Bible stories have long been a staple of Jewish and Christian children’s religious education. For all their enduring appeal, it’s often a challenge to present these ancient tales in a way that’s both meaningful and accessible to young people.
Retired Harrisburg attorney Carl Shuman has tried to fill that void with a pair of books in what he calls the “Torah Time Travel” series, an early-grade chapter book series published by Apples and Honey Press, an imprint of Behrman House, well-known publisher of Jewish books.
Featuring Shuman’s words and whimsical illustrations by C. B. Decker, the books’ goal is to introduce his audience to aspects of Jewish values like welcoming the stranger or the power of faith and perseverance, as seen through the eyes of a creative, if somewhat nerdy, modern boy named Max and his classmate, Emma.
Take a Shot
Speaking in the dining room of his Susquehanna Township home, Shuman, a Philadelphia native, smiles easily. He exudes the air of a warmhearted “Zadie”—the Yiddish word for grandfather—a cherished role he occupies in the lives of his grandchildren, ages 8 and 4.
After graduating from Georgetown Law School in 1982, Shuman spent several years in private practice and served in the Office of General Counsel under Gov. Bob Casey. He then worked as an employment lawyer for Highmark for the balance of his career until retirement in 2019.
Writing long has been an avocation for Shuman. He has written two as-yet unpublished novels, and one of his short stories won first prize in a contest sponsored by the former Central PA Magazine in 2006.
But before he retired, he decided he wanted to try his hand at a children’s book.
“We’ve all had the experience of reading these Jewish stories to our children,” said Shuman, who has raised three of his own with Beth, his wife of 38 years. “Some are delightful, and some are a little dry.”
He decided he would “take a shot at writing something that will appeal to parents as well as kids.”
Shuman chose to write a Jewish-themed book because he “felt most comfortable in that milieu.” For his subject matter, he was inspired by a collection of books a friend had given him years earlier that focused on values like honesty and curiosity, exemplified in the lives of Abraham Lincoln and other historical figures.
The first of his books—“Max Builds a Time Machine”—reflects on the Jewish value of hospitality, sparked by the account in the Book of Genesis of Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people, and his wife Sarah, welcoming three strangers who turn out to be angels sent by God.
Max, Shuman’s protagonist, builds a time machine out of a cardboard box and spare parts from an erector set and other toys. He uses it to transport himself to the land of Canaan in 2000 BCE, where he experiences Abraham and Sarah’s kindness to strangers firsthand.
In “Max and Emma Cross the Red Sea,” Shuman follows his two young time travelers during Passover back to the moment of the Exodus, where they learn about courage and faith from the story of a man named Nachshon, who some Jewish sages identify as the first person to enter the waters before they parted and allowed the Israelites to cross to freedom.
Most of his research, Shuman said, involves immersing himself in midrashim, or rabbinic debates, that form the Talmud, the compendium of commentaries on the Hebrew Bible’s text. He thinks of his books as a “celebration of the rabbinic imagination” and believes there is a “wonderful value in learning how the rabbis talked to each other.” To further that kind of dialogue, both books helpfully include “A Note for Families” that offers questions and suggestions for further discussion.
Meant to Do
Rabbi Ron Muroff, spiritual leader of Harrisburg’s Chisuk Emuna Congregation, where Shuman is a longtime member, appreciates that, for all the lightheartedness of Shuman’s books, he’s engaged in a serious project.
Muroff links Shuman’s stories to the process begun by rabbis nearly 2,000 years ago of “reading slowly, discerning meaning from each word of the Torah.” Shuman proceeds in a similar fashion, the rabbi said, offering “original and creative interpretations of ancient stories that shed new light on our contemporary world.”
Shuman’s work has gained him recognition outside his own religious community, notably by PJ Library, a project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Since its inception in 2005, the organization has distributed an age-appropriate book monthly to its subscribers in the United States and Canada, a total approaching 20 million books to date.
PJ Library chose “Max Builds a Time Machine” for its 7-year-old subscribers in June 2022. “Max and Emma Cross the Red Sea” is the library’s selection for that age for Passover 2023.
Chris Barash, PJ Library’s Book Selection Committee chair, said that Shuman “has a singular way of creating relatable characters and captivating stories for young readers. He seamlessly threads Jewish content into his books, making them a wonderful fit for PJ Library.”
Shuman is in the final stages of editing a third book, scheduled for publication in 2024, which will focus on the story of Jacob and Esau and the value of forgiveness.
“For most of my life, I’ve called myself a lawyer,” he said. “Now, when people ask me what I am, I say I’m a children’s author, and it’s a very comfortable feeling because I think it’s truer to what I was meant to do.”
For more information on Carl Shuman and his books, visit www.carlshuman.com.
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