A wonderful book of sharing the terrible way in which the Nazis Jews living in Russia a short time to get out of the country.
As usual, Polacco weaves real life experiences of her family into her writings and, while her illustrations are not soft and beautiful, I've read so many of her books that I've grown to enjoy her artistry.

This tells the tale of a loving community of Jews who had to suddenly vacate their homes and take only enough room for a small amount of possessions to fit in a cart. The Blessing Cup was very carefully packed so as not to break the family heirloom.

The tea set was given to her great grandmother from an aunt in Minsk. The note inside the package said it was a gift for her marriage elebration. Anyone who drank from the tea cups would experience the magic of blessings from God. They will never know a day of hunger. Their lives would always have flavor and they would know love and joy...and never be poor.

Sadly, while the tea set was stunningly beautiful, and held special significance, the items promised did not come true. Life was exceeding difficult for Jews. I think of how difficult it would be making decisions of what is so special that it has to be included in the cart that was used to carry them away from their community in Russia.

Polacco's Great Grandmother, Great Grandfather, and their two children left in haste, saying sad goodbyes to those they loved and were leaving, knowing most likely to never see again.

Enroute, Patricia's Great Grandfather became very ill. They were taken in by a very kind doctor who shared his fine home. He not only housed them at great personal risk, but to save their lives, he sold a very precious persian rug to purchase traveling papers so they could cross the border safely, and arranged passage on a ship to take them to America. The evening before they left, the precious tea set was taken out for all to celebrate blessings. And, the tea set, except for one tea cup was given to the doctor as a supreme act of thanks for all that was done for them.

The cup was then passed down to the next generation and remained in the family and called "The Blessing Cup" because of the shared blessings.

In 1962, Patricia's mother gave the blessing cup to her on her weddding day. She kept it in a special place, passing on the story of the blessing cup to her childen. During an earthquake in San Francisco Bay of California, the cup was broken evenly in two pieces.
Patricia has two daughters.

This is a beautiful story, and, in reading this book, I was once again reminded of the very, incredible rich heritage of Jewish families who knew the most important thing was the stories and the love that held the family together throughout the terrible years of pure evil hatred. ( )

See [b:The Keeping Quilt|835010|The Keeping Quilt|Patricia Polacco|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1178765104s/835010.jpg|2986754] review. ( )

A treasured tea cup from the author’s greatgrandmother is passed down from generation to generation as a Jewish family flees the pogroms in Russia and travels to America. A moving story about traditions, heirlooms, immigration, and love

Patricia Polacco turns once again to her rich family history in The Blessing Cup, described on the cover as a companion to her earlier classic, The Keeping Quilt. While that earlier book described her Russian Jewish ancestors' experiences, as newly arrived immigrants in America, this story follows them while they are still living in Russia. Poor in wealth but rich in spirit and love, the family observe a ritual involving a gorgeous tea-set given to Anna's parents when the wed - a ritual that emphasizes the blessings of God and of family. When Jews are ordered to leave Russia, the family begin a long and difficult journey, one in which they are unexpectedly given aid by a kindly doctor. This blessing results in most of the tea set being left behind, as a gift of gratitude. But one cup - the Blessing Cup - stays with the family, to be passed down through the generations...

I can easily understand why The Blessing Cup was chosen as the 2014 winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Older Readers, given out by the Association of Jewish Libraries to the best children's book with a Jewish theme. Polacco's narrative here is engrossing, and immensely poignant. I'm always so impressed at the wealth and diversity of familial stories she presents in her prolific picture-book output, and how far back her knowledge of her ancestors goes. I really appreciated the interplay between story and artwork here, and the way in which Polacco often used a black and white scene to highlight the tea set, which was always depicted in vivid colors. The brief afterword, in which readers find out what eventually happened to the Blessing Cup, was also quite interesting! Recommended to Patricia Polacco fans, to anyone seeking family and immigrant stories, and to those looking for picture-books featuring Jewish characters and history. ( )