This is the best possible resource for parents of new baby girls who want to welcome them in a Jewish way. I found it extremely helpful. My wife and I felt somewhat confused, unsure of how to put a welcoming ceremony together for our new daughter, and this book took us through the process, step-by-step. It has an incredibly wide selection of readings, poems, blessings, prayers and songs from which to choose. Now we also give it as a baby gift to every new parent of baby girls we know.

The introduction opens with, "Mazal Tov, You've Had a Baby Girl!" Everybody is familiar with a bris, or brit milah circumcision ceremony -- and in current practice, a festive celebration, for healthy baby boys on their eighth day after birth. But what do you do when you have a daughter? What are they, chopped liver? Since the early 1970's, some Jewish parents have been celebrating their daughters in original ways (Ezrat Nashim published the first ceremonies in 1977, and the havurah and renewal movements wrote about theirs starting around 1973). Debra Nussbaum Cohen, a resident of Park Slope Brooklyn, and mother who has known the joy of birth and the pain of loss, has created this essential guide to new and traditional ceremonies with which to welcome your new daughter to the world, the covenant, and the Jewish people. It will be a welcome addition to your Jewish bookshelf and your life. Consider this: what you create today will be a "tradition" for your descendants! Cohen started collecting organic Simchat Bat ceremonies when she was pregnant with her first child. For your Simchat Bat ceremony and celebration, she includes readings, poems, specialized readings for adoptions, blessings, prayers (in Hebrew, English transliterations and translations), history, songs, and rituals. It is an inclusive book that has sample ceremonies also crafted for adherents to traditional Orthodoxy, traditional Sephardic rite, contemporary rites, contemporary Orthodox, humanism, and modren mikveh rites. Part One consists of about two dozen pages that introduce you to welcoming ceremonies and Jewish tradition, including the idea of covenant, brit milah, the custom of gomel, and that of a new father being called to the Torah to recite blessings, announce the birth, and pray for his wife's recovery. Part Two consists of about four dozen pages on seriously practical considerations for your ceremony. It includes chapters on how to involve your non-Jewish loved ones or spouse, if necessary (through acknowledgement and readings); what to do in cases of adoption and cross-cultural adoption (remember, Moses was an adopted child, and Mordechai was probably an adoptive parent); and gay and lesbian parenthood. Part Three focuses on planning the event, creating programs, sanctifying the space, and deciding when to have the Simchat Bat (eighth day, 30th day, etc.). Part Four contains over 150 pages of sample ceremonies, and hundreds of readings and elements from which you can pick and choose. It includes selections for welcoming, naming, prayers of thanksgiving, parental blessings, acrostics, psalms, readings for relatives and friends, blessings for wine and bread, and rituals for brit nerot (light), brit mikvah (immersion), brit rechitzah (footwashing/handwashing), brit tallit (enfolding her into the covenant), brit kehillah (community), brit melach, and brit havdalah (transitions). The book succeeds so well, one wishes all the babies were girls (or maybe some things can be borrowed for future boys).

I initially bought this book for friends with a newborn daughter. However, on the long flight home I began to read it for myself and was instantly taken in by the well-constructed and detailed case the author brings forth. The celebration of birth is a magnificent and unique experiece and should be shared by all in a special way regrdless of the child's gender. This book goes a long way to giving the reader many ideas that are delightful and inspiring without being 'new-agey'or 'preachy'. I highly recommend this read to anyone who has a baby daughter, baby boy, or no baby at all. This is an essential read for exploring modern ideas in traditional ceremony.

Winner of the Publishers Weekly "Best Book" award, A Prayer For The Earth: The Story Of Naamah, Noah's Wife is a gentle and entertaining children's picturebook retelling of the story of Noah's Ark... but from the perspective of Noah's wife! The engaging text by Sandy Esignberg Sasso is enhanced with simple yet brightly colored paintings by Bethanne Anderson in this wonderful and recommended story of survival, love, and faith in God.

I bought this book as church librarian for inclusion in our library. I was looking for any books about women in the Bible, especially ones who took progressive, independent steps to obey God and save the world. War is not the only way to save civilization. Noah's wife is never named in the Bible as far as I know, (she's not Joan of ARK!), so I found it a comfort and pleasure to read about the woman who helped save humankind and is never mentioned much in the story of the flood. She certainly had a lot to do to get ready for this flood--she didn't just sit on her noodle as the Bible seems to imply. In this story Noah's wife, Naamah, is put in charge by God of saving samples of every sort of seed, plant, shrub and tree that grows on the earth. Only through her can the assurance of a green earth be fulfllled. I really like this idea. The illustrations are lovely, freely done and colorful, often slanted in such as way as to give movement to the story. The feeling they give is, "be thorough, but hurry, a storm's on the way! If you do your job your precious earth will be saved!" On each page is a little logo from the previous page of the story to create continuity. This is a further nice touch. I would suggest this book to you if you are looking for Bible stories about girls and women for your own boy or girl, if you are interested in enviormental issues or science issues especially as they apply to girls. Here Naamah is definitely seen as a botanist obeying God's call. A nice book from Jewish Lights publishing. If the author reads this review could she tell us where she found the information for the story. Perhaps she found it in Jewish literature or folklore not readily available to Christians. Just wondering. I found it a delightful book which can give girls a reason to be proud of their religious heritage and their struggle to assume a rightful place in it, whatever creed they follow. Great job, Sandy Sasso!

There are any number of books which are designed to help you plan the logistics of a bar/bat mitzvah. This book's main purpose, however, is not to be a party planning guide. Instead, this book reaffirms the important commitment a bar/bat mitzvah makes to Judism. A party is fine but truly connecting with God, our people and our ancestors is what the experience is all about. The bar/bat mitzvah experience is explored in a very spiritual, meanful way but not necessarily from the orthodox standpoint. Indeed, the authors are non orthodox. I recommend this book to all who wish to make the bar/bat mitzvah a meaningful means to grow as a Jew rather than as an end in itself.

This book should be read by every parent whose child is approaching bar/bat mitzvah. Too often, the significance of the occasion is lost in the "big party". This book focuses on what is important about the bar/bat mitzvah-about accepting responsibilities such as study and performing mitzvot, about the service and about keeping the celebration in perspective. It focuses on the spiritual as it should and helps pull away from the social aspects that often overwhelm the true meaning of bar/bat mitzvah.

Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is a gifted writer, and once again has written a book that is beautifully done and inspirational. The book is timely, in that it tells about the destructiveness of anger but also the reality of hope. I recommend this book for all ages. It's a wonderful way to teach children but also to teach adults about the ramifications of their actions.

The first thing that I loved about this book was it's title. Who has not heard or used the phrase: "for heaven sake". Several weeks ago, my father passed away and I have been searching for the perfect book to read to my child about where her grandfather went. For Heaven Sake, follows a young boy on his journey to learn about heaven (a place where everyone tells him, his grandfather is). This book is written in a gentle and caring way, that helps both the child and adult cope with the very challenging and difficult subject of death. It answers the most common questions that children ask. The illustrations and content of the story kept my child's attention. I enjoy reading it to her and feel my own sense of comfort with knowing that my father is in heaven. It has become one of her favorite books at bedtime. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has children that have suffered a loss of a loved one or who one day might. It is an excellent book to have around.

Sandy tells the tale of village with no roads or windows. Thepeople think that God is miss and find God and then they would haveroads and windows. So the send two people who have windows in their homes to find God. They search and search but don't find God, but the people change and realize in the building of roads and windows that God is everywhere. This story can be love by all but I feel works very well with older children and youth. Great pictures also.

This fable about the Kingdom of Midnight, which had plenty of water but no oil to light lamps, and the Kingdom of the Desert, which sparkled with light but had no water to grow gardens, is based on a Hasidic tale. The stubborn Prince and Princess who rule the kingdoms are unable to come together, and they turn into lonely mountains which whisper like the summer rain and the desert wind. It takes the humble boy who keeps the royal crane and the humble girl who keeps the royal ostrich, to see what the other needs and how much they have to offer. They bring the kingdoms together so that everyone has what they need. A beautiful story of sharing and interdependence, beautifully illustrated.

I used the God's Paintbrush Celebration Kit to help plan the programming for a synagogue retreat. It offered great ideas for helping the religious concepts in the book come alive. The hands-on style is very engaging.

Characters in the book share their name for God and in the end they all learn that God's specific name is not so important as their being respectful of each other's choices for God's name. Children and adults should enjoy this book. The illustrations are wonderful and the story is simple, yet very meaningful. This would be a great gift to share with friends of different faiths: a good way to let someone know that you are not prejudiced agianst their religious belief system...

I have four godchildren and have given each of them a copy of this book. The pictures are lovely, the story is poignant and the message is loving and true. I highly recommend this book and it will surely become a favorite for the child/godchild in your life.

I used this book for a Children's Sermon at our church on Mother's day. The children couldn't get close enough when I began reading. Most of the adults in the congregation were as entranced as the children.
Beautifully written and richly illustrated this is a book to share with family and friends.
What an excellent way to help children learn (and remind adults) that there are countless names for God.