The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah by Jane Yolen
THERE is a peculiar difficulty in bridging over long periods of history, and in clearing our minds of the habits and prejudices of today, before we criticize characters and events which belong to distant periods and other lands. This difficulty, in spite of the strange charm which encourages us to surmount it, makes itself all the more felt in a Transition Period, such as the close of the fifteenth, and the dawn of the sixteenth century. The breath of new ideas is in the air. -The old order changed, yielding place to new-, but the old dreams are not yet banished from the imagination, and the old ideals have not yet wholly lost their power. Change is everywhere apparent, consummation is still a dream of the far-distant future. To those who look for a figure typical of the age, Maximilian stands forth pre-eminent. Heir to all the splendid traditions of the Caesars and the later glories of the Saxon and Franconian Emperors, he filled the highest position of Germany, not in an attitude of indifference or aloofness, but devoting all his energies and sympathies to every movement or aspiration of his time. His actual achievements in the hard concrete of facts are, from a national point of view, but small; but these are more than balanced by his activity in other and more abstract directions. It is in his relations to the budding thought of modern life that we can feel the real charm and fascination of Maximilian's character. For his was a nature which could never rest satisfied with the past, and aspired to ends which only the far distant future was destined to attain."Rochel-Leah wants to learn to read, but she lives in a Russian shtetl in 1830. Only boys learn to read. When no one will teach her, she spies on the boys’ school. The rabbi decides to bend the rules. Eventually she becomes a teacher.
This picture book is a delight! The illustrations are full-page color and gorgeous, displaying the time period and community, as well as Rochel-Leah’s passion for literacy. The vocabulary is simple, with a few Hebrew words. End notes explain those words and the author’s relationship to Rochel-Leah. Ages 4-7."—Historical Novel Society
"Despite her deep desire to read the Torah like her brothers and the poetry her papa cherishes, Rochel-Leah’s dreams are out of reach. Growing up in a small shtetl in 1930s Russia, for her the cultural expectation is clear: education is for boys only. Not ready to accept that these rules can never be adjusted, Rochel-Leah seeks the help of both her parents and her rabbi. But when none of them can provide a solution, Rochel-Leah takes matters into her own hands. With determination, resourcefulness, and a little dose of creativity, Rochel-Leah finally finds the answer she is looking for. Yolen spins a powerful tale of perseverance and the pursuit of knowledge. Told with a careful balance between illustrations and well-patterned text, themes of gender equity and importance of education are evident throughout, according to the author’s note, "true-ish" story. Jewish cultural elements are folded into the narrative as well, with context clues always skillfully incorporated. Color and shape are used adeptly throughout to gently whisper messages of hope that pierce the darkness of Rochel-Leah’s current situation. Thoughtful design considerations, such as font size and layout, elevate the text and illustration, making this story an excellent choice for sharing and discussing. VERDICT With important themes, and careful crafting, this is worth considering for most libraries."—School Library Journal
"'The first problem Rochel-Leah had was that she was a girl.' This picture book relates a 'true(ish) story' set in a shtetl in Russia in the 1830s and inspired by a cousin of Yolen’s. Rochel-Leah wants to learn to read, but the cheder, or Jewish school, is only for boys. (Her mother and aunts can’t help her; her father and brothers won’t help her.) But perhaps rules can be bent…with determination, an open cheder window, and a rabbi who can be persuaded. A storyteller’s cadence ('It was very tiring standing on tiptoe, but she managed. Just') brings life to Rochel-Leah’s frustration and her tenacity. Similarly lively illustrations, 'made digitally from combining paper texture and digital brushes,' propel the story forward with frequent instances of words or letters swirling across the page. An epilogue-like coda and an author’s note establish family connections, and a brief glossary defines Yiddish and Hebrew terms."—Horn Book
"Jane Yolen triumphs once again in this touching tale of a girl’s search for education, knowledge, equality, and enlightenment. In a small Jewish town in nineteenth-century Russia, girls were not given the opportunity to learn to read. They were encouraged to be satisfied with a home-based life of cooking, sewing, serving, and all the other skills required for keeping house. But Rochel-Leah wanted more. She wanted to learn to read, because only through the written word could an individual stretch beyond the confines of her daily life and begin to see the larger world.
Rochel-Leah approached each of her family members, but none of them were able to help. Her mother might’ve liked to help her, but she couldn’t read, either. Her brothers tried to teach her before rapidly running out of patience. Her father didn’t understand why girls have to read at all. But Rochel-Leah was determined. As a last resort, she approached the rabbi, who was not enthusiastic, but from their conversation she got an idea. She hid beneath an open window at the boys’ cheder and listened carefully to the lesson. When the rabbi discovered the lengths to which she had gone in her quest for learning, he told her that if she could hide from the inspector who would report them to the authorities if they were caught, he would teach her along with the boys. And this is the way that Rochel-Leah finally learned how to read.
Readers will get a glimpse of a time and place when education was denied to many, when only a privileged few were allowed into the secret world of learning. They will admire the grit and determination of a rare soul who would not take no for an answer when her desire was so strong. They’ll begin to appreciate and value the opportunities they enjoy today and the rewards that come from rising above challenges.
In an afterword, Yolen explains that the tale of Rochel-Leah is based on a family story. She also includes a glossary of Yiddish and Yiddish/Hebrew words. Felishia Henditirto’s color illustrations are lovely, evoking both Rochel-Leah’s distress when she is denied opportunities and her palpable joy when her dreams finally come true."—Jewish Book Council
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781681156392 |
| ISBN 10 | 1681156393 |
| Title | The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah |
| Author | Jane Yolen |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Behrman House Inc.,U.S. |
| Year published | 2024-09-03 |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |