Subtitled A grandfather tells his granddaughter the true story of how a Jewish prayer book — and a young man — survived the Holocaust, this slim paperback was coauthored by a third grade religious school teacher and her father-in-law, who is the narrator’s grandfather. From him, 11-year-old Natalie learns about a family treasure, a small prayer book that belonged to her great-great-great grandmother, Blumeh Gelah, in Poland in 1890. Written in Hebrew and Yiddish, her husband gave it to her for their 25th wedding anniversary, so she could help other women follow the services.
The hero of the prayer book’s story is cousin Norman, Blumeh Gelah’s grandson, a Holocaust survivor and the author of three Holocaust novels who hid the book in a rain barrel. It miraculously survived the Holocaust, and he was able to recover it after the war. Since then, he has spent his life educating people in the United States about the Holocaust.
The well-written, child-friendly text is accompanied by old family photos, as well as photographs taken by the senior Ringels on trips to parts of Poland where their family once lived and worshipped. Each page number cleverly appears on a small rain barrel. On the back cover is an enlarged photograph of Blumeh Gelah’s prayer book. Included are a family tree of Norman and Natalie’s family, suggestions to help readers learn about the history of their own family, and a glossary of terms. This can help introduce children ages 10 – 13 to the Holocaust in a non-threatening way, as well as encourage them to learn about their heritage and the importance of saving things from the past. Ages 10 – 13.
