The Secret Seder

by Doreen Rappaport

Jacques and his parents are hiding in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, pretending to be Catholics. On the first night of Passover, Jacques and his father elude Nazi soldiers to gather with other Jews and celebrate the Seder in secret. For this book, Doreen Rappaport researched the lives of resistance fighters and Jews in hiding: brave men and women who managed to survive one of the darkest times in history with their faith intact. Caldecott medalist Emily Arnold McCully's intense and respectful paintings illuminate the perils of a turbulent time and the triumphs of a resilient people.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Picture Books, Holocaust, Childrens, Jewish, World War II, Family

38 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2005

About the author

Doreen Rappaport has written many books of fiction and nonfiction for young readers, specializing in thoroughly researched multicultural history, historical fiction, retellings of folktales and myths, and stories of those she calls the "not-yet-celebrated." Among her recent books is Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, which received a Caldecott Honor Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for illustration. Doreen Rappaport divides her time between New York City and a rural village in upstate New York.

Reviews

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Nazis invaded France, it was no longer safe for young Jacques, his father, mother and grandparents to remain in Paris. There were black-booted Nazi soldiers everywhere and even walking too fast could be dangerous for the Jews who still remained there. Jacques and his parents left Paris to live in a small village and pretend they are Catholic like everyone else. His grandparents also left Paris, but Jacques doesn't know to where.

Now, it is Passover, but having a traditional Seder at home is out of the question with so many soldiers patrolling the village. There is a plan for Jacques to go with his dad through the village, and up a wooded mountain to a cabin at the summit for a secret Seder. To surprise his dad, Jacques has been secretly practicing the Four Questions that the youngest person at a Seder table asks.

When they arrive at the cabin, there is a group of strangers, all men, sitting around a table with their coat collars pulled up high to cover their heads. Though most of the traditional symbols that are such an important part of Passover are missing, an old man reads reads the Haggadah, including the Passover story about the exodus of the Jews from bondage in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land, likening it to the situation that Jews finds themselves in once again under the Nazis. When it comes time to ask the Four Questions, his father and the other men are surprised and pleased to see that Jacques has kept with Jewish custom and learned them in Hebrew.

At the end of the service, the men leave, never having introduced themselves to each other, but having just shared a courageous act of resistance by daring to have a Seder. Though the Seder reminded everyone that all over Europe Jews were being murdered, their only parting words to each other are "Next year in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), ending the story on a hopeful note.

The Secret Seder is narrated by Jacques, whose youthful perspective and determination to learn the Four Questions really points to the importance of family, tradition, and religion despite the circumstances the Jewish people found themselves in.

The watercolor illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully really reflects the mood of the story. In the village, the tone is bright and almost cheerful, except for the frightened expressions on the images of Jacques and his father. As they climb the mountain, the look of fearful apprehension remains, and the landscape around them becomes darker and darker, increasing the feeling of foreboding.

Doreen Rappaport based The Secret Seder on real events. There are many true stories of Jews celebrating Passover and other holidays despite the danger of doing so between 1939 and 1945. I think she has really captured the fear that Jews in hiding lived with during that time, seeking to try to blend in they way Jacques and his family do by trying to act normal in the village, but she has also makes clear what an important part of their lives their religion is to Jews, especially during those dark days.

Back matter includes an author's notes about the book, information about Passover and resources for learning more about it as well as the Holocaust.

This book is recommended for readers age 7+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

This review was originally posted on The Children's War

[Ginta · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Secret Seder is an historical fiction book based on research. Writer Doreen Rappaport interviewed various people to obtain the information necessary to write the book.

“The Secret Seder” is set during the time of the Nazi occupation in Europe. References such as pretending to be Catholic and Hitler’s black boot men storming Paris and taking away the Jews give the reader a sense of the time during which the story takes place.

The plot revolves around a Jewish family in Nazi controlled Europe who decide to hold Seder despite the severe consequences they may face should they be caught. A question that probably came to Rappaport’s mind when she wrote the book could have been how were Jews who had not been captured able to celebrate Seder or other Jewish holidays without getting caught?

The main character in the story is Jacques. Jacques is a Jewish boy who with his family is evading capture by the Nazis. The story unfolds through Jacques’ eyes. The reader learns why Seder is such an important part of Jewish holiday tradition.

My rating for this book is five stars. I really like it. Rappaport does a great job of explaining Seder – what it is, how it is performed, why it is important. A teacher can use this book as an accompaniment to a social science lesson on the Holocaust. Additionally, a teacher can create writing prompts based on the book.

[Marissa Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Seder is a historical fiction book set during the time of the Holocaust. It follows a Jewish family in France who are pretending not to be Jewish for the sake of their safety and lives. The story mainly follows the boy and his father at a secret seder. They sneak out to the forest and gather with other Jewish people. The rest of the story is about what takes place at this seder and the importance of the experience to the young boy.

I liked that this book was told in the first person POV and that the person telling the story was a young boy. I think this makes this book way more relatable for the age group it is intended for. The boy describes what takes place at a level that the reader understands and also enjoys. The pictures in this book were for the most part dark. Dark in the sense that the colors used to paint were dark which gave the book that secretive feel. I also liked that since this book was based off real events in the Jewish community, the author had a few pages in the back of the book with definitions and more factual details on Jewish culture.

The only thing that I was kind of bummed about in this book was the ending. It ends when the seder is over and the boy and his father walk back through the forest. As an adult reading this, I wish I could know what happened to their family.

[Libraryscat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secret Seder, by Doreen Rappaport, is a touching book based on real stories of events which we know happened during the Holocaust. While this exact story did not happen, it allows children to think about what their religion means to them as they read about what it is like to have to hide your religion and customs from everyone. In the story, a young boy and his father along with the rest of the family, pretend to be Catholic to hide from Hitler during the war years. The young boy and his father climb high into the mountains where they join other Jews in hiding to celebrate the Seder. The young boy has studied the Four Questions, and recites them when it is time. But the older men ask new questions comparing their situation to the slaves who fled from Pharaoh. They finally finish the ceremony and hope they will celebrate the next Seder in Jerusalem.

The descriptive narrative provides an adequate picture of the foods which are eaten each Seder and there is a glossary that explains the meal in further detail. A very simple lesson plan that looks at the Seder can be found here!

TITLE: The Secret Seder
AUTHOR: Doreen Rappaport
COPYRIGHT: 2005
PAGES: 40
TYPE: fiction, Holocaust narrative
AR LEVEL: 3.9
RECOMMEND: This book would be especially good for students familiar with the Jewish Seder, but certainly could be read by children in grades 2-4.

[Kari Hilmanowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. It is wonderful to come across a book that is sharing about the tragic time during the Holocaust, but I don't feel this book quite hit the mark. It was mainly sharing about those who were Jewish, living out in the open, hiding that part of who they are. It is more a book that eludes to a lot, but doesn't exactly share, and lets be real, young kids need the info straight at them. A lot of customs specific to being Jewish were shared, but in a way, that even myself, an adult (though unfamiliar with Jewish customs), was not understanding what all was going on. After reading the story, I proceeded to read the list of facts at the end, and had a few "aha!" moments. I mean, the title of the book- it didn't even explain what exactly a seder specifically was- I didn't discover I was interpretting it wrong until the facts page. For kids- it needs to be a bit better. As for the illustrations, they were okay. Quite dark and not really very interesting to look at.

[Kaycee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Seder is the story of a Jewish family living in Nazi occupied France during World War II. The family has to pretend to be Christian while practicing their true faith in secret. The story focuses on the father and the son going into the woods to participate in Seder, a portion of the Passover celebration. The story itself helps to give readers the sense of fear that these people must have lived in but what really brings that point home is the illustrations. The facial expressions on the characters are very good, one that was particularly well done showed the young boy's expression of fear and his worry at crossing himself outside the cathedral while pretending to be Catholic. This is a book that will help teach children the importance of tolerance and the terror that Jewish people lived in during the Holocaust, even those that weren't in the Concentration Camps.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book as my "Multicultural Literature." Much like any book that relates to the jewish culture or holocaust it was touching. The boy and father take a walk into the hills one night to meet with other jews who pretend they are catholic so they can live. In a cabin in the hills these men celebrate passover with each other, honoring their culture. The book is more discriptive than I thought about the time period, talking about the war and briefly the murders of jews.

[Monise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been somewhat hesitant about 'teaching' my kids the history of other groups of people using dry textbooks. Luckily, I've found some really great children's books (especially picture books) that provide a solid foundation and create enough interest for the girls to further explore on their own. This is a great story about the pride and determination of Jewish people to hold on to their faith and traditions, even at the risk of being caught and punished.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is dangerous to be a Jew during WWII in Europe. Jacques and his family must hide and pretend to be Catholics...but, even so, the Seder is celebrated under cover. They make comparisons to Jews throughout history that were persecuted. Still the Seder is sacred.

The Secret Seder is based on factual events during Hitler's reign. The statistics are staggering, the faith is overwhelming, and the fortitude by which some survived is amazing.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book at the perfect time for me: at Easter time when our family was talking about the Passover, while my son my studying World War II in social studies at school, and while I was reading "The Chosen" (a novel about two Jewish boys in America during World War II). I hope my boys will develop compassion and understanding for those who are persecuted for their beliefs or for any number of reasons, near or far.

[Mary Anjali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about living in secrecy as a Jewish boy during world war II. This young boy Jaques must pretend they are catholic, but his father and him are able to sneak away to a Secret Seder to practice their religion. They have to worry about getting caught or death. This is about bravery, tradition, family and love.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Seder by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully - 4/5th grade- I read this ages ago but wanted to reread it since it was Passover time. Touching, upsetting story about how Jewish people in hiding during the Holocaust still found a way to celebrate Passover and pass traditions down to their children.

[Kendra · Rating 2 out of 5]

A boy and his father keep up a Jewish tradition despite the danger of it during the Holocaust. The information about the Seder is very interesting.

[Rivkah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Passover story. So many people dwell on Hanukkah during WWII it was nice to see a story of Passover in that era.

[Jennv716]

A very stirring story for ages 10 and up. It is about the Jewish traditions being observed during the Holocaust. A great book to start a meaningful discussion.

[Danell Burney]

Nellie Moore! :)

[Camille Tesch]

Ages 8-10

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully touching work of historical fiction that is based on many true acts of rebellion by Jewish people to keep their faith alive during the darkest of times, the holocaust.

[Rebeca Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jacques and his family feel pressured to become something that they're not. In this book, Adolf Hilter and his men are in France. With Jews being gathered and taken to concentration camps, Jacques' family must be careful when celebrating Passover. In their village, the family are pretending to be Catholics from the way they greet people in the street but in their house continue to practice their beliefs. Jacques isn't afraid of celebrating Passover but feels the fears when trying to attend the "secret" celebration. With faith, the Passover is done outside of the village and conducted with a few things missing from its traditional form. From Jacques and his father in the mountains, they risk their lives to follow their traditions that Jacques acknowledges as his birthright. The book itself is well-written from the main character's determination in his traditions and beliefs in a risky environment. The story has a suspenseful plot with them risky everything for a tradition, but it mainly follows the child's promise to his grandfather. The message overall is beautiful with his loyalty to his beliefs and ancestors, but it mainly connects to his grandfather where he knows nothing since he also had to flee.

I liked the way that the book was from the perspective of the kid's view of being a Jew. As innocent as it might be, there is a fear shared with him knowing that his "wrongful" act is something that he must do. In the watercolored pictures, they spread emotions that are rooted to creating several and powerful messages that shows the readers the atomsphere of the story. There is a varity of darken colors that expresses the mood of the book during the times of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a bad time for all Jews so it's easier to discuss this topic for older grades with great sensitivity. The only thing is that the book is a bit open-ended with the seder's ending with not knowing whether the father and Jacques getting back safely.

[Jaelyn Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing book. It really explains what Jews had to go through, in a way that still makes it a children's book. This book definitely receives a 5 out of 5 from me. In my future classroom, I think that this would be a very great way to tell children what happened from 1939 to 1945, in a way that is still fit for children. Copyright 2005. Theme; Jewish Holiday. My favorite thing about the book was that the final three pages were true facts that explained what happened in those dark times, it explained terminology, as well as what each type of food represented in the Passover. Very cool.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between "Liked it" and "Really liked it." This was my three-year-old's first introduction to the Holocaust. He asked some good questions and enjoyed comparing the main character's memorization of the Four Questions to his own memorization of Bible verses.

[Fara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and illustrated about a terrible time in our history, WWII. Just like now when things are so dark, a good reminder leading right up to Passover, a children's book that is a good time for any adult to read too.

[DeNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, tender introduction for young kids to begin to hear of the horrific times of the Holocaust. The writer conveyed danger, apprehension, fear, strength, and beauty in her words.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good information.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It talks about hitler and killing Jews.