I told you I wanted to learn more about Jewish culture, remember? Well, The Rabbi and the Painter does an excellent job melding a Jewish character with art, painting, and one of my favorite cities, Venice, Italy.
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This story is about Judah, a Jewish boy who lived in the ghetto of Venice in the 1500s, and Jacopo Robusti, a painter to lived nearby. Each of these men were actual people who lived in Venice during this time and, while much of this story is true, it isn't known for certain if they were friends. However, readers can learn much about this time in history just by reading this historical fiction book.
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In
this story, Judah is a curious young boy who shows great interest in the world and cultures around him. While many of his friends are content to stay in the ghetto, Judah wanders the city and learns through his experiences and the people he meets. Because of this habit, he learns Italian. His knowledge of Italian ends up giving him a job with the Venetian government as a translator.
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One day, Judah meets the busy painter Jacopo and the two become friends. Their friendship spans multiple years and, eventually, Jacopo asks Judah for his Jewish expertise on a painting of the Last Supper he is working on for a church. Judah helps and the painting is a success.
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This book does a wonderful job showcasing how people of two religions and beliefs can still be friends. It also teaches a bit about life in Venice during the 16th century and classical art.
To me, one of the hallmarks of a good historical fiction book is if it encourages me to study more non-fiction about the subject. And this clean book did just that! I ended up googling Jacopo Robusti and his Last Supper painting and now I know more than I did before about these individuals, life, and art.
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Book Breakdown:
32 pages
Geared toward ages: 5-11
Educational factor: medium
Moral
content: Nothing to worry about; this book does a great job teaching about art, history, and cultures during 16th century Venice.
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