It is my honor and pleasure to welcome back Maxine Rose Schur! In her picture book, DAY OF DELIGHT: A JEWISH SABBATH IN ETHIOPIA (Kalaniot, 2026), a reprint of the 1994 classic illustrated by Brian Pinkney, the joy of Jewish life in Ethiopia is illuminated as Senvetu and his family prepare for the Sabbath. Set against the beautiful Ethiopian mountains, each page explores Sabbath rituals – from gathering honey to baking bread, and sharing a beautiful family meal. The deeply hued illustrations warmly invite the reader into the setting. DAY OF DELIGHT is an opportunity for young readers to learn about the beauty and culture of the Jewish community. I’m so delighted to chat with Maxine about this wonderful book and her journey creating it.
DAY OF DELIGHT – A Jewish Sabbath in Ethiopia was originally published in 1994. Why do you think it’s so important for young readers today to learn about the Jewish community in Ethiopia?
The diverse Jewish cultures around the world should never be forgotten. We are one people with myriad traditions and infinite stories. To learn Jewish history is to understand that throughout the millennia, Jews have survived in foreign lands in difficult times. In our own century, the remote Jewish community in Ethiopia, though poor and little-known, has survived and held to our religion since Biblical times. Theirs is a moving story of courage and faith that can inspire adults and children alike.
What inspired your interest in the Beta Israel Community?
I am always interested in learning about Jewish cultures in faraway places. We are most familiar with the lives of Jews in Europe, yet Jews have made their homes in countries around the globe. Even now I am reading about the Jews in India, Afghanistan, Mexico, and Jamaica. I’m equally fascinated by learning how Jews lived in other times. That’s what led me to write my first children’s book on a Jewish theme, The Circlemaker, a middle-grade novel which told of the little-known Cantonist period in Russia when Jewish boys, some as young as eight, were conscripted into the army for a 25-year service or Sacred Shadows, my YA novel about life for Jews in Poland between the two world wars. In the early 90s I first heard of the Beta Israel when news of the Ethiopian famine and their persecution first began to trickle in. I was fascinated because I had never heard of these people and wanted to know more. When I learned that they had lived a completely isolated life, a life unknown to most other Jews, I was fascinated and eager to share whatever I discover with children.
Can you share a bit about your research process for this book?
I did a lot of research in libraries because the Internet wasn’t as robust as it is now. I used the Jewish Library in San Francisco and the public library to piece together as much information as I could. In doing so, I learned about their history and their way of life.
For example, I was astonished to learn that for centuries the Beta Israel were so isolated that they believed themselves to be the only Jews left in the world. They didn’t know that white Jews existed! I also learned that they believe themselves to be descendants of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Certainly, archaeology supports a Jewish presence in Ethiopia dating to about 600 BCE. The Beta Israel speak Amharic like other Ethiopians, but their sacred texts are not in Hebrew; they are in the ancient language of Ge’ez. And of course, another important fact I learned is that in Ethiopia, the Beta Israel have been persecuted by their non-Jewish neighbors. The Beta Israel men traditionally have worked as blacksmiths and in Ethiopia there is a superstition that those who can mold and shape metal can also re-shape themselves —just as the devil can. So many of their neighbors believe that the Beta Israel have the powers of witchcraft.
In addition to my book research, I was fortunate to be able to interview Beta Israel immigrants in Los Angeles. In those interviews I learned important details of their daily life that I incorporated into my story.
What were your thoughts when you saw the illustrations by Brian Pinkney?
My first thoughts were of gratitude! Brian has enormous talent and I’m happy that his talent has been recognized by the greatest honor for a picture book illustrator, the Caldecott award which, by the way, was also won by his father, Jerry Pinkney. For Day of Delight, Brian used the scratchboard technique, a form of direct engraving in which he uses a sharp knife to scratch off dark ink to reveal a white or colored layer beneath. With this technique Brian was able to achieve a high level of detail and texture. By the way, in the sequel to Day of Delight, a book for older kids titled, When I Left my Village, Brian used scratchboard again to achieve powerful black and white illustrations.
Lastly, I need to say that if it weren’t for Brian, I’m not sure the book would have been first published by Dial Books or even at all! My agent had shown Brian the manuscript at a party. Months later, when Dial’s legendary executive editor and publisher, Phyllis Fogelman, asked Brian if he had seen any stories he wanted to illustrate for her, he replied “Day of Delight.” The next thing I knew was that after five years and sixty (!) rejections, I got a call from Phyllis herself. Now I’m delighted that my words and Brian’s art will be available to a new generation of children thanks to the vision of Kalaniot Books.
In your author’s note, you mention that Ethiopian Jews “no longer live in their traditional way.” Do you know the customs the Beta Israel community living outside of Ethiopia have been able to maintain or adapt?
In my book, When I Left my Village, I recount how a Beta Israel family flee famine and persecution in Ethiopia by escaping to a refugee camp in Sudan where they are eventually rescued and flown to Israel. Here they live in a kibbutz setting where they learn Hebrew and ways of modern life such as eating with a knife and fork, using clocks, electricity etc.
Today, whether the Beta Israel have immigrated to Israel or other countries such as Canada and the United States, they maintain their unique traditions. Their prayers are in Ge’ez, and they continue to keep the Shabbat and the dietary laws. Interestingly, the Beta Israel observe a unique Jewish holiday called Sigd. It is time when the Beta Israel renew their covenant with God to preserve their Jewish identity. Sigd is a period of fasting and praying. Fortunately, in 2008, The Israeli Knesset declared Sigd a national holiday. In Israel, its celebration helps raise Ethiopian Jewish visibility and educate all Israeli Jews about the Beta Israel.
The book includes a note from Rabbi Dr. Sharon Zewde Shalom. Did you have the opportunity to communicate with him about the book?
I didn’t personally communicate with Rabbi Shalom, but I’m thrilled that he contributed an afterword to the book. This means a lot to me. Rabbi Shalom is an extraordinary person whom I greatly admire. As a refugee, he had to leave his family behind and immigrate to Israel at the tender age of eight. Today he works as a rabbi in a program that supports the integration of Ethiopian immigrants into Israeli society. The rabbi also lectures on Jewish ritual and tradition. In fact, Rabbi Shalom has written an important book on the Beta Israel: From Sinai to Ethiopia: the Halachic World and Ethiopian Jewish Thought.
What do you hope young readers take away from the book?
I hope that young readers see how beautiful Shabbat is and how its observance may differ from theirs yet is of equal beauty. I hope too that young readers see how important Shabbat is, particularly to communities such as the Beta Israel whose traditional life has been so hard and materially poor. Most important, I hope that Day of Delight will ignite a curiosity and exploration about other Jewish cultures and traditions worldwide.
Thank you, Maxine!
Maxine Rose Schur is an award-winning author of children’s books and travel essays. Her writing often centers on cultural diversity, history, and identity, earning her honors such as the Sydney Taylor Award and a National Jewish Book Award nomination. With a background in theater and the experiences of extensive travel, Schur brings a lyricism and cultural richness to her stories. She lives in Northern California, where she continues to write and to travel.