Illustration by Amalia Hoffman

Friday Night with the Pope

by Jacques J.M. Shore

Gefen Publishing House, 2006, 20 pages, NIS 60

Reviewed by Vandana Chatterjee

The Middle East is on the boil. Religious and political tensions are raising their ugly heads in every country. For us in Israel this is particularly poignant as the Holy Land is home to the holiest of holy shrines of three major faiths. In such a scenario, instilling values of understanding and tolerance right from childhood is of utmost importance.

Friday Night with the Pope by Jacques J.M. Shore is a true account of the author's meeting with His Holiness Pope John Paul II for a Shabbat dinner at the Vatican. The simple narrative, as told by an eleven year old boy, Jacob, who met and interacted with the Pope and learnt invaluable lessons from the great man's life, is moving and enlightening. In easy to understand language it shows the universality of human emotions, and the need to be able to be empathetic towards our fellow men no matter what their faith.

Friday Night with the Pope is charmingly illustrated by Amalia Hoffman. Though this is not a "fun" book for children, like fantasy stories, neither is it a "heavy" required reading book. Most children will enjoy reading the simple message of one the great men of the 20th century. This book is a definite "YES'!

Available from 'local Jewish bookstore', Amazon, B&N, www.israelbooks.com