Ever heard a little kid singing a song incorrectly? He’s trying to sing “V’zakeini,” but what’s coming from his vocal chords is sounding something suspiciously like, “U’miri esa oros, ba’Torah u’manisitim…”

Now, it might be cute hearing it this way from a little child, but once that kid gets older, well, somewhere along the way, you hope he learns the correct words to the beautiful song. Otherwise, when he sings it, it really isn’t so “cute” anymore…

And when it comes to facts that a person was misinformed about, back when he was a kid, and that he still remains misinformed about, even years since his kindergarten graduation…that’s a tad more “not so cute.” And when those facts are actual halachos that the person is attempting to keep and to do—well, the problem just becomes exponentially greater. Someone better enlighten that person soon about the correct way of doing things, or else!

That’s where But I Thought comes into the picture. But I Thought is an eye-opening breakthrough in the world of halachah books. In it, more than twenty topics in halachah and Jewish custom are thoroughly explored, with an emphasis on highlighting and clarifying the erroneous assumptions that numerous people have about many of these halachos and customs.

So if, for example, you’ve been saying the pesukim of “Reishis chachmah” and “Torah tzivah” every morning immediately after washing negel vasser…now you’ll see that it seems that should not be done.

And if you’ve always ended your Shemoneh Esrei by bouncing on your heels a few times (after taking your three steps forward)…now you’ll see that there’s no source for doing so.

Surprise yourself while reading this book—and, more importantly, enlighten yourself about many halachos and customs that you thought you knew well…but really, perhaps did not!

A must-have for every halachah-abiding household!

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Whoever thought up the concept of children’s books accompanied by read-along CD’s must have been a genius. As every battle-weary mother knows, once your kid finds a book she absolutely loves, she will ask you to read it to her 250 times. At the very least. With a read-along CD, your vocal chords are given a rest, as you can cheerfully let your finger do the work for you—by simply pressing “Play.” What an amazing idea!

The only thing more amazing than this would be…a read-along book and CD on the topic of brachos! Most good Jewish mothers begin teaching their kids to say brachos at a young age, and what better way to reinforce which brachah to say on which food than by having your kids read and hear about it over and over again, via a read-along book and CD?

If you’ve been nodding your head and following me until this point, then I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear that there actually is such a wonderful product out on the market: What’s the Brachah?—an adorable read-along book and CD that teaches kids which brachos to say on which foods.

Folks, this is not your ordinary book on brachos! For starters, the illustrations nearly jump off the pages of the book—they’re that vivid and imaginative! Your kids will be begging to turn the page, while you’ll still be busy ogling over the best of Racheli Edelstein’s drawings.

The text is snappy and fun, too, and you’ll watch this book become a fast family favorite in no time at all. So much so, that even with the CD, you may just find yourself reading the book to your kids 250 times anyway!

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Weight is one of those heavy topics (pun intended), especially when it comes to shidduchim. But Yael Mermelstein is not one to shy away from topics like that. Indeed, in her latest book for adults, Petals, a collection of fiction and nonfiction works, she gives full treatment to the subject in her very first story.

The story speaks of a single gentleman who is grossly overweight. He finally meets the woman he perceives as his intended. Conversation flows, goals match, and everything falls into place—except, she isn’t willing to marry someone of his size. Our protagonist isn’t willing to lose this woman, and he is finally motivated to lose his extra weight. The reader certainly doesn’t expect the twist that comes next…

“I can’t help but wonder,” Yael recently mused, while discussing Petals with us. “I once met a slim woman married to an obese man. When I looked through her wedding album, she told me, ‘I didn’t even notice that he was heavy. I only saw his beautiful soul. I’m not kidding.’ Considering that she married him, I suppose I can take her words at face value. But is she an unprecedented exception to an unfortunate norm? Or do women like this abound?”

An interesting question to explore. And explore it Yael does, as she weaves a fascinating plot into this great story. Did our protagonist really have to lose all of that weight in order to get married? You’ll have to read the story to find out…

And once you’re at it, you’ll want to read the rest of the fabulous stories and articles in this book, too! Chock-full of humor, deep messages, and personal inspiration, Petals is certainly Yael Mermelstein at her best!

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Move over, old cookbooks on the kitchen shelf! A handsome new member is about to enter the ranks—and it sure promises to be a winner! 

Kosher Classics, a stunning, full-size cookbook with 300+ recipes by nutritionist and Aish.com’s popular recipe contributor Gitta Bixenspanner, is sure going to expand your repertoire of delicious dishes to serve up to your family! This is no ordinary cookbook, folks. In Kosher Classics, Gitta takes us through the complete Jewish year, offering recipes for each and every month, season, and holiday. You’ll find comforting and nourishing soups and easy crock-pot dinners for the cold month of December, along with new spins on Chanukah recipes, like Creamy Cauliflower Latkes, Savory Sweet Potato Latkes, and Spiced Sugar Donuts with a Twist; and great Sukkos and autumn recipes, like Yapchik, Quinoa-Olive Medley, and Versatile Shlishkes, for the months of October and November. And of course we’ve got you covered for all of your Shavuos seudos. Check out the May/Shavuos section, where you’ll find recipes from “Flower” Water Challah and Cool Cherry Apple Soup to Spring Oriental Slaw and Maple Salmon Fillet …and let’s not forget dessert: Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake, Scrumptious Amaretto Cheesecake, or Almond Butter Squares!

Gitta’s recipes are all practical and straightforward; you won’t need to run around buying any outlandish ingredients for them. And as a nutritionist, Gitta lends a healthful slant to many of the recipes, too. But the most amazing thing about this cookbook is how absolutely yummy these recipes are! 

Kosher Classics makes an impressive gift, whether for a hardworking wife after Shavuos (or before—if you want to gain off the deal during Yom Tov, too!) or for a dedicated teacher at the end of the school year. Of course you can also treat yourself, too. Then, you can assuage any guilt about that by whipping up a couple of nice dishes from the cookbook for your family. Like that, you know your splurge is benefitting the entire mishpachah!

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“Rebbi told us about hakaras hatov today!” my son tells me enthusiastically. “He went around the room, and everyone had to say something that they thank Hashem for.”

“Really?” I say. “What did you thank Hashem for?”

Without missing a beat, he answers, “That we had franks for lunch today!”

Okaaay, if that’s what gives him pleasure, kol hakavod…

The concept, though, is a great one. We know we’re supposed to thank Hashem for everything He gives us, and we know we want to teach our children to be thankful Jews, too—but how to do it?

A terrific way to start is by playing The Gratitude Game with them! Similar to the activity my son’s rebbi did with them, this game involves going around the table and having each participant list 5 things for which they are thankful to Hashem. Of course you can’t “double up” on someone else’s choices, and extra points go toward being creative with your listings! The point of all this is to make us aware of how many thousands of chassadim, both big and small, Hashem is doing for us on a constant basis. This, in turn, helps inculcate the feelings of gratitude and happiness within us.

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Are your kids fascinated by the prehistoric relics found in your basement? We’re talking items like corded phones, cassettes, records (if you’re old enough to know what those are!)…things like that.

If so—surprise, surprise!—you are raising a very 2016 family!

Now, while that’s all fine and good when it comes to your kids being able to teach you how to use your new laptop or digital camera, there is a downside to this kid tech-savvy: can your kids ever fully relate to the stories that took place in the “olden days”?

Take the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, for example. We are commanded to see ourselves as if we—not only our ancestors—left Mitzrayim. Yet in a day and age when the most kids know about rulers and kings is the President, with his bulletproof limo and Secret Service bodyguards, how are they to relate to Pharaoh and his chariot and officers?

This is the beauty—and the fun—of Just Imagine! We’re Leaving Egypt, a comic book for kids that depicts the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim as if it had happened in 2016. Pharaoh calls his personal bodyguard on his cell phone, to order him to find some kind of relief from the painful boils covering his body during Makkas Shechin (of course to no avail). An army of tanks and airplanes is hired to try to destroy the wild animals during Makkas Arov (ditto to no avail). And there’s lots more…

Just Imagine! reads like an action book—because it is one! And although the story itself is not historically the way Yetzias Mitzrayim really occurred, you better believe it’ll help your children truly feel the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim this year!

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Moving to a new city is always a big adjustment, but moving when you’re a teenager? Forget it!

Yet no one is giving Tehilla Sherman a choice in the matter, and so, when circumstances force her family to relocate from their small town in New Jersey to a new home in New York City, Tehilla finds herself living in an unfamiliar, new house and attending an unfamiliar, new high school—whether she likes it or not.

And if all this isn’t bad enough, Tehilla also has to contend with unexpected feelings of jealousy toward Russian-born Galia, who lives locally. As Galia begins to feel strongly attracted towards her unknown Jewish heritage, she grows close to Tehilla’s mother and her older sister Chana Ora.

Both Tehilla and Galia find themselves facing difficult challenges: Tehilla feels lost and lonely at her large new school. Galia, whose mother is leaving her behind with her aunt, in order to attend medical school in Chicago, also faces losing her BFF Katie, due to her negative attitude toward Yiddishkeit.

Tehilla’s one consolation at this tumultuous time is her music—and then she discovers that Galia, too, is a “music person.” A precious new friendship slowly begins to blossom, to the accompaniment of sweet notes of piano music being played at midnight…

Midnight Music is a story every teenager will relate to. It explores complex relationships and intricate choices, and will strike a chord in your teen’s heart.

With Pesach vacation right around the corner and lots of reading time ahead, why not pick up a copy of Midnight Music for your teen—or yourself—today?

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“The Halachos of Chocolate”

Well, if that chapter title didn’t just get your mouth to water…!

What kind of halachah sefer has such a chapter title in it—you want to know? It’s Halachically Speaking, of course!

For Halachically Speaking fans, chapters like “The Halachos of Chocolate,” “All About Medications in Halachah,” and “The Halachos of Bal Tashchis” come as no surprise. That is author Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits’s style—and it’s what endears his series of halachah books to so many readers.

Rabbi Lebovits has a knack for zeroing in on those hard-to-find halachos on daily living, then researching the different opinions of the poskim on those halachos, and finally presenting his readers with these findings—all wrapped up in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand format.

Halachically Speaking 5 follows in the footsteps of its beloved forerunners, volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4. In addition to the above-mentioned chapters, it includes chapters on the halachos of maris ayin, waiting between eating hard (aged) cheese and meat, the halachos pertaining to a person’s seat, and much, much more!

And for all those wondering exactly what is included in the chapter titled, “The Halachos of Chocolate,” well, you’ll just have to see Chapter 6 in this book to find out!

Click here to purchase online.