Sharing Shalom by Danielle Sharkan and Selina Alko is based on the vandalizing of a synagogue that took place in Skokie, Illinois in 1990. The book is told from the perspective of Leila, a child whose Hebrew school attendance is disrupted by this hateful act. Rendered with sensitivity and colorful, dramatic images, this is a cautionary tale about antisemitism, and a hopeful one about community support.
Leila loves Hebrew school. Great Jewish heroes and heroines, Bible stories, and the Hebrew language all excite her. She is so engrossed in her learning that the “ravaging floods and toppling towers” of her lessons take visual form in her mind. A blue-robed Queen Esther sits calmly on her throne, while pairs of animals walk up a ramp to Noah’s ark. A full-page portrait of Leila shows her clutching her machberet (notebook), where she collects the words that form the core of her studies.
When Leila’s mother explains that their synagogue has been defaced, an atmosphere of threat descends. Sharkan and Alko do not minimize Leila’s fear, nor do they question the legitimacy of her instincts to hide her identity. Observing the diversity in her school cafeteria, Leila is reassured, knowing that coexistence is the norm.
The community unites to help rebuild the synagogue. An old bearded man wearing a tool belt works on window repair as a girl in a hijab applies paint. Two young children play with paintbrushes, while a woman climbs a ladder to install a section of stained glass, delicately imprinted with Hebrew letters.
At the end of the book, Leila is invited to participate in show-and-tell at her school. Wearing deep blue, her Star of David necklace prominently displayed, she is now both a student and teacher. She writes shalom in Hebrew in front of her classmates, who are smiling and supportive.
Emily Schneider writes about literature, feminism, and culture for Tablet, The Forward, The Horn Book, and other publications, and writes about children’s books on her blog. She has a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures.
