Sound the Shofar: The Story and Meaning of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

This latest volume in Chaikin's Jewish holiday series illuminates the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement. The author tackles complex themescreation, divine judgment and forgivenessand provides familiar legends, interesting derivations for varying customs and food, and some thought-provoking explanations of the earliest celebrations. But graceless drawings accompany a rather awkward narrative (""They are days of awe because people feel fear as well as wonder and reverence. And people are fearful because of the special nature of the holidayit is a time of judgment''), which is weighed down with English transliterations and translations of Hebrew blessings and psalms. And Chaikin can be preachy: ``Confession is not enough. People must do more. They must atone for their wrongs. . . . They must also feed the hungry. . . . They must also pray to God . . . must promise themselves to return to a path of moral goodness.'' (8-12)