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Articles by Joyce Eisenberg
Great Books for Grands and Kids to Share on Grandparents Day
Whether near or far, grandparents treasure their relationships with their grandkids. Call them Nana, Grandma, Mama, Pappy, Papa, Grandpa or Gramps, this Grandparents Day (Sept. 11), the whole family can cuddle up with these books for a good read. Grandma Wishes & Grandpa’s Wish List, by Julia Lobo and Madison Lodi Best for ages: 0-3 These board books tell the stories of special stars for grandmas to wish on and lists that grandpas make to prepare for a new baby (like shining a trumpet).
Great Books for Grands and Kids to Share on Grandparents Day
Whether near or far, grandparents treasure their relationships with their grandkids. Call them Nana, Grandma, Mama, Pappy, Papa, Grandpa or Gramps, this Grandparents Day (Sept. 11), the whole family can cuddle up with these books for a good read. Grandma Wishes & Grandpa’s Wish List, by Julia Lobo and Madison Lodi Best for ages: 0-3 These board books tell the stories of special stars for grandmas to wish on and lists that grandpas make to prepare for a new baby (like shining a trumpet).
10 Yiddish words to get you through quarantine
By Ellen Scolnic and Joyce Eisenberg We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time. Friends, editors, and even country singer Roseanne Cash reminded us that Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” when he was quarantined during the Great Plague.
Yiddish take on pandemic
(Image by Imagno/Getty Images; design by Arielle Kaplan) By Ellen Scolnic and Joyce Eisenberg NEW YORK — We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time.
These 10 Yiddish words will get you through quarantine
By Ellen Scolnnic and Joyce Eisenberg We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time. Friends, editors, and even country singer Roseanne Cash reminded us that Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” when he was quarantined during the Great Plague.
These 10 Yiddish words will get you through quarantine
(Image by Imagno/Getty Images; design by Arielle Kaplan, via JTA) By Ellen Scolnic and Joyce Eisenberg We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time.
These 10 Yiddish words will get you through quarantine
Why not spend part of your “free time” at home brushing up on some of your bubbe and zayde’s favorite Yiddish words? By ELLEN SCOLNIC, JOYCE EISENBERG MAY 22, 2020 07:40 Yiddish land revisited (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM) This story originally appeared on Kveller. We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam.
These 10 Yiddish words will get you through quarantine
(Image by Imagno/Getty Images; design by Arielle Kaplan, via JTA) By Ellen Scolnic and Joyce Eisenberg We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time.
These 10 Yiddish words will get you through quarantine, AZ Jewish Post
This story originally appeared on Kveller. We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time. Friends, editors, and even country singer Roseanne Cash reminded us that Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” when he was quarantined during the Great Plague.
These 10 Yiddish words will get you through quarantine
This story originally appeared on Kveller. We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time. Friends, editors, and even country singer Roseanne Cash reminded us that Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” when he was quarantined during the Great Plague.
Locked down? Open up to... Yiddish, starting with these 10 words
KVELLER (via JTA) — We’ve been self-quarantining for more than 40 days and 40 nights and, quite frankly, we’re running out of steam. Still, we can’t escape all the social media posts and articles (and our mother’s voices in our heads) telling us to make good use of this time. Friends, editors, and even country singer Roseanne Cash reminded us that Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” when he was quarantined during the Great Plague.
You Say Wonton. I Say Kreplach.
Jewish. Fearless. Since 1897. SubscribeGive Jewish. Fearless. Since 1897. SubscribeGive June 25, 2015 by Ellen Scolnic and Joyce Eisenberg istockphoto/Elzbieta Seko... “Pumpernickel is Jewish; white bread is goyish,” said comedian Lenny Bruce in the early 1960s, asserting that Jews instinctively categorize everything as Jewish or not. We agree, especially when it comes to food. Fast-forward 50 years. Much has changed on the culinary landscape since Bruce got arrested for using the word shmuck onstage.
Personal Journey: Two round-the-world trips, three decades apart
"Where are your suitcases?" my grandmother asked. My husband and I were setting off on a three-month, round-the-world trip, and all we had were backpacks. It was 1982 and we'd found a window of opportunity after Ted's surgery residency and before we had children. We traveled on our own from Sri Lanka to Taiwan and celebrated his 30th birthday in Bangkok. We vowed to someday do it again. And we did – some 33 years later. In the intervening years, our budget, our waistlines, and our children had grown.
Opinion | Is the world ready for Chaim Potter?
tickcharoen04 / iStock / Getty Images Plus By Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic Which one of these things is not like the other? “The Magician of Lublin” “The Dybbuk” “Tevye the Dairyman” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” All are best-selling Yiddish books, but only “Harry Potter” started out his life speaking English. Translated into Yiddish — “Harry Potter un der Filosofisher Shteyn” — the book sold out in less than 48 hours in early February. We were a little surprised.
Is the World Ready for Chaim Potter?
By Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic Which one of these things is not like the other? “The Magician of Lublin” “The Dybbuk” “Tevye the Dairyman” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” All are best-selling Yiddish books, but only “Harry Potter” started out his life speaking English. Translated into Yiddish — “Harry Potter un der Filosofisher Shteyn” — the book sold out in less than 48 hours in early February. We were a little surprised. While Isaac Bashevis Singer, S.
The art and soul of kvelling
Getty images/PeopleImages By Ellen Scolnic and Joyce Eisenberg Back in 1828, Noah Webster learned 28 languages in order to write his groundbreaking dictionary. But “kvell” was nowhere to be found among his 70,000 words. It took more than a century before the word appeared in an English book.
Using this Yiddish word is an art that anyone can master, AZ Jewish Post
This story originally appeared on Kveller. Way back in 1828, Noah Webster learned 28 languages in order to write his groundbreaking dictionary. But “kvell” was nowhere to be found among his 70,000 words. His family was surely proud, but it’s safe to assume that not one of them told him, “I’m kvelling.” It took more than a century before the word kvell appeared in an English book.
Using this Yiddish word is an art that anyone can master – J.
Way back in 1828, Noah Webster learned 28 languages in order to write his groundbreaking dictionary. But “kvell” was nowhere to be found among his 70,000 words. His family was surely proud, but it’s safe to assume that not one of them told him, “I’m kvelling.” It took more than a century before the word kvell appeared in an English book.
Using this Yiddish word is an art that anyone can master
This story originally appeared on Kveller. Way back in 1828, Noah Webster learned 28 languages in order to write his groundbreaking dictionary. But “kvell” was nowhere to be found among his 70,000 words. His family was surely proud, but it’s safe to assume that not one of them told him, “I’m kvelling.” It took more than a century before the word kvell appeared in an English book.
Using This Yiddish Word Is an Art That Anyone Can Master – Kveller
Way back in 1828, Noah Webster learned 28 languages in order to write his groundbreaking dictionary. But kvell was nowhere to be found among his 70,000 words. His family was surely proud, but it’s safe to assume that not one of them told him, “I’m kvelling.” It took more than a century before the word kvell appeared in an English book.
Top 10 Reasons It’s Great Being Jewish On Christmas
Top 10 Reasons It’s Great Being Jewish On Christmas #10: We love seeing Christmas lights – on other people’s homes. We haven’t climbed a ladder in years and don’t want to try it now. We save changing the burned out lightbulbs until our extra-tall son comes to visit. And we don’t have to nag our husbands to “Please take the lights down this weekend.
Commentary: Bonus points! Free stuff! For our loyal customers
As we waited in the airport for a plane back to Philadelphia recently, we glanced at our boarding passes and were pleasantly surprised to see Group 1 printed at the bottom. Group 1? We are usually in Group 4, along with the woman who forgot she has a 24-ounce bottle of shampoo in her purse. When the agent announced that the plane was ready for priority boarding, we got up from the plastic seats, ready to go. Then he welcomed those seated in first class.
Six Excuses To Celebrate Jewishly This Summer
Sadly, between Shavuot (May 15) and Rosh Hashanah (September 5) there is a shortage of Jewish holidays. Sure, there’s Tisha B’Av (July 15), a day to recall the destruction of the First and Second Temples and other Jewish tragedies. But who wants to throw a party on a fast day? Tu B’Av, the Israeli equivalent of Valentine’s Day, comes soon after (July 21). But outside of Israel, it’s a minor festival. And what if you’re single? We Jews like having a holiday every few weeks or so.
Briefly Noted
NASTY WOMEN AND BAD HOMBRES: Gender and Race in the 2016 US Presidential Election Edited by Christine A. Kray Gr’97, Tamar W. Carroll, and Hinda Mandell (University of Rochester Press, 2018, $29.95.) This collection of essays exploring gender, race, and politics includes one by Kray, titled “A Renaissance of Feminist Ritual: Susan B.
The Meh Mrs. Maisel
Like much of the Jewish world, we were excited by last year’s hit show, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” We enjoy a good period piece, especially one set in the 1950s. All those pink wool dresses with matching hats! The old V8 luxury coupes! B. Altman’s cosmetics! We loved seeing Jewish family life portrayed on screen and getting the inside jokes and cultural references. Much of Season 1 rang true. Season 2? Not so much.
Personal Journey: Two round-the-world trips, three decades apart
“Where are your suitcases?” my grandmother asked. My husband and I were setting off on a three-month, round-the-world trip, and all we had were backpacks. It was 1982 and we’d found a window of opportunity after Ted’s surgery residency and before we had children. We traveled on our own from Sri Lanka to Taiwan and celebrated his 30th birthday in Bangkok. We vowed to someday do it again. And we did – some 33 years later. In the intervening years, our budget, our waistlines, and our children had grown.
Doctor Up A Cold-Weather Classic Like This Matzo Ball Maven
Like matzo balls, bagels used to be plain — or sesame if you were lucky. There were no pumpkin, jalapeño or asiago-cheese bagels on which to shmear your cream cheese. Now, it’s the matzo ball’s turn to diversify, and Dr. Susan Sandler, a creative kosher cook in suburban Philadelphia, is doing her part: She’s doctoring up matzo balls — and the soup they float in. Why matzo balls? “Because they are the Jewish white bread; they taste like nothing,” said Sandler.
Essay: Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be yours
They say that time is elastic — much like the pants we sometimes wear. And sometimes that elastic springs back, pinches us, and wakes us up. That’s what happened yesterday when we ?realized that Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. Maybe we’ve been distracted, finishing up all those mini Snickers bars we had stockpiled for the hundreds of trick-or-treaters we were expecting. When only nine kids showed up, someone had to eat all that candy! In the global sense, time is racing past us.
South Philly’s Hippest Bakery Has A Yiddish Name
JTA — Opening a Jewish bakery with a Yiddish name in an Italian neighborhood sounds crazy, but it didn’t take long before Essen had a crowd of regular customers lining up for its fresh-baked challah on Fridays. Tova du Plessis opened Essen, which means “to eat,” in South Philadelphia in April 2016 after stints as a pastry chef at some of this city’s top restaurants. She set up shop on East Passyunk Avenue, a once-blue collar stretch that has undergone a food renaissance in recent years.
South Philly’s hippest bakery has a Yiddish name
PHILADELPHIA (JTA) — Opening a Jewish bakery with a Yiddish name in an Italian neighborhood sounds crazy, but it didn’t take long before Essen had a line of regular customers lining up for its fresh-baked challah on Fridays. Tova du Plessis opened Essen, which means “to eat,” in South Philadelphia in April 2016 after stints as a pastry chef at some of this city’s top restaurants.
South Philly’s hippest bakery has a Yiddish name
PHILADELPHIA (JTA) — Opening a Jewish bakery with a Yiddish name in an Italian neighborhood sounds crazy, but it didn’t take long before Essen had a line of regular customers lining up for its fresh-baked challah on Fridays. Tova du Plessis opened Essen, which means “to eat,” in South Philadelphia in April 2016 after stints as a pastry chef at some of this city’s top restaurants.
Rosh Hashanah: Not your bubbe's honey cake
As we get ready for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year (which begins Wednesday evening, Sept. 20), our first priority is to entice our kids to come home. “What can we cook for you?” we ask. Brisket, they reply. And ?Aunt Jill’s noodle kugel. Jewish apple cake. Challah (no raisins, please), they tell us. No one ever asks for honey cake. We’re not surprised.
Love of a mother is constant despite generational contrasts
As we watch our young next-door neighbor chase her two little boys around the backyard, we can’t help but notice she’s clutching her always-present phone, poised to take pictures. Her candid photos will be posted on Facebook by the end of the day. Twenty years ago, we took pictures of our kids at play, too, if we remembered to bring the camera with us. Now those old 4-by-6 prints are tucked into albums that we pull out only when we want to cry.
Don’t Put Blueberries In My Kreplach!
I really like saying the word kreplach. It’s got all the elements of what I consider to be a good spoken word: the hard, short “K” to start, with that throaty, elongated “ach” to finish, and the gentle “p” in the middle, making the two syllables, when spoken, what I would call a delicious word-meal.
Got Passover-Product Overload? You’re Not Alone
Passover, the weeklong holiday that celebrates the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt was simpler back in the day. There was just one recipe for charoset, the mixture that symbolized the mortar the Israelites used to make bricks for the pyramids. That recipe had apples and walnuts — not dates, pistachios and ginger. There was just one decorative goblet on the table for the prophet Elijah. No Miriam’s Cup. Moses’ sister was left out.
Essay: Now with 30% more wit and sarcasm! ... but no quinoa
Rice Chex cereal has always been 100 percent rice, but now it boasts that it's gluten-free. It never had gluten. But now that gluten is on the no-fly list, being gluten-free is a bragging point. This would be like us proclaiming that we now contain "more than 90 percent water with life-enhancing oxygen and iron-rich hemoglobin." Products try to entice us in different ways. They trumpet the facts and statistics they want us to focus on, while they gloss over other glaring truths.
Ode to a Purim Cookie
In the beginning, there was mun. And it was good. Mun, sometimes spelled mohn, is the Yiddish word for sweet poppy-seed jam. It was a key ingredient in many Eastern European baked goods, from mohnbrötchen (poppy-seed bread) to munstrudel (a sweet, swirled bread). So it’s no surprise that Ashkenazic Jews used mun to fill their hamantaschen, the triangular-shaped cookies that are eaten on Purim.
Presenting the eight days of Hanukkah | The Kansas City Star
Hanukkah, our favorite family holiday, isn’t always convenient for the family. There have been many years when we postponed our celebration until winter break when our kids could make the trek home.
Great family joy over eight days of Hanukkah
Hanukkah, our favorite family holiday, isn’t always convenient for the family. There have been many years when we postponed our celebration until winter break when our kids could make the trek home. This year, thanks to Jewish holiday drift, the calendar is cooperating: Hanukkah begins on Christmas Eve.
Essay: Eight dreidels a-twirling - a song for Hanukkah
Hanukkah isn't always convenient. There have been many years when we postponed our celebration until winter break when our kids could make the trek home. This year, thanks to Jewish holiday drift, the calendar is cooperating: Hanukkah begins on Christmas Eve. If we turn on the radio that night when we are frying up the latkes, we'll undoubtedly hear "The Twelve Days of Christmas." While we don't have lords a-leaping or swans a-swimming, we do have dreidels a-twirling.
Celebrating the eight nights of Hanukkah | Lexington Herald-Leader
Hanukkah, our favorite family holiday, isn’t always convenient for the family. There have been many years when we postponed our celebration until winter break when our kids could make the trek home.
Avoid it all, sorta
Our sister who's hosting Thanksgiving dinner just texted all the guests a directive: "No talking politics when we get together for the holiday." She's trying to head off heated discussions because, two weeks post-election, people still haven't cooled off. You think you know people, but you don't know whom they voted for. And when you find out, you're mad at them. We'll be able to abide by the no-politics request because we've been avoiding sensitive subjects at family gatherings for years.
Kibitzing about kugel
Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic are the authors of "The Whole Spiel: Funny essays about digital nudniks, seder selfies and chicken soup memories," from which this excerpt is taken. When you want another piece of that delicious noodle pudding, do you ask for kugel (COO-gul) or kigel (KEE-gul)? How you pronounce it is a clue to where your ancestors came from. Galitzianers called it kigel and preferred it sweet.
Turkey With a Side of Kasha Varnishkes
Of all the holidays — Jewish and otherwise — Thanksgiving is our hands-down favorite. It’s all about food and family. We’re thankful that it’s not about synagogue attendance, atonement or plagues. You could call Thanksgiving a pilgrimage festival. After all, in 1620 the Pilgrims sailed to their new home in America on the Mayflower. This Thanksgiving, 50 million people will travel home. We’re thankful that some of these people are ours.
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