Relevant to current topics of immigration, refugees, religious intolerance, diversity.
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​Synopsis:
For twenty-four years the Dutch colony of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil was a safe haven for Jews who had escaped the Inquisition in Europe. Recife, its capital, was known as “Colonial Jerusalem,” and it was from this religiously tolerant town that Asser Levy tells his story. When the Portuguese recaptured the territory in 1654, they brought the Inquisition and its torments with them, forcing Asser and his family and friends to flee to Holland. About fifteen ships arrive safely in Holland; Asser’s ship does not. Through imagined diary entries based on real events, Asser tells the harrowing story of the Jewish refugees who arrived on the island of Manhattan and of some of the first court battles fought to allow religious freedom in America.

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, author Daniela Weil is a descendant of Jews who immigrated to South America after fleeing the Holocaust in Europe. Her own connection to Jewish refugees sparked a desire to learn and share more of the history of the first Jews who arrived in America. Weil’s story, and Asser’s, have their roots in Brazil, yet the branches extend across the world, reflecting a common experience of those who are forced to seek refuge to survive.
 
A brief note to parents, teachers, and educators:
Pelican Publishing believes in supporting all readers.  This book is set in OpenDyslexic , an open-sourced typeface created to increase readability for readers with dyslexia. If you would like to learn more about this new tool in the fight for literacy, please check out www.opendyslexic.org.

Themes and subject matters that are a central part of this book align nicely with some of the concepts taught in the New York State Social Studies Framework. Fourth grade curriculum includes colonial New York. Kids study how New Amsterdam was home to a wide range of immigrants with different lifestyles. They learn about the relationships between Native Americans and Dutch settlers, and the transition from the Dutch to the English colony, making note of lasting Dutch contributions. In seventh grade, they revisit New Amsterdam as a regional center of trade, the Dutch West India Company, and transatlantic trade. Students examine Dutch contributions to American society, including acceptance of a diverse population, religious tolerance and the right to petition. ​