A Q&A with
Ellen Frankel Author of
JPS Illustrated Children’s Bible Q. What makes this children’s Bible so different from those previously published? A. Unlike previous children’s Bibles, the JPS Illustrated Children’s Bible stays close to the original Hebrew text, enabling children to experience the authentic rhythms and imagery of these ancient words. The stories are abridged but not improved or modernized. Q. How did you select the 53 stories for inclusion in the book? A. I selected stories primarily based on whether they would appeal to children. I included those that I felt were key to the national Jewish story, even if they were a bit difficult for modern American kids. I made a decision to exclude non-story material such as poetry, prophecy, songs, psalms, genealogies, legal material, ritual and priestly material, wisdom literature, and folklore. Q. What was your toughest challenge in retelling these stories? A. It was difficult working with material that could be viewed as “too adult” for young children. I had to balance protecting their sensibilities while accurately portraying the disturbing realities and lessons contained in the Bible. I completely excluded some stories, such as “The Rape of Dinah” and “Jephthah’s Daughter,” and eliminated certain passages containing graphic violence or sex in several included stories. Some of the most significant stories, such as “The Binding of Isaac” and “David and Bathsheba” were largely uncensored. Although they will most certainly challenge a young person’s sensibilities and sense of justice, they represent the legacy of Jewish history and legend as well as the source of the Jewish literary and legal traditions. It’s important that parents, teachers and rabbis discuss the unsettling issues with young readers. Q. How did you balance your role as storyteller while keeping true to the simple narrative style of the original Bible text? A. The techniques of good storytelling are already present throughout the Bible. Since my chief aim in writing this book has been to acquaint American children with the language and rhythms of the Hebrew Bible, I have left the text largely as is according to the 1985 JPS Translation, with some adjustments where necessary to meet my young audience’s reading proficiency, vocabulary, cultural literacy and maturity. Q. How did you approach the question of gender when representing God? A. In Judaism, God is regarded as an invisible divine being with no physical body and therefore with no gender. I’ve represented God as gender-neutral by avoiding masculine pronouns, even when I’ve had to repeat the word “God” or resort to passive voice. I’ve also avoided the word “Lord,” which some feminists challenge as being patriarchal. THE JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCieTY 2100 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 800-234-3151 or 800-355-1165 t fax 215-568-2017 t www.jewishpub.org