Passover: Festival of Freedom is a must-have title, whether readers are already knowledgeable about the holiday’s history and rituals or learning about them for the first time. Raised as a secular Jew in a mostly Jewish suburb of Montreal, Polak’s mother, a Holocaust survivor, had little interest in religion after her ordeal. Though Polak often attended Passover seders at the home of a friend, her own family did not celebrate Jewish holidays. But in researching this book, Polak, author of nineteen novels for young people and a professor at Marianopolis College in Montreal, Quebec, spoke to dozens of people, Holocaust survivors as well as children, about what Passover means to them. In the process, she came to a profound understanding and appreciation of Jewish religion and history, and how it relates to her core beliefs.
Divided into four informative chapters, the one about Passover around the world includes a delightful story about an annual seder held in Nepal, now attended by one thousand people. One of the many interesting and fact-filled sidebars explains how an orange made its way onto the seder plate. Not surprisingly, in April 2015, Polak hosted her first Passover seder, and plans to make it an annual tradition. Making the book even more engaging are family photographs and recipes. A glossary, references and resources, and an index are also included.
Highly recommended for all ages.
Susan Kantor was a senior writer/editor for Girl Scouts of the USA, a children’s book editor, and a past judge for the National Jewish Book Awards in the illustrated children’s book category. She is a writer and a docent at the Rubin Museum in New York City, where she leads public and private tours.
