SAMMY SPIDER’S FIRST WEDDING Author: Sylvia A. Rouss Illustrator: Katherine Janus Kahn The very busy spider who has celebrated many Jewish holidays now adds a festive ceremony to his catalog of experiences. The little eight-legged one watches as Mr. Shapiro and his family build a chuppah, or Jewish wedding canopy,…
Read More
Hanukkah Celebrations with Sammy Spider
For over 25 years , children at home and in their classrooms have celebrated Hanukkah with Sammy Spider. This year, Sammy and I visited children in Ventura and Beverly Hills. Happy Hanukkah to all our friends.
Read More
What is your favorite fruit for the Sukkah? An apple? A watermelon?
Five days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot begins. It is a fall harvest holiday which dates back to the time of Moses. While wandering in the desert, the Jewish people built temporary huts. Upon reaching the land of Israel, they became farmers. At harvest time, they built little huts near their…
Read More
How the children in my classroom inspired me to write Sammy Spider’s First Simchat Torah
Our Rabbi’s, past and present, have taught us the importance of being a part of the community and have admonished us by saying, “Don’t separate yourself from the community.” Embodied within the Torah are values which teach us how to treat others. Several years ago at Simchat Torah, I showed…
Read More
Shavuot for Children, Parents & Teachers
Shavuot is celebrated seven weeks after Passover, usually in late May or early June when the wheat harvest ripens. Shavuot which means “weeks” is also known as the “Festival of First Fruits.” In biblical times, farmers brought bread baked from the spring wheat harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem as…
Read More
Yom Ha’Atzmaut Celebrations and Two Video book readings for Children, Early Childhood Students, Teachers and Parents
Yom Ha’Atzmaut – Background Biblical Israel dates back 3000 years. After the destruction of the Second Temple 2000 years ago, the Jewish people were dispersed to other countries all over the world. It wasn’t until 1948 that the modern country of Israel was created. In 70 C.E., the Jewish people…
Read More