The Secret Seder, by Doreen Rappaport, is a touching book based on real stories of events which we know happened during the Holocaust. While this exact story did not happen, it allows children to think about what their religion means to them as they read about what it is like to have to hide your religion and customs from everyone. In the story, a young boy and his father along with the rest of the family, pretend to be Catholic to hide from Hitler during the war years. The young boy and his father climb high into the mountains where they join other Jews in hiding to celebrate the Seder. The young boy has studied the Four Questions, and recites them when it is time. But the older men ask new questions comparing their situation to the slaves who fled from Pharaoh. They finally finish the ceremony and hope they will celebrate the next Seder in Jerusalem.
The descriptive narrative provides an adequate picture of the foods which are eaten each Seder and there is a glossary that explains the meal in further detail. A very simple lesson plan that looks at the Seder can be found here!
TITLE:
The Secret Seder
AUTHOR:
Doreen Rappaport
COPYRIGHT: 2005
PAGES: 40
TYPE: fiction, Holocaust narrative
AR LEVEL: 3.9
RECOMMEND: This book would be especially good for students familiar with the Jewish Seder, but certainly could be read by children in grades 2-4.
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