SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Rembrandt Chooses a Queen
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://bodincohenbooks.com/
CITY: Rockville
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME: SATA 314
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1968, in Columbia, MD; married Dave Cohen (a journalist); children: Arianna, Jesse, Ezra.
EDUCATION:University of Michigan, B.A. (English; with honors), 1990; Hebrew Union College, ordained, 1997.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Rabbi, writer, and editor. Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington, DC, legislative assistant; Advocacy Institute, Washington, DC, former program associate; Beth Shalom, Cary, NC, rabbi and education director, 1997-2000; Temple Emanuel, Cherry Hill, NJ, rabbi for lifelong education, 2000-10; Har Shalom, Potomac, MD, director of congregational learning, 2010—??; Beth Chai, Bethesda, MD, rabbi, currently in 2025; Behrman House Publishing, editor, 2023-. Member, City of Rockville, MD, Human Rights Commission, 2015.
AWARDS:Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book designation, Association of Jewish Libraries, 2005, for The Seventh Day; National Jewish Book Award for Family Literature, and Notable Book for Teens selection, American Library Association, both 2006, both for Lilith’s Ark; Notable Book for Younger Readers selection, Association of Jewish Libraries, 2007, for Papa Jethro; Sydney Taylor Honor Book selection, 2008, for Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride; National Jewish Book Award finalist, Sugarman Award, and Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor Book selection, all 2009, all for Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim; Natalia Twersky Educator Award, Jewish Women’s Archives, 2014; Sydney Taylor Book Award, Association of Jewish Libraries, 2025, for An Etrog from Across the Sea (cowritten by Kerry Olitzky).
RELIGION: Jewish.WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
An ordained rabbi and educator in the Reform Judaism tradition, Deborah Bodin Cohen is also the author of books that share faith-based stories with new generations. “Through my Jewish picture books and Jewish novels, I hope to share the traditions and joy of Judaism and to foster a love of Jewish literature,” Cohen noted on her website. The Seventh Day, her retelling of the creation story, was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book in 2005 and marked the start of Cohen’s second career as an author for children. In the years since, she has produced several other picture books as well as engaging older readers with Lilith’s Ark: Teenage Tales of Biblical Women. Reviewing The Seventh Day, a Publishers Weekly critic wrote that “Cohen’s text expresses a joyous mood of appreciating wonders provided by God and … giving thanks for such gifts,” while in School Library Journal Amy Lilien-Harper recommended the prayerful story to parents in both “Reform and Conservative Jewish communities.”
Cohen celebrates a well-known Jewish holiday in Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story. Because Nachshon is the son of Egyptian slaves, he is raised to expect to spend his life in service. However, Moses’s talk of giving freedom to the Jewish slaves of Pharaoh’s kingdom inspires the boy. Following the older man in his flight from Egyptian troops, Nachshon reaches the shores of a vast body of water that threatens to block their escape. As revealed in the Torah, his total belief in Moses’s words allows Nachshon to be the first to follow the prophet into the parting waters and across the ocean floor to safety. Praising the “stylized art” contributed by illustrator Jago, a Kirkus Reviews writer described Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim as “a stirring tale of courage and faith.” In Publishers Weekly, a contributor also recommended the picture book, writing that Cohen shifts “the Exodus story to a personal scale without robbing it of significance.”
Cohen teams up with artist Shahar Kober in creating a trio of books featuring a train engineer living in nineteenth-century Israel. Based on an actual incident that took place in 1892, Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride finds Engineer Ari guiding the first train from Jaffa to the holy city of Jerusalem only days before the Jewish New Year, although he regrets the way he departed from his friends in his home city. Along the route, Ari stops the train to load the food that will be used during Jerusalem’s Rosh Hashanah celebration, learning a valuable lesson about the true meaning of the holiday along the way. In School Library Journal Rachel Kamin praised Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashana Ride as a “delightful” story that comes to life in “cheerful illustrations” that capture the historical setting “with nostalgia and charm.”
Preparations for other holidays play out in a similar fashion in other stories by Cohen. In Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express, the engineer joins friends Jesse and Nathaniel to construct a sukkah in preparation for their Sukkot celebration, using a train car to share this creation with new friends and old. A camel on the train tracks threatens to delay Ari’s arrival at home for end-of-the-year festivities in Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap, although the unplanned stop leads to a new friendship with the creature’s Bedouin owner. Cohen’s “easy, flowing text with patterned repetitive phrases” makes the second “Engineer Ari” book a “smooth, predictable” story-hour selection, according to a Kirkus Reviews writer, while a Publishers Weekly critic recommended Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap as an “imaginative” tale that will capture the interest of “train-loving children.”
In Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush a train trip to Jerusalem allows Engineer Ari to find the things necessary for his family’s Seder meal. Hoping to keep the train on schedule, he is aided by his many friends, all who contribute a needed ingredient from their garden, orchard, kitchen or farmyard. A stop at the city butcher completes his shopping, and he returns home to Jaffa exhausted but ready to begin holiday preparations. Citing Shahar Kober’s “winsome retro-style” artwork in Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush, a Kirkus Reviews writer added that “nostalgia, companionship and cooperation are emphasized in the simple text” of Cohen’s story. Noting that the series’ “railroad theme has universal appeal,” Heidi Estrin also enjoyed Kober’s “loose, cartoon” illustrations and recommended the story as “useful for Judaica collections.”
Winner of a National Jewish Book Award for Family Literature, Lilith’s Ark collects several stories based on the bible and detailing the challenges that faced Jewish women such as Lilith, Eve, Sarah, Rachel, Leah, Tamar, Rebekah, and Asenath. Along with each story, Cohen includes appropriate selections from the Hebrew Bible and augments each story with historical information and discussion questions that highlight the universal aspects of each young woman’s unique challenge. Praised by Kliatt critic Maureen Griffin as “beautifully written,” Lilith’s Ark “speaks of heroism and creative spirit in a way that is attractive and encouraging,” the critic added.
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In recent years, Cohen has collaborated with author and fellow rabbi Kerry Olitzky on several children’s books. An Etrog from the Sea, a picture book about two children waiting for their father to return with a promised etrog cup for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, won the 2025 Sydney Taylor Book Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries.
Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Champion Gymnast Ágnes Keleti was another collaboration between Cohen and Olitzky. This is a book geared for emerging readers that tells the story of Ágnes Keleti, a famous Hungarian gymnast who had to go into hiding during World War II. Keleti was Jewish, and Nazi troops had entered the Hungarian city of Budapest. She was able to survive with the help of fake identity papers, and she later had great success at the 1952 Olympics. Martina Peluso’s illustrations help bring the story to life.
“A stirring expression of the triumph of the human spirit,” wrote a reviewer in Kirkus Reviews. They called it an “inspiring tale” and predicted that “young people will eagerly cheer [Keleti] on.” They also enjoyed the “energetic” and “stylized” illustrations. In Booklist, Miriam Aronin praised the book as “engaging” and an “inspiring and fascinating biography.” Aronin did note that the story’s complexity might make it better for elementary-age readers rather than toddlers despite being a picture book. A contributor in Publishers Weekly wrote that the illustrations “capture the difficulty of the period with pathos, adding emotional heft to this remarkable life story.”
Rembrandt Chooses a Queen, another collaboration with Olitzky, is a picture book about the famous painter Rembrandt trying to create a painting about Queen Esther. The model he has hired is unfortunately too vain to play the humble queen, but his assistant Samuel suggests that his sister Isabel would be a perfect model (readers familiar with the biblical story of Queen Esther will recognize parallels to Cohen and Olitzky’s story). Cinzia Battistel mimics Rembrandt’s use of earth tones in creating the book’s illustrations. A writer in Kirkus Reviews appreciated how the story provides a suitable introduction to Rembrandt for young readers as well as telling an “uplifting historical tale.”
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 1, 2007, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Papa Jethro: A Story of Moses’ Interfaith Family, p. 72; September 1, 2008, Ilene Cooper, review of Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride, p. 103; September 19, 2011, review of Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap, p. 63; January, 2025, Miriam Aronin, review of Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Gymnast Agnes Keleti, p. 52.
Children’s Bookwatch, January, 2024, review of An Invitation to Passover.
Horn Book Guide, fall, 2015, Rachel L. Smith, review of Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush, p. 29
Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2009, review of Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story; July 15, 2010, review of Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express; September 1, 2011, review of Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap; February 1, 2015, review of Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush; June 1, 2017, review of Engineer Arielle and the Israel Independence Day Surprise; June 15, 2024, review of An Etrog from Across the Sea; January 15, 2025, review of Rembrandt Chooses a Queen.
Kliatt, January, 2007, Maureen Griffin, review of Lilith’s Ark: Teenage Tales of Biblical Women, p. 34.
Publishers Weekly, February 14, 2005, review of The Seventh Day, p. 78; December 22, 2008, review of Nachson Who Was Afraid to Swim, p. 51; July 12, 2010, review of Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express, p. 46; September 1, 2011, review of Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap; November 25, 2024, review of Twist, Tumble, Triumph, p. 53.
School Library Journal, August, 2005, Amy Lilien-Harper, review of The Seventh Day, p. 86; October, 2007, Rachel Kamin, review of Papa Jethro, p. 110; September, 2008, Rachel Kamin, review of Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride, p. 142; March, 2009, Rachel Kamin, review of Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim, p. 108; April, 2015, Heidi Estrin, review of Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush, p. 126.
ONLINE
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (August 12, 2024), Deborah Kalb, author interview.
Congregation Har Shalom website, http://www.harshalom.org/ (February 28, 2012), “Deborah Bodin Cohen.”
Deborah Bodin Cohen website, http://deborahbodincohen.com (August 6, 2025).
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deborah Bodin Cohen is an American writer and rabbi. Among other honors, she won a 2025 Sydney Taylor Book Award.
Cohen was born in 1968, in Columbia, Maryland. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan. In 1997, she was ordained at Hebrew Union College.[1]
Cohen is married and has at least one child.[1]
Awards
Awards for Cohen's writing
Year Work Award Result Ref.
2006 Seventh Day Sydney Taylor Book Award for Picture Book Notable [2]
2006 Lilith's Ark National Jewish Book Award for Family Literature Winner [3]
2007 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teen Reader Notable [2]
2008 Papa Jethro Sydney Taylor Book Award for Picture Book Notable [2]
2009 Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride Sydney Taylor Book Award for Picture Book Honor [2]
2010 Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim Sydney Taylor Book Award for Picture Book Honor [2]
2011 Engineer Air and the Sukkah Express Sydney Taylor Book Award for Picture Book Notable [2]
2025 An Etrog from Across the Sea Sydney Taylor Book Award for Picture Book Winner [4][5]
Publications
Picture books
Engineer Ari books
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2008). Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride. Illustrated by Shahar Kober. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8225-8650-0.[6]
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2010). Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express. Illustrated by Shahar Kober. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing. ISBN 978-0-761-35126-9.[7]
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2011). Engineer Ari and the Hanukkah Mishap. Illustrated by Shahar Kober. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing. ISBN 978-0-761-35146-7.[8]
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2015). Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush. Illustrated by Shahar Kober. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing. ISBN 978-1-467-73470-7.[9]
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2017). Engineer Arielle and the Israel Independence Day Surprise. Illustrated by Yael Kimhi Orrelle. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing. ISBN 978-1-512-42095-1.[10]
Standalone books
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2005). The Seventh Day: A Shabbat Story. Illustrated by Melanie Hall. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Pub. ISBN 978-1-580-13125-4.[11]
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2007). Papa Jethro. Illustrated by Jane Dippold. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Pub. ISBN 978-1-580-13252-7.[12]
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2009). Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story. Illustrated by Jago. Kar-Ben Pub. ISBN 978-0-822-58764-4.[13]
Olitzky, Kerry M.; Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2023). An Invitation to Passover. Illustrated by Mariia Kolker. Moosic: Kalaniot Books. ISBN 979-8-9863965-0-7. OCLC 1345221874.[14][15]
Olitzky, Kerry M.; Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2023). The Sisters Z. Illustrated by Lena Tohoff. Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-960-37308-3.[16]
Cohen, Deborah Bodin; Cohen, Olitzky (2024). An Etrog from Across the Sea. Illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing. ISBN 979-8-7656-0449-6.[17][18]
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2025). Avi the Ambulance Goes to the Beach. Illustrated by CB Decker. Apples & Honey Press. ISBN 978-1-681-15667-5.
Cohen, Deborah Bodin; Olitzky, Kerry M. (2025). Claudia Said Sí!: The Story of Mexico's First Woman President. Illustrated by Carlos Velez Aguilera. Apples & Honey Press. ISBN 978-1-681-15713-9.
Cohen, Deborah Bodin; Olitzky, Kerry M. (2025). Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Champion Gymnast Ágnes Keleti. Illustrated by Martina Peluso. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben Publishing. ISBN 979-8-7656-5275-6.[19][20]
Olitzky, Kerry M.; Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2025). Rembrandt Chooses a Queen. Illustrated by Cinzia Battistel. Apples & Honey Press. ISBN 978-1-681-15682-8.[21]
Young adult books
Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2006). Lilith's Ark: Teenage Tales of Biblical Women. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 978-0-8276-0833-7.
Other
Olitzky, Kerry M.; Cohen, Deborah Bodin (2024). Heroes With Chutzpah: 101 True Tales of Jewish Trailblazers, Changemakers & Rebels. Ben Yehuda Press. ISBN 978-1-953-82961-0.[22]
Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for visiting my website and, especially, for reading my books. It is a great honor! When writing, I often think of you, my readers, and wonder how to best bring the story and characters from my imagination to the printed page so you can enjoy them. You’ve learned something about me through my books, but read on to learn a little more.
Learn about Deborah Bodin Cohen, author of award-winning books for children..
My Family
I grew up in Maryland and I live there now with my husband David, our three children, and our dog Indigo. My parents, sister, and nieces don’t live too far away so luckily we get to see each other a lot.
But between my childhood and now, I lived many places: California, Michigan, Jerusalem, New York, New Jersey and North Carolina. I like visiting new places. That’s one of the great things about writing. I get to learn about lots of different times and places. I hope that comes through in my books.
In addition to living lots of places, I’ve been lucky to have a rewarding and varied career. Let me tell you about it.
Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen, Jewish picture book author, leader services at Congregation Beth Chai.
I am a Rabbi
I am the rabbi of Beth Chai in Bethesda, Maryland. We’re a great small congregation with a big commitment to community, learning, and social justice. I was ordained in 1997 from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
My writing journey
I didn’t set out to be an author. Although I was an English major at University of Michigan, I never took a creative writing class. But during rabbinical school, I took a class on writing modern midrash, or Biblically-based stories. I loved it! And that got me started.
My first book, the Seventh Day, was published twenty years ago. Since then, I’ve been lucky to have over 20 more books published. I’ve won a National Jewish Book award and had several books chosen as PJ Library titles. I’ve even had books translated into Spanish and Russian.
My inspiration comes from many different sources: people I know, tidbits from history, Jewish texts. For example, my daughter Arianna loved vehicles as a young girl (she’s now a college graduate!) and her interests inspired me to write the first Engineer Ari book.
Author Deborah Bodin Cohen's child
And Today!
Books edited by Jewish author Deborah Bodin Cohen
I am an editor at Behrman House Publishing and our imprint Apples & Honey Press. I get to work with authors and illustrators all over the world to publish books for children and adults. It’s great fun and I love helping other authors get their stories ready for print. The picture to the left shows some of the books that I’ve worked on as an editor.
I also do a lot of my own writing. Often, I collaborate with a writing partner, Kerry Olitzky. He was a professor when I studied in rabbinical school and we reconnected years later to write together. Our strengths complement each other and enhance our writing.
I have several new projects coming out in the next couple of years. And I’m always thinking about new ideas to write. Check back for more details!
(Just one more thing . . . because it is a bit unusual)
Book trolley, the Story House, owned by author Deborah Bodin Cohen.
I once owned a book trolley
My interest in writing grew into a love of literature for young people. I had a dream of opening a children’s bookstore, but with a twist. I purchased and renovated a trolley bus into a bookstore and, for about five years, brought it to schools, synagogues, churches, farmer’s markets and more.
Monday, August 12, 2024
Q&A with Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky
Deborah Bodin Cohen
Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky are the authors of the new children's picture book An Etrog from Across the Sea. They are both rabbis who have written many previous books. Cohen lives in Rockville, Maryland, and Olitzky lives in North Brunswick, New Jersey.
Q: What inspired you to write An Etrog from Across the Sea, which focuses on the citrus fruit connected to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot?
Cohen: I am intrigued by Judaica from different time periods. I came across the picture of the etrog cup while doing research on another project. It was so intricate and beautiful and obviously valuable even back in the day. I liked how it made for a different purpose (mustard cup) but utilized for the holiday.
I began to research the family [in the book] and also the etrog trade at that time period. When I read that one uncle in the family had been taken by pirates, I began to wonder about the children in the family watching their father go to sea.
Kerry Olitzky
At some point, Kerry and I started talking about the etrog holder and the family. He was a perfect person to collaborate on this story - we often write together and he has a deep knowledge of American Jewish history. The history really drove the story, although it is highly fictionalized.
Olitzky: I have always been intrigued by Jewish practices and ritual items in colonial America, ever since being exposed to it by my teacher Jacob Rader Marcus, who was the dean of American Jewish history. We were looking for approaches to holiday stories that were out of the ordinary.
Moreover, the etrog has always held a particular fascination for me. Over the years, I always have tried to extend its so-called half life by connecting the holiday of Sukkot to other holidays.
Q: What do you think Stacey Dressen McQueen's illustrations add to the story?
Cohen: Her illustrations reflect the time period. She did as much research into the art of the period as we did into the story. The illustrations are creative and unique and really could not be used for any other story.
Olitzky: As in most picture books, authors have to write with word paintings so that the illustrator can illustrate the story. In this case, not only did the illustrations tell the story that we wrote, they also added to the story in beautifully aesthetic ways.
Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
Cohen: We mostly did research on the web, using both secular and Jewish historical sites. We researched a very wide range of topics from the family history to silverwork to even things like how stagecoaches operated from the New York City out to countryside.
I was really intrigued by the etrog trade at that time period. There were European etrogs that were considered far better quality than Caribbean ones and the rabbis of the time wrote responsa about which to choose.
Olitzky: The story could best be described as historical fiction. The characters were real. Where they lived and how they lived reflected what we learned about their lives.
We also looked more generally at the life of Jews during that period of time. Of particular interest was that the best etrogs of the period came from Corsica so that allowed us to write the story around them.
Q: How did the two of you collaborate on the book? What was your writing process like?
Cohen: We write often together and really complement each other's strengths. It involves a lot of passing the manuscript up and back and talking.
Olitzky: We have been writing together for several years. Sometimes we are in the same place but generally we write over zoom, over the phone, through Google docs and through email exchanges. We write and then edit one another's work. I always considered it the same as chevruta (collaborative) learning which brings out the best in both writing partners.
Q: What are you working on now?
Cohen: We wrote a book not so long ago about contemporary Jewish heroes. We are now working on some stand-alone picture books about some of those people.
We have a biography of gymnast Agnes Keleti coming out soon with Kar-Ben - she's is one of these personalities - and we have a picture book entitled "Rembrandt Chooses a Queen" coming out for next Purim with Apples and Honey Press.
Olitzky: We have several projects simultaneously underway, including a book about unusual Jewish facts--to be published by Behrman House/Apples and Honey Press and supported by an incentive grant from PJ Library--and a biography of Agnes Keleti (to be published by Kar Ben Books) and a biography of Yosef Yekuteli (to be published by Behrman House/Apples and Honey Press) and a Jewish Heroes alphabet book (to be published by Behrman House/Apples and Honey Press)
Q: Anything else we should know?
Cohen: A year ago, I began working as an editor at Behrman House/Apples and Honey Press.
Cohen, Deborah Bodin ENGINEER ARIELLE AND THE ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY SURPRISE Kar-Ben (Children's Fiction) $17.99 8, 1 ISBN: 978-1-5124-2094-4
A sister and brother celebrate Israel's Independence Day.Redheaded, white Arielle happily gets ready for her workday because it is a very special day: Yom Ha'Atzma'ut, Israel's birthday or Independence Day. Her brother Ezra is also getting ready to go to work. Arielle rides her scooter through the colorful streets of Jerusalem and thinks about her great-great-grandfather Ari, who was a conductor on a train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem over 100 years ago--and who celebrated Passover in Cohen's Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush (2015) and Sukkot in Engineer Ari and the Sukkah Express (2010), both illustrated by Shahar Kober. Arielle drives a very modern train, but before she starts out, she tapes a poster to the roof of the front car. Many people board the trains, including Arielle's friends, who want her to join in their activities, but she is going to celebrate with her brother. The train makes many stops in Jerusalem, and Arielle finally sees her brother flying overhead with the Israeli Air Force in planes that spell out "Israel" in their contrails. From his cockpit, Ezra can read the message that his sister has placed on the train--and it is no surprise on this holiday. Orrelle's bright and splashy art depicts a bevy of happy folk of a variety of skin colors. All is happy and peaceful on this springtime Israeli holiday. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-5)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Cohen, Deborah Bodin: ENGINEER ARIELLE AND THE ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY SURPRISE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A493329345/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f86aaa9c. Accessed 24 June 2025.
The Judaic Shelf
An Invitation to Passover
Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, author
Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen, author
Mariia Kolkjer, illustrator
Kalaniot Books
https://kalaniotbooks.com
9798986396507, $19.99, HC, 32pp
https://www.amazon.com/Invitation-Passover-Rabbi-Kerry-Olitzky/dp/B0B92RFZPT
Synopsis: When Hannah's extended family isn't able to join her for their traditional Passover seder, she invites her diverse group of friends to experience the holiday with her. From Ha-joon's Korean kimchi, to Monique's hymn lyrics, each friend brings a bit of their own culture to the celebration. And with each guest the themes of freedom, hope, and thanks become more meaningful. A note tells the Passover story and a glossary defines vocabulary.
Critique: The collaborative work of co-authors Rabbi Kerry Olitzky and Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen, and featuring the cheerful and charming illustrations of talented artist Mariia Kolkjer, "An Invitation to Passover" is a treasured and unreservedly recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, and community library Holiday picture book collections for children age 4-8. It should be noted for young readers with an interest in the Jewish sacred holiday of Passover that "An Invitation to Passover" is also available in a paperback edition (9798986396590, $11.99).
Editorial Note #1: Rabbi Kerry Olitzky was named one of the 50 leading rabbis in North America by Newsweek and is well-known for his inspiring books that bring the Jewish wisdom and tradition into everyday life. He has written over 75 books and hundreds of articles in a variety of fields. The Littlest Candle, A Hanukkah Story, written with his son, Rabbi Jesse Olitzky, was published by Kalaniot Books in 2020. In 2021, Kalaniot Books published The Candy Man Mystery. (Hometown: North Brunswick, NJ)
Editorial Note #2: Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen has written nine books for children and teens. She is rabbi at Beth Chai: the Jewish Humanist Congregation of Greater Washington and owner of the Story House, a bookstore for children and teens. She and her husband, David, a journalist, are joyfully raising three children--Arianna, Jesse and Ezra. (Hometown: Rockville, MD) Editorial Note #3: Mariia Kolker was born and raised in Moscow. She graduated from Moscow State University of Printing Arts and has been creating books as both an illustrator and an author ever since. Whenever she can, she visits her grandmother in Israel. (Hometown: Moscow, Russia)
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"The Judaic Shelf." Children's Bookwatch, Jan. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A783034117/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1421f53d. Accessed 24 June 2025.
Cohen, Deborah Bodin AN ETROG FROM ACROSS THE SEA Kar-Ben (Children's None) $19.99 8, 6 ISBN: 9798765604496
A Jewish family in colonial New York hopes Papa will come back in time for Sukkot.
In July 1729, Leah, Aaron, and Mama wait for Papa, a merchant currently on the island of Corsica, to return to their woodland homestead. The Jewish holidays are approaching, and Papa has promised to bring home an etrog, a citrus fruit resembling a bumpy lemon. (This fruit is one of four plants used to decorate a sukkah, a small hut built by observant Jews to celebrate Sukkot.) The family travels to Grandpapa Luis' elegant New York City home to await Papa's ship; it doesn't come. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur pass; still, Papa doesn't return. At last, Mama declares it's time they leave; she must run their business. Grandpapa Luis gives Leah a silver cup; she can put the etrog into it when Papa finally comes back. Back home, the family builds and decorates their sukkah and waits. The first night of Sukkot is especially joyous: Papa returns, bringing his promised bounty. This touching story, written by two rabbis, offers a glimpse into a lesser-known aspect of colonial America and celebrates the warmth of family togetherness. The authors' note explains that Grandpapa Luis is based on Luis Moises Gomez, a Sephardic Jewish colonial merchant and trader. The lovely, stylized illustrations expertly capture historical details and resemble delicate paintings on porcelain or needlework on embroidery samplers.
A homey, appealing holiday celebration. (Picture book. 5-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Cohen, Deborah Bodin: AN ETROG FROM ACROSS THE SEA." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A797463211/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=027d04b4. Accessed 24 June 2025.
Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Champion Gymnast Agnes Keleti
Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky, illus. by Martina Peluso.
Kar-Ben, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 979-8-7656-1977-3
The story of Hungarian Jewish Olympian Agnes Keleti (b. 1921) inspires in Bodin Cohen and Olitzky's chronicle of how the gymnast persisted throughout WWII. The story opens with Keleti, the Hungarian national champion, being told that a new law blocks Jewish athletes from training at the national team's gym. Undeterred, the protagonist and a teammate begin covertly practicing at a school: "doing tumbles and flips, she could forget about prejudice and the war." When Nazi forces arrive in Budapest, Keleti flees, doing housework for a Nazi-supporting family, and a field suffices as practice space. Postwar, an injury keeps Keleti from her Olympic dreams until finally, she wins a gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki games. With somber coloring and smooth lines, Peluso's painterly renderings capture the difficulty of the period with pathos, adding emotional heft to this remarkable life story. An author's note and photos conclude. Ages 5-9. (Feb.)
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"Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Champion Gymnast Agnes Keleti." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 45, 25 Nov. 2024, p. 53. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A818519127/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4f0cf49c. Accessed 24 June 2025.
* Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Champion Gymnast Agnes Keleti.
By Deborah Bodin Cohen and Kerry Olitzky.
Illus. by Martina Peluso.
Feb. 2025. 32p. Lerner/Kar-Ben, $18.99 (9798765619773).
K-Gr. 3. 796.44092.
Cohen and Olitzky have produced an engaging biography of Agnes Keleti, a Hungarian Jewish gymnast with a compelling life story, who is little known today. Wisely, the authors let their subject and the events of her life speak for themselves without too much commentary. Young readers (and perhaps their parents too) will be intrigued and inspired by this brave gymnast who was banned from training by the Nazis and survived WWII by hiding behind a false identity. Despite her struggles, Keleti never gave up her sport-- and continued to Olympic victory years later. Peluso's illustrations beautifully capture Keleti's contrasting moods and surroundings, from her joyful athleticism when practicing and competing in gymnastics to the darkness of the Nazi threat to herself and her family. Although this is a picture book, the overall level of complexity of the story and prominence of events from the Holocaust make it better suited to elementary-age readers than to very young children. An inspiring and fascinating biography for readers interested in sports, history, or simply a good story of resilience. A concluding author's note is paired with photos of Keleti practicing the uneven bars as a young woman and doing a split as a 95-year-old gymnastics coach.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 American Library Association
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Aronin, Miriam. "Twist, Tumble, Triumph: The Story of Champion Gymnast Agnes Keleti." Booklist, vol. 121, no. 9-10, Jan. 2025, p. 52. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A829739443/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fd40bda7. Accessed 24 June 2025.
Cohen, Deborah Bodin REMBRANDT CHOOSES A QUEEN Apples & Honey Press (Children's None) $19.95 1, 7 ISBN: 9781681156828
Rembrandt's apprentice finds a way to impress the master.
Samuel, a Jewish boy, aspires to more than cleaning brushes, but if he wants to paint, he'll have to work all day. Samuel can only work mornings, however; his father is the director of the yeshiva, and he insists that Samuel spend his afternoons studying. Papa thinks painting is "frivolous," though Samuel's older sister, Isabel, gently tells Papa that the boy has real talent. The next day, as Rembrandt poses models for a Purim-themed painting--what will becomeAhasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther--Samuel tells him that his proud, haughty Esther is unsuitable. Rembrandt agrees, and Samuel realizes that modest Isabel is the perfect candidate for Queen Esther. When Rembrandt meets Isabel and hears her motivation ("Esther is humble, faithful, and proud to be Jewish She's my hero"), he places a crown atop her head--and then invites Samuel to paint this section of the work. Even Papa is impressed--Samuel incorporates his yeshiva learning into the painting--and asks Rembrandt to come to the synagogue for Purim tonight. Written by two rabbis, this warm story gives readers an accessible introduction to the 17th-century artist, demonstrating his regard for Amsterdam's Jewish community; backmatter offers further information. Dominated by earth tones, Battistel's painterly images evoke Rembrandt's own work and capture the period well.
An uplifting historical tale exploring the intersection of art history and religion. (information on Purim, biography of Rembrandt)(Picture book. 6-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Cohen, Deborah Bodin: REMBRANDT CHOOSES A QUEEN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A823102392/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c2b3fea9. Accessed 24 June 2025.