Author: Bruce H. Siegel
Illustrator: Shelly O. Haas
Format: Paperback
Published: Kar-Ben, 1998

Thoughtful text and gentle watercolor illustrations encourage children to think about the magic of Kol Nidre. When he is just a young boy, the narrator attends Yom Kippur Eve service with his grandfather. His grandfather tells him that when Kol Nidre is sung there is magic - not the magic of rabbits in hats, but a special kind of magic. The young boy tries to guess why Kol Nidre is sung three times, and his grandfather compliments him on his ideas. The boy grows into a man, a father, who has a different idea of why it is sung three times. Finally, near the end of his life, he takes is own grandchild to Yom Kippur Eve services and listens to her guess why Kol Nidre is sung three times. He realizes that an important part of the magic of Yom Kippur is that it brings Jews together: "Religious Jews and Jews who don't believe. Jews who come to synagogue every week, and Jews who come but once a year. Jews for whom the hoildays are a joy, and Jews for whom the holidays are a mystery." A moving story for Yom Kippur.