It rarely snows in Georgia, but on one very unusual Shabbat it does – and the lights go out! Our selection, Lights Out Shabbat, follows a little boy over the course of one very special weekend with his grandparents, Nana and Papa. The off season snow storm in the story causes a power outage right after Shabbat dinner that lasts until the family celebrates the start of the new week. The power outage and the repetition of the phrase, “but the lights did not come on,” add an air of mystery to the story that children will find appealing.
We chose this book because it introduces the concept of Shabbat and havdalah, the ceremony that marks the end of shabbat, in an easy to understand way, helping children grasp the special nature of these rituals each week. While the inclusion of Shabbat preparations and rituals is pretty common in Jewish children’s books, Havdalah is often left out. This is sad given that havdalah is a short, lovely, accessible Jewish ceremony that engages the senses and is appealing to children as well as adults.
We also love that the book reminds us that every family celebrates Shabbat in their own way – some enjoy garden fresh lettuce, cherry snowcones, and stories from grandparents, while others may gather with neighborhood friends for songs and socializing. We hope many of our families will enjoy reading the book together and that it will inspire conversations and stories about just as it does for the family in the story.
September 30, 2016