The Secret Shofar of Barcelona

by Jacqueline Dembar Greene, Douglas Chayka (Illustrator)

In the late 1500s, while the conductor of the Royal Orchestra of Barcelona prepares for a concert to celebrate Spain’s colonies in the New World, his son secretly practices playing the Shofar to help Jews, who must hide their faith from the Inquisition, to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. Simultaneous.

Genres: Jewish, Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Music, Faith, Judaism

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2009

About the author

Ms. Greene is an American author of more than 30 books and stories for young readers. In addition to her American Girl series, some of her notable books of fiction include: Out of Many Waters, a historical novel about the first Jewish settlement in America.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Fernando was a respected musician and composer in 16th-century Barcelona, and the conductor of the Duke's Royal Orchestra. He was also a 'converso' - a Jew who had been forced to convert to Catholicism under the Spanish Inquisition - who secretly kept to Jewish tradition. Working on a special piece of music to celebrate Spain's conquest of the Americas, he incorporated the blowing of the shofar - the ram's horn trumpet used at the Jewish near year of Rosh Hashanah - into the work. His son, Rafael, was the one to blow the shofar, right in front of the Duke, the members of the Inquisition, and all of Barcelona...

Jacqueline Dembar Greene is a noted Jewish American children's author, perhaps best known for her books about Rebecca, which are part of the American Girls series, although she also wrote the novel Out of Many Waters , which features a young girl fleeing from the Portuguese Inquisition. The Secret Shofar of Barcelona is the first of her books that I have read, and it makes for an engaging introduction (if one is searching for such a thing) to the Spanish Inquisition for younger children. With its story of a family of Crypto-Jews (Jews who secretly adhered to their ancestral faith, while outwardly maintaining another), it reminded me a bit of Heidi Smith Hyde's Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue . The accompanying artwork from illustrator Doug Chayka is colorful and expressive, beautifully capturing the tension in the story. Recommended to anyone seeking children's stories about the Spanish Inquisition and/or set at Rosh Hashanah.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too many books at this age do a great job of describing the Inquisition and the fight against it. This one does a reasonable job. It brings the story of a conductor and his son the reader with simple language and expressive illustration, revealing further back story at the beginning and end of the book. Overall, a very satisfying read.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imaginative story of resistance to injustice and holding onto one's self, _The Secret Shofar of Barcelona_ is a lovingly illustrated and instructive tale.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming tale of the Marranos based on an oral tradition about a conductor in Barcelona.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love a Jewish picture book that speaks about lesser known history. Most picture books I read are set in contemporary United States, but I love when there is a historical setting, such as a shtetl in the Pale of Settlement. Even rarer are books that look at other communities besides Ashkenazi Jews! This book speaks about a young man and his father living in Barcelona in a community of Conversos in the early 1500s. The things one must to do follow HaShem's laws but also not find oneself on the wrong side of the Spanish law can be very convoluted and risky. This story shows the joy of taking the risk to do something special for your community!

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you're looking for a picture book that you can use to fairly safely use to explain the Spanish Inquisition to you very young child, this is very likely your best bet.

That is not a sentence I ever expected to write. Also I put the book right back into the little free library I took it out of cause I don't need to safely explain the Spanish Inquisition to ANY kids. I'm not a parent and I have officially dodged that bullet.

[Dagmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my daughtet today - very nice story and impactful illustrations

[Erika Dreifus]

Picked this one up to study how the author handled writing about the Inquisition.

[Lannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

[Kate Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grades 1-3. In 1492 Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain decreed that everyone is Spain must be Catholic. All other faiths were required to convert or leave the country.

In this legend (there is no historical record), Rafael is a Jewish musician in hiding. Traditionally the shofar (a type of horn) is blown to celebrate the new year. Because of his status as a well-loved musician, Rafael came up with a plan to have a concert on the Jewish new year. And there on stage, in front of everyone-- he blew the shofar as a part of the show, with the intent that its "secret" meaning would be heard by Jews hiding all over Barcelona.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Secret Shofar of Barcelona" is the story of Jewish community resilience and our rich history, accessible for an elementary school audience. Hiding in plain sight, the Jewish community of Spain finds a way to sound their sacred shofar during the High Holiday celebrations as Conversos during the period of Spanish Inquisition, which spanned 350 years.

Please see my Goodreads' review of Debbie Levy's, "A Key from Spain" for a full list of Jewish reads featuring Sephardic and Mizrachi storytelling: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

First read: December 2020
Reread: September 2025

[MissInformation · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on legend, so not historical fiction, but.... A compelling story of a composer and his son who must hide their Jewish religious beliefs from the Inquisition. They choose to boldly perform using a Jewish shofar as part of a musical program, "secretly" marking a Jewish celebration in plain sight.