Educational Resources
Bibliographies
A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON SHABBAT FOR FAMILIES
Compiled by Nancy M. Messinger,
Director of Educational Resources
ADULTS/PARENTS
Building Jewish Life: Shabbat by Joel
Grishaver, Debra Markovic, and Jane Golub. Los Angeles, CA: Torah
Aura, 1995.
A great resource for K-2 teachers and parents seeking a step-by-step
celebration of Shabbat with activities and recipes. An activity book
is also available.
Come, Let Us Welcome Shabbat: A Joyful Celebration for
Families by Judythe Groner and Madeline Wikler.
Rockville, MD: Kar-Ben Copies, Inc., 1997.
A family guide to the Friday night home observance of the Sabbath,
including blessings for candles, wine, and hallah; thoughts about the
meaning of Shabbat, and words and music to blessings and songs.
Includes blessings for havdalah. With soft
watercolor illustrations.
Day of Days: Creating Family Shabbat through Song, with Mah Tovu. Springfield, New Jersey: Behrman House, Inc., 2003.
A nine-song CD and family activity book designed to help families bridge the gap between the real and ideal of the Shabbat experience. Included are many original songs, suggestions, games, prayers, and more to help families create a Shabbat that is meaningful and enjoyable.
Every Person’s Guide to Shabbat by Ronald H. Isaacs. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1998.
In concise and readily comprehensible fashion, the book covers Sabbath in history, home and synagogue including observances, notable quotations, short stories, a glossary, bibliography and index.
The Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath
Day by Francine Klagsbrun. New York, NY: Harmony Books,
2002.
A set of essays exploring many themes about the Sabbath and its
meaning for people's lives today. While explaining the rules of
Sabbath observance, it focuses on the spiritual aspect of Shabbat and
the Jewish woman's perspective.
Friday Night and Beyond: The Shabbat Experience
Step-by-Step by Lori Palatnik. Northvale, NJ: Jason
Aronson, Inc., 1994.
An excellent guide combining inspiration and instruction for anyone
wanting to learn and embrace the how's and why's of a
traditional Jewish Shabbat.
Gates of Shabbat - Sha’arei Shabbat: A Guide for
Observing Shabbat by Mark Dov Shapiro, illustrated by
Neil Waldman. New York, NY: Central Conference of American Rabbis,
1991.
Explores the meaning of Shabbat and its observance in Reform Judaism.
It includes home rituals such as kiddush, birkat
ha-mazon, and havdalah as well
as songs, and prayers.
An Invitation to Shabbat: A Beginner’s Guide to
Weekly Celebration by Ruth Perelson. New York, NY: UAHC,
1997.
This book and CD set is a step-by-step guide to celebrating Shabbat in
your home. It includes sheet music, blessings, recipes and information
on customs.
Let's Talk About the Sabbath by Dorothy
K. Kripke, illustrated by Joy Nelkin Weider. New York, NY: Alef Design
Group, 1999.
How do you teach Shabbat to children so that it really matters in
their lives? This book helps parents and teachers do just that - by
capturing a bit of Shabbat's magic within its pages.
Volume 7 of this series celebrates Shabbat as a central family ritual and features the traditional Hebrew text with a new translation, introduction, explanations, and commentaries.
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel, with
wood engravings by Ilya Schor. New York, NY: Noonday Press, 1996.
The author offers a profound, scholarly, and beautiful meditation on
the nature and celebration of the Seventh Day, rooted in the thesis
that Judaism is a religion of time, not space, and that the Sabbath
symbolizes the sanctification of time. Inspiring for adults seeking
modern meaning and relevance for Shabbat in their lives.
Shabbat: A Family Service by Judith Z.
Abrams. Rockville, MD: Kar-Ben Copies, Inc., 1992.
Simple, poetic language and full-color pictures bring the central
concepts of Shabbat to life. Young children will learn to understand
the structure as well as the content of the service, which includes
the Barechu, the
Shema and its blessings, the
Amidah, Aleinu,
and an optional Torah service. Prayers for happy and sad occasions,
kaddish, and a short
havdalah service are also included.
The Shabbat Seder: The Family Guide to Preparing for and
Welcoming the Sabbath (The Art of Jewish Living Series)
by Ron Wolfson. Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1996.
A concise step-by-step guide designed to teach the meaning and
importance of this weekly celebration, as well as its practices. The
activities of the Friday evening ritual are set out in a
straightforward manner, along with instructions on how to perform
them. An exploration of the Shabbat ceremonies of real families
representing a cross section of modern Jewish life is also presented.
Shabbat Shalom by Michelle Shapiro Abraham,
illustrated by Ann Koffsky. New York, NY: UAHC Press, 2003.
Provides an introduction to the beauty of Shabbat for families with
young children. Poems and warm illustrations bring Shabbat home
rituals to life.
Shabbat Bibliography 2003 Preschool
Shabbat Bibliography 2003 Elementary
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