A Persian Passover [Hardcover]

Ezra and Roza are helping to prepare for their Passover celebration. Ezra is proud to be in charge of bringing his family's flour to the synagogue to be baked into matzah in a traditional wood-burning oven. But when Ezra makes a mistake and the matzah is ruined, what will he and his sister Roza, do? Join the siblings as they experience the sights, smells, sounds, and unique traditions of a seder in Iran of the 1950s.

Binding: Hardcover
Size: 11.41" x 0.3" x 8.8"
Pages: 32
Language: English
Reading age: 4 - 8 years
Grade level: Preschool - 3
Publisher: Kalaniot Books
ISBN-10: 1735087564
ISBN-13: 978-1735087566

A Persian Passover [Hardcover]
Written by: Etan Basseri
With illustrations by: Rashin Kheiriyeh

About the Author:
Etan Basseri was born and raised in Berkeley, California with a mix of Persian and Ashkenazi Jewish customs. He now lives in Seattle with his wife and children, where he is always responsible for making the Passover charoset. This is his first book.

Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2—While racing home with the family's matzoh for Passover, Ezra trips and all of the unleavened bread lands in a puddle. He and his younger sister, Roza, try to purchase more in the market, but with the Jewish holiday starting shortly, all of the vendors are sold out. The children arrive home with their heads hanging low, until their friendly and generous neighbor Mrs. Pirnazar offers to share her matzoh with them. When they find out that she will be spending the holiday alone, they invite her to join their family for the Passover seder. Delightful collage illustrations dominated by red, beige, and turquoise playfully depict a Jewish family in 1950s Iran. Roza helps her mother make the unique Persian charoset salad for the seder (the recipe is appended), and the family enjoys their meal sitting on the floor with all of the ritual food and items beautifully arranged on the sofreh (fabric). Readers will almost smell the parsley, mint, tarragon, and dill wafting through the bustling market. An author's note with additional information about Passover and the Jews of Persia is included, along with a helpful glossary of Hebrew and Persian terms. With so many picture books portraying the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe and North America, this lovely new offering, along with Barbara Diamond Goldin's A Persian Princess, celebrates the diversity of Jewish culture and observance around the world, as well as illustrating the Jewish value of welcoming guests. VERDICT A welcome addition to the holiday bookshelf.—Rachel Kamin
Review
"While racing home with the family's matzoh for Passover, Ezra trips and all of the unleavened bread lands in a puddle. He and his younger sister, Roza, try to purchase more in the market, but with the Jewish holiday starting shortly, all of the vendors are sold out. The children arrive home with their heads hanging low, until their friendly and generous neighbor Mrs. Pirnazar offers to share her matzoh with them. When they find out that she will be spending the holiday alone, they invite her to join their family for the Passover seder. Delightful collage illustrations dominated by red, beige, and turquoise playfully depict a Jewish family in 1950s Iran. Roza helps her mother make the unique Persian charoset salad for the seder (the recipe is appended), and the family enjoys their meal sitting on the floor with all of the ritual food and items beautifully arranged on the sofreh (fabric). Readers will almost smell the parsley, mint, tarragon, and dill wafting through the bustling market. An author's note with additional information about Passover and the Jews of Persia is included, along with a helpful glossary of Hebrew and Persian terms. With so many picture books portraying the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe and North America...celebrates the diversity of Jewish culture and observance around the world, as well as illustrating the Jewish value of welcoming guests." -- Rachel Kamin, Reviewer - School Library Journal, February 11, 2022

"A Persian Passover will be a perfect source of learning and discussion in classrooms and homes, amongst kids of any background. I highly recommend this lively, diverse addition to the literature for children...and for everyone!"

-- Briget Hodder, Reviewer - Sydney Taylor Shmooze / Association of Jewish Libraries, April 6, 2022

“A Persian Passover shares the distinct sights and traditions of the Iranian Jewish community…” -- Leah F. Finkelshteyn, Senior Editor - Hadassah Magazine, March 2022

A PERSIAN PASSOVER is…a coherent, beautiful and easy-to-read children’s book. One of the most striking aspects of A PERSIAN PASSOVER are the deliciously vibrant and colorful illustrations…

-- Tabby Refael, Reviewer - Jewish Journal, April 8, 2022

Ezra and Roza help their family prepare for Passover in 1950s Iran. Ezra's most important job is to take his family's flour to the matzah bakers in the synagogue courtyard. As he and his sister watch, the baker's pour in water, mix, knead, and bake the flour into matzah, in well under the 18-minute halachic requirement. The package of matzah in hand, they set out for home, but when Ezra tries to make it back in record time, he trips and falls, dropping his matzah in a puddle of water. Distraught, the children search the market for any vendor who might be selling matzah. With Passover looming, they receive scallions (to hit each other during Dayenu!), candied almonds (for an extra sweet holiday), but no matzah. Worried and upset, they stand outside their home wondering how to tell their parents that there will be no matzah this year. Their neighbor, Mrs. Pirnazar, walks by wishing them a Moadim Shalom (a happy holiday), and learns of their plight. Immediately she offers them her matzah, as she will be “celebrating alone this year.” The children invite her to share the Passover seder with their family. Vibrant and colorful illustrations, in a primitive style, bring this story to life. The seder “table,” an ornate sofreh, a cloth on which food is served, is carefully detailed and beautifully decorated with all the symbols of the holiday. The back of the book contains a short description of Passover, a glossary of the Hebrew and Persian words used throughout the text, a narrative about Jews in Persia, and a recipe for Hallaq, Persianstyle charoset. Filled with wonderful facts about an Iranian seder, this is a charming Passover story for young people and their families, and a rare look at a segment of Sephardic Jewish life. A great addition to the Passover shelf for home, school, synagogue, and public libraries. -- Kathy Bloomfield - Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews, July/August 2022 Vol 111, No. 1

“A PERSIAN PASSOVER gives today's readers a glimpse into the lives of Persian Jews as they prepared for Passover…The illustrations, with their deep, rich colors and carefully chosen details, suggest a vibrant, Middle Eastern world inhabited by a warm and caring community. Extensive backmatter includes information about the holiday, a rendering of a seder plate filled with traditional foods, a glossary of Hebrew and Persian terms, a capsule history of Persian Jewry, and a recipe for Persian-style charoset, a sweet mixture that is one of the seder plate delicacies. The art, the historical background, and the easily relatable story of good-natured, but lively, children combine to give this picture book a special appeal.” -- Michal Hoschander Malen - Jewish Book Council, April 11, 2022