Patricia Polacco
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Tikvah Means Hope 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
A sukkah is not a permanent structure but a temporary dwelling. A wind can easily blow a sukkah down, a rain can wash it away. Patricia Polacco tells an ironic tale in Tikvah Means Hope about how a natural disaster destroyed material possessions that people felt were permanent while a sukkah, something built only for a short time, persevered.It is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Roth of Oakland, who build a sukkah in the backyard of their house. While they put up their ritual hut, two neighborhood children, Justine and Duane decide to help them in their task. In the process, Justine and Duane learn the meaning of the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, a precursor to the American holiday of Thanksgiving.
"You see, we Jews have always had to move a lot," says Mr. Roth to the children. "We wandered in the desert for many years. Then at long last we found the promised Land and settled into real homes. Now we build these little huts to remind us of all the days we had no place to live, and also to give thanks for our new homes and rich harvest that our new land gave us."
For their efforts, the Roths invite Justine and Duane to sleep in their sukah and celebrate a festive meal in it. Before the children can take advantage of the hospitality, they are evacuated from their homes. A fire ravages their neighborhood burning their houses to the ground.
The Roths are devastated by the event. After the fire is put out,they search frantically among the ashes to find something that would prove they had a life here.
Just when the older man is about to lose all hope, Justine and Duane shout for him to come to the backyard. When Mr. Roth arrives, he sees one object still standing among the ashes: the sukkah. Mr. Roth can not believe his eyes. How could the sukkah not be damaged? How could the fire not consume it? His wife proclaims the occurrence a miracle.
The fact that the sukkah survives, however, is not the only miracle. When the Roths gather with their neighbors in the sukkah to celebrate the blessing of life, they hear a noise from the barbecue pit. Mr. Roth reaches down into it and pulls out their pet cat, Tikvah. The feline creature is hungry, tired and little singed but still alive.
TikvahMmeans Hope is based on a true story. In the fall of 1991, Patricia Polacco's home and those of 3,400 of her neighbors were ravaged by fire in her home of Oakland.
Tragedy happens on a random basis. Tikvah Means Hope emphasizes that despite the obstacles one may encounter, there is till signs of hope, there are still signs that can impress upon us the importance of keeping a positive outlook on life.
Polacco, in the end of the story, trumpets this message loud and clear. When he holds up his cat and sees that she is still alive, Mr. Roth proclaims the meaning of his pet's Hebrew name, that Tikvah Means Hope!
Elliot Fein teaches Jewish religious studies at the Tarbut V'Torah School in Irvine, California.
Editorial Review:
Justine and Duane and their neighbors are happily getting ready for Sukkoth, the Jewish harvest holiday. Suddenly, catastrophe strikes as a fire sweeps through their town. Luckily for everyone, there are still miracles in this world--sometimes in the shape of a little cat. This heartfelt story is a stirring celebration of life, friendship, and--most of all--hope!
