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6 Summer Kid Reads Plus Activities

June 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

In June, we’re re-running some of our favorite summertime posts. Enjoy!

Reading is one of the great pleasures of summer.  When I was 10, I was allowed to walk the eight blocks to our neighborhood library.

I’d climb the marble stairs to the children’s section, select some titles that called to me, and settle into a comfy chair in the corner as the large fans wafted cool air around the room.  On the walk home, I’d sometimes stop at the High’s Dairy for an ice cream cone.

Since summer is upon is, here are six books that you and your family might like.  All of them include one element that can be a family activity, as well.  Enjoy!

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Caldecott Medal Book) by Simms Taback,   age 3 and up

This book was at our synagogue’s book fair and drew me in with its beautiful cover, then the lovely art inside – and all this before I got to its message.  Based on a Yiddish song (I Have a Little Overcoat, Hob Ich Mir a Mantl), it even includes the chords, melody line, and lyrics on the last page.

According to Amazon, here’s the gist:  “Joseph had a little overcoat, but it was full of holes — just like this book! When Joseph’s coat got too old and shabby, he made it into a jacket . . .”

Activity: Got any musicians in the family? If so, plunk out the melody and have a sing-along.  Or take a large piece of paper and cut out a coat.  Then see how many new objects you can make, each time making something smaller and smaller.

- – -

 It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale by  Margot Zemach, age 3 and up

Even though guidelines note that this classic Yiddish tale is for those 3 and older, don’t let this stop you from reading this with older children, too.  Super creative folks from our synagogue staged this story as a play some years ago.  Once you read the story, you can imagine how much fun that was.

Amazon sets the stage for this tale: “Once upon a time a poor unfortunate man lived with his mother, his wife, and his six children in a one-room hut. Because they were so crowded, the children often fought and the man and his wife argued. When the poor man was unable to stand it any longer, he ran to the Rabbi for help.”

The illustrations will spark conversations about what life was like long ago – and the message will resonate with people of all backgrounds and ages.

Activity:  Do your kids have small farm animals in their Lego and other sets?  Have them grab some chickens, geese, ducks, goats, and cows to display on your kitchen table for a week.  What if these were  real animals that lived in your house? Explore this idea at dinner each night.

- – -

 A Mountain of Blintzes by Barbara Diamond Goldin, age 5 and up

This title first caught my eye on a Jewish summer reading list for children. Probably because I love blintzes.  But then I fell in love with the illustrations and the simple, fluid writing.

Amazon tells us that Sarah and Max want to make a mountain of blintzes for Shavuot, but “their pockets are empty,” so they don’t have the money to make this special treat. The story is about their solution.

Activity: What a great prelude to making blintzes together.  No time to cook?  Just buy the frozen kind at the supermarket and you’re set to enjoy the book’s message again.

- – -

The Children’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen: 70 Fun Recipes for You and Your Kids, from the Author of Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan, age 9 and up (with adult help)

And, speaking of cooking together, consider this Joan Nathan cookbook.  As we’ve come to expect, this one is lovingly illustrated.  Joan is also a wonderful writer whose words and anecdotes you’ll cherish.

You’ll find foods from ten major holidays, giving us insights into various cuisines, including Eastern Europe, biblical Israel, and contemporary America.   Amazon summarizes this way: Recipes include “everything from hamantashen [triangle-shaped pastry] to pretzel bagels, chicken soup with matzah balls to matzah pizza, fruit kugel [noodle pudding] to Persian pomegranate punch.”

Activity: Choose a menu from the book, like the summer Shabbat spread, and fix as many recipes as you have time for.  Two examples are Kids’ Quirky Knishes and Tree of Life Salad with Hummus.

- – -

Stories for Children by Isaac Bashevis Singer, age 8 and up

School Library Journal Review: “This superb collection of stories by Singer brings together both old favorites and tales less familiar to American children . . . Singer writes with wit and imagination; his tales glow with color, wisdom and a deep appreciation of God and the natural world.”

Just by saying the titles of a few of these stories out loud, you can feel the old world come alive.  Like “Naftali the Storyteller and His Horse, Sus.”  And “When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw.”

Even when the kids are old enough to navigate stories and novels themselves, there’s nothing like cozying up with a child to share a chapter.  Or, you can get your cup of coffee and have your child read to you!

Activity: We used to read these stories aloud with our girls before bedtime.  Since it’s summer, take it one step further and gather everyone on a back porch or deck. Put out lemonade and cookies.  Then, using a flashlight, choose a few of the stories to read aloud as darkness descends on your cozy group.

- – -

What Color Is Paradise? (Adventures in Art) by Elisabeth Lemke, age 10 and up

I might have learned to love art when my mother took me to the National Gallery of Art.  We’d wander through the galleries leisurely, then share a piece of pie in the cafeteria.

Got a child or grandchild with an artistic soul?  This story about Chagall might be just the ticket.

Beautifully designed, the book includes not just lovely full-color reproductions of Chagall’s paintings, but interesting uses of font sizes and colors, as well as whimsical phrasing rendered in colored ink.

Activity:  Get out the paints – or buy an inexpensive set of pastels – and enjoy an afternoon, outside if you can, where you and the kids come up with your own abstract, fanciful images inspired by Chagall.  Not a painter?  Don’t let that stop you.  I remember some wonderful hours painting with our girls, both of whom are artistic.  One asked, “What is that Mom? It’s pretty!”  (Translation, I think: it doesn’t look like anything, but I’m happy to be painting with you.)

What are your favorite children’s books?  Please share them with us.

Filed Under: Blog, Gift, Grandparents, Parents and children, Traditions

5 Easy Summer Meals with an Israeli Twist

June 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment
In June, we’re re-running some of our favorite summertime posts. Enjoy! 

When I was 17, I spent an amazing summer on kibbutz in an Ulpan (Hebrew study) program.  We divided our days between work and study.  Some days, I got up at 4:30 to hop on the open truck that bumped us along rough roads to the pear fields.  (When I was hungry, I treated myself to the best pear of each bucket.)

Other days, I had kitchen duty — cleaning chickens, scrubbing enormous pots, and trying – in vain – to suggest that a fellow Ulpan student from Russia put less pepper on the liver!

Most of our foods, that summer, were fresh, simple, filling.

Here are 5 good-for-summer choices, inspired by Israeli traditions:

Israeli Breakfast: Havita (omelet) plus

Serve omelets with fresh bread and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.  Add Greek-style plain yogurt.  Time to prep and serve: 5 minutes.   

Light Lunch: Israeli salad & goat cheese in a pita

Chop and mix together finely chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and green pepper.  A good proportion is 1 large English cuke (good for its low moisture and fewer seeds) to 2 tomatoes to 1 large pepper.  Toss with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sprinkles of sea salt and pepper.

You can also add finely chopped green spring onions, garlic, fresh parsley, or mint.

To make this a meal, scoop the salad into a pita and top with goat or feta cheese.

Time to prep and serve: 15 minutes.  (If possible, make a few hours ahead to chill well.)

Dinner on the Grill: Chicken and veggies

Grilled chicken, grilled eggplant, grilled zucchini

Green salad with avocados and orange slices

Bowl of mixed olives

Couscous or tabbouleh would be lovely additions to the meal, if you have the time.

Dessert: fresh pears over ice cream

Time to prep and serve: 30 minutes (not including couscous and tabbouleh)

Post-Swimming Energy Boost:  Hummus and fruit 

Israel, one of the biggest citrus fruit producers in the world, is known for its oranges and grapefruit.  Cut one orange and one grapefruit into easy-to-hold, easy-to-eat sections.  Or grab easy-to-peel tangerines.   (I still remember the incredible flavor of a tangerine I ate, sitting on a bench next to my uncle, z”l, in  a park near Tel Aviv.  I was six.  Yet, to this day, whenever I smell a tangerine, my senses take me right back to that park.).

Add hummus and pita chips for a filling, nutritious snack.  Want to make your own hummus?  Here’s one version of hummus.

Afternoon Snack: Chocolate spread on bread

Elite Chocolates, the magical factory that wafted the lovely smell of chocolate throughout Ramat Gan (near Tel Aviv), makes a chocolate spread called, quite simply, Elite Chocolate Spread.

The first time I got this snack on kibbutz, I was surprised, then delighted.  Chocolate spread slathered on bread.  Exquisite!

It’s not like chocolate frosting.  Or Hershey’s syrup.   Think Nutella, in terms of consistency.  Here’s a chocolate spread recipe that sounds yum.  If you try it, let us know how it is.   (I can’t trust myself to make it now — I’ll eat the whole thing!)

Happy, healthy eating this summer!

Filed Under: Blog, Cooking and baking, Israel, Nature Tagged With: ,

Gardening with Grandma (or the Whole Family)

May 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Want a blessing for seeing a sunset or mountain or lightning? Or for seeing trees about to bloom?

Our tradition provides blessings to help us rejoice in the beauty of nature – and inspiration to take care of the earth.

This blessing, for example, is said when trees first bloom:

Baruch Atah Adonai

Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,

Shevara vo b’riyot tovot v’ilanot tovim

L’hanot bahem b’nai adam.

“Blessed are You, Adonai, Our God,
King of the Universe,
that His world is not lacking anything,
and He created in it
good creations and good trees
for the pleasure of mankind.”

Focus on tending the earth

There are even organizations that help us get back to nature. Like Adamah.org that “cultivates the soil and the soul to produce food, build and transform identities, and gather a community of people changing the world.”

And WildernessTorah.org. Their mission is to awaken and celebrate “the earth-based traditions of Judaism to nourish the connections between self, community, earth, and Spirit.”

Getting our hands dirty

Even in our own backyards, we can nourish those connections.

Gardening helps instill a sense of wonder in our children and grandchildren.  From seed to flower.From sapling to majestic tree. From tiny pot to climbing, twining tendrils of peas and beans.

When our girls were little, we tossed our post-Halloween jack-o-lanterns into our big Indiana  garden. The next spring, we were surprised to watch the ever-reaching pumpkin vines climb over everything, producing cute little punkins.

When I saw this post from Lisa Carpenter, I knew I had to share it.  Enjoy these common-sense gardening tips about how to include your grandchild in the process and which fun kinds of things to plant (e.g., edibles and colorful flowers).  

She also links us to an article by Susan Adcox, a friend who writes for about.com, called Helping Kids Garden and Teaching Them to Love It.

Another great resource is Joanna Brichetto, who is, herself a certified Volunteer Tennessee Naturalist.

If you’re a gardener — newbie or experienced — please share your discoveries here about how to bring your children or grandchildren into the great outdoors with you.

Filed Under: Blog, Grandparents, Nature, Parents and children, Prayer and spirituality Tagged With: ,

Kid-Friendly Jewish Outings

May 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

In search of the best Jewish bakery.

Summer is coming. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have a little more time for day
trips, weekend outings, and even week-long vacations.

So what kid-friendly exhibits, shows, and concerts with some Jewish flavor are taking place in cities around the US and Canada?

Here’s just a glimpse at the possibilities:

Anchorage, AK  Planning a trip to see the glaciers this summer? Check out the new Alaska Jewish Museum and Cultural Center.  Grand opening is scheduled for July 2013. The museum’s focus is on “collecting and preserving documents, photographs, visual art, books, and artifacts that tell the story of the Jewish experience in Alaska.”

Beachwood, OH. Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.  If you’ll be in Ohio on Sunday, August 11, check out the Jewish Food & Culture Festival here from 11 am – 4 pm.

Hallandale Beach, FL  Want a bagel and a shear while you’re on vacation in Florida? The Sage Bagel & Appetizer Shop was started by a husband and wife who left Queens in 1972.   Smoked fish. Lox spread. Bagels and bialys. Bobka.  Hamentaschen. Rugelach. Need I say more?!

Montreal, QC, Canada. As soon as you sit down at Moishes, a steakhouse in business since 1938, you’ll get some of their dill pickles. Love them? Buy some in their specialty packages to take home. “Produced in barrels in small batches following Moishes original recipe, chilled and packaged with their original brine, for an authentic old world taste.” My husband grew up being able to help himself to dill pickles from his grandfather’s store – so this should definitely be on our list.

New York, NY  The The Jewish Museum’s permanent collection includes “Archaeology Zone: Discovering Treasures from Playgrounds to Palaces.”  If you grew up looking for arrowheads or imagined yourself excavating somewhere, I think you’ll agree that this sounds wonderful for your little scientists: “Assuming the role of the archaeologist, children will embark on an exciting adventure where they will encounter unusual objects and determine how and why they were made.”

Portland, OR Kenny & Zuke’s.  Alert to pastrami fans: this 5-year-old deli started by creating “a superb pastrami – one that wasn’t commercially produced, and harkened back to the old traditions. So we rolled our sleeves up, and tested, and tasted, and tested some more. And when it was all done and the smoke (oak, to be exact) had cleared, we knew we were on to something.”

Reisterstown, MD  Pearlstone Center will help you schedule a field trip for your group to the Farm at Pearlstone (410-429-4400 x 214)   The Meet the Animals  program includes meeting the goats and chickens, collecting eggs, feeding the goats, and more.

San Francisco, CA The Contemporary Jewish Museum offers a variety of family-friendly activities,  family gallery tours, preschool gallery hour and a Drop-in Art-Making Program most Sundays and on some holidays. You and kids can experiment with materials and art techniques.

Please add local finds from your neck of the woods in the comments below.

Thanks for sharing!

Filed Under: art, Blog, Music, Nature, Parents and children

F.I.N.D.s* – Thank You, God!

May 16, 2013 By 2 Comments

Have you ever bought a book, tucked it away on a shelf to straighten up, then forgotten about it?

I had that lovely experience of discovery this week with a beautifully illustrated, sweet book called “Thank You God! a Jewish child’s book of prayers.”  [Note: Amazon.com says it’s temporarily out of stock, but I thought you might like to see the reviews here. Other booksellers, like Barnes & Noble, carry it, too.]

This little gem, written by Judyth Groner and Madeline Wikler, was illustrated by Shelly O. Haas. It’s designed to introduce children to Jewish prayers in a very simple, accessible way.

An overview page talks about the umbrella of opportunities we have to thank God throughout the day – for the gift of the new day in the morning, for protection when we go to sleep, for the natural beauty in our world.

After that, each charming page or page spread features a prayer with a short sentence introducing it, followed by the words in English, in Hebrew, and with transliteration. 

Prayers include:

  •     Modeh Ani (morning) prayer
  •     Sh’ma
  •     Blessings before and after eating
  •     Shabbat blessings (candles, wine, havdalah)
  •     Other holiday-specific blessings

But it’s the language in the explanations that make this much more than a list of prayers. For instance, with the Shabbat candle blessing is this interpretation: “Thank You, God, for the mitzvah of lighting the candles. May they shine upon us in love and peace.”

Then come some of my favorites: blessings for the wonders of nature (e.g., when we see a sunset, a towering mountain, or a flash of lightning) and on seeing trees bloom.

The charming book ends with the benediction that we say over our children on Shabbat – and with a translation that I like so much.

“May God bless you and keep you.

May God watch over you in kindness.

May God grant you a life in good health, joy, and peace.”

Amen.

*Fabulous. Intriguing. New-to-Me. Discoveries.

Filed Under: art, Blog, Nature, Parents and children, Prayer and spirituality, Shabbat, Sukkot, Traditions Tagged With: , ,

Chopped-Style Contest for Shavuot

May 9, 2013 By 1 Comment

How many of you watch the Food Network TV show called Chopped?

Here, the chefs are challenged to take a mystery basket of ingredients and create tempting concoctions in a really short amount of time. Usually, there are between three and five ingredients and each cook must use all of them.

The ingredients on Chopped can be quite bizarre – from cotton candy to gummy snakes to cuttlefish to duck parts.

But let’s change up the Chopped challenge a little for Shavuot.

What meal can you make – taking however long you like – using all of the Seven Species fruits from Shavuot?

  1. Barley
  2. Dates
  3. Figs
  4. Grapes
  5. Olives
  6. Pomegranates
  7. Wheat

Here are the rules:

  1. Use all of the ingredients in a single meal, not necessarily in a single dish.
  2. Add any other ingredients you like.
  3. Extra points for using other Israeli-grown fruits and veggies (e.g., oranges, avocados, mangoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and cherries).

What can you come up with? Please share your meal suggestion by May 31st in the comments below!

I’ll post the dinner choices on Facebook and let people vote on the menu they like best. And we’ll send a prize to the winner.

Thanks for playing!

Filed Under: Blog, Cooking and baking, Israel, Parents and children, Shavuot Tagged With:

What are the Numbers of Shavuot?

May 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Shavuot starts at sundown on May 14th.

Aside from what happens in synagogue, your home celebrations can take so many forms — bringing the outside in, making special foods, and so much more.

I thought it would also be fun to think about various numbers that are meaningful during Shavuot. (Anyone else see a home trivia game here?!)

Play along with us and add even more numbers. See below.

#1  Bikkurim, or first fruits, are key symbols of Shavuot. These first fruits – including some of the Seven* Species crops – were carried in a basket of gold or silver to the Temple in Jerusalem.  

#2  Moses received two forms of Torah on Mount Sinai – the written law and the oral law.  

#3  Shavuot is one of the three pilgrimage festivals, along with Sukkot and Passover, during which the Israelites trekked to Jerusalem to bring offerings to the Temple.  

#6  Shavuot comes on the sixth day of the month of Sivan.

#7  There are seven weeks between the end of Passover and the beginning of Shavuot, during which we Count the Omer.

[*We’ll talk about the Seven Species in next week’s blog.]  

#10 According to the Talmud, God gave the Ten Commandments to the Jews on Shavuot.

#40  So why do we eat dairy products on Shavuot? Lots of explanations. Here’s one that’s new to me: the gematria (numerology) of the Hebrew word for milk, chalav, is 40, corresponding to the 40 days and 40 nights that Moses spent on Mt. Sinai before descending with the Torah. 

#90  Many congregations read a 90-line poem written in Aramaic, called Akdamut, on the first day of Shavuot praising the greatness of God, Torah and Israel.

#613  Sephardic Jews do not read Adkamut. Instead, they sing a poem called Azharot which mentions the 613 Biblical commandments.

Wanna play?

What numbers can you add for Shavuot? I’ll give a special shout-out to anyone who comes up with three additional numbers (beyond what’s noted above)!

Or add more of Shavuot’s names: Feast of Weeks. Hag HaKatzir, Festival of the Harvest. Hag HaBikkurim, Festival of the First Fruits.

Filed Under: Blog, Cooking and baking, Israel, Nature, Shavuot, Traditions, Uncategorized

Want More Fun Celebrations for Your Family?

April 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Jewish holidays can be a blast!

I wish I’d known more about how to create joyful family celebrations when our girls were little. Like many of you, though, I was head-down, focused on getting from day to day with work and life.

But I get another chance with our grandsons. And I’ve started to take advantage of that – with wonderful results for the whole family.  

Now, we want to help you ramp up the fun in your family, too.

To help us focus on what would be most beneficial to you, please give us your thoughts in this brief survey. It won’t take more than 2 minutes!

Thanks in advance

And as our thank you for surveys completed by May 20th, we’ll send you a discount coupon for use within the next 6 months.

Just click on the blue “YES! Here’s what I think” link to share your thoughts.

YES! Here’s what I think.

Who else feels like you?

Want to know what other people are saying? And what their main concerns are? I’ll share what we’re learning together. Thanks so much for adding your voice.

Filed Under: Blog, Grandparents, Interfaith, Parents and children, Prayer and spirituality, Traditions, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Let’s Have a Barbecue!

April 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Do you ever have those uncomfortable moments when someone asks why we celebrate this holiday or what that tradition is about? Maybe we know a little, but we’re not 100% sure of all the nuances?

With Lag B’Omer, it’s OK not to be certain. There are different points of view about its origins.

However, one thing is sure: this is a fun holiday that comes 33 days into the 49-day Counting of the Omer (after Passover and before Shavuot) where people celebrate, often outside: think picnics, ball games, roasting marshmallows, and cranking up that grill.

Lag B’Omer basics

What’s it mean? Lag B’Omer means the 33rd day of the omer.  The Hebrew letters of “Lag” – “lamed” which stands for the number 30 and “gimmel” which stands for the number 3 – add up in numerical value to 33.  

 A little background  Lag B’Omer signals the release from mourning for those who refrain from weddings or cutting their hair or throwing big parties during the first part of the counting, in memory of 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died in a plague two thousand years ago. On the 33rd day, according to tradition, the plague stopped for a day, so we celebrate.

What’s the mystical connection? Another explanation for Lag B’Omer is that on this day the renowned Jewish mystic Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, on his death bed, revealed secrets from the Torah.

“A tremendous glow, a brilliant light illuminated the house as Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai returned his soul, pure and righteous, to his maker.” 

This article from The Jewish Magazine, written by Eliezer Cohen, paints a wonderful picture of the gathering that takes place in Israel, in the town of Meron, on this day.

Check out some cute Lag B’Omer treats you can make on our Pinterest page. (Look for the campfire cake and  bonfire cupcakes.)

Or just roast some hotdogs while you toss the ball in the backyard. This year, Lag B’Omer begins at sundown  on April 27th — making it perfect for a Saturday night campfire or a Sunday picnic.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Blog, Israel, Nature, Parents and children, Prayer and spirituality, Traditions Tagged With:

Meet Judaica Artists Adaya and Michal Golan

April 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Thanks to Mel Nathan, member of the JewishGiftPlace team, for this wonderful post!

The Judaica art world is a stunning and diverse place, including the work of such accomplished artists as Adaya and Michal Golan. Both are designers of unique jewelry, ornate with colorful stones and heavily inspired by traditional art.

Maya + Dina = Adaya

Adaya is the name of a collaborative two-sister team, artists Maya Reiten and Dina Twaig. Every piece of jewelry they create is crafted by hand in their Tel Aviv studio, with an artistry respected around the world.

Combining the influences of Art Nouveau and the ancient world, Adaya’s jewelry sparkles with glass beads, enamel, and Swarovski crystals.

Many of their pieces incorporate the Hamsa, a traditional Middle Eastern hand-shaped symbol, considered a charm for divine protection. This, together with the Star of David, often appears on Adaya pendants, easily recognized by the rounded curves and rows of colorful beads that line the perimeter. A large crystal is often placed at the center of a pendant, adding a bright focal point to the complicated design.

Byzantine and Middle Eastern Influences

Michal Golan is a New York-based Israeli artist who crafts jewelry influenced by Byzantine and Middle Eastern art, as well as that of the Victorian era.

A well-known figure in the international jewelry world, her work combines Swarovski crystals, semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, and glass for a look like none other.

Unlike Adaya’s stone-dominated jewelry, Golan’s art gives the metal between the stones a place of greater prominence. Her gold and silver bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and earrings feature a wide range of symbolism, with not only the Hamsa and Star of David represented, but hearts, plant shapes, Hebrew characters, and the Evil Eye as well.

Unlike many jewelers, her work extends beyond the usual body jewelry to include ornate Menorahs and Mezuzahs as well.

The Jewish jewelry of both Adaya and Michal Golan makes valuable contributions to the realm of Jewish art, enriching the lives of those who love traditional symbolism and colorful accents all over the world.

Who are your favorite Judaica jewelry designers?

Filed Under: art, Blog, Gift, Israel, Prayer and spirituality, Traditions
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