A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions: Holidays--Feasts--Fasts - Tapa dura

Israel is a melting pot that other freedom loving nations can truly envy. With so many people from so many lands rediscovering the home of their forefathers, a tidal wave of different Jewish customs has found its way to the Promised Land. What happens to these customs? Are they integrated into the Israeli culture? Do immigrants cast away their customs upon arrival? Or are immigrants able to retain the customs of their fathers while fitting into the mainstream “Israeli” culture?Esther Shklaim, in her book, A Mosaic of Israel’s Traditions: Unity through Diversity (Devora Publishing, October, 2006), finds the answers to these questions and more. The young people interviewed for this book explain the Jewish holiday customs as practiced in their family’s country of origin. They reveal how immigrating to Israel has impacted these ancient traditions.A Mosaic of Israel’s Traditions: Unity through Diversity, filled with over 200 illustrations, is a masterpiece that brings to life the unique flavor of the Jewish holiday experience across the world. The book shows the diversity of customs and traditions that have found their way to Israel. They reflect a flourishing Jewish history that is forming a cohesive Jewish future, as the Children of Israel return to their home.

Esther Shkalim is an acclaimed poet in Israel. She has a Masters' in Jewish Education from The University of Washington, and a PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is an instructor on art and heritage for the Israel Education Ministry, and founded the Center of Jewish Communities at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. Esther was born in Tehran, Iran, and moved to Israel with her family in 1958. She has seen the Persian traditions of her family change dramatically since their aliyah to Israel. "My father, for example, does everything in the house – washes dishes, sweeps, cooks – which would have been inconceivable when I was a girl." Esther lives in Ra'anana and has three grown children.