A review by naomiysl
Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons by Alice B. McGinty

1.0

This book is pure fat shaming vitriol. The plot revolves around the rabbi outgrowing his vest, popping the buttons, being embarrassed and ashamed of that fact, and then working out to lose weight. Each Jewish holiday is presented as nothing more than an opportunity to guilt each other into eating traditional foods, portraying the religion in a very poor light indeed. Not only that, but it doesn't accomplish the apparent educational goal of the book, which is to present an overview of the Jewish calendar. One major Jewish holiday, Shavuot, is skipped over entirely!