Rachelle Burk Interview
about Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah
Rachelle Burk has had over two dozen books published. I am pleased to share this interview with her about her newest Jewish Adventure book, “Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah: Reverse Tashlich for a Better World “
About Rachelle Burk
When on dry land, Rachelle writes fiction and nonfiction books for children ages 1-13. Her Jewish themed picture books include She's a Mensch! Jewish Women Who Rocked the World, Space Torah: Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman's Cosmic Mitzvah, Passover on Everest, Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah, A Mitzvah for George Washington, Matzah Ball Chase and The Best Four Questions. She has also published over a dozen secular titles including The Tooth Fairy Trap, A Gift of Life: A Story of Organ and Tissue Donation, Don’t Turn the Page, and Happy Birthday To You: The Sisters Who Wrote the Most Famous Song in the World, and chapter book biographies of Simone Biles, Taylor Swift, and Caitlin Clark (Callisto Kids/Sourcebooks).
A retired social worker, Rachelle is also a children's entertainer, performing as Mother Goof Storyteller and Tickles the Clown. She loves to share her love of reading and writing by visiting elementary schools around the country. You can find out more about her books and school author visits at RachelleBurk.com.
Interview with Rachelle Burk
Q. You have written several intriguing biographies lately. How did you learn about Rabbi Ed Rosenthal and Tikkun HaYam, Repair the Sea?
A. A few years ago, I wrote Space Torah: Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman’s Cosmic Mitzvah—a true adventure picture book set in space. That was followed by Passover on Everest, the story of a mother-daughter climbing team who held a Seder on the world’s highest peak. As a scuba diver, I knew my next picture book had to plunge into a real, Jewish-themed ocean adventure. I searched high and low but couldn’t find a story that fit. Craig Orback, the illustrator of the first two books, was eager to team up again for a third, and through his own research, he discovered the story of Rabbi Ed and the organization Repair the Sea. I dove into their website and was especially fascinated by the history and growth of the new Rosh Hashanah tradition called Reverse Tashlich. That became the heart of my book, Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah.
Passover on Everest, Space Torah: Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman’s Cosmic Mitzvah., and Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah.
Q. You have worked with the illustrator, Craig Orback on two other Jewish adventure biographies. Did you provide any art notes for Craig? Do you have any favorite illustrations?
A. Craig Orback is an incredibly talented illustrator. He went the extra mile to make sure every bit of marine life in the artwork was native to the locations shown—that’s no small feat and took a ton of research! Now, Craig isn’t a diver, so my husband and I, both experienced divers, carefully reviewed each illustration to ensure the scuba gear was spot-on. For instance, in a few early versions, the regulator hose came in from the left shoulder instead of the right, or the snorkel was clipped to the wrong side of the mask. Most people wouldn’t catch those details, but divers definitely would! In the end, everything was perfected. Craig was a true pro—his realistic style truly brought the story to life!
I absolutely love the wordless spread that follows a single discarded plastic bottle as it travels from the street, into a gutter, then a river, and finally out to sea. That sequence ended up as the endpapers and is one of my favorite parts of the book.
I’m also really fond of the opening page, which blends reality with fantasy—it shows a young Ed Rosenthal watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau on TV, while imaginary sea creatures swirl through his living room. That same touch of fantasy reappears later, on the page where Ed speaks to his congregation, inviting them to imagine themselves as part of the ocean.
Q. Why did you include Ed watching Jacque Cousteau? You and I can remember watching it, but most of the readers, even many of the grandparents have never seen the show.
A. It was important to me that the story shows how Ed Rosenthal, growing up far from the ocean, came to love—and dream of—diving beneath the sea. His memories of watching that show (which, by the way, I watched too) are what first hooked him on the idea of scuba diving. How many of us had dreams that were inspired by things we saw on TV? Even people who didn’t watch the show probably know who Jacques Coustou is!
Q. Why did you include Ed watching Jacque Cousteau? You and I can remember watching it, but most of the readers, even many of the grandparents have never seen the show.
A. It was important to me that the story shows how Ed Rosenthal, growing up far from the ocean, came to love—and dream of—diving beneath the sea. His memories of watching that show (which, by the way, I watched too) are what first hooked him on the idea of scuba diving. How many of us had dreams that were inspired by things we saw on TV? Even people who didn’t watch the show probably know who Jacques Coustou is!
Q. You mention in the afterward that you are a scuba diver, have you gone scuba diving with Rabbi Rosenthal?
A. I had a fun book launch event last month when Rabbi Ed did an under-the-sea book reading while diving off the Florida coast. You can see it here
Q. Can you tell me more about Ed Rosenthal’s, Repair the Sea organization and the Scubi Jews?
They now have several programs, don’t they?
A. Repair the Sea (also known by its Hebrew name, Tikkun HaYam) is a Jewish marine conservation nonprofit founded by Rabbi Ed Rosenthal. Its mission is to raise awareness within the Jewish community about threats facing the ocean—like plastic pollution and habitat destruction—and to inspire action rooted in Jewish teachings such as tikkun olam (repairing the world) and ba’al tashchit (the prohibition against wasteful destruction). The organization runs hands-on restoration programs, including Reverse Tashlich—a new Rosh Hashanah tradition where, instead of symbolically casting sins into water, participants remove trash and debris from local shorelines and waterways. Rabbi Rosenthal launched the Reverse Tashlich program in 2016 with just five students at Eckerd College in Florida. By 2025, it had grown to over 4000 volunteers in 30 countries on six continents.
Scubi Jew is the college division of Tikkun HaYam. It was created to help Jewish college students explore their identity by connecting with the ocean through scuba diving and environmental action. Chapters organize shore cleanups, underwater cleanups (often in challenging, near-zero visibility conditions), and other marine mitzvah opportunities.
There are also new beach/waterway cleanup opportunities connected with the holidays of Passover and Tu B’shvat. For more information, visit RepairTheSea.org.
Q. What do you hope readers take away from reading this book?
A. I hope young readers will see how Rosh Hashanah’s call to reflect and repair can spark real, meaningful action. Through the new Reverse Tashlich tradition—removing trash from beaches, rivers, lakes, and oceans—we can put Jewish values into practice, care for our waterways, and make a tangible difference for our planet.
Q. Do you have another Jewish Adventure Biography in the works?
A. Yes! The fourth, due for release in 2028, is a true Hanukkah adventure set in a cave! As a caver myself, this book was inevitable.
Q. You also write children’s books for a general audience. Can you share some of your other recent releases?
A. In July, Sourcebooks eXplore released How to Be An Awesome Toddler: 50 Simple Rhymes to Make Growing up Exciting and Fun, which received a School Library Journal “Starred Review”. Other recent releases include Happy Birthday To You: The Sisters Who Wrote the Most Famous Song in the World (Creston Books) and A Gift of Life: A Story of Organ Donation and Transplantation (funded by New Jersey’s designated organ procurement organization).
About The Book
Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah
by Rachelle Burk
Illustrator: Craig Orback
on August 4, 2026
Pages: 40
Genres: Juvenile nonfiction / Biography, Juvenile Nonfiction / Religion / Judaism, Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Environmental Conservation & Protection
Add to Goodreads
As a child, Ed dreamed of learning to scuba dive. When he grew up, Ed dove deep beneath the sea and created Reverse Tashlich, a new tradition for Rosh Hashanah that is making waves around the world.
In this true Jewish adventure biography, young readers learn how they can connect Jewish holidays and traditions with caring for our beaches and our oceans.
Storybook Lady
Review
Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah:
Reverse Tashlich for a Better World
Rachelle Burk has written another fascinating picture book biography for school age children. When I saw the title of Burke’s newest book I had to ask myself. “What is Reverse Tashlich?” Most kids know that Rosh Hashana is the Jewish New Year. But they may not be familiar with the custom of Tashlich. In the Jewish tradition of Tashlich, one casts bread upon running water as a symbolic sending away of mistakes for the past year. Burk captures the story of Rabbi Ed Rosenthal who combined that custom and the concept of tikkun olam, to “repair the world”. In other words, instead of casting bread into the water, his group removes man’s mistakes and help clean the ocean. This ocean cleanup has become a worldwide movement. Burke shows how passion and drive can indeed help repair the world. Once again, publisher Intergalactic Afikoman has teamed Burk up with the talented illustrator Craig Orback, who helped create Space Torah: Astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman’s Cosmic Mitzvah and Passover on Everest. Diving Deep on Rosh Hashanah is another fantastic juvenile biography that you will want to read.
Learn More about author
Find out more about Rachelle Burk at rachelleburk.com
You can learn about her books, entertainment programs, and critique and editing services., and lists of writing resources.
Visit the Diving Deep book page for coloring pages, more information about Reverse Tashlich and purchase links.
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Thank you so much for sharing my interview and story. I hope it inspires my readers!