Esther’s Magical Mystery Torah by Rabbi Jonathan Leener

Buy this book at Amazon

Illustrator: Jessica Tamar Deutsch

Young Esther is terribly upset. She has spent her entire life in Brooklyn, New York, and now, her family is moving to far away San Francisco. But Esther doesn’t like change. She likes her New York friends, home, and synagogue.

On Shabbat, at her family’s going away party, Esther decides to play a game of hide-and-seek to try and hide from the future. That’s when she hears a voice calling for her attention. Esther is amazed to find it’s a Torah doing the talking! Together, they discover a mysterious door in the back of the Ark and go on an incredible journey that will change Esther’s life forever.

Using Jewish teachings and traditions, Esther’s Magical Mystery Torah is the story of one girl overcoming fear and adversity while learning to embrace change. Sometimes, we need to get lost so that we can be found, but there is no need to worry: all roads eventually lead to community and home-wherever that home might be.

Year first published: 2020