What’s not to love about a drunken, raucous holiday with a built-in excuse to dress in drag? Here are seven reasons why even non-Jews should get on board with Purim:

1. A Juicy Story Full of Death and Deception

Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people in the 4th century BCE when Haman, the King of Persia’s vizier, hatched a plot to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. Queen Esther, the King’s favorite wife and a Jew, learned of Haman’s plan from her uncle Mordecai and successfully convinced the King to intervene and save her people. In an ending worthy of Hollywood, Haman was hung from the very gallows he had erected for Mordecai.

2. Queen for a Day

On Purim everyone is expected to dress up in costume. Dressing as Queen Esther is traditional, but modern princesses may favor the Disney sensation, Frozen’s Queen Elsa.

3. A Chance to Let Your Inner Diva, or Villain, Shine

On Purim, Jews act out the Purim Spiel, or story. Dressing up as Haman is the perfect opportunity to tap into the evil schemer inside.

4. A Good Excuse to Make A Lot of Noise

Every time Haman’s evil name is spoken, everyone is to shout, scream, play an instrument or spin their grogger, a special Purim noisemaker, to drown out his name. Sorry neighbors, but it’s just one day a year.

5. Drink…Until Drunk

Who are we to argue with thousands of years of tradition – especially when that tradition dictates “It is the duty of a man to mellow himself [with wine] on Purim until he cannot tell the difference between ‘cursed be Haman’ and ‘blessed be Mordecai.’”

I have gained more weight over the years than I’d like to admit, and more often than not I find myself easily distracted from my exercise routine. I am a lazy exerciser. Getting myself to don sports clothes, tie back my hair
and get to the gym is practically mission impossible, even when I was working right on the campus of the OFJCC!

But when I do squeeze in some exercise, the benefits are always almost immediate.  It would be unrealistic to expect to just drop the pounds and melt the fat away, but I do almost instantly feel stronger and more energized. When I finally get into a routine, I find exercising much easier, especially when I start to feel and see results.

For many years, I thought that if I didn’t have the time to do a full workout then I shouldn’t bother going to the gym. So instead of working out for the amount of time I had, I didn’t exercise at all. I now regret not squeezing in ten minutes here, thirty minutes there!

After reading several articles on the benefits of even short amounts of exercise I decided to experiment with quick workouts. I now do 15-20 minutes of cardio, incorporating intervals, followed by 10 minutes of weights: upper body one day and lower body another day. I choose different cardio machines based on my mood and energy level and I love watching TV on the machines while squeezing in my workout.  Even this short routine has helped stabilize my weight and keeps my cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. During the rare weeks I also manage to find the willpower to follow a healthy eating routine I even lose weight. (But I’m not always so disciplined. I am a self-proclaimed sugar addict and have never eaten a cookie I didn’t like.)

Since the OFJCC has certified nutrition specialists on-staff who can provide meal planning as well as dietary education, making an appointment with one of them is now high on my list of things I must do.

The truth is that diet and exercise really are the keys to losing weight, staying fit and being healthy. I love that the OFJCC environment promotes exercise and a healthy lifestyle even for people like me who aren’t always gung-ho exercisers or healthy eaters!

The High Holidays are fast approaching and we have chosen a few of our favorite children’s books about Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot.

 I’m Sorry, Grover: A Rosh Hashanah Tale (Shalom Sesame) by Tilda Balsley and Ellen Fischer

For ages 2-5

Grover’s friend Brosh learns to be a better friend just in time for the Jewish New Year. When Brosh can’t find his blue cap, he accuses his friends of taking it. But when Grover finds and returns the lost item, Brosh realizes the fault of his accusations and is glad that the High Holidays offer him the chance to say, “I’m sorry.” This book helps kids understand the importance of seeing the error of their ways and seeking forgiveness.

Apple Days: A Rosh Hashanah Story by Allison Sarnoff Soffer

For ages 3-7

Katy tells her classmates about her family’s Rosh Hashanah tradition which includes picking apples at the orchard and using them to make a special homemade apple sauce. She is also anticipating the arrival of a new baby cousin. Unfortunately for Katy, the baby arrives right on apple-picking day. Katy is upset about missing her special trip, but the community steps in and contributes apples for her to make the holiday apple sauce. This is a great book that embraces holiday tradition, family rituals and how to overcome disappointment. There is also a nice recipe for apple sauce.

Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride by Deborah Bodin Cohen

For ages 5-8

This is one of the few English language books about Rosh Hashanah that is set in Israel. The story begins with the first train ride from Jerusalem to Jaffa in 1897. Engineer Ari is very proud to have been chosen to make this maiden journey and brags excessively about it to his friends. He sets out on the journey to collect shofers, apples and round challahs for the holiday to bring to Jerusalem. Ari begins to feel sorry for how he treated his friends. Since Rosh Hashanah is the time to say you’re sorry, Ari seeks out his friends to apologize. This is a great book for teaching your kids the essence of the holiday.

New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story by April Halprin Wayland

For ages 5-8

Izzy’s favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is apologizing for all of his wrong-doing during the year so that he can start fresh. But Izzy realizes there is one mistake he finds especially difficult to apologize for. This book offers humor and loving moments between family and friends. It is also a winner of the Sydney Taylor Gold Medal for best Jewish picture book of the year.

Sadie’s Sukkah Breakfast by Jamie S. Korngold

For ages 2-5

Sadie and her brother Ori decide to eat an early-morning breakfast in their Sukkah. They make many trips through their yard to get breakfast on the table, only to realize they have no guests for their special meal. Since it is too early in the morning to invite friends or family, they gather stuffed animals to join them in the Sukkah. This story is a great introduction to the rituals of Sukkot as well as to the importance of sharing a meal together.

Sound the Shofar! A Story for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Leslie Kimmelman and John Himmelman

For ages 3-6

This book is brought to you by the authors of Hanukkah Lights, Hanukkah Nights and Hooray! It’s Passover. After the Rosh Hashanah meal, the whole family attends synagogue to hear Uncle Jake blow the shofar and bring in the new year. Ten days later, they observe Yom Kippur. This story is a great introduction to the rituals and traditions of the holiday and is a fantastic way to get your child familiar with the customs of the High Holidays.

A Watermelon in the Sukkah by Sylvia A. Rouss, Shannan Rouss and Ann Iosa

For ages 3-6

All of the children in Miss Sharon’s class bring their favorite fruits to decorate the class Sukkah. But when Michael brings a watermelon, the class must find a way to hang it! This is one of my daughter’s favorite Sukkot books.

K’tonton’s Sukkot Adventure by Sadie Rose Weilerstein

For ages 3-8

This book takes readers into a world of Jewish imagination where an etrog box becomes a bed and where our character K’tonton finds himself swinging dangerously from the end of a palm frond. Your child will love this adventure story while learning about the holiday of Sukkot.

Resources for Jewish children’s books:

PJ Library

If you have a child between the ages of six months and eight years, consider signing up for the PJ Library to receive one free Jewish-themed book per month. The is organization is run by the Jewish Federation and sends titles like the above books. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to provide your child with a love of reading and a Jewish education.

OFJCC Leslie Family Preschool Book Fair

You can stock up on holiday books and more at the OFJCC Leslie Family Preschool Book Fair, a week-long event featuring teacher-selected books for preschool- and early elementary school-age children. The event will be held from November 30-December 4 and will also include many Hanukkah-themed books for children.

As September rolls in you can feel Rosh Hashanah in the air. The days are shorter and the first hint of autumn crispness is blowing in on the evening breeze. The beach and pool season is still open but the remaining swimming days are numbered. Although the leaves don’t change color in California like they do in many parts of the United States, the first droplets of rain, (hopefully) promise to fall soon, washing away the dust that clings to everything here during the dry summer months. The fall fruits are ready for harvest, especially local apples and pomegranates, two fruits symbolic of Rosh Hashanah. Jewish children everywhere, although only back in school a short time, look forward to the autumn High Holiday season.

The holiday meal for Rosh Hashanah is an important family event. Denying your family an appearance during this holiday celebration is equivalent to denying a Christian family your presence at the Christmas feast. Trying to coordinate which family members will dine at whose house is a feat of delicate negotiation, one that usually erupts in someone’s disappointed in-laws yelling, “But they got you last year! It’s our turn!”

Unlike Passover with its the dietary constraints, Rosh Hashanah is a creative cooking celebration. You can experiment and try foods or recipes not eaten the rest of the year. As long as everything is sweet, representing the desire for a sweet new year, everyone will be happy. (Sorry, diabetics, this is not an ideal holiday for you.)

A sweet meat dish is the main attraction at a traditional Rosh Hashanah meal. One of my favorites features chicken pieces slow-cooked on the stove and smothered in prunes and honey, seasoned with sticks of cinnamon. When the meat falls off the bone and the sauce becomes a thick, sticky gravy, it’s ready. This chicken dish is decadently sweet, spectacularly delicious, and perfectly appropriate for a Rosh Hashanah feast. The full recipe is available in the cookbook A Fistful of Lentils by Jennifer Abadi. Apple-Honey Drumsticks, courtesy of the Food Network Kitchen, or Honey Garlic Chicken, provided by The Endless Meal, are also crowd pleasers.

Brisket is another popular main course on Rosh Hashanah. Although Jewish holiday meals often center around a chicken dish, Rosh Hashanah is the holiday when one can go all out and prepare something really special and a little different. The Sweet and Spicy Brisket recipe from Kosher Scoop is moist and delicious.

Despite Rosh Hashanah’s call for creativity in the kitchen, there are few symbolic foods you will find on every Jewish table. Pomegranates are an important holiday food, partly because they ripen this time of year, but more importantly because, according to legend, pomegranates contain exactly 613 seeds, one for each of the 613 commandments in the Torah, and serve as a reminder of the commandments in the new year.

Honey serves as symbolic prayer for a sweet new year. It is tradition to dip apples in honey prior to sitting down to the holiday meal and to ask God to bestow upon you and your family a sweet new year.

Another traditional food is challah, a sweet braided loaf consumed as part of the Friday night Shabbat meal. On Rosh Hashanah, we eat a circular challah, round representing a smooth new year with no bumps in the road. Stuff the challah with plump raisins or coat it in honey syrup to highlight the sweet theme for the new year. My favorite is this tasty challah recipe from reformjudiasm.org.

Last year at the OFJCC’s staff holiday Rosh Hashanah celebration, Rabbi Joey Felson gave a speech wishing everyone a wonderful new year. He spoke of the symbolism of the different foods on this holiday and asked how many of us put a leaf of lettuce, a raisin, and a stalk of celery on our holiday table. Everyone, from my religious co-workers to my secular ones, was stumped. Lettuce, raisin, and celery? We had never heard of such a tradition. What could these foods possibility symbolize? Rabbi Joey laughed and looked directly at CEO Zach Bodner and said, “Let-uce have a rais-in celery.” Get it? “Let us have a raise in salary.” We all agreed that was a nice wish for the new year!

Finally, no Rosh Hashanah feast would be complete without dessert, and honey cake is the most popular choice for this sweet holiday. Baking honey cake is not an easy feat, as honey dries the cake and makes it very dense. The secret to a light and fluffy honey cake is a bit of black tea, a cup of good coffee, or a generous pour of whiskey. The cake does not take on the flavor of these liquids but they help keep the cake from feeling like a brick made by the ancient Israelites in Egypt. Ah, but now we are diverging into the story of Passover.

I hope you have a chance to experience a Rosh Hashanah celebration this year and I wish everyone a sweet and healthy new year. Shana Tova!

You can celebrate Rosh Hashanah with the OFJCC community at several events this season. And of course don’t forget to check out our OFJCC Rosh Hashanah Pinterest board for inspirational holiday recipes and décor ideas.

To ease your family from lazy summer days into the new school year,  here are a few tips from my kitchen and my favorite bloggers. You can find even more great ideas on our Pinterest board dedicated to healthy, kid-friendly lunch ideas.

I’m always searching for ways to sneak broccoli into my daughter’s diet. Although as a toddler she snacked on this cruciferous vegetable with more gusto than a kid at a make-your-own sundae bar, these days more inventive recipes are required. This recipe for Roasted Broccoli Grilled Cheese by Two Peas & Their Pod is a healthy take on a classic lunchtime sandwich that even a picky eater will love. Other creative broccoli-inspired lunch ideas include Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites by Alida’s Kitchen and Healthy Baked Broccoli Tots by Gimme Delicious Food.

As Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake.” Although I don’t want to encourage a steady diet of pastries, I don’t feel guilty serving Flourless Morning Glory Muffins by Running with Spoons or the Cheese and Veggie Muffins by Learn with Play at Home. These pseudo-pastries are excellent on-the-go lunch options and may inspire your kids to help with some baking!

Luckily, my daughter’s enthusiasm for hummus, or any food made from protein-packed chickpeas, is almost as strong as her hankering for sugar-enriched bread goods. This recipe for Homemade Falafel with Tahini Sauce by Just a Taste is a winner, as are these Veggie Nori Rolls with Hummus by Kitchn. For an extra nutritional punch, substitute Avocado Hummus by Cooking Classy in place of regular hummus.

What child would turn down a chicken nugget lunch? These Quinoa Chicken Nuggets by Crème de la Crumb are a healthful alternative to processed versions. For a new way to introduce chicken to your child’s lunch, try these Chicken and Corn Patties by Food4Tots.

Replace the boring lunchtime sandwich with a dish with pizazz: Spinach Pesto by Diethood is a nutrition-packed spin on the classic pesto recipe. Once it’s prepared, you can easily create a kid-approved pasta salad in minutes.

For top-notch nutrition, consider upping your use of these super foods, all of which are ingredients in the above recipes:

 Almonds:  Almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E, copper, magnesium and protein and contain healthy unsaturated fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants.

Apples: Apples are packed with vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, fiber, phytonutrients, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.

Avocados: Avocados are loaded with over twenty vitamins and minerals including beta-sitosterol, lutein, zeaxanthin, folate, fiber, vitamins C, E, K and B-6, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene and omega-3s.

Bananas: Bananas are teeming with fiber and vitamins C and B6. They are also high in potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure. A study conducted by the Imperial College of London found that children who ate just one banana per day had a 34% lower chance of developing asthma. Bananas also reduce the risk of cancer, especially instances of childhood leukemia.

Broccoli: One cup of broccoli contains over 100% of the body’s daily need for vitamin C and K and is a good source of vitamin A, folate and potassium.

Carrots: Carrots are an antioxidant-rich vegetable saturated with beta-carotene and phytochemicals.

Chicken: Chicken is a great source of protein. It is also low in fat (when the skin is removed) and is full of selenium and vitamins B6 and B3.

Chickpeas: Chickpeas are a vegan and gluten-free source of protein and are laden with iron, vitamins B-6, C and K, magnesium, calcium, zinc, selenium, choline and potassium.

Corn: Corn is jam-packed with fiber, folate, thiamin, phosophorus, vitamin C and magnesium.

Eggs: Eggs are one of best sources of protein available, and they are abundant in vitamins and minerals essential to a healthy and balanced diet including vitamin A, B2, B12, D, E, biotin, choline, folic acid, iodine, iron, lutein, phosphorus, protein and selenium.

Oats: Oats are loaded with more dietary fiber than any other grain and are also rich in minerals including maganese, selenium, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin E.

Quinoa: Quinoa is gluten-free and contains iron, B-vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, vitamin E and fiber. It is one of the only a few plant foods that is considered a complete protein and contains all of the essential amnio acids.

Spinach: Spinach is the best source for potassium, even better than a banana, and abounds in iron, calcium magnesium, vitamin K, fiber, phosphorus and thiamine.

Tahini: Tahini, or sesame butter, is rich in fiber, protein, calcium and omega-3s.

Walnuts: Walnuts are saturated with vitamin E, folate, melatonin, omega 3 fats and antioxidants, all of which help improve brain health and reduce insulin levels.

Experimenting, pouring and mixing one’s hands into a sticky, foamy or exploding mess is most kids’ idea of a good time.

I recently created a Pinterest board for the OFJCC entitled “Summer Science Projects for Kids” and it inspired me to try some with my five-year old daughter Anna. When presented with the idea, she eagerly dropped the iPad (on a soft surface) and volunteered.

Our first project was the Ice Cube Experiment from Mess for Less. I remembered this experiment from my own childhood and thought it would be an easy project to kick off our summer science fun.

The experiment involves putting an ice cube in water and picking it up with a piece of string. Sounds impossible, right? The trick is to lay the string flat across the ice cube and sprinkle salt on top. The salt melts a small layer of  ice, causing the string to sink into it. The cube re-freezes, securing the string within the ice. Now pick up the cube with the string: Voila, magic!

This experiment should work even for the scientifically-impaired. However, Anna and I went through several trials before successfully picking up an ice cube.

On our first attempt we used a coarse sea salt, all I had on hand. It melted the cube too quickly and prevented the ice from refreezing over the string. The next day I bought fine-grained table salt. Pouring too much salt on the cube again caused it to melt too fast and not refreeze. After several tries, we learned that only a small amount of salt was required to successfully melt and refreeze the ice, securing the string. Experiment number one was a success; Anna’s shouts of joy were deafening!

Our next experiment was Crayon Resist Spiral Art from Powerful Mothering. This experiment involves drawing swirls with a white crayon on a white piece of paper. As your child paints over them with water colors, the wax from the crayon resists the water-based paint, revealing the hidden designs.

I told Anna that oil and water don’t mix, then prepared a bowl of water and handed her a bottle of green olive oil. When asked what she thought would happen when we combined them, she predicted “the water will turn green.” The oil surprised her by forming beautiful droplets on the surface of the water. I explained that the oil is lighter than water and won’t sink or mix in no matter how hard she stirs. (Older kids might like to know that water molecules have a positive charge while oil molecules no charge, causing the oil to want to stick to itself rather than the water.)

Then we applied what we had learned about oil and water to the art project. I drew with a yellow crayon since we had no white, and set Anna loose with her water colors. At first she painted gently, marveling at how the paint wouldn’t stick to the wax. She then tried to heap globs of paint on the spirals to prevent the paint from gliding off. She had lots of fun and the finished picture is beautiful, deserving a very special place on the refrigerator door.

Our pièce de resistance was the Rainbow Eruptions experiment by Learn Play Imagine. What could be more fun than causing rainbows of color to explode and spill over? If you have ever built an erupting volcano for a science fair then you already understand the science behind this experiment.

Learn Play Imagine recommends filling small plastic ramekins with different flavors of Kool Aid (instead of vinegar) and baking soda. Fill a squeeze bottle with water and let your child go crazy squirting! A chemical reaction occurs when the baking soda, a bicarbonate, and the Kool Aid, an acid, combine, creating carbon dioxide that bubbles up and escapes generating a colorful erupting foam.

As an alternative route to this gurgling goodness, we filled the ramekins with baking soda and food coloring and put vinegar in a separate cup. At the start of the experiment Anna was both excited and terrified–she imagined huge eruptions that would cover the house from floor to ceiling with fizzing foam. “But what about the couch?” she asked. “Won’t you be upset if it gets dirty?”

I handed Anna the glass of vinegar. She hid behind me, afraid of being exposed to the exploding foam. I poured it into the container of green and the first eruption began. Anna quickly shed her fear, eagerly taking over the experiment, fascinated by the reaction. For the next hour she created eruptions and mixed colored foam with a spoon, repeating the process again and again.

She’s now officially hooked on science experiments–this morning in the car she asked me what experiment we will conduct tonight!

For more ideas on fun science experiments to do with your kids this summer, please visit the OFJCC Summer Science Experiments for Kids Pinterest board.

Children and teens who enjoy singing, dancing, acting, performing, playing instruments, or who want to explore their Jewish culture through the prism of performance have embraced the new Oshman Family JCC (OFJCC) School for the Performing Arts that launched last winter. This fall, their parents and other adults are getting in on the action as the school expands to include classes for adults.

At the OFJCC School for Performing Arts, students have the opportunity to interweave Jewish melodies into their musical compositions, dance to iconic pieces by major Jewish composers, sing works from the vast repertoire of Jewish songwriters and work on scenes, skits and plays by Jewish playwrights and authors. They are also encouraged to question, debate, and dig deep to further explore the material.

If this sounds heavy, think again. One kindergartener described his drama class experience  as “better than a Harry Potter movie night!” High praise indeed.

The School for the Performing Arts has not only won over its  young students but their parents as well. A mother of two choir students in the school’s 2015 spring semester wrote: “My two children absolutely LOVED the class today! They kept on singing the song in the car and asked not to leave the OFJCC. They talked about how fun the class was, and they have never been this excited about a class in the past. As a parent, this is the best outcome—worth the time and money. First impressions set the tone. I am looking forward to the many other classes you will offer!”

This exposure to the wealth of Jewish contributions to the artistic world is one of the school’s defining elements, according to Edna Koren, a noted pianist and the manager of the OFJCC School for the Performing Arts. Koren adds, “As a musician and a teacher, it has been my life’s pleasure and honor to guide, nurture and inspire the creativity of students in the performing arts. I have witnessed the immense joy the arts can bring to students of all ages.”

Kay Kleinerman with her drama students

Kay Kleinerman, the school’s drama instructor, shares her take on the richness theater brings to young lives. “Theater is an art that teaches us about beauty, ourselves, others and the world around us. From theater, we learn about life, love, and compassion. We learn what it means to be human. There can be no higher aim for education.”

This fall, expanded class offerings include a wider variety of children’s classes from k-12 as well as adult-only classes and private music lessons .  Classes will range from dance classes such as ballet and hip hop to drama, choir, percussion, piano, guitar, rock band, songwriting, stage makeup and improvisation.

Students will be encouraged to collaborate with their teachers and peers to become involved in all aspects of the performing arts, front-and-center as well as backstage. Each semester will culminate in a performance at the OFJCC’s Schultz Cultural Arts Hall.

Registration for fall classes is currently open. Early bird enrollment for the fall semester is now available and those signing up before July 16 will enjoy a 20% discount.