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MEET SYLVIA A. ROUSS
by Bonnie O'Brian

Did you write stories when you were growing up?

When I was growing up I had several younger siblings and cousins. Rather than read stories to them, I often made up stories but I never actually wrote anything down. As an adult, I became a teacher and continued to tell my stories to the children in my classroom.

Sylvia A. Rouss

Was your first book accepted immediately?Or did you experience a number of rejections?

The first book I wrote was a book of rhymes for children and I was very lucky. I received one rejection and then I mailed it to a second publisher who accepted it. Since then, I have written many stories and have not always been so lucky. I have received many rejections but I continue to write and I now have over 30 books in print.

What kinds of things inspire you to write?

First and foremost, the children that I teach inspire me. I try to base my stories on their interests and I often read them my manuscripts and let them share their ideas about my work. I ask them what they liked about the story, what they didn’t like, how they would change the story, etc. The children in my classroom are the best critics because they are so honest about their feelings and they know that I welcome their comments even if they are negative. Real events have also inspired my writing. The story that made the California Readers 2009 Elementary California Collection, REACH FOR THE STARS, is written for older elementary school children and is based on a true story.

What gave you the idea for REACH FOR THE STARS?

I had just returned from a trip to Israel where everyone was very excited about the upcoming space launch in the United States. An Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon would be part of the crew aboard the space shuttle, Columbia. Upon my return, I saw a news report showing the astronauts on the space shuttle. Ilan Ramon was holding a miniature Torah scroll (A scroll that is central to the Jewish religion and contains the first five books of the Bible). As he held it he told the viewers, “This is a small Torah scroll that a young boy received from a Rabbi, (Rabbi Simon Dasberg, Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam) almost 60 years ago in the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp. (If you are familiar with the DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, she was sent to the same camp).The Rabbi used it to prepare Joachim Joseph for his Bar Mitzvah (a Jewish ceremony for boys when they reach the age of 13 and are able to accept religious responsibilities which include reading from the Torah in the Hebrew language) and then gave it to him for safekeeping. He gave it to me for this journey.” I was intrigued by Ilan’s story and decided to contact Joachim Joseph who was now a professor at Tel Aviv University and ask if I could write a book about his experiences and the little Torah.

What additional research did you do for this story?

Because I wanted to learn more about the Torah’s original owner, Rabbi Dasberg, I contacted the Bergen Belsen Memorial and received information about the Rabbi, his wife and four children. I learned that although, the Rabbi, his wife and youngest son did not survive the camp, three of his children did and they were living in Israel. I tried to contact his children but was unsuccessful. I wrote the first part of my story about the family based on the documents I received from the Bergen Belsen Memorial and my internet research. The remainder of the book was based on the recollections of Joachim Joseph and news accounts of Ilan Ramon and the other Astronauts aboard the space shuttle. I had just started writing the story, when the space shuttle exploded upon its return to earth. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to write a book with such a sad ending. However, Professor Joseph encouraged me to write it with a message of hope for all children. On a subsequent visit to Israel, I met professor Joseph and we were both involved in a Radio interview about the book. Several months after the book was published, I received an email from one of the Rabbi’s daughters telling me how touched she was with the story I had written about her family. She extended an invitation to visit her and her sister on my next trip to Israel. In the summer of 2008, I had the pleasure of meeting Fanny and Dina, the daughters of Rabbi Simon Dasberg, who once again thanked me for writing the book and mentioned how meaningful it was to them and their families.

Have any of your books earned special recognition?

My fiction stories for young children have received several awards, including the Sydney Taylor Honor Award, the Storytelling World Award, and the National Jewish Book Award. However, I am most gratified by the attention REACH FOR THE STARS has received. It has been used by communities as part of their Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah (for girls) training. In addition to reading the book and completing a study guide, the children have video conferences with the Rabbis daughters and Professor Joseph. I was also extremely delighted to learn that the book has been selected to be part of the 2009 California Elementary Collection.

What do you hope children will gain from reading this story?

I hope the strength and courage displayed by Rabbi Dasberg, Professor Joseph, Ilan Ramon and all the astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia, will inspire children to reach for the stars and accomplish their dreams no matter what obstacles they may encounter.