Ask Judy

Current questions and answers

Q: CHanukkah is coming - I've been asked to go into my child's class to present information on cHanukkah. What should I do?

Being the CHanukkah mom provides you with a wonderful opportunity to make your child feel special & to explain to children who may not be Jewish the customs and fun of CHanukkah.

Your presentation could include reading a story which describes the holiday - check out you local library for a story book that is short and interesting. You could show the chanukiah (CHanukkah menorah) and candles; have your child tell how you celebrate CHanukkah in your home; teach the game of Dreydl; or stuff doughnuts.

Why stuff doughnuts? Because it's pretty tricky to fry up latkes in the classroom. Stuffed doughnuts, already fried in oil, are a much easier project.

What you will need for the project:

Jelly doughnuts unglazed and unstuffed
Jelly, Jam or Custard Pre-made icing
A pastry bag with a large metal tip. (note: you can buy pastry bags from a restaurant supply company)

Place metal tip in pastry bag, fill pastry bag with jelly, jam or custard.
Have kids inject jelly into doughnuts & ice top of doughnut.
Eating the filled & iced doughnuts is mandatory

Q: I've just had a baby - My mother in law insists on putting a red ribbon in the baby's crib - why is that?

A: Red ribbons or kinehora bindels (to keep away the evil eye) were placed in the cribs of newborn babies to protect them from evil. Years ago this folk custom arose when childbirth was a tricky proposition and infant mortality was high. Today many well educated people still believe in this superstition. You will find red ribbons in carriages and sometimes sewn on the babies underclothing.

Q: A friend told me that Thanksgiving has roots in the holiday of Sukkot - Is this true?

A: The Pilgrims read the Torah. They were familiar with the Jewish pilgrimage holidays, Passover, Shavuot and Succot. Succot was probably originally a harvest holiday. So, when the first harvest was in they decided to declare a holiday of thanksgiving and they used the symbolism of Succot as its basis.