JCC Association's Early Childhood Curriculum Project 'This New Month'

For Children

During the month of Sivan, we celebrate the festival of Shavuot. The books listed here are meant to help you to explore this holiday with your students.

Eyewitness Books - Plant By David Burnie (1989). Published by Alfred A. Knopf, NY.

Shavuot is an agricultural holiday. It is also called Chag Ha-Bikkurim, Holiday of the First Fruits. This book has magnificent photographs of plants, including the "seven species" we bring as part of the first fruits - wheat, barley, figs, pomegranates, grapes, olives, and dates.

Journeys With Elijah: Eight Tales of the Prophet by Barbara Diamond Goldin and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (1999). Published by Gulliver Books.

Shavuot is a spiritual time. We left Egypt seeking not only the freedom from slavery, but also the freedom to worship our G-d. We received the Ten Commandments and became the Jewish people. These stories about Elijah take place throughout time and in countries all over the world. They remind us to strive to do mitzvot every day - you never know when you might meet Elijah.

The Kingdom of Singing Birds by Miriam Aroner and Shelley O. Haas (1993). Published by Kar Ben Copies, Maryland.

This is not strictly a Shavuot story, but a beautiful folktale about birds and the glorious music they sing once they attain their freedom from a king’s birdcage.

What is the Full Moon Full Of? by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim; illustrations by Cyd Moore. Published by Bantam Doubleday Dell.

It is a custom to stay up all night and study the night before Shavuot. There is even a Midrash story that says that G-d opens the heavens at midnight on Shavuot to give us a glimpse of the universe. This book inspires discussions about the moon, with animals suggesting different possibilities. No definitive answer is given, but is left open ended for continued dialogue.

For Early Childhood Educators

There are some great Web sites which provide background information about the month of Sivan and Shavuot. Here are a few suggested sites:

www.holidays.net/shavuot

This site, "Shavuot on the Net" provides clear information about the history and traditions related to Shavuot and information about the receipt of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. This site, produced by Holidays on the Web (www.holidays.net), is sponsored by the Jewish Post of New York online (www.jewishpost.com) and Studio Melizo (www.melizo.com).

www.orthodoxunion.com/chagim

This site, hosted by the Orthodox Union, provides background information about the month of Sivan and Shavuot in a very clear manner. This site also provides useful background information about Rosh Chodesh and the Jewish months and holidays.