I’m always looking for a new adventure, so I recently signed up Scott and I for ballroom dance classes. Sounds corny, but ballroom dancing has never been hotter, thanks to the latest reality show hit “Dancing With The Stars.” But the Olympic speed skater and dancing champion Apollo Anton Ohno is not my inspiration for taking a group dance class. (more…)

In the good old days, motherhood and sisterhood went hand in hand, especially in the Jewish community. Going back to the World War II era, many women joined forces to benefit a single cause. When they weren’t plucking pinfeathers from kosher chickens, many of our grandmothers and mothers gave their time and talents to a variety of philanthropies, from the Jewish Special Needs Society (JSNS) to auxiliaries of every kind.

These women paid their dues, literally, and they also developed lifelong friendships and provided a vital link to the Jewish community. (more…)

All these years I thought the most important Jewish holidays were the most celebrated ones, such as when we dip apples in honey at Rosh Hashanah, cleanse our souls at Yom Kippur, and retell our history at the Passover seder. Let’s not forget about the most beloved ritual of all—when we light the menorah at Hanukkah and our heads spin like dreidels from all the gift exchanges.

Actually, turns out that the most significant Jewish holiday has no rituals, no songs, and really no symbols to call its own. Yet the upcoming holiday of Shavuot represents the most momentous event in Jewish history—when the Jews were given the Torah at Mount Sinai. (more…)

Jews are always reminded to count their blessings, especially during the period of Omer when we literally count the days between Passover and the festival of Shavuot. Historically, this counting ritual has agricultural significance because it counts the days from the planting to the first harvest. Lag B’Omer, which is not really a word, but the number 33 in Hebrew, falls in the middle of the cycle and is celebrated with a day of family outdoor fun. Our connection to nature is the foundation of our Jewish civilization, so go ahead and enjoy this special Spring holiday to its fullest with your favorite outdoor activity. (more…)

Every generation has an alias. The typical grandparents of the “Baby Boomers” are called the post-Civil War “Missionary Generation.” The parents of the “Baby Boomers” are labeled the “Lost Generation” and “G.I. Generation,” who fought in World War II and survived the Depression. They created the next population explosion of ambitious movers and shakers and anti-war protestors, who, in turn, introduced “Generation Jones.”

Stick with me here. The demographics get even more confusing. (more…)