Gershon's Monster: A Story for the Jewish New Year

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Summary: The way to return
Review: Eric Kimmel takes great pains with all his stories, and this was no exception. As explained in his afterward, he derived this superb tale of T'Shuva (repentance, or to be more precise, returning to a righteous path) from an early Hasidic legend of the Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, who lived in Poland from 1700 to 1760 and was known as the Ba'al Shem Tov, or Master of the Good Name. Kimmel's ancestors came from that region, and he believes they knew him. Given his gift with story telling--an art for which the Ba'al Shem Tov was also famous--I can believe it. Not content, however, Kimmel also consulted work of the great 12th century Sephardic Rabbi, Moses Maimonides, known as the Ramban.

Hershel sins every day many times, but he counts himself lucky each week to be able to sweep his ill deeds aside. At the end of the year, on Rosh Hashonah, he gathers them in a giant bag, takes them to the sea and tosses them in. Kimmel derives this colorful part of Gershon's annual routine from the Jewish tradition of Tashlikh, when people walk to lakes, rivers or any moving water to toss away their crumbs. This prayerful "casting off of sins," concerns repentance and forgiveness.

But Hershel does not take the exercise seriously. He drags his satchel of sins to the sea, and then returns to his old ways--insulting people, forgetting to say Thank You, telling little untruths here and there. He even forgets to thank the Tzaddik, the holy man, whose prayers make it possible for his childless wife Fayge to bear twins. The Tzaddik warns him, though, that his bad habits will cause problems in a few short years.

Sure enough, they do. Hershel's wife has beautiful twins, but all nearly comes to ruin. To discover how Hershel finds the path to T'Shuva and saves his family, indulge in this book brilliantly illustrated by Jon Muth. You and your children will treasure it. Alyssa A. Lappen

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Summary: False Repentence Creates a Monster of a Prob for the Family
Review: For adults as well as Ages 4-8. Every Rosh Hashana, in Jewish communities around the Earth, some Jews symbolically dispose of their sins by emptying their pockets of bread crumbs into streams, rivers, or seas. Some do this symbolically, others with meaning, but a few forget Isaiah's admonition against choosing an improper Fast. The process is known as tashlikh. Eric Kimmel, a prolific Jewish children's book author, presents this book for the High Holidays based on a Hasidic tale about tashlikh and repentance. The book is based on a Hasidic tale attriuted to the Ba'al Shem Tov (BeSHT). It also incorporates the writings of Rabbi Maimonide's 12th Century "Laws of Repentance (Chapter 2)", and Rabbi Benay Lappe's 20th Century "Six Steps for Doing Teshuva." The back page includes the steps needed for real repentance. Now let's get to the book and its sublime watercolor pictures. Gershon the Baker and his noble wife Fayge live in Constantsa on the Black Sea. Is (Constant)sa a town where change does not occur? Gershon the Baker is uncaring and self-absorbed; he sweeps his flaws into his cellar each Friday, but never makes amends or apologizes. Gershon cares nothing about other people's feelings. He never apologizes; he barges into rooms; he knocks things over; he never says, "Thank You." At Rosh Hashana, he places all his sins and flaws, that hang on you like fringes with faces, from the cellar into a sack and take them down to the Black Sea. There in the Sea, he deposits them and forgets them. But do sins just disappear if true repentance is missing? When Gershon travels to Kuty to see a famed rabbi in order to plead for a child, he is oblivious to the rabbi's admonishments that Gershon is undeserving and uncaring. The wonder rabbi relents, for the good of Gershon's wife, and Fayge gives birth to twins within a year. But what about Gershon's ways? They influence the family, the kids, the community, and the Black Sea, until one day, they rise up like a sea monster as the twins are playing on the beach. Can Gershon the Baker change? Will repentance be true? Will the twins be saved? Is there a way to lessen the final decree? Read and find out.

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Summary: Gershon's Monster
Review: I bought this to read to my 7-year-old for the High Holidays. She loves it and I know we'll be reading it all year. We love all of Eric Kimmel's books. You can't lose with him.

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Summary: A fable for everyone
Review: This Jewish fable, retold by Eric A. Kimmel, isn't just for Jewish people. Anybody can relate to Gershon's behavior and its consequences.

The watercolor illustrations by Jon J Muth take the story to an even higher level. I especially love his impish black monsters. Kimmel and Muth are a wonderful pairing; I hope they do more books together!

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Summary: Repentance and The Return to Wonder
Review: While looking for something else entirely, my eye fell on this short illustrated retelling of a Hasidic legend, and in very short order I was totally entranced. The story, a cautionary tale relative to the nature of sin and redemption is ostensibly for children. But, in these times, it has as much meaning for the adult reading it to the child as it does for the child who is listening.
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Gershon is a baker. He lives a small, ungenerous life, never committing a 'big' sin but often doing the little wrong things that can leave a bitter taste behind. He orders rather than asks, forgets to thank people and never feels regret for his actions. Instead he stores his errors in the basement and then, at Rosh Hashanah, he follows the old tashlikh ceremony and empties his sins into the ocean as if they were bread crumbs.
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One day Gershon and his wife, who are childless, decide to consult a wise man, a tzaddik, to see if they might have children. The tzaddik, modeled after Rabbi Israel ben Elieser (the nearly legendary Baal Shem Tov), warns Gershon off, telling him that all the sins he has fouled the ocean with will come back to haunt him if he has children. Gershon is not to be put off though, and the Rabbi relents. He provides a cantrip and Gershon and his wife soon have twins.
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When the children are five, the Tzaddik's warning starts to come to pass, and Gershon sees the monster he has created rise from the ocean and threaten his children. For the fist time in his life Gershon truly repents and, as the monster fades away Gershon clasps his children and finally understands what he must do.
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Eric Kimmel's telling of this tale is crisp and clear, capable of withstanding many re-readings and the magnificent illustrations by Jon Muth which ornament the book are unforgettable. The final piece is a one page explanation of the book and some discussion of the nature of t'shuvah (repentance). Repentance is not simply apologizing, one must experience remorse and a commitment to change, and be willing to do whatever is needed to make restitution. Rarely are cautionary tales so well presented. Highly recommended for children and their parents.

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Summary: Disempowering the monster in all our lives...
Review: With haunting illustrations by Jon Muth and sensitive, spiritual text, written on a level kids can easily understand and relate to, Gershon's Monster is a gorgeous book for Rosh Hashanah or any other day of the year.

While Kimmel relates his simple classic tale, Muth takes us on a panoramic journey through the old country, his "camera" swooping around to depict the characters' life from every possible angle.

My only problem with the book is that Gershon is depicted wearing a "tallis kattan", the fringed undergarment any religious Jew would have worn, but this garment hasn't been drawn accurately. Muth depicts it with SIX fringes instead of FOUR. He draws it, throughout the book, with the proper two corners in the back, but with FOUR in the front, so it looks like a scarf dangling down from beneath his vest (it looks kind of like the thin blue talleisim worn in some shuls).

This was a jarring inaccuracy, especially considering that the text of the book and the explanatory notes at the end were apparently run past several rabbis for approval. Perhaps Muth should've had them look at the pictures as well.

Visualizing our past misdeeds as a "monster" is a perfect way for kids to come to an understanding of the Jewish concept of teshuvah (return, repentance); and an awareness that sweeping away our sins isn't enough. The simplicity of this tale belies its message, which is one we as adults ought to learn as well. Despite the single visual flaw, this is definitely a keeper... and a great High Holiday gift item for the Jewish kids on your list!