I dedicate this little poem to my daughter Sari, who turns 8 on Christmas Eve, and all the other boychiks and meydles who get ripped off every year because their December birthdays are caught in the middle of the Hanukkah hoopla. (more…)

Today’s Hanukkah songs are hip, and that’s music to my ears. The Jewish jukebox of Hanukkah tunes are so cool, in fact, that my kids just might download “I Have A Little Dreidel” on their iPods this year. For centuries, Jewish themes and values are communicated through music, and this latest genre of popular Jewish artists are bound to rock all ages with their unique takes on the Festival of Lights classics and originals. (more…)

I fried so many latkes this past week that I can’t get the smell of onions and olive oil out of my hair. Even worse, I still find sticky globs of pureed sweet potatoes and carrots that exploded in the blender when I made tzimmes soup for the first time.

As usual, this past Hanukkah was excessive in food and fun. In fact, I might wrap presents professionally to earn some extra spending money. Either that, or I’ll start a new jewelry trend that includes recycled lapel pins made of crinkled gold and silver foil from chocolate coins and stars.

So now that the holiday season is almost over and many of my friends are sunbathing in Mexico or snorkeling in the Caribbean, I have a chance to catch my breath and ask my exhausted and financially depleted self, “What gift means the most?” To me, it’s when I give of myself and show my children through my actions that helping others less fortunate is what makes us rich. (more…)

If there’s one thing Jews can agree on, it’s that Hanukkah is not a Jewish Christmas. (Now getting us to agree on how to spell Hanukkah—Hannukah, Chanukah, Channukah, or Hanuka—is another story). Sure, both holidays occur in December and fulfill lots of children’s wish lists, but the similarities between Hanukkah and Christmas stop there. (more…)