Hebrew transliteration, and the words and music to some simple songs are included in Jane Bearman's lovely volume, which retails for $6.00. Finally, The Little Menorah Who Forgot Chanukah is a unique book and cassette set appropriate for children in grades K-3. The tape includes a narration of the story, original songs by author Jerry Sperling, and the traditional blessings said over the Chanukah candles. Retailing for $12.95, the set reveals the true meaning of Chanukah to young readers. Items from the URJ PRESS can be ordered toll-free at (888) 489-8242, or through its Web site, located at www.URJPress.com. The URJ PRESS is part of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the central body of Reform Judaism in North America. The UAHC unites 1.5 million Reform Jews in over 900 synagogues across the United States and Canada, and offers services including camps, outreach to unaffiliated and intermarried Jews, adult education programs, and the Religious Action Center in Washington, DC. ### 11/00
| |||||||||
|
633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 | P 212.650.4120 | F 212.650.4119 |
|||||||||
