New Mitzvah Stories for the Whole Family - Tapa blanda

Created by leading Jewish authors and storytellers for both youth and adult readers, these forty-three true and fictional stories excite the imagination and open the heart. Each tale poses challenges that highlight the life-enhancing effect of mitzvah-centered living throughout each waking day. NEW MITZVAH STORIES celebrates contemporary, inclusive Jewish values. A wide range of families and individuals will be able to find themselves in these compelling tales. Each story is followed by a Jewish Spiritual Education Study Guide with sections for reflection, discussion and action. Designed for reading and retelling across the generations.

Contributing authors:

Anne Andrew, Noa Baum, Janet Berenson, Randi Ya'el Chaikind, Mitchell Chefitz, Rachel Coles, Gerald Fierst, Rinah Galper, Yehudit Goldfarb, Dan Gordon, Leslie Gorin, Daniel T. Grossman, Jill Hammer, Nancy Handwerger, Alide Huyser-Frijda, Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, Jennifer Voigt Kaplan, Melissa Klein, Geri Kolesar, Arthur Kurzweil, Alex Lazarus-Klein, Janet Madden, Cindy Rivka Marshall, Goldie Milgram, Lynnie Mirvis, Seth F. Oppenheimer, Marden David Paru, Gail Pasternack, Geela Rayzel Raphael, Jack Riemer, Barbara Rush, Cassandra Sagan, Peninnah Schram, Rebecca Schram-Zafrany, Sandor Schuman, Cherie Karo Schwartz, Howard Schwartz, Danny Siegel, Donna Jacobs Sife, Shoshana Silberman, Anna Sher Simon, Devorah Spilman, Susan Stone, Marc Young, Jennifer Rudick Zunikoff

Praise for New Mitzvah Stories for the Whole Family

“It’s not so easy to know what is right or how to be a righteous person in this complicated world. If someone tells us how to live, we might not want to listen...but if they tell us a good story, we can come to the truth for ourselves. New Mitzvah Stories for the Whole Family is a powerful, sweet and touching collection of teaching stories that help us to find our love and know our own truth.”
--Rabbi Shefa Gold, author of The Magic of Hebrew Chant: Healing the Spirit, Transforming the Mind, Deepening Love

"These uplifting tales of magic and wonder reveal the power, heart, and soul of Jewish values. The study guide is also brilliantly conceived.”
--Rabbi Wayne Dosick, author of Living Judaism and The Real Name of God

“A vibrant, inclusive new generation of Jewish folklore and fantasy"
--Maggie Anton, author of the award-winning Rashi's Daughters and Rav Hisda's Daughter series

“A wonderful collection of diverse new stories to spark the imagination!”
--Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of Midrash: Reading the Bible with Question Marks

“Sharing these tales is a sure-fire formula for raising a mensch!"
--Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox, President, NewCaje

Looking for stories that excite the imagination, open the heart, and support good values? This juried volume, the second in the award-winning Mitzvah-Centered Life Initiative, offers vibrant new Jewish folklore, cleverly adapted traditional tales, and riveting true stories. It also delivers something rare—an open and inclusive approach to the wide range of Jewish life, personal orientation, and family structure. Each tale is paired with a stimulating Study Guide for reflection, discussion, and action. These forty-three stories reveal the nourishing spirituality of Jewish values and are designed for reading and retelling across the generations.

43 Stories by Leading Storytellers, Educators and Authors:

Anne Andrew, Noa Baum, Janet Berenson, Randi Ya'el Chaikind, Mitchell Chefitz, Rachel Coles, Gerald Fierst, Rinah Galper, Yehudit Goldfarb, Dan Gordon, Leslie Gorin, Daniel T. Grossman, Jill Hammer, Nancy Handwerger, Alide Huyser-Frijda, Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, Jennifer Voigt Kaplan, Melissa Klein, Geri Kolesar, Arthur Kurzweil, Alex Lazarus-Klein, Janet Madden, Cindy Rivka Marshall, Goldie Milgram, Lynnie Mirvis, Seth F. Oppenheimer, Marden David Paru, Gail Pasternack, Geela Rayzel Raphael, Jack Riemer, Barbara Rush, Cassandra Sagan, Peninnah Schram, Rebecca Schram-Zafrany, Sandor Schuman, Cherie Karo Schwartz, Howard Schwartz, Danny Siegel, Donna Jacobs Sife, Shoshana Silberman, Anna Sher Simon, Devorah Spilman, Susan Stone, Marc Young, Jennifer Rudick Zunikoff

Praise for New Mitzvah Stories for the Whole Family

“It’s not so easy to know what is right or how to be a righteous person in this complicated world. If someone tells us how to live, we might not want to listen…but if they tell us a good story, we can come to the truth for ourselves. New Mitzvah Stories for the Whole Family is a powerful, sweet and touching collection of teaching stories that help us to find our love and know our own truth.”
--Rabbi Shefa Gold, author of The Magic of Hebrew Chant: Healing the Spirit, Transforming the Mind, Deepening Love

"These uplifting tales of magic and wonder reveal the power, heart, and soul of Jewish values. The study guide is also brilliantly conceived.”
--Rabbi Wayne Dosick, author of Living Judaism and The Real Name of God

“A vibrant, inclusive new generation of Jewish folklore and fantasy"
--Maggie Anton, author of the award-winning Rashi's Daughters and Rav Hisda's Daughter series

“A wonderful collection of diverse new stories to spark the imagination!”
--Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of Midrash: Reading the Bible with Question Marks

“Sharing these tales is a sure-fire formula for raising a mensch!"
--Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox, President, NewCaje