Growing Up in a Kosher World

Two nights before Purim, and all through the house, Spice Girls radio was blasting and the smell of burnt hamantashins was rampant. After Chanukah, I thought I was off the hook for any Jewish holidays until Passover. But no, just like everything in Judiasm, there is another surprise thing/rule (well in this case, holiday). Zack told me not to worry because I can use electricity, dress up and drink. My three favorite things! So, I agreed to going along with Purim. However, he then snuck in the fact that we have to make these goody bags for everyone “Don’t worry. I will help you make the shaloch manot baskets. It is really easy.” That was easy for him to say, because the night we  were supposed to go grocery shopping and make hamantashins, he was conveniently studying for an exam! Although, he did promise to clean up, so I made sure to make an extra large mess which was easy to do cutting 60 cookies and making them in triangles in honor of some guy we hated. This seems like a strange concept. In a few years on, Kristalnacht, we are going to start making nazi pinwheels. Anyways, I have never had a hamantashan in my life before. I HATE fruit and vanilla cookies- which is every 3 cornered cookie I have seen. So in order to shake stuff up, I decided to make a chocolate cookie and a fun filled filling. This year I decided to go with a chocolate peanut butter hamantashin, and a smores one. Next year, though, I think I will mix purim drinking and shaloch manot, and try to make rum filled hamantashins. But we will see. As of right now, I don’t ever want to look at them again.
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On the hottest weekend possible, Zack convinced me to come over for the weekend in New Jersey. As a side note, I got to stay in his little brother’s room; very romantic, right?! Zack very kindly warned me that Saturday morning we would have to wake up early and go to shul. I hadn’t been to shul on a Saturday since I had to take the SAT’s four years ago (I was using every aid I could get to get into college). Waking up early and going to shul was fine by me because this gave me a chance to get a cute new outfit to wear. Growing up, whenever my family went to shul, we would get a brand new outfit to wear (the difference however, was that we only went to shul three times a year). I asked Zack what time I should come over, and he creepily told me to come over to his house whatever time I wanted, as long as it was before sunset. So, I did. However, the New Jersey Turnpike had a mind of its own. Anyways, I got there and had to experience the stress and chaos of getting ready for shabbas. Light switches had to be turned on and off, water had to be heated, and people had to get dressed and showered before a certain time. My cousins were religious, so I kind of knew what to expect, but I had no idea what I was getting into. Read the rest of this entry »

Growing up, my least favorite holiday was Chanukah. The first reason was that you were supposed to light candles on the menorah. For most, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but my mother is scared of fire, and my dad worked far away. Since Chanukah is eight days of playing with fire, it always would end with a fight to get my dad home to light the menorah. In fact, during one dramatic year, our menorah was set up too close to our cabinets, that they charred the brown cabinets black! The fire department, who was a family friend because of my mom’s habit of burning food, decided that they would come the following nights to ensure that the Jews don’t burn down the city. At the time however, I thought they wanted to embrace and join in our Jewish traditions. The following year, my family got my mother an electric menorah. Read the rest of this entry »

Zack and I have only used our kitchen table three times. The first time was on the first night Zack put it together; we wanted to make sure it was sturdy. The second time was for his 23rd birthday on 9/9/9 at 9. The last time was 2 months ago on Break-fast. So we decided we should get our money’s worth and have people over for shabbas. So we invited one family over Friday and another family over Saturday. I decided to take off the Friday night before everyone was coming. I thought I could sleep late, start cooking, go to the gym and have a calm preparation day… boy was I wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping kosher wasn’t something I decided to do by choice or belief.  Honestly, I just did it because I wanted a ring. (Also, I really loved my husband and wanted to do everything I can to make him happy… but shiny things really help motivate me!)There were two things I had to do in order to get the Tiffany’s princess cut, clear rock that I saved on Zack’s computer. I had to keep kosher and learn to bensch. Two of the last things on my list of things that I ever wanted to do. But, since living together before marriage wasn’t an option to Orthodox Jews, I had to do what I could to end our 4 hour long distance relationship. Also, I wanted to get married rather sooner than later because I figured I am going to look better now when I am younger than in a few years. Read the rest of this entry »

So, I never knew about sukkos growing up. When I first started seriously dating my now husband, Zack, he invited me over to meet his parents. I was really nervous, so he told me not to worry it’s going to be a barbecue with lots of people so they won’t grill me too much. So, I pull up around 12pm on the designated Friday, which I thought was a little weird because shouldn’t everyone be at work? And, I passed a bunch of guys wearing yalmukees, so I knew I was in the right place. They looked at me as if they have never seen a car before. Zack runs out of the yalmukee gang towards my car and points to where his house. So, I reply just hop in I will give you a ride over and pack your friends in. Zack, turned red and said he can’t. I was like it’s not Saturday so there is no reason not to. He responded, “I know but I can’t”. I looked at him as if he was nuts and I just drove to the pointed area. I popped out of the car in my bbq attire a mini skirt, and tank top. As I walked in the house I felt very embarrassed for being under dressed because everyone was dressed up because they came straight from shul. Read the rest of this entry »

Break-Fast
Since moving to Plainview, my husband Zack and I have been invited out for every shabbas meal imaginable and have yet to invite anyone over. So, finally I decided that since we live .2 miles from the shul (any further I wouldn’t go), we would invite everyone who we owe a meal to over for break-fast in other words; 20 people in a 2 by 4. It was going to be tight, but it was easier doing it now than inviting people on Fridays Read the rest of this entry »