Janice Cohn

Looking out her bedroom window at the rosebush in her backyard, Molly thought back to the day, earlier in the year, when she came home from school to find that her father was (atypically) already there, and that her mother was upstairs resting. Her parents gently explained to her that the baby they had all been expecting was too weak to be born, and that she wasn't going to become (at least for now) an older sister. Molly's parents gently answered her questions - why had this happened? where show more did the baby go? would they ever have a new baby? - and the next day her grandmother arrived for a visit, providing another adult with whom Molly could talk things through. Eventually, as a means to make her mother feel better, Molly and her grandmother hit upon the idea of planting a rosebush...

After recently reading Evelyne Fournier's Mama Bird Lost an Egg, a French-Canadian picture-book that somewhat unsuccessfully addresses the experience of miscarriage, I went looking for other children's books which discuss this topic. They are few and far between, which I think is a shame, given that many children must have had this experience in their own families, and must surely have feelings about the matter. I have read and enjoyed one other book - The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate - from author Janice Cohn, so I was curious to see what she would do with this story. Cohn is a psychotherapist with many years experience treating child patients, and her four-page introduction for parents will prove very helpful, I would imagine. She makes the point that children's reactions will vary, and that they should be allowed to set the pace, when it comes to sharing or not sharing their feelings. She also points out that children who had ambivalent or negative feelings about getting a new sibling - a theme often explored in the world of picture-books - may feel guilty, as if their feelings somehow contributed to the miscarriage. This particularly struck me, as it is something that also occurred to me, in relation to this topic. The story itself here is gentle and engaging, and while it might not capture every child's reaction to such a loss in the family, it does highlight that it is natural to have deep feelings about the subject. The accompanying artwork from illustrator Gail Owens, whose work I know from such titles as Sydney Taylor's Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family, was lovely. Although this is not a book I would recommend to a wide readership, given its topic, it is one that I think could be helpful, for those readers seeking children's stories addressing miscarriage and its emotional aftermath in a family. show less

When skinheads throw a rock through his bedroom window one December night, young Isaac Schnitzer is confused and afraid. "Why have we been singled out?" he asks, and his parents explain that it is because they are Jewish, and choose to celebrate Hannukah by displaying menorahs in their windows. Across town, Isaac's Christian friend and schoolmate, Teresa Hanley, discusses the incident with her family, and, inspired by the story of how the Danish people rescued their Jewish neighbors from the show more Nazis, they decide to act...

This true story of how the people of one town - Billings, Montana - acted to oppose hatred and bigotry one holiday season, hanging paper menorahs in their windows en-masse, moves me to tears every time I read it. Accompanied by Bill Farnsworth's luminous winter scenes, The Christmas Menorahs offers a powerful meditation on the possibilities for tolerance and peace. While this beautiful tale is not about the holiday of Christmas itself, it has always struck me that it perfectly embodies that love which is the best and highest manifestation of the Christian faith, and the "Christmas Spirit." show less

This beloved and inspiring children's book, now updated and expanded for a new generation, recounts the true story of how an American town took a stand against hate and antisemitism during the holiday season of 1993.

When a rock is thrown through a young Jewish child's bedroom window in Billings, Montana, the entire community unites, working together to take action. Their response, inspired by the rescue of the Danish Jews 50 years earlier, shows how love and courage can conquer hate.

This show more expanded 30th anniversary edition includes additional material on the events in Billings, including interviews and a discussion guide, and invites us all to be upstanders in the face of injustice. At a time of division and incivility in our country, with the alarming rise of antisemitism and other forms of bigotry, true stories like The Christmas Menorahs are needed more than ever to show children and adults alike what our "better angels" can achieve.

-Amazon description show less

The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate by Janice Cohn, D.S.W. Epiphany-OviedoELCA library section 9 C: Juvenile (gr. K-5), Holidays/Church Year. It was Hanukkah in Billings, Montana in 1993. Someone threw a stone through the window of Isaac Schnitzer’s house where a lit Hanukkah menorah, or candelabra, was displayed. People had meetings to discuss what happened, and noted that African-Americans and Native Americans were also targets of hatred and vandalism. They came up with a show more plan. They remembered that in the Nazi era King Christian of Denmark wore a yellow star on his coat to signal solidarity with the Jews. The people of Billings used the same method – instead of taking down Hanukkah decorations to protect themselves, everyone in the city – Christians, Jews, agnostics – displayed menorahs that had been printed by the schools and city newspaper, which children colored and hung in their windows. In the end Mrs. Schnitzer tells her son, Isaac, “You know, honey, hate can make a lot of noise. Love and courage are usually quieter. But in the end, they’re the strongest.”
A foreword explains what actually happened in Billings, while an afterword says that the people of Billings continued to fight against the acts of hatred, and slowly but surely the acts began to stop. The townspeople told each other this was a gift they had given themselves.
Our children begin to recognize injustice in elementary school. They can be outraged by it and will often demand to know why adults don’t work to change it. Through this true story, young readers have a chance to confront hatred, prejudice, bullying and vandalism – in safety and security. Books like this help us to confront our fears and work out what we believe without actually having to go through such dangerous situations ourselves. This book shows how the inhabitants of one city united to make it more just, compassionate, and reverent.
The illustrations are first-rate; they express the chilly darkness of a long Billings winter (and the cold hate that existed there), juxtaposed with the coziness of hot food shared around family dinner tables, and with the light from flickering menorah candles and Christmas tree lights. show less