About
Thank You For Visiting
Thank you for visiting my website. Whether these books involve a beloved Rabbi’s stories, a young girl learning how to make challah, experiencing an unusual kind of day, or a little girl discovering the beauty of challah and Shabbat, these stories are meant to bring smiles to young children as they listen to the books being read, or when they read them to themselves.
About The Author
I have been a professional writer for over 35 years, serving as both a reporter/feature writer for community newspapers as well as a freelance writer for local and national publications including Registered Representative, San Jose Business Journal and South Bay Accent Magazine.
While teaching elementary school in public and religious schools, I began writing plays that my students would often perform. In 1978 I was invited by a publishing company to send in my plays, which were published shortly after, Jewish Plays For Jewish Days. From that moment on, I began writing and/or telling stories to children, both my own and my grandchildren.
My second book, Nathan The Needle and Other Stories by Rabbi Gitin, was published in 1994 after my fellow congregants at Temple Emanu-el in San Jose asked me to write the book, which was at the time only oral history.
Rucheleh’s Challah was my own story of how I learned to make my grandmother’s challah. Her recipes were handed down from her mother, who learned it from her mother, etc. No written recipes, but I was determined to learn how, make it myself, and finally have a written copy to pass on.
Next came A Different Kind of Day. While not necessarily a Jewish-themed book, it does have a universal message that sometimes our day just doesn’t go as planned, and we need to learn to adjust and get through as best we can.
After that, I wrote I Never Met A Mandelbread I Didn’t Like. A recipe book based on recipes and stories behind the recipes sent in from over fifty people in the community.
My next book, a light mystery story, Sadie Sadie P.I. Lady, was just for fun and different from my usual style.
Special For Shabbat is geared for young children. A sweet, simple story with whimsical illustrations that convey the importance and unique place challah has on Shabbat.
My latest book, Choices We Make is filled with eight rhyming stories and charming illustrations that offer examples of choices we face and how to decide what to do. Allows for questions and explanations that help young children better understand the concept of making the right choice. Audience level - ages 4-8
While I ultimately left the teaching world to become a feature writer for local community newspapers and freelanced for both local and national publications, I never tired of storytelling for children. I believe something magical happens when we read or have children read from stories that create values and traditions that can positively impact their lives going forward.