Like I was saying…At no greater time in a child’s life is a Jewish connection more important than adolescence. So why are so many teens tempted to abandon the tribe after they’ve worked so hard on their bnei mitzvahs? I mean, if I remember correctly, the teenage years are tough enough without having a peer group to identify with. Yet for some reason, after the thank-you notes are written and the gift cards are spent, many young Jewish adults blend back into the melting pot of society and lose their Jewish selves. (more…)

Tell me if I’ve gone too far. And I want you to be brutally honest. I’m considering inviting Fredbird to Jack’s bar mitzvah in March. I’m not talking about Uncle Fred “Fredbird” who lives in New Jersey and has a nose the shape of a hawk’s beak. I mean Fredbird—everyone’s favorite official Cardinals mascot, who actually fits perfectly into the baseball theme of the bar mitzvah party.
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I knew Hanukkah was finally over when Jack flipped through the Farmer’s Almanac that I gave him on day eight and searched for crisp dollar bills in between the pages of astronomical data. When Sari opened a box with a purple hoodie inside, I could tell by the disappointed look on her face that she rather would have a Limited Too gift card and pick out her own wardrobe. Even though I got a “thanks mom,” I didn’t feel the love. Where’s the true appreciation? I was disappointed by their selfish attitudes. Next year they’re getting a navel orange in their tennis shoe like their Christian friends wake up to on St. Nick’s Day. (more…)

Ever since my kids started elementary school—almost a decade ago—I’ve done my part as a room mom. I take my volunteerism seriously. After an hour in a rowdy, germ-infested, overheated classroom, I automatically pop two aspirin and drench my extremities in Purel instant hand sanitizer. One of my most challenging jobs as a room parent is to plan the school holiday celebrations throughout the year, including the fall (formerly Halloween) party, the winter (formerly Christmas) party, and the Valentine (still politically correct even though named after a saint) party.

This time of year, most parents are usually sensitive about respecting different religious beliefs and understand the need to keep the festivities wintry as opposed to Christmasy. Still, every December, I encounter one or two moms who try to sneak a little controversy into the agenda. (more…)

My dreidel collection seems to grow every year. The last time I counted, I had 67 four-sided tops in all sizes and colors. During the eight days of Hanukkah, I keep these inexpensive little toys in a decorative bowl on my coffee table right next to the stack of Everyday With Rachel Ray magazines. (more…)

The other day Jack had the nerve to ask, “Mom, did you buy my Hanukkah presents yet?” I starred at him in disbelief. Doesn’t he realize that I just forked over $300 to get our dog’s teeth cleaned? Or what about the check I wrote last month for his basketball registration? He must think that money grows on trees, and those brand new black suede boots in my closet were free. (more…)

If I had a quarter for every time someone advised me, “Ellie, you should write a book,” I would be…let me think here…I need my calculator…about $5.25 richer. Actually, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to finish a children’s picture book, get it published, and sell my soul to amazon. com. (more…)

Do you know what I miss most about my early childhood? Footsie pajamas. Even to this day, I envy toddlers who go to the grocery store in their cozy, flame-resistant sleepers with rubberized grippers. I also have fond memories of snuggling under the blankets before bedtime and having my dad read to me the same Curious George book over and over again. To me, comfy pajamas and imaginative stories go together like, well, peanut butter and jelly, or latkes and dreidels. (more…)

Mitzvah projects are as unique as the Hebrew school students themselves, and it’s hard to say who benefits the most, the giver or the receiver. With a keen awareness of social justice and diverse skills and interests, today’s young Jewish people are eager to choose a tzedakah project that goes beyond collecting money for a charity. Sure, they can donate a percentage of their monetary gifts to many worthwhile causes, such as Mazon, which fights hunger worldwide, but they also are eager to give their time, talents, and energy to help those in need. (more…)

Who says kids today are lazy and self centered? Uhh, maybe I did, but never mind. Ask any typical hormonal, pimply pre-teen preparing for a bar or bat mitzvah and he or she will show you the contrary. Consider, for example, the relentless demands on Jewish 13-year-olds who are about to embark on symbolic adulthood. To start with, they diligently practice their Torah portion; study their Haftarah; write a personal interpretation of the weekly Torah portion, called the D’var Torah; and put up with their mothers who obsess for a whole year over everything from the guest list to the dessert table. (more…)