The Secret Shofar of Barcelona by Jacqueline Greene

Greene, Jacqueline Dembar The Secret Shofar of Barcelona, illustrated by Doug Chayka. Kar-Ben (Lerner), 2009. $7.95. PICTURE BOOK. At the height of the Spanish Inquisition, a young boy has the courage to blow the shofar, a Jewish instrument, during his father’s concert in secret celebration of Rosh Hashanah. Loosely based on a legend told by Spain’s conversos, Jews who pretended to be Catholics, this is none-the-less a good tale about the courage and ingenuity that the Jews used to keep their religion in defiance of Spain’s terrible laws. It would be good for a Jewish family to own, but also for a class learning about Jewish history or holidays. EL – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher.