Miryam's Dance

by Kerry Olitzky

Rachel Spilker (Secondary Author), Rachel Stock Spilker (Secondary Author), John Baptist Tumuhaise (Illustrator), and Gershom Sizomu (Afterword)

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Book cover for Miryam's Dance

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"A joyful peek into Jewish life in a place that is likely to be unfamiliar to many American readers." --Booklist

"Young readers’ images of Jewish people will expand with this portrayal of the Abayudaya, Jews of color in contemporary Uganda...This joyful, colorful, and well-designed book will make children and adults want to jump up and join in the dance." --Sydney Taylor Shmooze

"Reminds read­ers that there are many Jew­ish com­mu­ni­ties world­wide, and they all cel­e­brate Shab­bat in their own ways." --The Jewish Book Council


Ugandan artist John Baptist Tumuhaise brings a Jewish Ugandan village to life in this story of a young girl who is distracted from her Shabbat preparation chores by the lure of a dance troupe that comes to her village.


Young Miryam wakes to a bright morning and the many chores needed to help get ready for Friday night and Shabbat in her small Ugandan village. As readers follow her through her day, they learn elements of celebrating this weekly Jewish ritual that are both universal in Jewish culture and unique to the Jewish Ugandan community, the Abuyadaya, or Tribe of Judah. A glossary explains the names of ritual foods, Ugandan terms, and landmarks used in the story.

  • ISBN10 1681156083
  • ISBN13 9781681156088
  • Publish Date 10 November 2023
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Behrman House Inc.,U.S.
  • Format Hardcover
  • Pages 32
  • Language English