We Gave the World Moses and Bagels: Art and Wisdom of Jewish Children » (1 ED)

In describing what it means to be Jewish, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once said that the Jewish people "are the track of God in the wilderness." In We Gave the World Moses and Bagels, children ages four to twelve leave their little footprints as they describe their own uniquely Jewish journeys. A humorous and heart-warming collection of children's quotes and full-color artwork, this book is the perfect gift for all ages, a lively and colorful depiction of what children think it means to be Jewish.

Children's Literature

This collection of quotations is taken from children's responses to questions posed by Heller about what it means to be Jewish. Although diminutive in size and illustrated with art created by children between the ages of 5 and 10, this is not exactly a children's book. Many passages that adult readers might find cute or humorous are likely to be confusing to more literal children. For example, in answer to the question "How does God communicate with people?" one response is "God doesn't use a fax machine or anything like that. . . . He's more on the old-fashioned side." The question "What were some of the best known Biblical heroes like?" is answered: "Girls like Rachel and Leah had a lot of physical strengths because they came from a long line of shepherds, who needed to keep in tip-top shape." An adult may be needed to mediate some of the other responses, which reflect the simple chauvinism of children, such as, "We were the first ones to talk to God, but now we share God with anybody else who asks about Him." The title of the book comes from a child who completed the sentence, "I'm proud to be Jewish because. . . ." with "We gave the world Moses and bagels, and the world has been real holy ever since." Older children are more likely to appreciate the humor. Many of the quotations do lend themselves to interesting discussions between parents or teachers and children, or among children, such as this one: "All the religions have this in common: We all have people in them that are loved by God."