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 it gave me a sense of pride.  But it was not one that I wore proudly amongst my peers at school.  How could I when I was one of five Jewish members in my classl?  Instead it made me feel different, along with my big curly hair and oddly shaped nose.

I went to a Jewish school until I was in kindergarten age and then I moved into the public school system, and one of my most vivid Hanukkah memories is from that year.  It’s not the kind of memory you want lingering in your mind forever.  There was a big Christmas tree in the back of the room.  The teacher had just left the room for a few minutes. Several of the kids in my class got up and started dancing around the tree, making fun of me and the other few Jews in the class for not joining in the celebration of the holiday (which we actually did, there was not much choice).  Then they started chanting songs about us.  I don’t remember the words but I know they had negative connotations.  When the teacher returned, they stopped and pretended like nothing had happened, but it was too late.  In the midst of their chanting and stomping around the tree, they had tipped it over.  The experience was alienating.

Life in Atlanta continued very much that way.  I was one of a few children to take off for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  Most of the kids were jealous that they didn’t get the days off, but no one was ever jealous or wanted to observe the holidays with me.  No one ever asked the story about how either holiday came to be.  My mother continued all the traditions and we continued to practice the Jewish faith at home and I attended Hebrew School.  When I was 15, I heard about a high school program in Israel, and I wanted to attend immediately.  My grandfather, a fervent Zionist, paid for the trip and I was off.  Off to a land where I could stand up proudly for being a Jew.  I had never experienced that kind of pride before, and that pride has stayed with me ever since.   I certainly needed it when I headed off to the University of Georgia after spending a year in Israel and encountered a room mate wearing a swastika (but perhaps that story is for another blog post).  Well, not really, but she may as well have .  She had boys make prank calls to me, asking how much money my parents earn and other making other stereotypical comments.

Fast forward to today. I moved to NY almost right out of college (after spending time abroad) and I’ve never felt that kind of shame about being Jewish since.  When I lived on the Upper West Side, I’d walk down West End Avenue saying “Shabbat Shalom” as often as possible because I could, and for no other reason.  We moved to the suburbs after the kids were born, and they both wear their Judaism on their sleeve. It makes it easier that the entire school gets off for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

I am no longer a fish out of water, rather I fit right in.  My big curly brown hair is quite accepted in NYC and when Hanukkah rolls around, we are not the only ones celebrating.  Rather we are joined by others to do so.  All of their friends want to not only know the story of Hanukkah, but they want to come over and light the candles with us, whether Jewish or non-Jewish.  We have gathered with friends and family to light the menorah, and last night, we took our annual pilgrimage into the city on Christmas Eve to see the great big menorah in front of the Plaza Hotel.  You wouldn’t get that where I came from.

As I celebrate Hanukkah Hooplah with my fellow bloggers, I am reminded of the uniqueness of the blogging community.  We have been brought together from all over the country to celebrate a holiday where some of us have more people to celebrate it with others.  Oh, if I had this feeling of support when I was growing up!

A group of sixteen bloggers, led by Renee A. Schuls-Jacobson, are blogging the eight nights of Hanukkah, Please check out the other Hoopla posts here.

I would like to thank Streit’s and Doni Zasloff Thomas a.k.a. Mama Doni, the lead singer-songwriter of The Mama Doni Band for providing each of the sixteen of us with cyber-swag. Their cross-promotional alliance is designed to celebrate Jewish culture with the young generation, a mission of both Mama Doni and Streit’s.

To win this awesome swag, leave me a comment letting me know that you’re interested. A winner will be randomly selected on December 29th.

And check out this great video by Mama Doni herself “Chanukah Fever”:

 Disclosure: I am not being compensated for participating in this campaign.

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 lights and the delicious Italian bakeries sold Christmas delicacies and so forth.

So, how did I grow up?  Having pictures taken with Santa, going on Easter egg hunts.  One year (gulp) we even had a small (fake) tree that she threw into the closet every time the doorbell rang.  Clearly, something was wrong with this picture.

For me, I don’t want my children to be confused.  They have two Jewish parents, so why muddle the waters by pretending we are something we are not?  However, my mother still loves Christmas, and I must admit, I certainly do, too.  I love the songs, I love the lights, I love Christmas trees.  Every year, I clamor for invites to our friend’s homes.  Need any help decorating the tree?  Need any company on Christmas Eve?  But I realize that Christmas is truly a family holiday, and each year no one takes me on my genuine request to be included in their celebrations.

My youngest son clearly loves the holiday as much as I do.  He has been singing “Frosty the Snowman” non-stop since he learned it in school and has watched the Frosty videos on You Tube for hours on end this week.  We’ve driven around looking at the lights in my neighborhood for the last 7 nights in a row, and we’ve even gone out to Dyker Heights and the Bronx to explore the grandest of lights in other neighborhoods.

Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, my kids do believe in Santa Claus.  They know that he won’t be coming to our house, but they are just a little bit jealous that he will be sliding down the chimneys of their friend’s homes.  I don’t dare discount their beliefs and don’t want to destroy their interpretation of the holiday so they keep on believing in Santa and all the joy that this holiday brings to believers.

The other day at the Stepping Stones Museum, Santa, Frosty and the Gingerbread Man were posing with kids.  My kids, who love Christmas, didn’t want their photo taken with the characters, as I had done growing up, but they did want to stand on the sidelines watching the other kids who did want to.  It was very indicative of how we spent the holiday all week: gazing at the beauty and fun of the holiday and wondering what would be like to wake up to a tree, drinking eggnog, gathering with our loved ones.  Being a minority in America, it can get frustrating to be a part of something so big but not really being a part at all.

The other day, when I put on A Charlie Brown Christmas my daughter said, quite angrily, “Why aren’t there any shows about Hanukkah?”  While there are a few, they are few and far between, and it would be nice to have more programming revolving around the holiday.  However, Hanukkah is just not as commercial as Christmas is, which is part of the charm of our holiday.  It is truly ours for eight nights.  It’s quiet, with little concern for it by American media or the public.  While the kids do get eight presents, if parents do give one to each child a day, they tend to be smaller and not as plentiful as millions of presents under a tree.  I read many comments on Twitter and by bloggers about the fact that their kids wanted to convert to Judaism during the holiday to get their share of gifts.  I am sure now that Christmas is over, they have long forgotten about that pipe dream.

Yesterday we slept in quite late.  While others were unwrapping gifts and going to Christmas mass, we were just taking it easy.  With nothing open, what is a Jew to do?  Having lived in NYC for many years before moving to the suburbs of NY, surrounded by other many other Jewish people in the same boat, a typical Christmas for us has become Chinese food and a movie.  So that is what remains.  Last night my son and I dropped off my husband and daughter at the airport, as they were going off to see his parents and family for a few days, and the two of us headed to the movies.  Unfortunately, we chose the terrible Yogi Bear, a decision I will long regret.  On the way home, at around 9pm, I turned to my son and asked him if he wanted to stop for something to eat.  He answered, completely unprompted or aware that it is the norm for Jews to have Chinese food on Christmas day, “Chinese food.”  Not sure how he knew that.  But he was right on the nose.

And the holiday would not have been the same without it.

It was a good thing I did.  They were wildly successful, and I have to say, much easier to make than the traditional potato latkes.  There is less oil, they cook faster and they’re easier to flip over.  The recipe spawns from The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Gloria Kaufer Greene, which I highly recommend using for any holiday meal. She writes that “It is very likely that latkes made from cheese actually predate the more popular ones made from shredded potatoes.” I like the ricotta latkes for their delicate, fluffier, sweeter texture. And as Kaufer Greene points out, they make a tasty breakfast or even a nice dessert, especially when topped with a good jam.  And as an added bonus, they are high in protein.

Tonight the ricotta latkes flew off the plate.  They are certainly part of our annual Hanukkah tradition and one that I love introducing to guests that come over.  Two three year-olds couldn’t get enough of them, and neither could the adults.

RICOTTA LATKES: Light & thin cheese pancakes

Batter:

1 (15-ounce) container part-skim or regular ricotta cheese
4 large eggs or 1 cup egg substitute
6 tablespoons flour, preferably unbleached
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For frying:

Butter, oil or nonstick vegetable spray

To serve (optional):
Jam, applesauce, plain or vanilla yogurt, and/or chopped fresh fruit optional

Put the ricotta cheese, eggs, flour, butter, sugar and vanilla in food processor or blender, in batches if necessary and scraping down sides of container few times during processing, until batter is smooth and consistency of thick cream. (Batter will be thinner than most pancake batters.)

Preheat a griddle or large skillet, preferably nonstick,  over medium heat (not hotter), and brush lightly with butter. For each latke, spoon 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons batter for each pancake onto preheated griddle. When few bubbles have risen to surface and bottoms are golden brown (pancakes will not rise), about 2 minutes, turn once and cook briefly on second side just until golden brown, about 2 minutes more.

Serve at room temperature with jam, applesauce, yogurt, sour cream or other pancake accompaniment of choice.

This recipe makes 30 pancakes.   For those on a diet, you can alternatively make no-fat ricotta latkes using nonfat ricotta cheese and egg substitute. Omit the melted butter in the batter.  Use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  When cooking the latkes, use a nonstick griddle that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray before pre-heating.

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 19^th 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. Plus, they’ll be giving away four $50 gift cards to Magic Beans to party participants.

Party Details

WHAT: Hanukkah Twitter Party! Bring your own latkes.

WHEN:  Dec. 19, 9-10 pm ET (8-9 pm CT; 7-8 pm MT; 6-7 pm PT)

WHO: Hosts Sheri Gurock, Magic Beans, @sherigurock; Pam Lewis, @outsidevoice; Devra Renner, @parentopiadevra and me! Moderated by @Kveller and Ciaran Blumenfeld, @momfluential.

HOW TO JOIN:  Follow the hashtag #Kveller or if you’re a Twitter party pro and aren’t scared off by a Tweetgrid, join the party here.

RSVP here

Here are a few links you can tweet out:

I’m going to the #Kveller #Hanukkah Twitter party on 12/19 at 9pm ET. Join me! http://bit.ly/tdnv36

I’m talking latkes and dreidels at the #Kveller Twitter party on 12/19 at 9pm ET. Hope to see you there! http://bit.ly/tdnv36

Share #Hanukkah stories and traditions w/ me and other parents at #Kveller Twitter party on 12/19, 9pm ET. http://bit.ly/tdnv36

Disclosure: I am not being compensated for my participation at this party and all opinions expressed are my own.

So, when I received an offer from Tiny Prints to review their cards and services, I was eager to find a solution to holiday card chaos.

What they are:

Tiny Prints is a company that specializes in providing the best quality social stationary in unique, fun, and modern designs.  As their website states, “Tiny Prints was created by three friends who share a love of babies and an appreciation for giving and receiving good paper“. They offer personalized cards, announcements, invitations, stationary and associated accessories for all kinds of events, holidays and stages of life. Whether a flat postcard style or a more traditional folded card, they have a design and style to meet your needs.

The process was really simple.  They break down the holiday cards into specific categories.  Even though we celebrate Hanukkah, we wanted to get a more generic card, so I went right for the holiday cards.  The first picture I sent in was a photo of the four of us, much at my husband’s urging, but Tiny Prints promptly came back to me with news that it was a “grainy” image, so I replaced it with the image you see below.  It’s not my favorite photo and I could have used photos from our trip to Paris this summer that were fantastic, but both my kids are smiling and the picture kind of puts you in the holiday spirit, so voila!

Disclosure: I was provided with a set of 50 cards as a complimentary gift to facilitate the writing of this post, but all opinions expressed are my own.

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 unique, but I really under-estimated just how unique it would be.

The beauty of the Flea is that it’s small and it really is like seeing a play in your own living room.  When we entered the theater, we were greeted by not only an actor at the door wearing a kippah, but the grandmother character announced our arrival and pointed out our seats.  We immediately felt at home.  The menorah on stage immediately put us in the Hanukkah spirit.

We also enjoyed the familiarity with the language in the play.  As words like “Oy vey,” “bubbe,” “babka,” “oygevolt” and “cockamamie” spewed out of the character’s mouths, memories of my youth and of my grandparents shot to the forefront of my mind.

Adapted by Yorinks from his classic children’s book, The Flying Latke tells the story of young Danny Silverstein and his “meshugge” family as they celebrate the first night of Chanukah. Their holiday food fight sends a latke sailing out the window and over the city, causing a UFO frenzy that traps the Silversteins in their home with their extended family visiting and nothing but latkes to eat.  It’s hilarious and I could tell that the actors were having a very good time acting out the tale.  As the play goes on, they find out that the White House is interfering and that the Flying Latke is causing quite a stir.  When they reach out to the Rabbi for help, not even he believes them, and he tells them, “Cut down on the manischewitz and there will be no more flying latkes.”  There were a lot of very clever, laughable lines.  My 7 year-old son had several fits of serious laughter!

It’s all farce and good fun, and after the eight days are up, the characters start to experience miracles, much like in the real story of Hanukkah. My son seemed to understand the meaning of the play and afterwards, he was running into the lobby to meet the actors.

Directed by Ben  Kamine, who first conceived of bringing Yorinks’ play to The Flea, along with Kristan Seemel, Tom Costello, and Danya Taymor, the production features the creative talents of Resident Directors Tom Costello, Kristan Seemel and Danya Taymor. Performers include Yoni Ben-Yehuda, Arturo Castro, Morgan Everitt, Eric Folks, Kana Hatakeyama, Tedra Millan, Robert Rodems, Sade Namei and Joann Sacco, all members of The Bats, The Flea’s resident company of actors.

The Flying Latke runs through December 18th, so you have two more chances to see the show next Saturday and Sunday at 11am.  Tickets are $12 per person.  For a discount of $2, please use code. BLOG5.

Check the Flea Theater‘s web site for the full performance schedule. The Flea is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal, close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines.

Disclosure: I was provided these tickets by the ladies at MamaDrama, of which I am a partner.

So, how did I grow up?  Having pictures taken with Santa, going on Easter egg hunts.  One year (gulp) we even had a small (fake) tree that she threw into the closet every time the doorbell rang.  Clearly, something was wrong with this picture.

For me, I don’t want my children to be confused.  They have two Jewish parents, so why muddle the waters by pretending we are something we are not?  However, my mother still loves Christmas, and I must admit, I certainly do, too.  I love the songs, I love the lights, I love Christmas trees.  Every year, I clamor for invites to our friend’s homes.  Need any help decorating the tree?  Need any company on Christmas Eve?  But I realize that Christmas is truly a family holiday, and each year no one takes me on my genuine request to be included in their celebrations.

My youngest son clearly loves the holiday as much as I do.  He has been singing “Frosty the Snowman” non-stop since he learned it in school and has watched the Frosty videos on You Tube for hours on end this week.  We’ve driven around looking at the lights in my neighborhood for the last 7 nights in a row, and we’ve even gone out to Dyker Heights and the Bronx to explore the grandest of lights in other neighborhoods.

Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, my kids do believe in Santa Claus.  They know that he won’t be coming to our house, but they are just a little bit jealous that he will be sliding down the chimneys of their friend’s homes.  I don’t dare discount their beliefs and don’t want to destroy their interpretation of the holiday so they keep on believing in Santa and all the joy that this holiday brings to believers.

The other day at the Stepping Stones Museum, Santa, Frosty and the Gingerbread Man were posing with kids.  My kids, who love Christmas, didn’t want their photo taken with the characters, as I had done growing up, but they did want to stand on the sidelines watching the other kids who did want to.  It was very indicative of how we spent the holiday all week: gazing at the beauty and fun of the holiday and wondering what would be like to wake up to a tree, drinking eggnog, gathering with our loved ones.  Being a minority in America, it can get frustrating to be a part of something so big but not really being a part at all.

The other day, when I put on A Charlie Brown Christmas my daughter said, quite angrily, “Why aren’t there any shows about Hanukkah?”  While there are a few, they are few and far between, and it would be nice to have more programming revolving around the holiday.  However, Hanukkah is just not as commercial as Christmas is, which is part of the charm of our holiday.  It is truly ours for eight nights.  It’s quiet, with little concern for it by American media or the public.  While the kids do get eight presents, if parents do give one to each child a day, they tend to be smaller and not as plentiful as millions of presents under a tree.  I read many comments on Twitter and by bloggers about the fact that their kids wanted to convert to Judaism during the holiday to get their share of gifts.  I am sure now that Christmas is over, they have long forgotten about that pipe dream.

Yesterday we slept in quite late.  While others were unwrapping gifts and going to Christmas mass, we were just taking it easy.  With nothing open, what is a Jew to do?  Having lived in NYC for many years before moving to the suburbs of NY, surrounded by other many other Jewish people in the same boat, a typical Christmas for us has become Chinese food and a movie.  So that is what remains.  Last night my son and I dropped off my husband and daughter at the airport, as they were going off to see his parents and family for a few days, and the two of us headed to the movies.  Unfortunately, we chose the terrible Yogi Bear, a decision I will long regret.  On the way home, at around 9pm, I turned to my son and asked him if he wanted to stop for something to eat.  He answered, completely unprompted or aware that it is the norm for Jews to have Chinese food on Christmas day, “Chinese food.”  Not sure how he knew that.  But he was right on the nose.

And the holiday would not have been the same without it.

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 that we collected for you to choose from as you make your plans for the upcoming holiday:

Lighting of the World’s Largest Menorah (59^th Street and 5^th Avenue)

On Friday, the lighting will be at 3:30pm, on Saturday at 8:30pm.  Oon all other days, the candles will be lit at 5:30pm. FREE.

The miracle of Hanukkah takes on even greater significance for kids as they look upon the 32-foot, 4,000-pound, golden candelabra that grandly takes the spotlight near Central Park on the corner of 5th Avenue and 59th Street.  Folk dancing, live music, and sweet jelly doughnuts add to the event’s festivities.

Hanukkah Dinner with Karina at 92^nd Street Y (Lexington Avenue and 92^nd Street)

Friday, December 3^rd, 6-7:30pm.  $25 per person and free for children up to 1 year.

Light the menorah and Shabbat candles, eat latkes and challah and celebrate Hanukkah and Shabbat at the same time. Book here.

Town and Village Synagogue Family Hanukkah Dinner (334 East 14th Street)

Friday, December 3rd.  Services begin at 6:30pm, Dinner at 6:30pm; $35 per member; $20 per school child 12 and over and no charge for children under 12.

Celebrate Hanukkah with a full Friday night dinner, dreidels, latkes and songs for all.  Vegetarian meals are available.  For more information, go here or call 212-677-8090.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum (145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213)

December 4^th and 5^th, 1:30pm free with museum admission, ages 6-12

World Passport Workshop: Hanukkah Lights: Kids are invited to explore Hanukkah’s symbols and traditions, and then decorate a candle-holder to take home.  For more info, go here or call (718) 735-4400.

Hanukkah Family Day at the Jewish Museum (1109 5th Ave at 92nd St)

Sunday, December 5^th, 12:30-4pm.  FREE with museum admission.

The Jewish Museum will present Hanukkah Family Day, a fun-filled day of activities.  Highlights of the day include a concert by The Macaroons; puppet performances by Talking Hands Theater; self-guided gallery tours; and a huge art workshop.  Go online for more info or call 212.423.3200.

Hanukkah Festival at the 92^nd Street Y (Lexington Avenue and 92^nd Street)

Sunday, Dec 5 10:30am-1:30pm . $20.00 Adult / $15.00 Child.

Recreate the story of Hanukkah, decorate cookies, build your own menorah, make candles, decorate a dreidel, get your face painted and produce delicious olive oil.  Free for children up to 2 years.  Book here.
Latkes & Applesauce at Merkin Concert Hall (129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam)

Sunday, December 5, 2010 at 11 am
Merkin Concert Hall’s annual family Hanukkah revue celebrates Hanukkah in the city. This family-friendly musical play includes songs and scenes by some of New York’s funniest writers, including a Hanukkah version of A Christmas Carol, a mother and daughter making latkes together, a parody of “American Idol,” the story of “Thomas, the Shammus” and the rousing Klezmer-inspired title tune. Call for tickets at 212-501-3330 or buy them online.  For ages 4 and up.

History Illuminated Family Program at the Museum at Eldridge Street  (12 Eldridge Street)

December 5, 12, 19 & 26, 1pm; $15 per family

Investigate Eldridge Street’s Victorian lighting and stunning stained glass to bring the synagogue’s story to light. Make a holiday gift to share the light with others during the holiday season.  Go online for more info or call 212-219-0302.