You are here: Home / Archives for Hanukkah

The Miracle of Hanukkah – What it Really Means to Me

December 9, 2012 by 14 Comments
Screen Shot 2012-12-09 at 8.03.52 PM

(This piece was inspired by an article I read today in the NYT - you can find it here.) Last night was the first night of Hanukkah.  The holiday falls much earlier than Christmas this year, which is always nice for parents like us.  There is less to compete with.  Trees aren't up yet in many homes and my kids aren't hearing talk of Santa lists, although I'm sure that talk will start tomorrow as Christmas is coming and the birds are getting fat ("please to put a penny in the old man's hat").  We managed to keep the emphasis on the candle lighting … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Judaism, Personal Tagged With: ,

Candle Seven: Growing Up a Fish Out Of Water

December 26, 2011 by 19 Comments
Hanukkah with Kids

When I was growing up in Atlanta, there were less than 100,000 Jewish residents in a city of several million.  My parents had moved there from Philadelphia, and they retained much of that Northern Jewishness that set us apart growing up.  Much of that was cultural - bagels and lox on Sunday mornings, for example, instead of grits and fried chicken. We were members of the Temple, the biggest Reform shul in the city, and my sisters and I went to Sunday School and were had Bat Mitzvahs and confirmations.  We were involved members of the community, and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Judaism, Personal, Social media Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Digging up an Old Post: Our Jewish Christmas

December 25, 2011 by 2 Comments
chinese

(This is a repost from last year.  I will be posting a new Hanukkah tomorrow, as well, as part of the Hanukkah Hooplah blogger Hanukkah showdown) I grew up in a home with a mother who was desperately trying to shed some of her Jewish identity that she felt was forced down her throat.  Her parents had kept a strictly Kosher house.  Though they weren’t religious, she felt denied…..denied of having the experience of even just knowing how other people lived.  She lived in a very Italian neighborhood, so I am sure that Jewish people were a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Judaism Tagged With: , , , ,

A Hit in My House: Ricotta Cheese Latkes

December 23, 2011 by 1 Comment
ricottacheeselatkes

Every since I mentioned my Ricotta Latke recipe at the Hanukkah Hooplah Twitter Party, I have been asked by several people for the recipe.  I wanted to make it one more time this year before I released it to you, and I'm happy that I did tonight.  We hosted our annual party with two other families and I decided to add it to the menu.  It was a diary meal, and I wanted to add it to the repertoire of food, which did include potato latkes, as well. It was a good thing I did.  They were wildly successful, and I have to say, much easier to make than … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food, Judaism Tagged With: , , , , ,

Kveller’s Hanukkah Twitter Party

December 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Kvell

I was asked to co-host an upcoming Twitter Party with one of my favorite web sites, Kveller.  Kveller.com is a website for those who want to add a Jewish twist to their parenting.  I've been a fan of the site for a while and I'm honored to be a part of something they haven't done before. This is their first Twitter party, and it's taking pace  on Monday, December 19th from 9-10 pm(EST)! They'll be talking about their favorite Hanukkah treats and decorations, share their gifting strategies, and discuss how they celebrate with our families. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Judaism, Social media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stumped at Holiday Card Time and Saved by Tiny Prints

December 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment
olivia and max

The end of the year came fast, and here we are once again faced with the task of finding a good picture for a holiday card. As usual, we suffered through the same argument: do we feature just the kids or all four of us?  As usual, we disagreed.  I had no desire to be plastered on a card that would be sent around the world, finding its ways into the homes of our friends and family and ending up on a wall or mantle.  We found our task of finding good photos harder than usual this year.  Perhaps it's because we don't tend to all look into the camera … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Product Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Review and Discount Code: “Catch” The Flying Latke at The Flea Theater

December 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment
flying latke

Have you heard the tale of The Flying Latke by Arthur Yorinks?  If you had, you'd remember it.  It's the tale of a soaring pancake that's mistaken for a UFO and the havoc it causes one family during the festival of Hanukkah.  I have to admit that I didn't know the story so when I was invited to see the show, I laughed at the name and was curious to find out how a latke could fly.  As a matter of fact, my son and I talked about it all the way to the Flea Theater from Westchester yesterday to make the 11am show.  I had a feeling the show would be … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New York City, Theater Tagged With: , , , , ,

Our Jewish Christmas

December 26, 2010 by 6 Comments
chinese

I grew up in a home with a mother who was desperately trying to shed some of her Jewish identity that she felt was forced down her throat.  Her parents had kept a strictly Kosher house.  Though they weren't religious, she felt denied.....denied of having the experience of even just knowing how other people lived.  She lived in a very Italian neighborhood, so I am sure that Jewish people were a minority.  She loved Christmas and felt that she was an outsider looking in from year to year.  The house surrounding her own were smothered in Christmas … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal Tagged With: ,

Hanukkah in New York City

November 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Menorah_V2_460x285

This is a cross-post of an article that I wrote on A Child Grows this week - check out the article. It’s hard to believe that Hanukkah is a mere two weeks away.  There is no better city in the U.S. than New York City in which to have the quintessential Hanukkah experience.  Whether it be a massive candle lighting with hundreds of other New Yorkers or a Family Day at the Jewish Museum with art, music and puppets, your child has many opportunities to celebrate and learn about the holiday outside your home.  Here are some of the offerings that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: New York City, Travel Tagged With: , ,