Jewish stories for children of all ages

The cardinal and the counsellor

When the Spanish King's faithful counselor falls gravely ill, he is visited by the cardinal, who whispers a strange prayer in his ear. After the counselor's unexpected recovery, he has some very strong questions for the cardinal that lead to a new life for both of them.

On the horns of a deer

Reb Meir Anschel Rothschild once made a large sum of money "hefker", public property, whereupon it was picked up by the Chacham Tzvi. The mishna describes a person who has no hope of recovering their money as being "like someone who placed their money on the horns of a fleeing deer". In this case, it was a very good idea!

Reb Nochum and the Baal Teshuva

A weary traveler stops at Reb Nochum's inn for a bite, but refuses the offer of a bed and a donation. He shares his tale of woe and leaves, only to return some months later with good news to share.

The Nikolsburger Shamash

Rabbi Shmuel Shmelke was a talmid of the Mezritcher Maggid who became the Rov of Nikolsburg and the Chief Rabbi of Moravia. After a community dispute puts the Rabbi's position in jeopardy, the old shamash ends the dispute with a tale of a mysterious event that occurred some years before.

Journey to Twersk

Reb Berel and his good wife have everything except the one thing that would make them truly happy- a child. The Rebbe tells Berel to go to Twersk on his next business trip, where Berel becomes lost and then finds out why the Rebbe made this unusual suggestion.

The tefillin of the Maggid of Mezritch

Rabbi Yisroel of Ruzhin inherited the tefillin of his grandfather, the Maggid of Mezritch. After the Ruzhiner's passing, the tefillin went on a long journey and became lost in a war, only to be returned to their owner, the Tchortkover Rebbe, by a mysterious soldier.

Yehudis the brave

Holofernes, the ruthless Seleucid general, has besieged the Judean town of Besulia to crush the rebellious citizenry. With no food or water, the townspeople grow more despondent with each passing day. But Yehudis, the daughter of Yochanan the Kohein Godol, has a plan to rid the world of Holofernes and save the town.

The golden shofar

Rabbi Yaakov Vidal and his family, including their daughter Miriam, fled the Spanish Inquisition for the safety of Constantinople. When a member of the Sultan's court sets eyes on Miriam, he decides to ask for permission to marry her- when he is refused, he embarks on a plot that threatens all of the Jews of the city.

Kol Nidrei in Berditchev

Once, shortly before Kol Nidrei, the Berditchever Rebbe Rabbi Levi Yitzchok asked if anyone in the shul came from Pilova? A dairy farmer from Ravnitz, near Pilova, stepped forward and told his tale, bringing a smile to the face of the Berditchever and a good sealing for all the Jews on Yom Kippur.

The White Bear

Ber the Lumber Merchant is known as "the white bear" due to a fright he had as a young man that turned his hair white. When a newcomer tries to undermine Ber and take away his business, Ber goes to his Rebbe for advice and the newcomer gets an even bigger fright.