The Secret Shofar of Barcelona

by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, Doug Chayka (Illustrator)

Overview

Symphony conductor Don Fernando longs to hear the sounds of the shofar. Like other conversos during the Spanish Inquisition, he has to hide his Jewish religion and pretend to follow the teachings of the church. But when he is asked to perform a concert celebrating the new world, he and his son Rafael devise a clever plan to usher in the Jewish New Year in plain sight of the Spanish nobility.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780822599449
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2009
Series:	High Holidays Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	760L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Jacqueline Dembar Greene is the award-winning author of more than 30 books for young readers, including the American Girl® Rebecca Rubin series and The Secret Shofar of Barcelona. She lives in Wayland, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

"The author looks to a Sephardic legend for this well-written story about a Spanish converso (secret Jew) who cleverly enables his secret community of Jews to hear the sound of the shofar at Rosh Hashanah. Set in Barcelona, during the Spanish Inquisition, Ms. Greene creates a story that makes it possible for us to feel the tension, sadness and fear within the underground Jewish community. She allows us to celebrate with great relief when father and son triumph over the Duke and the judges of the Inquisition by 'hiding the shofar in plain sight.'

The illustrations are excellent and convey the depth of emotions that run from page to page throughout this story. The pictures are very expressive and admirably portray the Spanish community of the times. This would be an excellent addition to the High Holiday section of the library especially in communities with a Sephardic Jewish population." —Forwordsbooks.com

From the Publisher