A synagogue just like home

Rabbi Ruben's beloved synagogue is warm, welcoming--and in serious need of renovation. "Its sunny sanctuary had such drafts that at last Friday evening's service, the Shabbat candles flickered once, flickered twice, and then blew out!" writes McGinty (The Water Lady) in warm prose. The rabbi, who reads as white, decides he's the "Y" in DIY and waves off all help, but his repairs--he uses challah dough to plug a leaky faucet--fall far short. With the synagogue even more of a mess than before, the congregants gently remind their rabbi that if a synagogue is indeed "just like home," then it's their home, too, and that "helping," "sharing," and "caring" is everyone's responsibility. After a week of their working together, the synagogue is as good as new, and the Shabbat candles burn "bright and strong." Molk's (There Might Be Lobsters) mixed-media art portrays an exuberantly participatory community of people with varying body types and skin tones, and kids who evince as much a sense of ownership as the grown-ups. Final scenes set in the glow of the Shabbat candles have a quiet, profound beauty: deep faith, immense joy, and unshakable belonging radiate from the pages. Ages 4--8. (Aug.)

A shul's congregants renew their temple. Rabbi Ruben loves his synagogue, a place he believes should feel like "a happy home." When he discovers a kitchen sink leaks, library floorboards creak, and sanctuary windows permit drafts, he springs into repairman mode, wanting to put things to rights as a Shabbat gift for his flock. With trusty toolbox and dog in tow, the rabbi attempts repairs and comes up with some ingenious ideas--e.g., stuffing challah dough into the faucet to stanch the leak. At first, Rabbi Ruben's efforts seem to pay off, Friday night services proceed, and the rabbi is rightly proud, but then, alas, his skills as a spiritual leader prove to outshine those of a general contractor. After services, numerous congregation members--particularly women and kids--pool their know-how and pitch in to do the repairs correctly, confirming Rabbi Ruben's theory that a synagogue, like a home, is for helping, sharing, and caring (crucial when a watery near disaster occurs). Happily, the following Friday night's services take place without problems--or more fix-its. This warm, humorous tale is ably supported by lively mixed-media, digitally finished illustrations that affirm the story's guiding principles of collaboration and cozy hominess. Rabbi Ruben is light-skinned; congregants are diverse in terms of skin tone and age. Jewish audiences will appreciate familiar details in text and art, but the important message about the spirit of togetherness is universal. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A delightful testament to the power of community. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.