Behrman House: About Us: 2001 Letter from the Publisher

Letter from the Publisher 2001

        This year is unlike any other. As many of you know, at the end of last year my father, Jacob, retired from daily involvement in the firm.
        This marks for us the end of one era and the beginning of another. My father built this house from a bookstore into the firm it is today. He made it a place of firsts: the first color textbook for the Jewish school, the first instant lesson, the first integrated Hebrew program, the first readiness-level Hebrew book, the first programmed Hebrew instruction book.
        Innovation made this house a place to which educators can turn for virtually any book serving the Jewish school. but innovation alone wasn't enough--reverence was also required. Reverence for our tradition, which demands that we make our books right to the last detail. Reverence for principals and teachers, who deserve the best possible materials, materials filled with richness and presented with flair and with dignity. And, of course, reverence for the children themselves, who need to be welcomed into and inspired by our tradition--by its magnificence and majesty--so they can seize it as their own.
        Living up to this tradition is a challenge. But it is a challenge we will continue to meet, as you will see in these new publications:
        · Hineni: The New Hebrew Through Prayer builds on the enormously successful Hebrew Through Prayer series to provide another full-color option for Hebrew education. Hineni focuses on prayer literacy, while providing students with key cultural concepts as well as the meanings and values behind the prayers.
        · Let's Discover Mitzvot, the latest in our series of four-page folders, brings to the youngest students the wonders of the mitzvot. Students will learn that mitzvot are not just good deeds, but rather sacred traditions that can guide and enrich their daily lives.
        · Making a Difference presents young teens with an action-based view of the Jewish spiritual tradition. It offers a combination of ethical and ritual mitzvot, with opportunities for teens to explore who they are, what kind of adlts they want to become, and how performing mitzvot can help them achieve their goals.
        I hope and trust that these new books, and the ones that follow, will live up to the high standards you have come to expect from our firm. And I look forward to working with you in the years to come.
        With every best wish,

Sincerely,

David E. Behrman