My Neighbor Judy

Cover art by Leibel Krinsky

My Neighbor Judy
Serialized in Tachlis Magazine.
September 2017- 2018. Read it here.

This novel is about two fifth graders, one of whom is trying to acclimate to a new culture and one of whom is trying to learn not to judge people who might be different from her, her friends, and her family. My Neighbor Judy emphasizes the importance of tolerance, understanding, and unity, i.e. v’ahavta l’reacha kamocha.

Although this story takes place in an imaginary town, Meadow Wood, New Jersey, its driving conflict, the difficulty that people have accepting actions, words, and thoughts dissimilar to their own, is universal. Whereas “acceptance” is not “approval," being able to acknowledge the existence and significance of others’ worldviews remains an invaluable interpersonal skill.

Preface
Chapter One: The New Family
Chapter Two: The New School
Chapter Three: The Newest Girl
Chapter Four: A Shabbos Sleepover
Chapter Five: Chocolate Mousse and Acceptance 
Chapter Six: Kippahs, Tzitzis, and Payos
Chapter Seven: “Daddy” or “Tatty”
Chapter Eight: Getting Dressed
Chapter Nine: Clothing Shopping
Chapter Ten: Parve Muffins
Chapter Eleven: Another Shabbos Sleepover
Chapter Twelve: Pets and Hard Boiled Eggs
Chapter Thirteen: Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol
Chapter Fourteen: Rashi Script
Chapter Fifteen: Losses
Chapter Sixteen: Snow
Chapter Seventeen: Shevah, Hodayah, and Bakasha
Chapter Eighteen: Leora
Chapter Nineteen: Handwashing and Stuffed Animals
Chapter Twenty: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow Chapter Twenty-One: Kittens and Bees
Chapter Twenty-Two: A Chumash Party
Chapter Twenty-Three: A Bar Mitzvah
Chapter Twenty- Four: Shiluach Haken
Chapter Twenty-Five: Library Books
Chapter Twenty-Six: Swimming Lessons
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Mem, Mem, Mem, Mem
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Pesach Cleaning
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Pesach
Chapter Thirty: Sefirat HaOmer
Chapter Thirty-One: A Wedding
Chapter Thirty-Two: Batteries
Chapter Thirty-Three: Brachos Bee Finals and Judging Favorably
Chapter Thirty-Four: Yoni Becomes Bar Mitzvah
Chapter Thirty-Five: The Three Weeks
Chapter Thirty-Six: A Siyum and an Airplane
Acknowledgements
About the Authors