She’s a Mensch! Ten Amazing Jewish Women
Ten Jewish women and their inspiring tales of activism and resistance!
From the poorest neighborhoods in Kenya to the halls of the Canadian Supreme Court, the Jewish women found in these pages have accomplished remarkable feats. Some survived the horrors of the Holocaust while others had more peaceful childhoods, but all of them saw unfairness in their world and decided to do something about it.
Despite living in hiding throughout the Second World War, Hungarian gymnast Ágnes Keleti went on to win four Olympic gold medals at age thirty-five. South African Ruth First used her privilege as a white woman to battle her country’s racist system of Apartheid—a fight she eventually paid for with her life. Canadian Judy Feld Carr, a quiet high school music teacher, secretly organized the rescue of persecuted Jews from Syria. And Yavilah McCoy, an African American Jew from New York, uses her voice today to advocate for diversity in Judaism. You may not have heard of the ten women in this book before, but you will remember them. Their greatest legacy could be the action that their stories inspire in you.
Purchase Price: $22.95 (Pbk)
ISBN 9781772603200
Second Story Press, May 23, 2023
Reviews
“The biographies collected in She’s a Mensch! have at least one thing in common: all 10 of them sought to do something about the unfairness they saw in the world…. Compelling stories are told.”
― The Canadian Jewish News, Spring 2023
“A well-organized, informative collective biography recommended for general interest and research projects.”
― School Library Journal, May 1, 2023
“The writing is clear and concise…. She’s a Mensch! should be a first pick for Judaica collections, and it will make a worthwhile addition to larger public and school collections.”
― Canadian Materials, June 23, 2023
“… a great addition to all middle grade biography collections.”
― AJL News and Reviews, July/August 2023
Jacob and the Mandolin Adventure
Thirteen-year-old Jacob’s life is hard in 1920s Poland, where he lives in an orphanage for Jewish children. His days are brightened by playing in the orphanage mandolin orchestra. When an American benefactor arrives with the promise of a new life in Canada at a Farm School—and even the dream of playing a benefit concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall—Jacob and his friends are thrilled. But can they trust this man to keep his promises?
The children travel by train and by ship, where a stowaway becomes dangerously sick. Jacob, who has become the orchestra’s star mandolin player, must overcome his fears and doubts to help his friends face the challenges of their journey to this new life. Inspired by real events.
Purchase Price: $10.95 (Pbk)
ISBN 9781772601626
Second Story Press, March 23, 2021
Teacher’s Guide
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5783b41337c581c34c808812/t/6137a334d7a108794f624666/1631036213868/Jacob_TeacherGuide_2021.pdf
Reviews
“A well-told account based on a lesser-known story of Jewish immigration.” – Kirkus
“Anne Dublin has discovered one of those remarkable stories and deftly retells it in an engaging and adventurous manner that brings to life 1920s Poland and the events that ultimately saved the lives of a select group of orphans.” – Kathy Bloomfield, AJL News and Reviews
“… a fascinating work of historical fiction that will introduce children to a little-known part of Canadian history…. The story is rich with detail… an interesting and relatable story, and it is an excellent text to supplement a classroom study of immigration to Canada.” – Rachel Seigel, Canadian Materials
“As a former teacher-librarian, Dublin knows her audience and it shows; her use of description and dialogue to build character and setting is sure to engage readers…. Jacob is a character readers ought to meet.” – Jason DeHart, School Library Journal
A Cage Without Bars
In 1492, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain signed the Edict of Expulsion, giving all Jews three months to leave the country. Joseph Belifonte, a 12-year-old boy, escapes to Portugal with his parents and younger sister, Gracia. After only eight months of safety, Joseph and Gracia, along with hundreds of other Jewish children, are kidnapped and put on a ship that takes them to the island of São Tomé, off the coast of West Africa.
Now slaves, the children are forcibly baptized and made to work on a sugarcane plantation. While Gracia tries to accept their circumstances, Joseph holds onto the hope that, one day, he will be free and find his parents again.
ISBN 9781772600698
Second Story Press, September 2018
Teacher’s Guide
Awards / Honours
Canadian Jewish Literary Award (Youth Literature), 2019
Reviews
“The well-developed characters feel very real. Although the book is explicit about the suffering these children and others endured, the excellent writing makes the book accessible to children…” – Jewish Book Council
“An important educational… take on this little-known historical tragedy.” – Kirkus
“A Cage Without Bars is a short, well paced novel that will likely fill in a very specific gap in a young adult historical fiction collection.” – CM Magazine
“This is a standout work of historical fiction for children.” – Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)
“… this introduction to a distant chapter of Jewish history provides a strong, topical teaching moment which relates to many of today’s ethical issues associated with immigrants.” – Sephardic Horizons
44 Hours or Strike!
The Toronto Dressmakers’ Strike of 1931 brings young sisters Sophie and Rose together in their fight for better working conditions, decent wages, and for their union. It’s a tough battle as mistrust and resentment of immigrants is growing, with many people blaming their poverty and difficulties on these workers. Sophie and Rose are faced with unexpected — and sometimes violent — barriers, and they quickly find that a strike is more than just a march.
Barely into the strike, Rose is imprisoned after a fight on the picket line, leaving fourteen-year-old Sophie to take care of their ailing mother at night and spend her days protesting in the freezing weather. Rose’s isolation in prison weakens her resolve for change. Will they be able to continue to fight for what they once so strongly believed in?
In the midst of anti-Semitism and the Great Depression, Sophie, Rose, and their union come together to try to make a lasting change.
Purchase Price: $11.95 (Pbk)
ISBN 978-1-927583-76-0
Second Story Press, October 2015
Teacher’s Guide
Awards / Honours
Canadian Jewish Literary Award (Youth Literature), 2016
Reviews
“Intense, dramatic descriptions bring out the hardships of sweatshop life in the early 1930s… A realistic look at a hard-fought fight.”
(Kirkus Reviews, July 2015)
“… brings a crucial part of Canadian labour history to life and introduces young readers to key historical figures of the time. The story moves at a fast pace, and the short chapters keep readers engaged.” (Canadian Children’s Book News, Fall 2015)
“… the resource guide provides a wealth of ways students can engage with this excellent piece of historical fiction.” (Canadian Teacher, Feb. 2017)
Order through Amazon or your favourite bookstore.
Odyssey Through Hell
Helen Drazek was born in the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland in 1941. She and her parents were the only survivors of a large, close-knit family that was entirely annihilated during the Holocaust.
In Odyssey through Hell, Helen tells the harrowing story of her parents’ desperate attempts to survive in the ghetto, their narrow escape into hiding, and their ultimate journey to freedom in a new land. This is a story of courage and terror, of loyalty and betrayal, of righteousness and infamy. But above all, it is the story of how one young couple kept hope when others despaired; of how one person can make a difference.
Anne co-authored and edited Odyssey Through Hell.
Purchase Price: $18.00
ISBN 978-0-9938698-0-8 (pbk.)
We Make Books, 2014
Order through Amazon or your favourite bookstore.
Stealing Time
Jonah Wiley is a 12-year-old boy fascinated by clocks and watches. He’s going through a tough period. He’s angry because his parents are divorced and his father has remarried. When his mother goes off on a week-long conference, Jonah has to stay with his father, stepmother, and younger stepbrother, Toby.
Because Jonah feels he doesn’t belong, he steals his father’s antique pocket watch. When Toby winds the watch, the two boys are hurled back into the past, first to Memphis in ancient Egypt, then to various centuries in China, France, England, the United States, Ireland, and even Canada. As they travel through history, the boys discover interesting information about time and how it was measured throughout the ages.
But there’s one big problem: Jonah and Toby must race against the clock, or be stuck in the past forever.
Purchase Price: $9.99
ISBN 978-1459709737
Dundurn Press, 2014
Teacher’s Guide
Reviews
“Stealing Time is an exciting adventure novel, and the historical details of time keeping are fascinating and well-researched.”
Tara Stieglitz (CM Magazine, February 2014)
“Young lovers of history and novice horologists will find that reading Dublin’s fast-paced and fact-filled book will be time well spent.”
Allison Marks (AJL Reviews, May/June 2014)
The Baby Experiment
Johanna is a 14-year-old Jewish girl who lives in Hamburg, Germany, in the early 18th century. She feels stifled by the daily drudgery of her life and dreams of seeing what lies outside the confines of the Jewish quarter. Johanna lies about her identity and gets a job as a caregiver at an orphanage. Until it’s too late, she doesn’t realize a secret experiment is taking place that results in the deaths of babies.
Deciding to kidnap one of the orphans, Johanna sets off for Amsterdam. She faces many dangers on her journey, including plague, bandits, storms and, not least of all, anti-Semitism. Johanna has a lot of courage and determination, but will it be enough to save the baby and reach her destination? Will she finally find a place where she can be free?
Purchase Price: $9.99
ISBN 978-1459701359
Dundurn Press, 2012
Teacher’s Guide
>Teacher’s Guide to The Baby Experiment
Awards / Honours
· Teachers’ Guide, S&B List, “Top Grade: CanLit for the Classroom”, Fall 2012
· Nominated for Woozles Teen Battle of the Books 2013
Reviews
“The Baby Experiment is a great book for anyone, but it stands out as a book perfect for the classroom with many opportunities to expand on the themes of friendship, tolerance, prejudice, and historical events.”
Crystal Sutherland (CM Magazine, March 2012)
The Orphan Rescue
It is springtime 1937 in the small city of Sosnowiec, Poland. Twelve-year-old Miriam and her young brother, David, live with their grandparents after their parents die. But soon their grandparents can no longer support them and David must go to an orphanage. Miriam decides to rescue David so that they might become a family again.
Purchase Price: $8.95
ISBN 978-1-897187-81-4
Second Story Press, 2010
Teacher’s Guide
>Teacher’s Guide to The Orphan Rescue
Awards / Honours
· Finalist, (U.S.) National Jewish Book Award for Children’s and YA Literature (2010)
· Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Older Readers, Association of Jewish Libraries (2011)
· “Best Books”, starred selection ,The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (2011)
Reviews
“In pacing, characterization, and the realization of a moving theme, The Orphan Rescue is a sterling example of how meaningful subjects may be distilled into stories that appeal to middle-grade children, arousing their interest, their empathy, and their social consciousness.”
Linda R. Silver (Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter, November/December 2010)
“… this novel is a wonderful example of historical fiction that will touch a nerve in the hearts of its readers.”
Nicole Rowlinson (Resource Links Reviews, February 2011)
Dynamic Women Dancers
Dynamic Women Dancers is the fourteenth title in the Women’s Hall of Fame Series. The book profiles ten women dancers from around the world. From classical ballet to modern, flamenco, and Bharatanatyam, these women have made the dance world their stage, performing and teaching all over the globe. They also share a commitment to making a difference in the world around them through their involvement in dance.
Purchase Price: $10.95
ISBN 978-1-897187-56-2
Second Story Press, 2009
Awards / Honours
· “Best Books for Kids & Teens”, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (2010)
Reviews
“… the hand of the former teacher-librarian and dance enthusiast is evident in Dublin’s even, sensitive treatment of her subjects’ personal and professional selves.”
Julie Chychota (CM Magazine, September 11, 2009)
June Callwood: A Life of Action
This is the first biography about June Callwood, one of Canada’s most influential journalists and humanitarians, who passed away in 2007. For ages 10 and up.
Purchase Price: $14.95
ISBN 1-897187-14-9
Second Story Press, 2006
Teacher’s Guide
>Teacher’s Guide to June Callwood: a life of action
Awards / Honours
· Nominated for Golden Oak award, Ontario Library Association (2008)
· “Our Choice” selection, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (2007)
Reviews
“… a rounded and engaging portrait of a remarkable woman.”
Susan Perren (The Globe and Mail, January 6, 2007, p. D16)
“This is an admiring, enlightening portrait of the life and times of an exceptional woman who knows how to live, share, and survive with exemplary grace.”
Carlyn Zwarenstein (Quill & Quire, Dec. 2006)
Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian Who Could Do Everything
Canada’s greatest all-round female athlete of the 20th century was admired for her medal-winning skills, good humor and fair play. An inspiring book for sports fans of all ages.
Purchase Price: $14.95
ISBN 1-896764-82-7
Second Story Press, 2004
Teacher’s Guide
>Teacher’s Guide to Bobbie Rosenfeld
Awards / Honours
· National Chapter Of Canada, IODE Violet Downey Book Award (2005)
· Canadian Jewish Book Award, Children’s Literature (2005)
· Norma Fleck Honour book for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction (2004)
· Sydney Taylor Honor book, Association of Jewish Libraries (2004)
· ALA Amelia Bloomer Project, recommended Feminist Book for Youth (2005)
· Nominated for Golden Oak award, Ontario Library Association (2005)
· “Our Choice”, starred selection, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (2005)
Reviews
“Filled with clear, captioned photographs; boxed facts; and period newspaper headlines, this first-rate biography will supplement women’s history studies and collections.”
Linda Perkins (Booklist, Sep. 1, 2004)
“… readable, informative, and entertaining biography.”
Marci Lavine Bloch (Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter, September/October 2004)
Written on the Wind
Set in Toronto in 1954, this gripping story is based on the true story of Hurricane Hazel. For ages 8-10.
Purchase Price: $6.95
ISBN: 0-9686899-5-7
2001
Awards / Honours
· “Our Choice” selection, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (2003)
Reviews
“In its simplicity and convincing re-creation of a Canadian childhood in the 1950s, Written on the Wind charms.”
Linda R. Silver (Jewish Book World, 2002)
Lucy Maud Montgomery:
A Writer’s Life
When she was a child, L.M. Montgomery loved to make up stories and poems. When she grew up, she became a famous writer. Find out how the author of Anne of Green Gables made her own dreams come true. For ages 7-9.
Purchase Price: N/A (part of a set)
ISBN:013-124449-3
Pearson Education Canada, 2005
Articles and Short Stories:
in The New Review of Children’s Literature and Librarianship
Vol. 8, 2002, pp.127-141
Presented at the 2005 AJL convention, June 21, 2005.
Holocaust Links
Simon Wiesenthal Center
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Yad Vashem
“At the Old Folks’ Home or, What’s Happening?”in Parchment: contemporary Canadian Jewish writing 2004-2005, pp. 65-79
“This Ain’t Graceland” in Parchment: contemporary Canadian Jewish writing 2005-2006, pp. 160-167
“Degrees of Separation” in Parchment: contemporary Canadian Jewish writing 2006-2008, pp. 128-136