I Believe!

The power of a song…it’s really incredible.

Ask me a question on something I learned in third grade, and I’ll give you a blank look. I mean, who remembers what they learned in third grade?! But ask me to tell you a pasuk from Birkas Yaakov, and I can rattle it off for you, though that was something I’d learned in third grade too. What’s the difference? You see, we learned Birkas Yaakov in a song, and my classmates and I must have sang it 100 times or more over the years in elementary school, every Parshas Vayechi, and every time we met our old third-grade teacher in the hallway and wanted to impress her…you get the picture.

There’s no question about it: songs stick in the mind. You don’t even have to take my word for it; there are scientific studies to back this up! And that’s why we believe so strongly (excuse the pun!) in Rabbi Mordechai Dubin’s new, groundbreaking book-and-CD, I Believe!

Rabbi Dubin, a talented mechanech who also has a passion for music, wanted to ingrain the thirteen Ani Maamin’s into the minds and hearts of his young students. With this goal in mind, he took the words of the Ani Maamin’s which are found in the siddur, translated them into easy English, and then put the words to a beautiful and catchy tune. The results? A stunning song that, once you listen to it a few times, you’ll find yourself singing over and over again.

The book that goes along with the CD is a masterpiece in and of itself. The illustrations are gorgeous and lifelike, and really bring the words of the song to life. The beauty of the two—book and CD—is that with them, you can teach your kids the Thirteen Principles of our faith without delivering a single lecture or lesson. Just pop the CD into a CD player, hand your little ones the book…and watch the magic begin. It won’t be long before your kids will have these fundamental concepts memorized, and you’ll hear them singing the precious words of the Ani Maamin’s as they go about their day.

And really, as ma’aminim bnei ma’aminim—isn’t this something all frum parents for their children?

Click here to purchase online.

Framed!

“All of my kids loved this book, from my 3^rd grader up to my 9^th grader!”

“My son could not put this book down!”

This is some of the feedback we’ve been hearing from parents whose kids have read Framed! Or perhaps “gobbled up” would be a better way of putting it!

There’s something unusual about this book. It’s a top-notch, spine-tingling, bona fide thriller novel, yet there are no phones (certainly no cell phones!), cars, or planes anywhere in the plot. That’s because the story takes place in long-ago Eastern Europe, when fervently religious but illiterate peasants were mainstays at Jewish-owned taverns, and Catholic priests were often conniving, insincere individuals who wanted nothing more but to harm the Jews…and line their pockets with money.

Against this historical backdrop, skilled author Chayele Kohane weaves a dramatic plot that will keep your tweens and teens on their toes, from the first page until the very last. This is a most wholesome novel, and it contains plenty of wonderful lessons as well. But at the same time, there’s no skimping on the fun and suspense with this book!

Read Framed! for yourself (adults have loved it too!), and you’ll see just what we mean!

Click here to purchase online.

Middos Man – Vol. 6

There’s nothing like being pulled frantically in four different directions, all at the same time, to make you feel like you’ve earned your stripes in mommy-hood.

The first kvetch isn’t so bad: “Mo-o-m-m-m-y-y! I’m hungry! I want something to eat, NOW!!” Then comes the plaintive call from the bathroom: “Mommy, could you help me?” This is followed by the telltale signs of a fight in progress—slap, pinch, bang—and then, “Mommy! He hit me!” and, “She started it! She took away my ball!” (Of course that’s usually just about when the phone will decide to ring, the doorbell will chime, and your pot of soup on the stove will boil over—but that’s all besides the point.)

What should you do first?!

As the cries and calls escalate in their intensity, you throw your hands up in frustration and ask, “Can’t all you kids just have a little bit of PATIENCE?!”

But you know, patience is not just something that’s helpful to mothers. Patience is actually an important middah that everyone—not just kids—needs to acquire and demonstrate in many situations in life. Of course the best place to start is by teaching it to our children when they’re young.

And what better way to do that than with good ‘ol MiddosMan???

Join MiddosMan on yet another adventure to combat Mr. Yetzer Hara—this time while teaching kids how to have patience. The read-along CD makes the experience even more entertaining for kids, while the fun illustrations and exciting details (check out MiddosMan’s awesome fly shoes!) make the story come alive!

If your kid is one of MiddosMan’s many fans, this is the best gift you can give him. And if he hasn’t met MiddosMan yet—well, what are you waiting for??? (This is not the time to have patience!)

Click here to purchase online.