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Tami Lehman-Wilzig is an award-winning author of 13 Jewish content picture books, including Hanukkah around the World, Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles, and Green Bible Stories for Children. She served as one of Israel's leading English language advertising copywriters for thirty-five years, creating the marketing image of numerous Israeli exporters. She lives in Kfar Saba, Israel. Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz authored the pioneering bestseller On the Chocolate Trail. That book provided the foundation for the museum exhibit, ""Semite Sweet: On Jews and Chocolate"" at the Bernard Museum, NYC. Her forthcoming book about Jewish celebratory breads will be released in 2023 (Behrman House). Rabbi Prinz has held leadership positions in the national Jewish community and was a congregational rabbi for three decades. She lives in New York City.
"""A fast-paced picture book that combines the drama foreshadowing the American Revolution, the heroic Maccabee fight for freedom, and Sephardic Hanukkah customs . . . Readers can enjoy this lively historical vignette while feeling proud to see Jews at the founding of our nation."" --Ellen G. Cole for the Association of Jewish Libraries "" . . . Combines years of research with the kind of imagination that will have children reading this book over and over. . . .There's even a surprise piece of trivia, showing the kind of cups President George and Martha Washington used for drinking chocolate."" --Donald H. Harrison, San Diego Jewish World ""Lehman-Wilzig and Prinz set their story during Hanukkah 1773 in the American colonies, centering Sephardic New England Jews. Protagonist Joshua's friend Isaac and his family have meager resources to celebrate Januca (the Spanish name for Hanukkah), but innovation from Joshua, and chocolate (an alternative to tea!) imported by Joshua's father and his crew, provide help. The Boston Tea Party actually took place on the last night of Hanukah; the (somewhat lengthy) text draws connections between the colonists' ""fight for freedom"" and the Maccabees'. The muted palette of Combi's digital-looking illustrations lends a historic feel. Back matter provides more information about Hanukkah, the Boston Tea Party, and early American Sephardic Jews--and, of course, recipes. --Shoshana Flax, Horn Book ""Brings history to life and illuminates Jewish culture in colonial times. It's wonderful to read how Hanukkah was celebrated in Newport during the 1700's. It made me feel right at home!"" --Rabbi Marc Mandel, historic Touro Synagogue, Newport, Rhode Island ""The Boston Chocolate Party is a child's tale of ingenuity, resilience, and friendship, and embeds these values in an early American history too little known by our children. This book combines whimsy with history in a delicious mix that goes perfectly with a cup of hot chocolate, and a young person's capacity to imagine the past."" --William Cutter, Prof. emeritus of Literature, Education, and Human Relations, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Anyone looking for a new Hanukkah-themed children’s book might take interest in a little-known fact in American history: the famous Boston Tea Party of 1773 took place on the last night of the Jewish freedom festival. Fictionalizing the coincidence, Tami Lehman-Wilzig, Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz, and Fede Combi invite readers to imagine a connection between the Maccabees’ rebellion and the heroic uprising of American colonists against Great Britain. Indeed, The Boston Chocolate Party follows Sephardic Jews as they seek freedom and prosperity in their new home. When unfair British taxation policies galvanize patriots to protest, the lives of Jews and their neighbors intersect in a surprising way. At the beginning of the book, Joshua Mendes and his father are waiting for a ship to dock in Newport harbor. This impressive vessel is bringing a cargo of chocolate beans for shipment to Boston, where residents will use them to make a substitute beverage for politically controversial tea. But here at home in Newport, the Sephardic community is already prepared to convert the beans into a delicious drink, and to serve it on the festival of Janucá (Hanukkah). A cozy scene of celebration features the family enjoying hot chocolate, the fried dough pastry buñuelos, and the glow of the chanukiyah placed in the window. A portrait of the Rambam (Maimonides) hangs in a place of honor over the fireplace. The picture offers passage into discussion about different cultures within the Jewish world. When Joshua finally convinces his parents to allow a visit to his friend Isaac in Boston, the two stories of courageous uprising, Jewish and American, cross paths. Isaac’s family, like that of many others in the colonies, is struggling. His widowed mother can barely put food on the table, let alone provide the extra delicacies expected for the holiday. Personal initiative and communal aid matter equally when Isaac’s mother, with the help of her friends, opens a small business ready to serve chocolate to eager Bostonians. The food becomes both a means to economic betterment and an act of patriotism. As Joshua and Isaac look through the window, they suddenly become witnesses to a dramatic turning point in the colonies, with Isaac noting that the demonstrators outside “look angry.” He comments that the “tea party” taking place does not look like a party at all — although the authors point out in their afterword that the title of “Boston Tea Party” was not used at the time the protest took place. Given that this is a book for young children, the authors choose to make the connection explicit. Just like any celebration of Hanukkah/Janucá, there are many ingredients contributing to this appealing new book. Jewish multiculturalism, community support in the face of adversity, and a thirst for freedom all add up to an engaging story about a Jewish American past. --Emily Schneider, Jewish Book Council"
