Virtual Shabbat (CD-ROM) Produced by the National Jewish Outreach Program

For the newcomer to Judaism, the Sabbath poses tremendous challenges. There are numerous rituals, a host of laws, and customs galore.

Virtual Shabbat helps fill the void. Three virtual rooms — the Kitchen, the Dining Room, and the Synagogue — introduce some basics of Sabbath observance. The graphics are not spectacular by any means, but they do get the point across. And the program is great for children too.

Of special interest is the included CD-ROM version of the National Jewish Outreach Program’s Hebrew Crash Reading Course. A viewer who truly desires to learn Hebrew will be well-served by this program. One note: on page 12 of the reading program, the following statement appears: “Dagesh doubles sound of the letter.” This instruction, not explained in the audio, can be confusing. It refers to the presence of a dot (dagesh in Hebrew) in certain letters. However, there are two kinds of dots; only one affects the duration of the sound. And the sound is not actually “doubled”; the speaker lengthens the letter but does not double it. For example, in the word ammah (“cubit”), the dot in the mem indicates a lengthening of the “m” sound. But one does not read the word as am-mah. (This mistake also appears in the transliterated bentcher that accompanies the CD-ROM.) Additionally, in practice, few people actually extend the duration of letters that carry a dagesh.

All told, Virtual Shabbat is a worthy endeavor, very much in consonance with NJOP’s mission of bringing Jews closer to their heritage.

—Avraham M. Goldstein

This is a gorgeous Haggadah, based upon the classic “Bird’s-head” Haggadah. It features wonderful pop-up illustrations, and the typography is clear and bold. The paper quality is cardboard-like. v

The “Bird’s-head” Haggadah was published in North Germany circa 1300. The human figures (interestingly, with the exception of two Egyptian figures) are depicted with bird’s heads and prominent beaks. The omission of human faces is found in other manuscripts of the 13th and 14th centuries and is attributed to the commandment prohibiting the drawing of a human image. The Israelite figures also wear the pointed hats that Jews were forced to don in medieval Germany.

The pop-ups depict Passover scenery, including preparation of the ritual foods and the Ten Plagues. A full spread shows an Egyptian hitting a Jewish slave. When the arrow in the book is pulled, the stick hits the weary Jewish head.

Another full spread shows the Jews leaving Egypt via the sea. As you pull the arrow, the waters split. This is about as interactive as a Haggadah can get on yom tov.

—Sara Levy

How to Turn Your Snakes Into Ladders, By Ruth Benjamin (170 pp., Targum Press)

Ruth Benjamin has written a very powerful book extolling the abilities of the human mind to conquer its milieu. Benjamin (a columnist for The Jewish Homemaker) says that we can take the “snakes” — the challenges — in our lives and use them to climb to new heights, rather than being dragged down by them. (The title is a play on the game Snakes and Ladders, which American kids know as Chutes and Ladders.)

This thesis is common in pop psychology today, and it is absolutely true. Too many of us permit feelings of despair, anxiety, and regret to hamstring our emotional lives, and sometimes, by extension, the lives of those around us. Says Benjamin: Stop! Take control of your life. Happiness is a choice, not a consequence.

Implementing her case histories, Benjamin uses examples that apply to the religious Jewish audience. However, any reader will benefit from her assertions that G-d has given us a life to live to the fullest, that He is with us at all times to help, and that we waste the opportunity when we drag ourselves down. Benjamin gives considerable advice on how to defeat anxiety and other emotional disorders. How to Turn Your Snakes Into Ladders is a worthwhile addition to your library.

—Avraham M. Goldstein