This time of year, the only thing going around the Jewish community more than influenza and greasy latke smell is Christmas envy.

It's okay – Christmas is pretty cool. Just ask your friends who grew up with both Jewish and Christian family members. This post goes out to all of us pulling double duty (and double the presents!) this Holiday Season.

1. Your Christmas tree was covered in Star of David and dreidel ornaments

2. You made your Girl Scout troop sing Chanukah "carols" too

3. You eat a gourmet family meal, not Chinese food, on Christmas

4. You left Santa latkes instead of cookies

5. Your holiday decorations were a hot mess of blue, red, and green

There was probably a leg lamp. Or your family just said "forget it" and went all out for Halloween.

6. You know that Chanukah cookies make the best snack while watching Miracle on 34th Street

7. You know how to water a Christmas tree, and can't understand why your Jewish friends think that means "misting it" with a spray bottle

8. ALL THE PRESENTS

9. You know it's not impossible to light a Christmas tree on fire with a menorah

10. Your family sends out holiday cards like this:

(My family literally sent this card out at least one year)

11. YOU invented Chrismukkah, not Seth Cohen

12. You prepared elaborate Powerpoints for your friends to scientifically prove how you could celebrate both holidays

13. You strongly identified with Tommy Pickles from Rugrats, who also celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas

14. You can't believe kids today get books about combined holidays

The best your parents could do was read Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins back-to-back with The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

15. You designed your own multi-holiday ugly sweaters

16. Your Elf on a Shelf drinks eggnog with your Mensch on a Bench

17. Underground dreidel gambling rings at Christmas parties

18. You know there's no comparing what you feel when the house is lit by the glow of the menorah, and what waking up on Christmas morning feels like. They feel like home, like family, and like the perfect fit

Oy!Chicago is looking for guest writers of all experience levels to contribute to our next special blog series, “In With the New,” a collection of pieces on fresh starts, new beginnings and that moment when everything changed for the better.

We want to help you share your inspirational story of accomplishment, of tapping into the new you. Or maybe you’re still getting there and want to talk about your journey. Whether you have a great story that’s ready to publish now or are looking for some help finding the words, we want to work with you and your idea!

The blog series will run Jan. 12-16. To pitch your idea, write a paragraph describing what your piece would be about and send it to info@oychicago.com by Friday, Dec. 26. The only requirements are that the post should in some way relate to the theme, and that you are 21 or older. We will review your submission and let you know if we are interested in working with you and running your piece in the series.

Please note that Oy!Chicago is a volunteer-run website, so we are unable to pay for published submissions at this time. If you have any questions, email them to info@oychicago.com

Thanks for your interest!

Stef & Steven

If Stacey Ballis isn’t working on a novel, she’s likely testing a recipe for her next book.

In October, Ballis published Big Delicious Life: Stacey Ballis’s Most Awesome Recipes, an electronic cookbook featuring recipes that appeared in her past novels.

Food always has been a character in Ballis’s novels, which feature smart, Chicago-based heroines who love life and a good meal.

“Food and cooking are just such a big part of my life, that it organically became a part of my characters’ lives as well,” Ballis said.

She consciously began writing recipes during the process of crafting her fourth novel. “When I was writing Good Enough to Eat, I was looking for healthier versions of the foods I love,” she said.

In Good Enough to Eat, the main character, Melanie, loses half her body weight, so the story includes recipes for comfort foods and the healthier version thereof. “Readers weren’t surprised, they were happy to cook the foods mentioned themselves,” she said.

Ballis has some legendary company in the pantheon of authors who include recipes with their novels.

“When I read books like (Nora Ephron’s) Heartburn or (Laura Esquivel’s) Like Water for Chocolate, it felt like a bonus gift to me. It doesn’t take me out of the story,” she said. “I read cookbooks as novels.”

Ballis began both cooking and writing as a young child. Her earliest memories of cooking are at her grandmother’s knee, but she said she doesn’t think Judaism is what made her into a passionate home chef.

“I make a killer brisket,” she said. “I continue to practice. I’m not a temple-goer … The appealing thing about Judaism is there’s no one way to practice ... Food is about the soul, not the stomach.”

In Big Delicious Life, Ballis said she wanted to gather all of her recipes into one collection that could be broken down by the novel it appears in and also include an index separating recipes by the ingredients used. The ebook format not only makes this possible, but also easy for pulling out the ingredient list while at the grocery store. And at $3.79 (on Amazon.com), it’s affordable too.

“It’s like buying someone a card, but for the same price, you’re delivering 150 recipes,” Ballis said.

Big Delicious Life also includes 40 “lost recipes” that were mentioned in the four novels except there wasn’t enough space to publish them.

Ballis has received good feedback on Big Delicious Life so far. She said readers have told her they don’t identify as cooks but feel like they can thanks to her books. She cites One-Pot Pasta and her recipe for braised brisket as easy recipes for new cooks to start out with.

Big Delicious Life also includes a chapter from Ballis’ next novel, Recipe for Disaster, which will hit shelves next March. The story follows Anneke, who teaches herself to cook after a series of unfortunate events finds her living in the house she is restoring.

Her next cookbook, Cooking for You: Wellness in the Kitchen, is expected to make its debut late next summer. Ballis is co-writing with her friend Dr. Francis Ardito, a professor at College of Lake County.

Ballis said when people hear “wellness,” they hear “diets,” and the cookbook aims to show that wellness can taste good, but sometimes moderation is needed.

“There’s an emotional wellness chapter, which has a killer chocolate cake recipe,” she said.

By day, Jay Rapoport is a mild-mannered Jewish educator with the title of director of Lifelong Learning at Temple Sholom of Chicago in Lakeview. But this persona is only a mask for his true identity: Jewish rock star.

Rapoport's second Jewish platter, They Tried to Get Us, We Won, Let's Rock, stirs in several flavors of rock 'n' roll, with a heaping helping of Motown-drizzled soul on the side. Food figures prominently on the "The Holiday Song," a New Orleans-style jazz number that catalogs the many Jewish holidays for defeating oppressors—and the foods we eat thereupon. But the bravest track, lyrically, is "God is Just a Word," which he wrote to start discussions with those who profess to be "spiritual but not religious," he said. 

Other songs discuss the relationship between the Jews and the Torah ("Am HaSefer"), students and teachers ("My Teacher, My Friend"), and friends ("Wherever You Will Go," based on the Book of Ruth). There is even a song about the ways of interpreting the Torah ("Pardes"). But the album's opener, "I Like to Dance on Shabbat," is just plain fun.

Rapoport's wife is named Rachel, his daughter is named Ruthie, and his website is named RuachRock.com. But there is nothing rated "R" about his music. He considers this a family-friendly album, one that "parents could enjoy along with kids," while it's also "what we adults would listen to" on our own.

Rapoport's first Jewish CD, With All Your Heart, came out in late 2010, but this new one is his ninth overall. His major influences are Billy Joel and Ben Folds, and he has performed with Craig Taubman, Rick Recht, Josh Nelson, and Michelle Citrin. He's even been featured on Recht's Jewish Rock Radio music-streaming site, and at his Song Leader Boot Camp. 

Rapoport studied piano and singing at Berklee College of Music. He also has a Master's degree in religious education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City.

While he joined Temple Sholom this June, Rapoport boasts 15 years as a Jewish educator, and he's written theme songs for many of his graduating classes. He's also been a camp director in Virginia, which inspired many of his songs. 

Rather than have his musical passion clash with his educational career, Rapoport has found a way for them to, well, harmonize. Thankfully, he lets us all sing along.  

My annual Chanukah music review "The Chanukah Wrap-Up" can be found on my JUF News blog at jufnews.org. 

^{Dr. Arielle Levitan (left) and Dr. Romy Block (right), creators of Vous Vitamin.}

Take your vitamins, Oy!sters, because this time, it’s personal.

Drs. Romy Block and Arielle Levitan are two doctors (and friends) practicing on the North Shore and changing the way consumers think about vitamins and supplements. That’s right, the days of Flinstones chewable vitamins are long gone. Time to wise up.

Levitan, a board-certified internal medicine physician with a special interest in women’s health and preventative medicine, and Block, a board-certified endocrinology and metabolism specialist and expert in pituitary and thyroid disorders, teamed up to create Vous Vitamin after years of advising patients about the right vitamins to take because off-the-shelf products were not meeting their needs. They found that everyone has different lifestyles, diets and health histories, and they should receive a multivitamin tailored to specifically to them.

Consumers take a short survey online that takes into account age, where they live, their exercise habit, family history, diet (kosher is an option!) and more. It generates a customized multivitamin that can be ordered right online and delivered to your door.

Block and Levitan are also always keeping up on the latest studies and sharing their wisdom on their blog. They even recently gave viewers some advice for self-care during the holidays on the WCIU show “Now.Chicago.”

So if you’re mindful of your health, Romy Block and Arielle Levitan are two Jews you should definitely know.

1. Were you always interested in vitamins and supplements? What drew you pursue this project together?  

Arielle: As physicians, we both found that we were spending a great deal of our time talking to patients about vitamins and supplements. We both found that people were very confused about what they should be taking and what was safe and useful. As a primary care doctor, I was often discussing the use of vitamins for osteoporosis prevention and general health.

Romy: I found I was seeing lots of people who thought they had a thyroid problem but in reality had various vitamin deficiencies causing them symptoms.

2. Why aren’t personalized, customizable vitamins commonplace in the industry and how does Vous Vitamin address those challenges?  

We have not found many personalized vitamins in the industry, perhaps because the prevailing assumption is that more is better. Many people just add product after product to address different concerns without taking into consideration the person's diet or other factors. It turns out that many people are actually getting too much of vitamins they don't need that can be harmful and not enough of those that they do. Vitamin A, for example is found in most multivitamins, yet deficiency in this is extremely rare in the U.S. Taking too much, on the other hand has been linked to osteoporosis and high rates of cancer. The industry has not addressed this at all.

3. Why might/should young adults who don’t take vitamins and don’t even have them on their radar be considering them?  

Many adults need vitamins even if they eat a healthy diet. Some vitamins are not easily obtained from food sources. For example, Vitamin D is found in very few foods in significant amounts (namely beef liver and wild caught salmon—not farm raised).  It is obtained from the sun, but most of us who live in temperate climates do not get good year-round sun exposure and many of us wear sunscreen (as we should). Most of us need to supplement D for these reasons. We also often fall short on certain other nutrients, in part because our produce no longer has the same quantities of nutrients that it once did. Some of us, in the name of health, actually miss out on valuable nutrients, such as iodine; this is something that table salt contains. However, as a society people are using less salt and some are using only sea salt or kosher salt which has no iodine. Iodine is essential for thyroid health and should be supplemented, but only in the proper amounts. Many of us also need things like calcium to help keep bones strong. It is, of course, very individual and that is why Vous Vitamin came into being.

4. What are the highlights and challenges of being friends and business partners?

It was via our friendship that our concept for Vous Vitamin developed – we would often discuss our practices and needs of our patients. We realized we had similar views on many health topics and this has carried through to collaborating in our business. We collaborate well, but have found that we each are naturally suited to different roles in running the business. We have also been able to help one another when our home lives are particularly chaotic. We have each had challenges this year with ill family members and I think our friendship beyond the business has enabled us to each sense when the other needs a break from work and we have been able to help pick up the slack. The biggest challenge has perhaps been taking time to remember to connect as friends and not just business partners. Every once in a while we have to remind ourselves to schedule a lunch or night out as couples with our husbands so that we are not just talking business all the time. We try to remember we are friends first.

5. If you could make your vitamins in any form, shape or color, what would they look like?  

Our goal is to be able to make vitamins in more different forms – we know some people want chewables or gummies and we know that some people are interested in liquid versions. We hope to eventually develop new products to meet these needs. In addition to our existing Situational Supplements (Power Up for energy and exercise, Immune Blast and Recovery Act for hangover prevention), we hope to introduce many more. We are also working on a dedicated line of men's Personalized Multivitamins since our branding has been tailored to women thus far. We are constantly thinking of adjustments and new ideas based on current research.

6. What do you love most about what you do?

We love being able to apply all our years of medical training and taking care of patients to creating products and a business model that is available to anyone online. It is so much fun to know that our knowledge can benefit so many people. In addition to supplying people with Personalized Multivitamins to meet their specific needs we also like educating them about health topics. We have a very active blog on our site with lots of up to date information on different issues. We are also in the process of writing a book about the role of vitamins in health and wellness.

7. In an alternate universe where you couldn’t be doctors, what would you do?  

If we were not creating vitamins we would probably find some other way to help the public become more knowledgeable about their health. We really enjoy translating confusing medical language into concepts anyone can understand. We also like to help people sift through all of the conflicting and misleading information on the internet about health so they can know what to believe. That is in part the origin of Vous Vitamins: we were tired of people showing up in our offices with bags full of supplements that they were taking for unclear reasons and with potentially toxic effects. We felt we could help them clear the clutter and take what was necessary and safe for them.

8. What’s your favorite Jewish thing to do (or how do you Jew?) in Chicago?

Arielle: My favorite Jewish thing is my involvement with Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. I have been a camp doctor there for the last three summers and absolutely love to get away to the North Woods and soak up the energy of summer camp. It's an amazing organization and I feel so privileged to get to be a part of it and live and work in a thriving Jewish community. I’m also is on the Board of Directors at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El where I’m an active member.

Romy: I love participating in the Beth El preschool community. My children have all attended and I serve on the board for the Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Preschool. I love that my children have found a Jewish connection so early in life including their enjoyment of the PJ Library each month. I’m an active member in JUF and am looking forward to the YLD Big Event Fundraiser with Seth Meyers!  

If you’re a big proponent of the phrase “our youth are our future,” then Scott Issen is a pretty important guy. As the co-founder of the Future Founders Foundation, Issen helps students in underserved areas as young as second grade explore entrepreneurship, building the skills and business plans that will lead them to successful careers as adults.

Issen began his work fostering the innovative spirit of students almost a decade ago when he worked for the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, which provides advisory service to local entrepreneurs. Tasked with figuring out how to help the next generation of entrepreneurs, he developed Future Founders, which in 2011 became an independent organization. In 2013 he was honored as “Double Chai in the Chi” by Oy!Chicago and YLD and just this last year was named 40 Under 40 by Crain’s Chicago Business

“I always joke if you told me I was going to be running a nonprofit or be an entrepreneur, I would say you’re crazy because I didn’t want to do either of those,” Issen said. “But now it’s what I see myself doing.”

Under Issen’s leadership, Future Founders has grown from a pilot program reaching 75 kids at three schools to a full-fledged organization now at 50 schools and serving 7,000 students each year through its Future Founders High School, Future Founders Connect and Lemonade Day Chicago programs.

Most recently, Future Founders revealed its College Founders program, a collaborative effort between organizations, universities, incubators and entrepreneurship assistance groups to provide higher level resources and access to college students.

Issen said the new program developed because high school students who graduated from their existing programs as well as college students from across the region were passionate about entrepreneurship but didn’t always feel their on-campus resources were giving them enough preparation for entering the real world successfully.

“What we wanted to do was leverage all the great things that are going on in Chicagoland and plug kids into things while they’re still in school so that by the time they graduate, they know the people to go to, they know the organizations to go to and they’re already immersed in the community,” Issen said.

College Founders consists of access to entrepreneurship events, trips to visit companies, networking opportunities and more, along with a fellowship program for a select cohort of students to receive further mentorship and a city-wide elevator pitch competition, which took place Monday night, Nov. 17.

Although the programs appear to focus squarely on entrepreneurship, Issen said he sees entrepreneurship as something that crosses field and industries.

“Being able to empower students to create opportunities and help them build skills is going to be key for them to be successful,” Issen said. “We’re not saying that every one of these students should become entrepreneurs, but I think what’s great is entrepreneurship offers a lot of great ways to synthesize skills that already exist and are going to be relevant for whatever you do.”

The fact that entrepreneurship is interdisciplinary is among the reasons, Issen said, that funders have been eager to support Future Founders and other innovation-focused programs and organizations.

“[Entrepreneurship] is like the new fad almost, but we have to remember our economy and country is built on entrepreneurs, all these large companies started as small business led by entrepreneurs, so I think it’s a resurgence of this energy,” he said.

Future Founders provides a multitude of volunteer opportunities for those looking to pass their energy and knowledge as business leaders on to students. Volunteers can help students build business plans, lead a skills workshop, talk on a career panel and more. Opportunities to mentor and work with college students are still in development as College Founders begins to develop and assess the students’ needs.

As for his own volunteering, Issen recently joined the board of Mishkan Chicago, the fast-growing spiritual community based predominantly on the North Side led by 2012 Double Chai in the Chi honoree Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann. After attending High Holiday services with Mishkan last year, Issen said he connected instantly with the spiritual experience it offered. On the board, he has been involved in Mishkan’s marketing and branding strategy, and also discussed how to sustain and continue developing the energy and growth it has built in the last few years.

“I feel honored to be involved in the growth of the organization,” Issen said. “I would really encourage people to just try it out once. Just like with anything, give us a chance to move you and I think you’ll be moved.”

Issen plans to channel the good press from Double Chai in the Chi and Crain’s 40 Under 40 into raising the profile of Future Founders and Mishkan, and to engage people through both.

“Every day is Veterans Day for us,” explained Rob Walker, program director at Leave No Veteran Behind. Walker served in the U.S. Navy before getting his law degree. Now, he serves his fellow vets — including his fellow Jews — by helping them integrate back in to civilian society.

LNVB was founded by Army vets Roy Sartin and Eli Williamson, both Chicago natives, who were themselves readjusting upon returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. As they struggled to pay off college debt and find jobs, they realized that they were not alone, and founded LNVB in 2009 to change the game for others.

Today, LNVB still focuses on these issues. One of its major programs is its Retroactive Scholarships. These are payments made to help ease vets’ tuition-loan payments. So far, the organization has provided $150,000 in debt relief.

In return, veterans perform community service, such as patrolling for the Safe Passage program that helps kids get to school safely. Walker staffed a Safe Passage route himself, to get a feel for the job. He found himself thanked by the children, their parents, and even police officers.

Staffing Safe Passage routes still gives the vets a five-hour block each day to work at a more formal job, and LNVB also helps them land these jobs. They work with the vets and employers to find a good employment fit. And some vets also continue their higher education as well, during the day or on evenings and weekends.

Another way the organization helps vets is by helping them continue to serve their communities. Vets help disadvantaged kids learn employable skills by helping them rehab old bikes and make their own solar cell-phone chargers. And they help whole neighborhoods by turning vacant lots into community gardens, especially welcome in “food deserts,” areas with a lack of ready access to fresh, healthy foods.

Walker, who served as a mechanic on a nuclear submarine, also participated in the bike rebuilds. He is joined by another vet, also last-named Walker; while they are not related, their fellow bike mechanics have taken to calling them “The Walker Brothers” in reference to the pancake house. The bikes, aside from being cleaned up and made safe to ride again, are outfitted with tech that recharges riders’ cell phones as they cruise along. Even Mayor Emanuel has ridden one.

A non-profit, LNVB is supported by donors, philanthropists, and corporate sponsors. They serve vets of all ages — at the moment, most have served in Iraq and Afghanistan — and from all branches of service. They are referred to LNVB by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, by their school guidance counselors and by other vets. They’ve also been on the news. LNVB has worked with 400 vets so far; 100 are in the program now.

Walker is proud to serve his fellow vets and help ensure that they transition back into civilian life smoothly. He points out that the work the veterans do — renovating old bikes and helping vacant lots bloom — shows the veterans that they, too, still have lots of miles left in them, and lots of growing they can still do.

What do you think of when you hear “Jewish storytelling?”

Is it some made-up tale about a rabbi and a beggar that ends with a nice Jewish moral? Or your Zayde’s tired old yarn about how back in the day he used to walk five miles by himself to Hebrew school three days a week (rain or snow)?

We don’t think so. That’s why Oy!Chicago is reclaiming Jewish storytelling for the next generation. Join us and JUF News on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at Matilda (3101 N. Sheffield Ave.) for “Oy! Let Me Tell You …” an evening of live Jewish storytelling featuring real, personal, sometimes-hilarious, always-insightful stories told by people like you: young adults navigating Jewish life in Chicago.

Similar to “The Moth” and other live lit events in Chicago, “Oy! Let Me Tell You …” will feature non-fiction stories and readings from Oy!Chicago contributing bloggers as well as other special guest performers. The evening will be hosted by Jeremy Owens, Oy! contributor and co-creator of the live lit show “You’re Being Ridiculous.”

The cost of the event is $10 gift to the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago to support its work helping those in need and strengthening the Jewish community. Register online now or at the door.

Matilda will offer a drink special featuring $5 glasses of wine, $5 draft beer and $5 wells. Some snacks will also be provided. Seating may be limited, so those hoping to sit are encouraged to arrive early.

For questions or more information, contact info@oychicago.com.

^{Photo credit: TK Photography}

When he was named to Oy!Chicago and JUF’s Young Leadership Division’s inaugural 36 under 36 list, Cameron Smith had only dreamed of what the next great Chicago day school would look like. Two years later, the school has not only opened its doors, but quickly become a bustling learning environment.

Bennett Day School is a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade independent day school rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach, a collaborative, environment-based take on education that incorporates students’ individual curiosities and sees self-direction as integral to the learning process. And Smith, its co-founder and CEO, has quickly become one of Chicago’s leaders in progressive education.

^{Photo credit: TK Photography}

Smith’s journey from working for a private equity firm to heading Bennett Day School is an unusual one, but neither is it entirely surprising. When his oldest son was born four years ago, Smith – whose mother and sister are both elementary school teachers – began to think about where his children would go to school. Meanwhile, at his day job at CHS Capital, Smith was charged with investing in the education and health care sectors, and as such, learned a lot about education practices. One day, he came across a fact that resonated with him: having a portfolio of a child’s work could really make a difference when applying to colleges and universities. So while researching educational approaches and philosophies full-time, he looked for styles that included a portfolio as a product of students’ learning. That’s when he discovered Reggio Emilia, and after more intensive research, he decided a school featuring this approach was what he wanted for his children, and what Chicago needed.  

“There are more great schools badly needed downtown for people to live and work close to the heart of the city and not feel like they need to move,” Smith said.

Smith also said Reggio Emilia gels with his Jewish values. In fact, some local Jewish pre-schools are dedicated to this approach.

“Learning from your surroundings, being in a collaborative community, this really resonates, I’ve found, with Jewish values and our upbringing,” he said. “There have been a number of families that have come to [Bennett Day School] and really appreciated the transition from their Jewish pre-school.”

^{Photo credit: TK Photography}

Opened in August at 657 W. Fulton St., Bennett is the first independent school in Chicago devoted to implementing this approach beyond early childhood. Although the 34 students currently enrolled are all between two and five years old, a new grade will open each year, and eventually junior kindergarten through eighth grade students will move to the school’s future flagship campus at 955 W. Grand Ave.

Looking back on what the school has accomplished so far, Smith said it’s hard to put into words.

“We’ve gone from a small team working on a school to being a community,” he said. “It’s just a warm and wonderful, gratifying feeling.”

Smith credits the parents as well, saying the founding families have been tremendously active in the school and that parent excitement, response and feedback so far has been more than he could’ve hoped for.

As one of these parents himself, Smith said he has also been amazed by the projects the students have dreamed up. One class wanted another table in their classroom, so they flipped over the existing one, studied it and built their own weight-bearing table from cardboard and paper towel rolls. Another class found a dragonfly on a trip to the nearby park and were curious where it lived, which evolved into learning about lakes and even building one in their classroom.

“I think what’s been most emotional for me is seeing my son Hunter and the other students together doing things I never could’ve imagined four-year-olds could do,” he said. “They’re just so much more capable than we give them credit for.”

The name Bennett comes from Hunter’s middle name, given to him for two of his great-grandmothers who were self-made women from immigrant families who despite not receiving a college education, helped start family businesses and put their siblings through school.

“They really embodied grit, perseverance and creativity, the traits that we’re embodying in our kids and cultivating,” Smith said.

Also since being named Double Chai in the Chi, Smith and his wife, Erica, welcomed their second son, Leo. They belong to Anshe Emet Synagogue and live in Lincoln Park, where Cameron and Hunter take the Halsted bus together to school each day.

At the synagogue where I grew up – Congregation B’nai Amoona in St. Louis – I heard Debbie Friedman’s “Mi Sheberach” often.

“Bless those inneed of healing with r'fuah sh'leimah, the renewal of body, the renewal ofspirit…"

That song took on deeper meaning for me when I heard it sung recently by a group of Chicago cantors, and not within the walls of any synagogue.

I recently began a year-long assignment as a new Organizing Fellow with the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. I’m working with JCUA this year while serving as a corps member with AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps. Living with 15 housemates in a house known as the Bayit in Lakeview, all of us work at poverty-focused non-profits while receiving mentoring, education and training on social justice, Judaism, poverty in Chicago and non-profit careers.

As a newcomer to Chicago, I was only aware – on a surface level – of the division between the North and South sides. But as I began my work for JCUA on a campaign to help establish a level one trauma center to the South Side of Chicago, I discovered how stark the contrast is between these parts of the city.

Last year, Chicago was ranked as the seventh most racially segregated city in the United States, and of the eight level one trauma centers in Chicago, none is on the South Side. Many people have been shot on the South Side, only to die in ambulance rides to distant trauma centers on the North and West sides. In fact, if you are shot and travel more than five miles to receive emergency care at a trauma center, you are 23 percent more likely to die.

For these reasons, more than 50 community members from JCUA, Students for Health Equity, Fearless Leading by the Youth from STOP Chicago, Kenwood United Church of Christ, St. Phillip Lutheran Church, Park Manor Christian Church, and Trinity United Church of Christ, gathered outside of the University of Chicago Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine on Thursday, Sept. 18 to “Sing for a Trauma Center.”

This is where I heard “Mi Sheberach” in a context I never had before – to emphasize the need for healing in the greater community. Song leaders included Cantor Vicky Glikin from Congregation Solel, Cantor Faryn Rudnick from Congregation Beth El, Cantorial Soloist Heather Aranyi from Har-Shalom Synagogue, Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann, Cantor Michael Davis from Lakeside Congregation, Cantor David Berger from KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, and Cantorial Soloist Debby Lewis. I’m sure that people several blocks away could hear the Jewish song leaders and community members joining in “We Shall Overcome.”

It is our duty as Jewish people to combat systemic racism. In Leviticus, God commands to “not stand idly by when your neighbor bleeds” (19:16). Pirkei Avot teaches “You are not expected to complete the task, but neither are you free to avoid it.”

The interconnectedness between gun violence, racism, healthcare, education and so many other problems in Chicago is so complex that it will take a long time to overcome them all. Yet we can definitely work to solve a significant portion of this web in advocating for the opening of a level one adult trauma center to serve the South Side.

We all have a stake in this, as Chicagoans and as Jews.

Nate Seeskin is acurrent Chicago corps member of AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps working withthe Jewish Council on Urban Affairs.

On Sukkot, starting this year on the evening of Oct. 8, it's considered a mitzvah to dwell in your sukkah.

The Torah says: "In Succot, you should dwell for seven days. Every citizen of Israel should dwell in succot, so that your generation will know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in succot when I brought them forth from the Land of Egypt." (Vayikra/Lev. 23:42-3)

In that spirit, Oy!Chicago asked its readers the following hypothetical question: If you could invite any "ushpizin"-Sukkah guests-into your sukkah-living or dead, famous or not-who would top your guest list?

I would invite my baby niece, Sloane Agdern. Since she was born I have been anxious to show her the extreme joy and beauty I have found in Judaism.  I simply can't wait to share each and every holiday with her, and then start over, and share them all again.
-Beverly Agdern, Chicago​

My first reaction was I would invite my son, Jeffery, who died of Leukemia at the age of 12 on Sept. 11, 1981. He has left a hole in my heart. Then I thought of my three granddaughters-Lily, Bella, and Sage who have helped me to keep going. It is a hard choice, the past or the future!
-Charlene Wexler, Richmond, IL

I would have people who are known to be great conversationalists: Paul Simon (the singer), Spike Lee, Billy Crystal, Meryl Streep, Dick Cavett, Anna Quindlen, and George Will. Oh, who am I kidding- they'd just end up talking about baseball.
-Paul Wieder, Chicago

I would invite Angelina Jolie. I'm a big fan of hers, and hopefully she would bring her kids and her husband.
-Jonathan Weissbrot, Chicago

I would like to invite my future great-great-grandson to eat with me in our sukkah so we could talk about being Jewish and the state of Israel.
-Robert Feiger, Deerfield

If I could invite anyone to my Sukkah this year, it would have to be the Chicago-native writer, actor, and comedian, the late Harold Ramis.  Sukkot occurs just after a very intense time on the Jewish calendar and with his perfect comedic timing, philosophical insight, and easy going manner, Mr. Ramis would bring just the right balance of laughs and thoughtfulness to any Sukkot celebration. Sukkot is a time when we remember and get to experience how the Jews lived when they wandered the desert in search of a better place, and Mr. Ramis would most certainly makes us stop and think about how we could make this year better for each other, and not just like another Groundhog day.
-Brad Arlen, Chicago

I would invite the Dalai Lama to my sukkah.  I feel that simply being around him would be peaceful. He promotes everything that I try to live by-being present, living in the moment, and living a life of kindness, peace, and love. "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive." ~Dalai Lama
-Jaime Olson, Chicago

Justin Timberlake. You said anyone, right? Sukkot always feels so festive to me and there's nothing more festive than laughing, singing, and dancing with your family and friends. Well, JT has got it all: he sings, he dances, and his comedy skills are dead on. Why not have him join the Lovitz family celebration?
-Lori Lovitz, Chicago

Every year on the High Holidays, we think about what we can do to be better people in the year ahead. Well, change is like, hard, especially the self-improvement kind.

So, we thought maybe it’s a bit more realistic to ask ourselves “how can I be less of a terrible person?”

With that change in thinking, here are some tips for being less awful in the Jewish New Year. We’re confident by doing just one of these 18 things, your existence will be that much more beneficial to humanity – and who knows, you might feel like a slightly better person on the inside.

1. Keep your hands off your damn phone

We’re all guilty. If you can’t walk from your apartment to the train without finishing up that text – especially in sub-zero temps – or just sit on said train and think about, you know, stuff for 10 uninterrupted minutes … you should probably re-evaluate your priorities.

2. Don’t wear leggings as pants

Yeahhh … no one wants to see that, mkay?

3. Don’t bring the cheapest bottle of wine to Shabbat dinner

You can cough it up for like, FIVE-buck chuck, at least …

4. Avoid social media on the weekends

At least just for Shabbat. Your followers also deserve a day of rest from your totally awesome Tweets and brunch pics.

5. Zip it on the gossip

Lashon hara is so 5774.

6. Have a baby … okay, maybe just a pet

One of the quickest ways to being a better person is to become totally responsible for another living creature (except for fish – they don’t count). However, if you mess up, you become a worse person, so procreate/adopt at your own risk.

7. Call your mother more

She just wants to hear your voice! Set a weekly reminder on your phone. It’ll be awhile before she catches on that it’s indeed not spontaneous.

8. Floss

No one wants to floss. So, if you can summit this Mt. Everest of daily hygiene this year, then the sky is the limit for you, good friend.

9. Read a book, or anything not on a screen

Remember back in the day when 100 percent of everything you read was on paper? Now it’s not even 50 percent. Try to restore the balance. More literature, less social media click-bait. More non-fiction, less BuzzFeed …

10. Read Oy!Chicago more

… But … if you have to read something on a screen …

11. Get in touch with your inner Jew

Rather than compartmentalize your Jewish identity, feed that piece of you that connects to your Judaism this year. That “piece” is what biologists call a soul.

12. Stop complaining about the weather

Remember how unpleasant you were to be around when you moaned to everyone last winter about how it was too cold and complained this summer that it wasn’t hot enough? Stop worrying about what you can’t control. Or move. Just stop complaining.

13. Volunteer for an organization someone else cares about

Get out of your comfort zone, even in the ways you give back. It’s basically like doing a Super Mitzvah. You can even call you mother (you read #7, right?) and tell her all about it!

14. Give people flowers or cards just because

There’s a much greater likelihood of getting this reaction when it’s entirely unexpected.

15. Stop comparing yourself to others

Although if you are looking in a mirror, that person is also, also awesome.

16. Do a few more horas

Really celebrate the moments worth celebrating and don’t hold back. Doing the hora should become a staple at every birthday party, anniversary, bris, etc., even if it means installing a dance floor in your living room.

17. Partake in a religious or cultural experience different from your own

Not only will this round you out as a person, but it’ll also make you appreciate your own religious and cultural experiences that much more.

18. Don’t be afraid to say “No” once in a while. Or “Yes."

By going against your own grain (especially on Passover, when everyone goes against grain), you’ll get to experience things differently than you are accustomed to. It might be more time with yourself or more time out exploring with friends, but either way, it’s about doing what’s best for you. Serenity now!!

^{Photo credit: Avis Mandel Pictures}

Sara Grossman is taking a stand – against sitting. On nasty toilet seats that is.

Earlier this year, the Lincoln Park native launched a new product that looks to literally change the way women pee. Called the Stand Up, this “biodegradable, disposable peeing accessory” allows for a guilt-free, hygienic bathroom experience for women tired of holding it in, squatting or resorting to any other gross or undignified way of going number one.

After many years of hearing women decry the uncleanliness of public restrooms and vocally wishing they could pee standing up, Grossman, who had those same thoughts and feelings herself, had an epiphany. Rather than wishing she could stand, she wished she had something that would enable her to stand. Another horrible airplane bathroom experience later and it struck her that “maybe I should just make this.”

^{Photo credit: Jonathan Grossman/Avis Mandel Pictures}

Although Grossman isn’t the first to invent a way for women to stand up when going to the bathroom, she’s the first to come up with a way that’s mainstream and fashion-forward. “That’s where I think my niche is,” she said.

Grossman graduated from Stanford University with an English degree, and despite coming back to Chicago to work in the First Lady’s department on the Obama campaign in 2012, she hasn’t been able to shake the West Coast and currently lives in San Francisco.

But we’ll give her a pass, because Sara Grossman definitely sounds like a Jew You Should Know.

1. What motivated you to take the leap from writing and creative pursuits to becoming an entrepreneur?
I actually don't think of it as a leap from my old interests as much as a leap from a path that would have been more comfortable and secure. Starting the Stand Up was an extension of my previous hobbies and passions that would enable me to do all the things I loved at once. After I came up with the idea, I would kick myself every time I walked into a dirty bathroom because I knew I could help myself if I just started designing. So I'd say it was more an obsession that motivated me to start working on it, and once I was working on it, it became immediately clear that this would be my most creative pursuit yet, as all the creative decisions were up to me.

2. What’s your scariest toilet horror story?
I once got locked in a port-a-potty when I was six years old. Somebody heard crying over the music and came to save me. I've been terrified of port-a-potties ever since.  

3. What are the most notable successes and challenges you have encountered in empowering women to “take a stand” with you?
You know, a little less than a year ago, when I told people I was working on a pee funnel, most weren't interested in continuing the conversation much past that. I knew that bathroom experiences were bad enough that many women would opt for this solution, but the idea of a pee funnel has a stigma, and I could only hope that the Stand Up would overcome it. I think today, the biggest success to date has been watching totally fun, hip, great women pull their Stand Ups out of their purses for pictures, because they're not embarrassed to advertise that they're using them. They think it really is cool, not to mention fun, to use a Stand Up.

^{Photo credit: Avis Mandel Pictures}

4. So many women at one point or another have wanted to pee standing up. Why do you think the existing pee accessories have struggled to take hold with the masses?
Well — for one — no other product regards itself as an accessory. The other pee products out there consider themselves devices or tools. And that's part of why I don't think they've been successful with a mainstream audience. Most of these devices are reusable, which doesn't work if you're out at a bar or in an environment where you don't want to have to deal with it after you use it. But otherwise, I don't think these devices were made with a fashion-conscious crowd in mind. I think we all make choices as to how we're presenting ourselves and we shouldn't have to make an exception for our pee funnels. We shouldn't be embarrassed to pull one of these out of our purses.  

5. What would be your top three Chicago places to make the Stand Up available?

The Boathouse at North Avenue Beach - Gross bathrooms with pee all over the seats all the time

Lincoln Park Zoo - Gross bathrooms with pee all over the seats all the time

Lollapalooza - Gross port-a-potties with pee all over the seats all the time

Any Public Bathroom - Gross bathrooms with pee all over the seats all the time

^{Photo credit: Andrew Meade Photography} 

6. What have you loved most about being Queen Pee since you launched?
I think what I love most is that this brand attracts funny and fun people who really appreciate the sort of humor that would encourage its founder to name herself Queen Pee. And that I can now say, “the toilet is my throne and I refuse to sit on it.”

7. If you could have any celebrity endorse the Stand Up, who would it be and how would you use them?
I think Miley Cyrus has a great attitude about not sticking to the status quo just because it's expected of her, and Lena Dunham is all about being unabashedly real and human. Of course, we're all human – we just sometimes forget that that's okay. These ideas are totally in line with the Stand Up. I'd probably just have Miley and Lena (can I be on first name basis for the rest of this hypothetical?) be their hilarious selves by Instagramming all the gross places they're Standing Up to pee. 

8. How do you Jew when you’re back home in Chicago?
Max and Benny's! And recently with the chopped liver and matzoh ball soup from Au Cheval. Mmmmm… chopped liver.

^{Rachel Bertsche}

"If only I could be more like…" 

We've all probably uttered this phrase. If only I could cook like, look like, dress like so-and-so-then I'd be happy. Chicago Jewish writer Rachel Bertsche, journalist, editor and bestselling author of MWF Seeking BFF, set out to see if living like the stars really does bring true happiness in her new book, Jennifer, Gwyneth & Me: The Pursuit of Happiness, One Celebrity at a Time (Ballantine Trade Paperback Original).

With the goal of bettering herself, Bertsche takes on a new celebrity trait each month: Jennifer Aniston's diet and fitness routine, Gwyneth Paltrow's expertise in the kitchen, Sarah Jessica Parker's fashion sense, Tina Fey's work ethic, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's perfect marriage, Julia Roberts' serenity and ultimately tries to have it all just like Beyoncé. 

As she tackles these celebrity lifestyles one at a time, Rachel faces real life restrictions-like, you know-time and money, and also opens up about her own personal journey and struggle with infertility. In the end, it's more about small steps toward self-improvement than it is about looking like you belong on the cover of a glossy magazine, and Bertsche takes us along for the ride on her sometimes funny, sometimes challenging journey. 

Oy!Chicago talked to Bertsche about her Jewish identity, why she took on this challenge, and whether or not living like a celeb really can make you a happier, better person: 

Oy!Chicago: What inspired you to take on this challenge and write this book?

Rachel Bertsche: I'd recently been laid off and was feeling just... blah. Definitely in a rut. I was working from home, often in my pajamas all day, and would meanwhile see pictures of people like Jennifer Aniston online and in tabloids, and she looked totally fabulous and together even when she was just out grocery shopping or pumping gas. All the celebrities had this glow and poise about them that I felt I was seriously lacking. I started wondering if I did what they did, would I feel together, too? And if so, would I be happier?

Thank you for sharing your personal journey to have a baby with your readers. Do you have any advice for others who are struggling with infertility issues?

Be willing to talk about it! Find support. I was so hesitant to talk with my friends about my struggles to get pregnant because I felt like a failure in some way, but this is something is largely out of our control, and so many women are going through similar issues. It really does feel better to remember that you're not alone. 

What role does your Judaism play in your life today and how does your Judaism influence your writing?

My favorite time of year is Passover, when my entire family gathers in Chicago for seder. The Jewish traditions bring us all together, and so for me Judaism is associated with togetherness and community. Being with the people I love is so important to me, so it's probably not a huge surprise that that's reflected in my writing. I write a lot about relationships and social connections and that stems from the Jewish traditions I was raised with. 

In the end, it seemed your journey wasn't so much about living like a celebrity, but rather it was about using them as inspiration to become the best version of yourself. 

That's an accurate description. I hope other young women will be inspired to stop beating themselves up for not being as thin/impeccably dressed/glamorous as the celebrities we see everywhere, and instead try to make celebrity culture work for them by using whatever fabulous celebrity qualities they covet to inspire them to become their best selves.    

Learn more: www.rachelbertsche.com

Oy!Chicago is looking for guest writers to contribute to our latest special blog series “Oy! Forgive Me!” Whether you have a story about making amends with someone you wronged or someone who wronged you, reflections about that kid you never forgave in middle school or thoughts about forgiveness in today’s world, we want to give you a platform to share it!

We will publish these five stories/essays about forgiveness during the days of repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur on Sept. 29-Oct.3. Persons of all levels of writing experience are welcome to pitch their ideas!

Here’s how: write a paragraph describing what your piece would be about and send it to info@oychicago.com by Friday, Sept. 12. The only requirement is that the post should in some way relate to the theme, and that you are 21 or older. We will review your submission and let you know if we are interested in running your piece in full on Oy!Chicago the week of the blog series.

Please note that Oy!Chicago is a volunteer-run website, so we are unable to pay for published submissions at this time. If you have any questions, email them to info@oychicago.com.

Stef & Steven

Not that we have anything against highs in the mid-70s, but as the calendar inches closer and closer to September (seriously, WHAT??), it’s kinda hard to believe that was it for summer this year. It’s been a joy pretending to live in northern California, but it’s time to face the truth, Oy!sters: fall and 5775 are fast-approaching, and with them sweaters, boots, and (even) cooler temps. We can practically taste the pumpkin spice lattes already.

That said, there are still a few weeks left to stock up on fresh air before you pack your bags for the suburbs or buy your plane ticket home for Rosh Hashanah and settle onto the couch for hibernation. 

Chicago tradition dictates the aggressive enjoyment of nice weather until the LAST DAMN DAY WE CAN, right? With that in mind, from our rooftop barstool to yours, here are Oy!Chicago’s top picks for sending 5774 off with a bang:

1. Go to the beach.

Remember the photos people took along the lake during the polar vortex? That should be all the motivation you need to enjoy the sand before it becomes that other four-letter “s”-word … no, no,  the other four-letter “s”-word, but point well taken.

2. Walk, jog or bike along the lake

It sure makes a lovely backdrop for selfies! Plus, that cool lake breeze is nice now, but by October … forget it.

3. Take advantage of free gym promotions

You’ve gotta stay svelte to fit in that High Holiday suit or modest post-Labor Day dress, and end-of-season promotions make it easy to get a jump on (Jewish) New Year’s Resolutions without breaking the bank.

4. Get your festival fix

Even in September, there are still festivals for the rest of y’alls. And we all know there’s no such thing as too many craft beers and meats on a stick. There’s the Windy City Wine Festival downtown, Logan Square Beer Festival, Riot Fest in Humboldt Park and more.

5. Explore a neighborhood you don’t go to often

It’s so much easier to get out and about when the temps aren’t sub-zero. Enjoy Chicago before your brain convinces you the city limits are the walls of your living room.

6. Get your grill on

Nothing keeps summer cooking like tan lines and grill lines.

7. Visit Hot Doug’s for a last hurrah

Pairs well with No. 6. (Memorial tattoos optional.) Hot dog doomsday is Oct. 4.

8. Finally learn how to make that classic family recipe

Now is finally the time to take your rightful place as heir to the family (matzo ball, gefilte fish, brisket, bundt cake, etc.) recipe. Your matriarch or patriarch will be kvelling when you’ve perfected their dish in time for Rosh Hashanah dinner.

9. Be a tourist in your own city

We always tell our friends summer is the best time to visit. Take your own advice and remind yourself what you love about our city! Take a ride on the Navy Pier Ferris wheel or a cruise down the Chicago River.

10. Volunteer

It’s never too early to get those brownie points for the Book of Life considerations. Help out at a community garden while the ground isn’t frozen stiff, or serve a meal at a shelter. Check out a full list of fall mitzvah opportunities.

11. Clean out your wardrobe and donate some clothes

As you prepare for your annual purging of sin, why not purge your wardrobe of stuff you no longer need? Check out these resale shops for some ideas for where to take your old clothes.

12. Reach out to friends you haven’t talked to in awhile

Some friendships get lost in the busy buzz of summertime. Before you reconnect with your soul during the holidays, reconnect with the people in your life (especially if you have someone to apologize to or forgive, because that would be very timely).

13. Make some new friends

If No. 12 fails, then it’s time to make new friends! There are so many ways to meet people in the city and this is the perfect time of year for making new connections. If you want to add to your Jewish circle, definitely think about joining a JUF LEADS group which starts right before Rosh Hashanah (very convenient for inquiring Jewish mothers and grandmothers).

14. Go on a road-trip

Doesn’t summer just make you wanna roll the windows down, turn the radio up, and cru-uuuuise…? (No? Just me, Florida Georgia and Nelly? Really?) Anyway, this is a great time to check in on the old alma mater or check out somewhere else that will be impossible to traverse in the winter.

15. Check out a Friday night service or community minyan

You don’t have to wait until the high holidays!

16. Take advantage of one of the endless free activities in MillenniumPark

Movies, music, yoga, Zumba, summerdance … it’s straight up better than YouTube over there.

17. Catch the fireworks at Navy Pier

Because every New Year should be rung in with Fireworks.

18. Go apple picking

For that trendy “farm to table” Rosh Hashanah touch.

For Meg Grunewald, comedy has many faces. And wigs. And voices.

The Chicago-raised comedian and veteran of Chicago’s improv and sketch comedy scene says she has always loved impressions and creating characters, a specialty she has chosen to highlight for the entire month of August in a “character a day” project.

Grunewald has trained at Second City conservatory, iO and the Annoyance Theater, and can most often be found playing weekends at ComedySportz. She also helped found the all-female sketch group Just the Tip, which last appeared at The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival in January.

Follow megalopolis18 on Instagram to see all her pictures from the character project and check her out on Vine for the six-second video clips. When you’re finished you’ll definitely agree that Meg Grunewald is a seriously funny Jew You Should Know!

1. What is your earliest memory of a time when it was clear you were destined for comedy?
My earliest memory regarding comedy would be when I would mimic characters from Saturday Night Live. When I would do my impressions, I would make people laugh and that was a great feeling. I loved being able to entertain and brighten someone's day with a laugh.

2. What inspired your “character a day” project?
I was buying wigs for another project and bought a couple more just for fun. When I got home, I started putting these wigs on and playing around with characters. I have always loved to dress up and become someone else; build a story about them and walk in their world. I have accumulated about 20 wigs from various past sketch shows and thought it would be fun to play with them and create an original character for every day of August. I have also done Vine videos for each character to have them come to life for six seconds.

3. Got a good Jewish joke for us or a favorite Jew-ish character to play?
I always love to play old Jewish women and men. The Boca Raton, Florida types.

4. What does it take to make it in this crowded Chicago improv/comedy scene?
Drive. Confidence. Humility. Playfulness. Positive outlook. Manners.  

5. As an ‘80s and ‘90s child did Robin Williams inspire you in any way? How would you describe his comedic legacy?
I used to watch Mrs. Doubtfire until I could quote it. The part in the movie when they are going through the different possible looks for his character was always my favorite. I guess my character-a-day was subconsciously influenced by that scene. It is fun knowing there’s a movie that has had such a lasting impact on me. Robin Williams was a one of a kind comedian. From voices to vulnerabilities, he was able to commit to it all. And he kept you always on your toes and engaged and that's a very special skill.

6. What do you love most about what you do?
I love that I get to help those around me relax and breathe a little with humor. Also... when you get a whole group's focus and attention because you're being funny, that's a pretty great feeling.

7. In an alternate universe where you couldn’t do comedy, what would you do?
I think I would be a detective or something involving the solving of crimes. I love crime shows and information about prisons and the prison culture.  

8. How do you Jew in Chicago?
During the high holidays, I attend Miskan with my mother. My family also celebrates some holidays at home. I am looking to figure out ways to "Jew" more in the next year.  

Oy!Chicago asked Chicagoans to tell us the biggest piece of advice they'd give (if they could) to their younger selves-back at the time of their bar or bat mitzvahs. Here's what they told themselves!

It's ok to not have all the answers. Sometimes it seems like we need to have life figured out when we're still kids. What classes do you want to take in high school? Better decide now so you can be ready for the right college program, and get a good internship, and get your dream job. And what extra-curricular activities will you do? You want to be well-rounded. To my 12-year-old self, I'd say, it's ok to not have the answers. In fact, it might be better. Give yourself the room to try things. Give yourself the room to make mistakes. That's how we learn and discover what works for us and what doesn't.
-Aleeza Lubin, Chicago

Wear your retainer.
-Caroline Musin Berkowitz, Chicago

I would tell her to recognize the value of what we have and the value of our religious beliefs and be able to appreciate them on behalf of someone who might not have those same freedoms. I'm 100 percent sure I didn't fully appreciate that at 13. 
-Dawn Smith, Chicago 

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Even now in high school, people want to get to know you and those people are the ones that will push you forward and give you the opportunity to succeed. Also, celebrate mildly--that is, don't dance so hard at your own bar mitzvah party that you have to change your shirt halfway through the night.
-Josh Kahn, Chicago (JUF News summer intern and rising high school senior)

If there was one thing that I would tell my 13-year-old self, it would be a quote that was said to me when I was a little boy at White Sox Summer Baseball Camp and stuck with me forever, yet often times would forget its meaning. It was easy to remember because it was comprised of ten two-letter words, but it packed quite the philosophical punch: "If it is to be, it is up to me." Hearing that would help boost my own self confidence and motivation to succeed and reach any goals I wanted to set for myself, in any and all aspects of my life and not just sports. It was this quote that made me realize how much sports can teach you about life and it is through sports that I learned some of the most valuable experiential life lessons.
-Ari Moffic Silver, Chicago

My advice to my 12-year-old self would be: "You will never please everybody, so stop trying.  Laugh instead of cry, especially at yourself.  Mean girls don't always grow up and grow out of it.  Sometimes mean girls are just mean.  Find friends who love you regardless of your size, shape, color of your hair or clothes you wear.  Cherish them.  Good friends, ones who don't love you one day and ignore you the next, are hard to find and hard to keep.  Make the effort.  Boys are stupid.  Love them anyway.  But love yourself more.  Be proud of your accomplishments, even if they are embarrassing.  Take risks. Sometimes it's okay to not be the best, and not care.  Life is not a competition.  You were unique and wonderful and cute when you were little, you are unique and wonderful and beautiful now-and you are only getting started."
-Sandy Rockind, Chicago

Have a simple, haymish bar mitzvah. It means more to really understand what you're doing than to offer party favors and videos.
-Jonathan Edelman, Chicago

Only pursue what you love to do in life.  Money isn't worth chasing as it's a road to nowhere.
-Harold Gerber, Chicago 

To her I would say: First, do whatever you can to try to accept yourself and your family since you all have many, many years together ahead. Second: Some people have absolutely no idea what they are talking about while other people have really helpful and important things to say; listen selectively. Third: Watch less TV, read more books, listen—really listen—to music, make more art, look out the window, lie under a huge tree, and if you want to play more kickball with the neighborhood kids—it's still fine—you aren't that old.
-Joyce Heyman, Chicago

^{Let Them Go/Let Us Go Passover "Frozen" Parody (Let It Go)}

Matt Rissien’s dedication to the Jewish community, especially to younger generations, has only grown since being named one of Chicago’s Jewish 36 Under 36 in 2013. He has continued to find new ways to engage Jewish youth as director of youth activities at Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook, including revamping the congregation’s youth lounge.

Rissien’s approach to working with young adults was especially impacted by a recent experience that hit close to home. A Kansas native, Rissien was visiting home around the time when a gunman shot and killed three people at a Jewish Community Center and a senior living facility in Kansas City. He made it a point to take part in the community’s response.

“Westboro-Baptist church was protesting the funerals, so we countered their protest by forming a wall of people with messages of love. The group as a whole went for about 6 blocks, it was an amazing experience.”

After this experience, Rissien saw working with teens in a whole new light.

“No matter how young you are, you can always make a difference,” he said.

That wasn’t the only time Rissien took part in a community response to crisis in the last year. He also volunteered with JUF’s Tikkun Olam Volunteer network (TOV) to help those Washington, Illinois whose lives were torn apart by a tornado last November.

“Ever since 36 Under 36, I’ve wanted to get more involved with JUF,” Rissien said.

Rissien wrote about his experience in Washington and the home he helped rebuild in a blog post for Oy!Chicago.

In addition to volunteering, Rissien has gotten involved in Chicago’s Jewish community through the AEPi Alumni Association. He helped plan the Centennial Dinner and also plays on the softball team on a weekly basis.

But Rissien will tell you that his biggest accomplishment since becoming a 2013 Double Chai honoree was getting engaged to girlfriend Brittany Silberman. His proposal was truly an achievement in itself.

Rissien’s creative proposal should come as no surprise to those who have seen his music videos. His original Hanukkah Rap has received nearly 40,000 views on YouTube, while his Passover “Frozen” Parody received 2,000 more than that. And there will be more to come, Rissien says.

Last but not least, since last fall, Rissien has continued developing his passion for Judaism by working on his Masters of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies at the Spertus Institute.

“I have learned a lot not only from other Jewish professionals, but also from working one-on-one with a mentor,” he said. ”It has given me a lot of knowledge to use in my everyday Jewish professional job.”

Meet many past and present Double Chai in the Chi honorees at this Thursday’s WYLD in Paris party. Register fast before the event sells out! 

As his third year at Anshe Emet Synagogue comes to an end, Rabbi David Russo has seen firsthand just how much a Jewish community can grow in a short time. Honored as one of the 2013 Double Chai in the Chi, Russo continues to enhance Jewish engagement in Chicago both in terms of involvement and also social justice.  

Russo has been influential in the growth of two prominent lay-led, traditional, egalitarian minyanim in Lakeview: Rose Crown Minyan and Lakeview Minyan. Rose Crown Minyan meets Saturday mornings at Anshe Emet. Russo provides a rabbinic presence and encourages those involved to take on more significant leadership roles.  

“I work with the community to try and train people in what does it mean to take a more active role in the community,” Russo said.  

Lakeview Minyan meets one Friday night a month at Anshe Emet for a service followed by a potluck dinner. Despite struggling a few years back, Russo said the minyan now pulls 50-100 people each time.  

“What’s nice is that it’s also diverse,” he said. “There are a lot of young adults who go but there are also families who go.”  

Beyond fostering Jewish community, Russo has played a large role in expanding Anshe Emet’s commitment to social justice in Chicago. Na’aseh, the synagogue’s social justice committee, has become increasingly active in the community. Russo works with volunteers and helps the group craft its vision of tikkun olam. The committee balances direct service projects with actions plans for creating systemic change.  

Russo also continues to sit on the board of ONE Northside, formerly the Lakeview Action Coalition. Anshe Emet hosted an assembly earlier this year that brought more than a thousand people together including various public officials, such as Governor Pat Quinn. ONE Northside focuses on creating both immediate change and political action aimed at long-term change on issues related to violence, education, housing, economic justice and more.  

In terms of rabbinical duties, Russo’s role has also been shifting. Although he will remain connected to youth programming, he said he’s excited to take on more traditional clergy responsibilities including working with b’nai mitzvah students on their journey to become a bar or bat mitzvah.  

But the biggest change of all came this March, when Russo and his wife, Rebecca, welcomed their first child, Natan.  

“[Natan] is hilarious,” he said. “We just have a lot of fun hanging out together whether it’s taking walks … also thank God he likes shul. We take him everywhere. He’s such a joy.”  

Russo’s colleague at Anshe Emet, Rabbi Abe Friedman, was just named to the 2014 Double Chai in the Chi list. Celebrate all the honorees on Aug. 7 at YLD’s WYLD in Paris party. Register here.

From founders of innovative nonprofits, to socially conscious business leaders, to Jewish professionals paving the way for the Jewish future, this city is full of young entrepreneurs, humanitarians, educators and social activists striving to make the world a better place each in their own unique way. Take a look at the list!

Summertime Chi has finally arrived. It’s gorgeous outside, there are more street festivals this weekend than I know what to do with, and I have a laundry list of goodies I can’t wait to get from the Lincoln Park Green City Market. I have so much to think about today (mostly what rooftop I’m going to go sit at after work and enjoy this weather from), why do I need to worry about tomorrow?

One in four— that’s why. One in four is why I need to think about tomorrow, why I need to take steps today to prepare for life 5 to 10 years from now, and why you should be doing the same thing.

One in four Jews is a carrier for one of 19 life-altering Jewish genetic disorders. Being a carrier means that although you might be completely healthy with no family history of disease, your future children may be at risk, and the only way to find out is to get screened. A simple saliva sample can provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions for your future, and it is never too soon to plan for tomorrow, no matter how far away it may seem.

The Center for Jewish Genetics is leading the nation when it comes to carrier screening. The Center is the first community screening program that is exclusively using an advanced DNA sequencing test that allows you to be screened from the convenience and privacy of your own home, with just a small saliva sample. A short live-webinar provides you with the education and genetic counseling you need to understand carrier screening, what your results could mean, what your future options for a healthy family if you are found to a carrier, and can answer any other questions you may have. Then, before you know it, a saliva kit arrives at your front door. One short webinar, one small saliva sample, and you can arm yourself with potentially life-saving information. Seems like a no-brainer, right?

So today, tomorrow, whenever you’re sitting outside soaking up the summer weather enjoying the moment, take a minute to stop and think about tomorrow, because it’s going to be here before you know it.

To register for one of the Center’s upcoming programs please visit www.jewishgenetics.org/register. For more information please contact Alyssa Cohen at alyssacohen@juf.org or (312)357-4946.

Shopaholics, rejoice! In case you haven’t heard, Amazon recently launched an awesome charity initiative that will totally justify all those unnecessary late-night impulse buys. Just select your charity of choice (like, say, JUF) at smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of all qualified online purchases to your designated beneficiary.  

To get you started, here’s a handy list of completely ridiculous Jewish stuff for sale on everyone’s favorite online retailer! Just tryto resist buying a “Midrash Manicure” kit…

1. Haikus for Jews - $10.32

From the product description: “These chai-kus (so called because of their high chutzpah content) are certain to amuse.”

2. Jewish Star Latke Cut-Out - $12.99

Be the star of your Chanukah party with the most Instagram-worthy latkes in town.

3. Oy Vey Sticky Notes - $5.73

For to-do lists that will really make you kvetch.

4. Fiddler on the Roof “Do You Love Me” Karaoke Track - $0.99

It’ll take your anniversary party from a nine to a ten.

5. Moses Ten Commandments Bobblehead Doll - $19.95

This biblical collectible instantly disapproves of any golden calf! 

6. Jewish Silly Bandz (24) - $6.50

Show your Jewish spirit like it’s 2009 all over again! 

7. Kosher Kurls leave-in “schmear” aka conditioner - $35

The bottle says it all “Oy Vey! Believe me, if you’re Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Chassidic, Sephardic, Black or White, you’ll ‘kvell’ for this product that has no ‘chazerai’ (junk) and leaves your hair looking and feeling like a ‘Mensch!’ What a Shayna Punim!”

8. “Midrash Manicures” - $19.99

“Torah at your fingertips!” 

9. Related: “Hassid” Black Nail Polish - $7

Or—umm—if you prefer a slightly more traditional look … 

10. Bamba iPhone Case - $10.99

Show your post-Birthright Israel longing for Israeli snack foods. 

11. Chanukah-themed Teapot - $15.99

Because, you know, tea is a really critical part of any Chanukah celebration. 

12. “Kosher” dog bone plush toy - $7.74

Funny, I can’t seem to find the hechsher anywhere … 

13. Baby Kippah with STRINGS - $6.90

Am I the only one who has never seen this before? Genius.  

14. Matzah Holder That Totally Looks Like Bacon - $99

I mean, amiright? 

15. Star of David Charm Necklace … with a Dolphin - $5.97

Am I missing something? Was Flipper Jewish?

16. Guns N’ Moses T-Shirt - $11.99-12.99

Straight from Charlton Heston’s wardrobe.

17. Hand Painted Jewish Goose Egg with “Mazel Tov” Scroll - $32.99

An eggcellent gift for any Jewish occasion. 

18. Talking “Nanny” Doll - $29.95

We recommend cutting out the voice box before giving this to small children.

When I say Tel Aviv Pride, I don't just mean one street gets wild – I mean the whole place. The entire city takes a breather to celebrate; people from all over the world, upwards of 25,000, fly in just to be in town for it.

At the start of the festivities, many service agencies and groups came together in Gan Meir to share resources with the community. It was powerful, for example, seeing a group that serves people who are LGBT* and Orthodox. I also got to meet with a group that caters to the ever-increasing population of LGBT* English-speaking olim (people who immigrate to Israel). 

After we started marching I saw a group of older Australian gentleman smiling as they waved their flag; a bear pride flag; a woman from Russia holding the flag for the Straight Alliance for LGBT Equality St. Petersburg Trans* alliance; Israeli flags; Rainbow kippot; and flags for peace. If you want to be at the table to celebrate, you can. Whatever your cause, Pride is a place that welcomes all of it. 

Before the parade, there was a stage performance. As we waited for it to start, a few strangers and I decided to dance like nobody was watching, progressively building a crowd around us. Two of us even started to coordinate moves. My dance partner later told me that he was from Russia. I can't even imagine what his experience is like over there. Could he even wear the same short shorts that he donned that day? Could he wildly dance to Spice Girls performing in drag? I don’t know. But what I do know, regardless of his experiences, was Tel Aviv Pride was a day to be ourselves in all our glory.

The day ended with a massive concert and party with infinite food trucks, shoppertunities, and activities for all ages. Families even had a designated play area. I really enjoyed that it wasn’t one main event like a parade, but a series of opportunities for people of all interests to enjoy themselves. I have gone twice to Tel Aviv Pride, and hope to find opportunities to go again in the future. I invite you all to join me.

Check out my movie: “Tel Aviv Pride through My Eyes by Shaily Hakimian”

Summer camp has played a big role in fostering Jewish identity for generations. Jewish overnight (or sleepaway) camps and day camps are responsible for some of our best stories, experiences and friendships. We want you to tell those stories and share what Jewish summer camp has meant to you for our next Oy!Chicago blog series, “This One Time … At Jewish Summer Camp …”  

We want to publish your stories, your insights or whatever is on your mind about Jewish summer camp the week of July 7-11. Persons of all levels of writing experience are welcome to pitch ideas!  

Here’s how: write a paragraph describing what your piece would be about and send it to info@oychicago.com by Friday, June 27. The only requirement is that the post should in some way relate to the theme, and that you are 21 or older. We will review your submission and let you know if we are interested in running in your piece in full on Oy!Chicago the week of the blog series.

Please note that Oy!Chicago is a volunteer-run website, so we are unable to pay for published submissions at this time. If you have any questions, email them to info@oychicago.com

Stef & Steven

Elegance is all in the head. “Elevated” food is just simple food that is made really well and stylishly plated. So when I host a supper club, most of what I serve is really just comfort food that I put a lot of thought into and serve in a beautiful way. When I know that all the flavors of my classic, rustic, not-at-all-fussy Jewish mock chopped liver (pictured above) will play well on my vegetarian charcuterie board, I sell it as “Green Pea & Walnut Pâté” (pictured below) and suddenly Bubbie food is Saturday night fare. It’s not a trick. It’s just re-branding.  

Whatever you want to call it, this spread is absolutely delicious, easy to prepare, can be kept in the refrigerator for over a week, and dressed up or dressed down as you see fit. Try spreading it on a sandwich instead of mayo or mustard. Serve it alongside crackers and grapes for a cocktail hour nosh. Spoon it into a fancy terrine mold and put it on a charcuterie board. Pâté or Mockchop, whatever you do, don’t apologize for it. It’s not pretty until you tell people it is.

Ingredients

oil for frying
Cognac, brandy, or some other brown liquor (this is entirely optional) 
2 cans of green peas, drained (don’t even think about using fresh or frozen)
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled 
1 bunch of fresh dill
a few handfuls of walnuts
salt & pepper
garnish (optional): diced raw onion, chopped hardboiled egg, toasted walnut halves, fresh dill  

Coarsely chop the onions and throw them into a large skillet with enough oil to coat the bottom. Cook the onions on medium-low heat and stir them occasionally until they get very soft and start to brown. 

When the onions are done cooking, pour in a few glugs of the liquor, and scrape the bottom of the pan until all the delicious oniony bits come up. Cook everything for another minute until the astringent alcohol taste cooks off. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Put the peas, the eggs, half of the dill, and the walnuts into the bowl of a food processor* and pulse until it all comes together. Add the onions and pulse again, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt and black pepper and pulse again. This mixture doesn’t need to be totally smooth (unless you want it that way), but it should be pretty homogenously incorporated. TASTE IT. Add more salt, pepper, and dill until you are happy with the way it tastes.

Enjoy.

*Don’t have a food processor? No worries! Just chop everything as finely as you can get it and mash it with a fork.  

^{Photo Credit: © Tracy Renee Photography}

From infancy to adulthood, Jewish mothers school their children in the art of wooing their future mates, but even the feistiest of Jewish mothers might find it difficult to keep up with the rapidly-changing, multimedia landscape that continues to shape modern, dating culture. 

For additional guidance, Jewish singles can now refer to Tamar Caspi's 2014 book, How to Woo a Jew: The Modern Jewish Guide to Dating and Mating. This wooing companion offers one of the first comprehensive roadmaps—from inception tochuppah—for contemporary Jewish dating in a digital age.

"Grab some snacks and get comfortable because we are in for a long ride. Internet dating is here to stay," said Caspi, who is a syndicated Jewish dating advice columnist and also JDate.com's official advice columnist and member advisor.

"If you're single and not online yet, then you're missing out on thousands and thousands of prospects," Caspi added.

Eleven percent of American adults—and 38 percent of those who identify as currently "single and looking" for a mate—have used online dating sites or mobile dating apps, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center study of online dating and relationships. 

"People in nearly every major demographic group old and young, men and women, urbanites and rural dwellers are more likely to know someone who uses online dating (or met a long term partner through online dating) than was the case eight years ago," the Pew study summary said.

In How to Woo a Jew, Caspi offers a nuanced manual for Jewish singles who are journeying through the dating life cycle. 

"This book is not just for young singles but also older singles, single parents, divorcés and divorcées, widows, and the happily wed, too," Caspi said. 

Caspi—herself, divorced and newly engaged—begins the book with her own account of love found, lost, and found again. She then profiles six case studies of varying ages and life stages, whom she traces throughout the book.

How to Woo a Jew spans advice on self-development, setting realistic dating expectations, shopping for mates online and in real life and tying the knot. Caspi illustrates the art of what she calls "poly-dating," or juggling several prospects at once. Finally, she offers tips for transitioning into long term relationships, tackling relationship milestones such as cohabitation, and finally engagement and marriage. 

While her focus is on dating and mating, Caspi takes several moments in her book to honor the difficulties of single hood and how to navigate pressures from friends and family—she even provides "An Open Letter to All Moms and Dads of Single Adult Jews."

In her book, Caspi is an overt advocate for JDate.com. Her chapter, "No More Hating on Internet Dating," provides concrete, section-by-section advice on how to build the ideal JDate.com profile, along with tips on how to communicate with fellow daters. 

She also makes no attempt to hide behind her belief that Jews should woo fellow Jews. In fact, Caspi admits she began her dating journey focused on non-Jews, and eventually her priorities changed. 

"A visceral reaction called attraction brings you toward each other, but you can't build a lasting relationship on just that," Caspi said. "Commonalities are imperative, and the most important one is religion.

…There is a connection with Jew-on-Jew love that you will be hard-pressed to find with someone who was raised differently," Caspi added.

Caspi candidly encourages what she believes to be productive dating behavior, but makes no attempt to pigeon hole readers into one form of religious, moral, or sexual expression. Instead, she merely calls on readers to evaluate themselves honestly and identify their priorities for mates. 

"Having realistic expectations of yourself and your date are both important mind-sets to have, and with them, you can enter the dating scene with the security of knowing you aren't wasting anyone's time," Caspi said. 

In How to Woo a Jew, Caspi presents a step-by-step plan for finding, snagging, and marrying one's Jewish soul mate. After doling out advice, Caspi leaves it in the readers' hands to seek out their own beshert—or destiny.

"Jews believe that your destiny is already written in the Book of Life, but it is up to you to make life what you want of it," Caspi said.

^{Photo credit: Food Network}

After a pressure-filled six-week competition, Chicago’s own Stephanie Goldfarb cooked her way to winning the title of “America’s Best Cook” and $50,000 on the Food Network reality series.

Goldfarb, 29, is a senior associate of teen initiatives at the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago., In addition to her social work expertise, she is known for hosting delicious supper club events to benefit Chicago Women’s Health Center, where she serves on the board. Although vegetarian cuisine is her specialty, Goldfarb entered “America’s Best Cook” a self-proclaimed “recovering vegetarian” and ultimately won the competition by cooking lamb for the final challenge, judged by Food Network icon Bobby Flay.

Hosted by Ted Allen of “Chopped,” the show brought together the best home cooks representing the country’s four regions to learn from and cook for the best chefs on the Food Network. Goldfarb won a spot on Team North in the premiere episode under the tutelage of Michael Symon, who offered his much-needed meat-cooking expertise. Goldfarb also brought her Jewish roots and Israel experiences to the show, cooking latkes and the Israeli breakfast dish shakshuka for different challenges.

The day after her big win, Goldfarb chatted with us from Los Angeles, where she went to be with her family to watch the finale.

^{Photo credit: Food Network}

Describe the feeling of being named “America’s Best Cook” (by Bobby Flay no less)? 
In one word it was surreal. I was really just trying to survive and I was trying to have a good time, but I never considered that I would actually have a shot at winning or competing to win until it was down to two of us. So I was stunned, absolutely stunned, when I heard it, and to get that information, the news, from Bobby Flay was a real dream come true. I’ve been watching him on the Food Network since he started his career on the network. I’ll never forget it. 

Just how hard was it to keep a secret?
Let me tell you, it’s been very hard to keep it a secret, because, first of all, anytime you have good news you want to share it. And I come from a family of talkers. I knew if I said one word to anybody it wouldn’t just get around my family, it would probably get around the entire Jewish community. You can count on Jews for a lot, but keeping a secret is not one of them [laughing]. I knew it would be worth it if I could just keep it a secret. I knew I’d get to celebrate like I did last night and that’s all I could think about, getting to experience that with my family and how happy they would be once they got to watch the show. It was hard, but not impossible.

You were so positive and enthusiastic during this whole competition, but right when the clock stopped after the final challenge we saw your emotional side. What were you feeling?
If I remember correctly I was just trying to soak it all up because I knew that was my last time cooking in that arena, I knew that was my last time cooking for all these incredible world-class chefs and I was really just trying to stay focused. But also I knew that I had taken on a huge challenge by cooking meat by myself, without the supervision of Michael Symon. It was for all or nothing and I knew it had to be perfect. It’s in my nature to second guess myself, so I think I was also trying to run through all the steps I took and to make sure I did everything correctly.

What would you say was the most significant way you grew from this experience, both as a cook and as a person?
As a cook, the most significant way I grew was that I learned skills in a way that I never would have been able to learn them in any other setting. To learn one-on-one from an iron chef, and not just any iron chef – I would have been thrilled to work with any of those chefs, but Michael Symon is a special guy and he really took his mentorship seriously. I learned particularly the meat-cooking, but also plating, how to compose a beautiful and artful plate. And I learned how to put less food on a plate. He really taught me about editing, which has always been a problem with me. I tend to really over-feed people and put tons of food on a plate and he really helped me be a little more selective.

As a person, I’ve always struggled with confidence and a sense of security in myself and [throughout] this competition all I had was me to rely on and I really showed myself that I can compete at a high level,that I can hold my own and that I can trust myself to make good decisions.

What was one thing that we didn’t necessarily see on camera that you want people to know about your experience on “America’s Best Cook?”
I can’t think of one thing in particular, but there were so many little moments that I had with the different iron chefs and with the different contestants that the camera could never show, behind the scenes, sitting in the hallway waiting for our results or waiting to hear what the ingredient was. I will say everyone who was competing on that show was in it for just the best reasons, because they wanted to have fun and they wanted to learn and they wanted to do something new. I can’t speak for anybody else, but there was definitely nothing but good feelings among all of us and we all still talk and we all have relationships with each other and it’s been nothing but positive.

Now that you’re sure to be asked for advice all the time as the reigning best home cook in the country, what words of wisdom do you have for those aspiring to be better home cooks?
I think for aspiring cooks, salt and citrus are something that home cooks don’t use enough of. To really season your food properly, don’t be afraid to use whole spices and grind them yourself, and fresh herbs – it’ll change a dish completely. Not just fresh citrus, but acids, like vinegars and things, will change a dish completely if you just use a couple drops here and there. And also something that I learned from Michael Symon is to edit, really self-edit. You don’t need to put a ton of food on the plate in order for people to be satisfied. Simple is typically best and that’s the number one rule I learned when I was on this show.

We’re glad to hear even with your success that you’re still committed to your teen philanthropy work at JUF and the many other things you do to help others! What current and future plans do you have for continuing to merge your passion for cooking with your passion for charitable work?
I’m very committed to my supper club and using my food as a way to raise money for good causes. I always raise money for the Chicago Women’s Health Center,an organization that’s very important to me and to my community, but I’d also really like to expand my supper club and do more private events for people. I’d also like to make some money for myself cooking. I’ve started to do that a little bit. I’m really committed to my work at JUF—I love working in the Jewish community, I love my teens, and I love the families I work with. I’m really just trying to figure out how to do it all. There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day, but I’m going to try to find a couple extra.

^{Stephanie gets started on her shakshuka, a Middle Eastern dish of eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce. Photo credit: Food Network}

Four episodes in and Stephanie Goldfarb is still going strong on “America’s Best Cook,” the new Food Network reality cooking competition that pits the country’s best home chefs against each other with the help of Iron Chef mentors.

Just to remind you all, Goldfarb, 29, who lives in Edgewater and works as the senior associate of teen initiatives at the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, is one of the contestants hoping to win it all, and she’s agreed to check in with Oy!Chicago after each show airs to share her thoughts and behind-the-scenes knowledge. 

After a trip to the pressure cooker in the second episode, her profiteroles wowed Chef Ron Ben-Israel in the third episode’s challenge when the contestants were asked to prepare dessert. And last week, despite some drama in the kitchen between her and mentor Chef Michael Symon about how to best prepare her dish, she impressed this week’s guest judge, Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, in the brunch challenge with her shakshuka and was safe yet again.

^{Geoffrey gives Stephanie a high compliment: "These are my flavors," he tells her. "This is Middle Eastern to me, and I'm Middle Eastern." Photo credit: Food Network}

We can’t wait to see what she cooks up next week!

1. Congrats on avoiding the pressure cooker two weeks in a row! Was it a relief or did you miss the extra time in the kitchen with Michael?
Thanks! Yeah, I was ASTONISHED that I wasn’t sent to the pressure cooker. I would have absolutely loved to spend some more one-on-one time with Chef Symon, but nothing compares with the thrill of being safe for another week. All I really cared about was staying alive so I could have more opportunities to learn from my mentor.

2. Watching it back, how do you feel about the whole shakshuka shake up?
I mean, I’m slightly mortified after watching it! Which is not at all different from how I felt when it was all going down during filming. I am, by nature, extremely sensitive and really concerned with pleasing people. Especially people who I admire and am learning from! What can I say? I thrive off positive affirmation. So when I opened the oven to see raw egg whites sadly staring back at me, I lost it. I’ve made this dish perfectly hundreds of times before, and I almost ruined it on national television! All I could think of was a bunch of Jews in a room saying, “that Goldfarb ruined our food. She killed shakshuka!” Thank God Michael Symon snapped me out of it. He broke a 15-year streak of not yelling in a kitchen to do it. I’m going to go ahead and take that as an accomplishment on my part.

3. When presenting your dish, you said shakshuka reminded you of your first trip to Israel—tell us about that. 
Ah, Israel. I went on Birthright and stayed on for a month to travel and volunteer in the IDF. I ate shakshuka for the first time while I was there and completely fell in love with it. The bread, the sauce, the runny egg yolk, the Mediterranean sea reflected in my sunglasses as I ate it. Shakshuka has made a regular appearance in my kitchen since then. My non-Jewish friends and dinner guests are forever in my debt. 

4. In the end Chef Geoffrey Zakarian who as you said “has eaten shakshuka a million times before” loved your dish and last week Chef Ron Ben-Israel called your profiteroles “brilliant.” What is it like having all of these amazing and accomplished chefs taste your food?
So back to that positive affirmation thing… I’ll be running off those fumes for the rest of my life! The next time someone criticizes some food I serve them, I’ll just tell them to take it up with Zakarian.

Who is an extraordinary Jew you know? We are looking for the young leaders, humanitarians, educators, social activists and movers and shakers of Chicago to be part of Double Chai in the Chi: Chicago’s annual Jewish 36 under 36 list.  

Presented by YLD and Oy!Chicago, Double Chai in the Chi shines a spotlight on the faces of Chicago’s Jewish future and recognizes the amazing contributions of our generation.  

What we’re looking for:  

People who are making a difference through their work, who give back in their free time, who innovate and inspire, who are leaders in their communities and the Jewish community or are simply Jews we should know.  

How to nominate:  

Got someone in mind? Nominate him or her by filling out this form before May 27. You will receive an email confirming your nomination.  

When will the list be announced?  

The 36 honorees will be announced and profiled on Oy!Chicago on July 15 and recognized at YLD’s WYLD party on Aug. 7. To be the first to know, like Oy!Chicago and YLD on Facebook.  

_{Stephanie does some zesting as she prepares her Asian twist on fish tacos. Photo credit: Food Network}

Only two episodes in and things are cooking for Stephanie Goldfarb on “America’s Best Cook,” the new Food Network reality cooking competition that pits the country’s best home chefs against each other with the help of Iron Chef mentors – all for a $50,000 prize and self-explanatory bragging rights.

In case you haven’t heard, Goldfarb, 29, who lives in Edgewater and works as the senior associate of teen initiatives at the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, is one of the contestants hoping to win it all, and she’s agreed to check in with Oy!Chicago after each show airs to share her thoughts and behind-the-scenes knowledge. 

Last week, Goldfarb won one of two coveted spots on the North region’s team, represented by Iron Chef Michael Symon. (Read the recap.) This week, Goldfarb had to impress guest judge and Food Network star Anne Burrell in order to remain in the competition. 

In the first challenge, the remaining eight competitors had to take a comfort food classic such as mac ‘n cheese, tacos or sloppy joes, and dress it up for serving at a gourmet restaurant. Burrell had to save one cook in each region and send the other to an elimination “pressure cooker” challenge based on which dish she liked best.

Goldfarb made an Asian twist on fish tacos, which included her own homemade corn tortillas. But Burrell thought the dish was under-seasoned and the tortilla too thick, so she sent Goldfarb to the pressure cooker challenge. There, she faced off against four other cooks, all tasked with making a knock-out dish from a chicken breast. She made chicken paillard stuffed with prosciutto and sage at Symon’s suggestion, and accompanied it with a shaved Brussels sprouts salad. When Burrell tasted it, she said she would be excited to have it served to her in a restaurant, and declared it the best of the four pressure cooker dishes.

_{Michael Symon hit the SOS button to help Stephanie pound out her chicken breast more evenly during the pressure cooker challenge. Photo credit: Food Network}

1. In this episode we really see your relationship with Michael develop. (Capped off by an explosive high five after you won the pressure cooker challenge!) How would you describe him as a mentor? Was there anything that we didn't get to see on camera in terms of how you built your relationship?

Not to brag or anything, but Team North got the best chef mentor of the bunch. Michael Symon is not only an incredible teacher, but he is also just really fun to be around. Every time we were on the set, we knew if Michael was close by because we could hear his laugh from anywhere we were in the building. When he chose me to be on his team, I felt immediately connected to him because he clearly saw something in me that I didn't even know was there. From that moment on, I saw myself as Michael's student and felt nothing but eager and open to learn everything I possibly could from him. Lucky me, he was not only happy to teach me but also really excited and happy about it. I think the camera really picks up the sentiment of our relationship nicely, and there are definitely some significant moments between us to come. 

2. What were you feeling and thinking being part of the first pressure cooker challenge? Looking back do you think it was helpful, despite the pressure, to have that extra experience in the kitchen and working one-on-one with Michael?

I was PISSED when Anne Burrell threw me into the pressure cooker! And I definitely didn't hide my fuming from the cameras. I've been making those tortillas the exact same way for years. Too thick – my ass. But it didn't take me long to realize that being upset wouldn't do me any good, and I after my initial shock, I saw the whole thing as a fantastically selfish opportunity to have the entire cooking station AND chef Symon all to myself. The Pressure Cooker turned into this super fun experience where I got to do exactly what I came to New York to do: cook my ass off in Home Cook Arena, impress the hell out of some of the best chefs in the country, learn, and soak up every single second. I loved every moment of it. Plus, that chicken was freaking delicious. 

3. Why do you think your chicken dish was able to impress a hard-to-please Anne Burrell and how cool was it that it did?

The reason why my dish won the Pressure Cooker round is because I took every opportunity to season and flavor the hell out of each component. My fish taco was under-seasoned, and it almost sent me home. Chef Symon helped me consider interesting ways to flavor an otherwise "snore central" (as chef Burrell put it) ingredient, and he also made sure I didn't mutilate my chicken breast. Without him, I would have been toast in that round. When chef Burrell told me I had the best dish, the only thing I wanted to see was the smile on Michael Symon's face. And throw up a little. 

The next episode airs this Sunday at 8 p.m.

_{Stephanie in the kitchen during the first challenge. Photo credit: Food Network}

Stephanie Goldfarb is vying to be “America’s Best Cook.”  

The 29-year-old senior associate of teen initiatives at the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago was one of 16 home chefs selected to compete on Food Network’s newest reality cooking competition, which premiered April 13 and airs Sundays at 8 p.m.  

Hosted by Ted Allen of “Chopped,” last weekend’s pressure-cooker of a first episode saw the field of 16 cut in half, as contestants (competing in regions north, south, east or west based on where they are from) tried to earn a spot on their region’s team, each mentored by a famous Food Network chef: Michael Symon (North), Cat Cora (South), Alex Guarnaschelli (East) or Tyler Florence (West). For the first challenge, the mentors each chose a main course for their region’s home chefs to prepare in 30 minutes; they personally tasted each and determined which two of the four contestants would be on their team.  

Competing in the North region for Chef Symon, Goldfarb had to prepare steak and a side dish. She made a bone-in strip steak with red wine sauce and a side of potato latkes served with a horseradish sour cream. It doesn’t sound too hard, except when you consider that Goldfarb has long been a vegetarian. Still, she managed to impress Symon enough to earn a coveted spot on his team.

_{Team North. Photo credit: Food Network}

Lucky for us, Goldfarb has agreed to check in with Oy!Chicago after each show airs to talk about the episodes and share her thoughts and behind-the-scenes knowledge. So stay tuned to see if she becomes America’s Best Cook!    

1. Describe briefly your audition process for the show. What drove you to try out?
Actually, a friend and colleague of mine at the Federation sent a link to me that advertised an open audition for the show. At first, I wasn't even going to audition because I was all intimidated by the process. It takes some chutzpah to put yourself out there like that! But after my partner and friends found out I was considering auditioning for the show, I no longer had a say in the matter. Essentially, it was "Goldfarb, if you don't audition for this show, you are an idiot." I couldn't argue with that.   

2. What was recording the first challenge like? How was it like you expected and what were the biggest surprises?
That first challenge was like one gigantic silly dream. I had thirty minutes, not only to cook an incredible meal, but to wrap my head around cooking for a freaking Iron Chef, in the Food Network Studios, against all these other phenomenal cooks, in a totally unfamiliar kitchen. I mean, who do I think I am? I think I looked pretty composed on camera, but inside all I could think was "do NOT **** this up. Do NOT **** this up. Keep it together, Goldfarb." I was surviving and really trying to soak it all up. I forced myself to look up from my cooking ever few minutes just to look around and consider my surroundings. This may have been my first and last shot at this experience, and I never ever wanted to forget it. The biggest surprise was when Michael Symon told me he wanted me on his team. Did you see that steak? It was DARK. I thought for sure I was going home. Turns out he saw something in me that I didn't. I will never forget that moment.   

3. As the show’s “recovering vegetarian,” were you nervous to have to cook steak for the first challenge? Did you prepare yourself before the show at all to get comfortable cooking meat in a short amount of time?
Before I left to film the show I spent about a month cramming all I could about meat cookery into my head. My friends were literally dropping off bags of meat cookbooks at my apartment for me to study. I have watched a LOT of food television in my time, and I know how these things work. Vegetarians never survive long, and are generally kept around for entertainment value only. So I read. And ate. I ate more meat in the weeks before the show than I think I ever ate in my life. It was actually pretty awesome because I was allowing myself to learn new cooking techniques and appreciate new flavors. But there is a difference between studying meat and cooking meat. When I walked into the steak challenge, I KNEW all there was to KNOW about technically cooking a steak, but I hadn't actually tried it in real life. Hence, the extremely, um, "blackened" effect on my dish.   

4. You made latkes! What inspired that choice? Did you think at all before the competition started about including any traditional Jewish foods if you got the chance?
Before I left Chicago for New York to film the show, I memorized a list of all the dishes that are special to me. Dishes that are either family favorites or that have become signature specialties over the years, and that I know I can cook and execute pretty perfectly. I knew that I would be thrown into some seriously bizarre and unexpected situations on this show, and I used the dishes on this list as a sort of lighthouse to guide me during any curveballs. A really significant portion of that list is Jewish food, like latkes. So when I learned I needed to make a steak, something I had never before cooked or ever enjoyed eating, I went right back to my lighthouse list and thought, "Ah. Latkes. Latkes will save me here." And they did. Chef Symon was all about them.   

5. How did it feel to meet Michael Symon, have him try your food and then actually choose you to be on his team?
When I learned that I would be cooking for Michael Symon and competing to be a member of his Team North, I experienced two things: 1) a giddy fangirl mega-crush come-true and 2) a terrifying, crushing, self-defeating pit. I'm pretty confident in my cooking skills, but I was standing before an Iron Chef meat master. I was intimidated, but I also couldn't get cooking fast enough. I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I was absolutely committed to making the most out of it. I knew that if I could get onto MIchael Symon's team, I would have the chance to really, REALLY be mentored. I knew nothing from meat cookery, but I really wanted to. If there was ever going to be a chance to learn from a master, this was it. 

Alan Goodis is a Jewish musician, not just a musician who is Jewish. And writing and performing Jewish music isn’t the half of it.

A Toronto native, Goodis currently lives in Chicago – when he’s not traveling the country to synagogues, summer camps and youth conventions as anartist in residence, developing relationships with communities with the aim of enhancing their communal experiences through music.

Helping teens explore their passion for music with their passion for Judaism is one of Goodis’ unique strengths in the growing landscape of contemporary Jewish music. He has worked extensively with NFTY and the Reform movement, including developing Nashir: NFTY Teen Songleading Institute, a national program that provides songleader training to high school students. He has also led professional development for songleaders and Jewish music educators working in summer camps or tasked with engaging young people through music after the b’nai mitzvah years.

On March 28, Goodis celebrated the culmination of four years of travels and Jewish music experiences with the release of his second album, This Place, which you can now sample and download through iTunes.

While you wait for that to download, check out below what Goodis has to say about contemporary Jewish music, the impact it’s having on communities across the country and what moved him along his path to ultimately become a Jew You Should Know.

1. What drew you tocreating, performing and sharing Jewish music in particular and what hasinfluenced your style?
Summer camp had a major impact of me musically. I grew up at URJ Goldman Union Camp in Zionsville, Ind. Singing was a huge part of the daily routine. I eventually went on to songlead at camp and after college moved to Chicago and started playing Jewish music full time. Writing Jewish music for me began out of necessity at first. I would be working with a community and struggling to find a version of a text that fit the mood I was going for so would try writing one that would fit. I think my style is influenced by the music I listen to. I tend to think practically when writing Jewish music and often get fixated on the application of a song. If I'm writing something that I would want to use in a service I know the energy can only go so far. If I'm writing something I want to sing at summer camps I know I can take it to a different place. The text I might be adapting also influences the way in which I write. 

2. What do you feelis the role of Jewish pop/rock as a genre in both informal and religioussettings?
I think this genre in many ways is a progression of where we can take people musically. The folk-based Jewish music of the ‘60s and ‘70s that was so controversial is considered traditional now in many communities I visit. I was planning services with a Rabbi here in Chicago who said to me, "The liturgy is stale. V'ahavta will always come after the Shema. Our job is to bring this liturgy to life." I think that in a worship setting, new music can make us perk up and listen differently and bring out new meaning to the words of our tradition. In performance settings I think this music can entertain, engage and educate an audience.  

3. What does ThisPlace represent to you and what are you hoping listeners will takeaway from it?
This place is a collection of songs I've written over the last four years of touring, teaching and performing. In many ways the album is representative of where I've been and where I am now. I'm really proud of the production on the album. I was lucky enough to record the album in Nashville at Sound Emporium Studios and to have great producers and musicians play on the record. I hope listeners enjoy the songs and their message.

4. What have youtaken away from all your travels to Jewish summer camps and working with teensacross the country both personally and in terms of the power of Jewish music?
I learn a lot in my travels. When I'm asked to compare one camp to another or one temple to another I often reply that everyone is doing the same thing completely differently. I love working with teens. I think a common thread is their desire to find a sense of connection. Music is my vehicle for building this connection when I visit communities. Sometimes this is through Jewish music and sometimes it is through playing secular music. Both are totally okay. I was a teen who turned my nose up at Jewish music and thought it was lame and uncool. This has served me well in my work in that I can relate best to the kid who is sitting on the outside of the circle wondering why their peers might be so into this "lame and uncool" Jewish music. I see this as an opportunity not to try to convince anyone that Jewish music can be cool but to let them know that it is totally okay to not feel what everyone around them is feeling. On the flip side, the teens who are already engaged are seeking deeper connection. I think Jewish music can have a profoundly meaningful impact on teens and really people of any age. 

5. If you couldchoose a popular artist to do a cover of one of your songs, who would it be andwhich song (and why)?
I am terrible at answering these types of questions – I overthink them. I'll go with U2 covering "This Place." 

6. What do you lovemost about what you do?
I love many things. Getting to play music and travel around the country for a living is something I am really fortunate to be able to do. I'm also looking for deeper connection in my work so the opportunity to not only visit communities, but also to spend time with people and get to know them is really great. I get to be a student too and learn from incredible people at temples and summer camps. The opportunity to partner and always do new things is something I love.

7. In an alternateuniverse where you couldn’t be a Jewish musician, what would you do (and why)?
I would be a lifeguard at a carwash.

8. What’s yourfavorite Jewish thing to do (or how do you Jew?) in Chicago?
I spend one Shabbat a month and the High Holidays at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe. We have an incredible group called Selah that is comprised of 7th-12th graders who lead the services with Cantor David Goldstein and me. While this is work, it is a ton of fun to be a part of. This is the fourth year of the program and it's been incredible to see it grow and impact of the community so positively. I also enjoy the occasional meal at The Bagel in Lakeview.

We love our Jewish mothers. Mostly because we want to, but also because we don’t want to find out what happens if we don’t. But seriously, any Jewish mother or mom who raised a Jewish child, deserves a ton of recognition and love, so we at Oy!Chicago want to invite you to participate in our upcoming blog series, “I Love You Too, Mom.”

All week from May 5-9, we are hoping to publish stories about moms. Whether you want to sing your mom’s praises so you get a bajillion mom brownie points or you are a mother with something insightful to say about Jewish motherhood, we want you to write for us! All levels of writing experience are welcome to pitch their ideas!

Here’s how: write a paragraph describing what your piece would be about and send it to info@oychicago.com by Monday, April 14. The only requirement is that the post should in some way relate to the theme, however you interpret it. We will review your submission and let you know if we are interested in running in your piece in full on Oy!Chicago the week of the blog series.

We look forward to reading your awesome stories and sharing your talent with the entire Oy!Chicago community! Please note that Oy!Chicago is a volunteer-run website, so we are unable to pay for published submissions at this time. If you have any questions, email them to info@oychicago.com

Stef & Steven

Are you a Meredith Grey seeking a Cristina Yang? A Nick Miller seeking a Schmidt? A Will seeking a Grace?

We know how it is. Though we already taught you how to meet young Jewish adults in Chicago, we get that when you’re new in a city, sometimes meeting new people is just the first of many hurdles in finding your friend soulmate. The real trick is nurturing a select few fledgling acquaintance-ships into something more than empty offers of “let’s totally do lunch sometime.” (After all, who hasn’t friended someone from your smartphone at a bar night, just to find yourself scrolling past their latest witty status update month later and trying to remember who in the world they are and how you know them?)

But never fear, lonesome Oy!sters. We’ve got 18 tips on how to actually turn that friendly potential pal you totally bonded with at a happy hour into a real-life J-bestie for life!

DISCLAIMER: Okay, hopefully this is obvious, but since we don’t REALLY know you, we’re just gonna come out and say it… Use these ideas in moderation. Don’t be a stalker. That’s not a good way to make friends. (Trust us.)

1. Be a good listener – and follow up!

If your new friend-crush mentions something like a job interview or hot date coming up next Tuesday, follow up with a text or Facebook message asking how it went on Wednesday or Thursday (not Tuesday! See disclaimer!). You don’t have to be weird about it – just a simple “Hey, nice seeing you the other night! How did that interview go??” will let the person know you are paying attention and care about what’s going on with them (in a casual yet sincere way).

2. It’s called Shabbat. Make plans.

Shabbat is a beautiful thing for budding Jewish friendship. It is your built-in excuse to do things with Jewish friends without it being “too soon.” There are plenty of young adult Shabbat gatherings you can go to together. Remember, the friends who Shabbat together ... have a lot (of fun! …) together.

3. Or have them over for Shabbat.

No, we’re not talking an intimate Shabbat for two. Invite people over on a Friday night and include your new friend on the list. You get to know them in a more personal setting this way without it being obvious you’re friend-crushing on them. With Birthright NEXT Shabbat, it also can be free! Nobody wants to be alone on a Friday night … okay, some people do, but they at least want to know they had the option of being social and are merely choosing to spend Friday night on the couch.

4. Ask them to be your wing-Jew to the next Jewish social event.

If you met your Jewish friend-crush at a social event, well, there are plenty more where those came from! Forward your most recent YLD email invite and see if they want to come.

5. Work your Jewish geography.

Fact: Jews like being connected to things. Whether it’s for a job, getting involved in the community, etc., going out of your way to connect someone is a huge testament to caliber of your potential Jewish best friend-ness. You never know what might come out of one helpful connection.

6. Bond over food.

Jews have been strengthening connections between people over food for thousands of years – there’s no stopping it now. Even if you’re not a “total foodie,” you can find something food-related in common with your would-be Jewish best friend. Try a new place together that specializes in your mutual favorite foods (cupcakes), explore a new brew pub, or if you or your friend has always wanted to learn how to bake, say, challah (or cupcakes), use that as an opportunity to get together.

7. Share the BOGO love.

What’s the only thing better than food? Free food. Got a sweet buy-one-get-one-free coupon somewhere? Or a Groupon that you need help using up? Invite your wannabe buddy to cash in on the freebie. This, of course, has nothing to do with enticing them with free things, and everything to do with good excuses to invite someone out at no cost to them. Plus, it involves food.

8. Be exercise buddies!

If you’ve gone too hard on numbers 6 and 7, you have both probably commiserated over your inability to lose any weight this winter or get off your butt and go the gym. So be each other’s motivation! Check out a class together, offer to be a spotter, or if you’re really dedicated, you can even offer to track each other on fitness apps if you both have the same gadgets. Nothing is as motivating as peer pressure – or agreeing to get drinks afterward.

9. Not so much into the exercise? Try a different kind of class.

See if your future JBF wants to join you for a Whole Foods cooking demo, lessons at Old Town School of Folk Music, or dare we even say a Torah study or Talmud class? Try signing up together for something on Dabble.

10. Offer them a ride.

If you and your new acquaintance met at a social event or gathering, helping them get home is a mensch-y thing to do. If you drove (and are safe to drive), it’s an easy win, or buying a cab will also buy you some extra time to chat. Plus, it’s a kindness they won’t soon forget. Also, offer to do the same to get to future events together.

11. Make watching TV social.

We know. You would so make plans tonight but your DVR is getting full and your TV doesn’t care if your hair looks nice, or you aren’t wearing pants. But if your prospective best bud likes one of your favorite shows (or sports teams), suggest a get-together to watch, or host a viewing party. Best friends always validate each other’s obsessions. Extra points if the show is Friends…

12. Repair the world together.

You’ve already eaten lunch or froyo together, but your souls could use some feeding too. Discover what your new buddy is passionate about (see #1) and find a volunteer opportunity. There are so many ways to tikkun olam—and who knows? You guys might even make more new friends in the process.

13. Invite them for the Jewish holidays.

What are you doing for Passover? If you’re visiting family in the suburbs and you have a new-to-Chicago friend, find out if they can join (well, if your family isn’t too dysfunctional, that is – use your discretion). Both new in town? Find a community event to attend together. Their mother would rather they be with you, a Jewish stranger, than not have anywhere to go for the holidays.

14. Rescue them from work.

If at least one of you works a 9-to-5, the other can save them! In-person social lunch breaks are infinitely better than ones spent hunched over a desk reading BuzzFeed, or even a quick 15-min stroll together is better than being alone and sedentary. These can be planned or completely spontaneous, which makes them good for friendships new and old.

15. Be a good social media friend.

Our disclaimer in mind, don’t leave your new friend hanging when they post an artsy food pic or a cool article link. Give it some love – Like! Retweet! Comment! Social media sharing is caring, folks.

16. Speaking of sharing …

Remember how awesome it was when you were a kid and someone brought something cool to school and they shared it with you? Or better yet, let you borrow it? Well, it still feels awesome as an adult. Whether it’s gum, a bottle of a mutually adored wine or liquor, or something they can use to host Shabbat, giving something of yourself signals you are dependable and thoughtful. Last we checked that’s good friend material.

17. Bring them matzoh ball soup when they’re sick.

This is an advanced-level friend-wooing technique, probably once you’ve hung out a few times, but what says friendship more than getting a giant Tupperware full of soup from The Bagel? Nothing, you guys. Nothing.

18. Seriously – just text them.

We know you won’t call them, but don’t be nervous about reaching out to people. Chances are they’ll be thrilled to hear from you and just excited about cultivating a new friendship as you are, especially in a big city.

Tzipi Zipper

Tzipi Zipper is one of the most able people you'll ever meet—despite the fact that she sits in a wheel chair.

She traveled to Chicago in the late winter to speak at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Jewish Child and Family Services, and the UIC Levine Hillel.

Zipper's story starts off in Colorado. Growing up in a Zionistic household in Denver, she always dreamed of moving to Israel. At 15—only two weeks after discovering a Jewish Agency for Israel program that helps young people relocate to Israel without their families—she found herself landing at Ben Gurion Airport.

Her senior year of high school, just like most other 18-year-old Israelis, Zipper was ready—and proud—to join the Israel Defense Forces. Typically, Israeli men serve for three years in the IDF, while women serve for two, but not Zipper. An athlete all her life, she wanted to serve for three years in a more rigorous role.

So after passing a series of strenuous physical and psychological tests, Zipper joined a combat unit; her rank was Staff Sergeant. She was inducted into the nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare unit in the Combat Engineers Corps, where she served in hot spots like Bethlehem, Jericho, the Egyptian border, and the Gaza Strip. By the conclusion of her service, she'd risen to the position of Master Sergeant.

After discharge, Zipper found work in security. She is the first woman ever to pass the security course in a high-profile heavily armed security. She was stationed in check points along with military, police, and Mossad agents along the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Then, eight months later, her life changed forever. She was manning a checkpoint one night when she was struck by a car in a routine traffic accident. Her injuries appeared minor at first, a sprain to her left knee and a partially torn ligament. But her pain grew more severe.

She was eventually diagnosed with a rare progressive neurological disorder called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, also called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a condition triggered by injury or trauma. "The number one symptom is relentless pain 24/7," she said. The pain was spreading from her left knee to both of her legs, and there was no known cure.

Three months later, Zipper found herself stricken to a wheelchair. At first, she felt sorry for herself. "After my accident, I felt like I lost everything. I lost my home, my career, my furniture, I lost my independence, and sometimes I felt like I lost my pride," she said. "I was lost, I was broken, and I was alone."

She realized something had to give; she had to regain control of her life. "I was tired of being unhappy, I was tired of feeling sorry for myself, I was tired of hating the world because of my bad luck," she said. "…I had no choice but to fight for control of my life back. I wouldn't let my condition define who I am. I decided I would try to conquer my disability."

At the same time, Zipper had been contemplating buying a power wheelchair because she'd developed carpal tunnel syndrome after manually wheeling herself around Israel constantly, where wheelchair accessibility is limited. One day, she noticed two people out in her Tel Aviv neighborhood in power wheelchairs, and they all got to talking.

She told them of her quest to empower herself. "If I couldn't fight as a soldier the way I used to, I can fight in another way, using my words, using my mind, instead of my physical ability," she said.

That's when they told her about the Center for Independent Living (CIL). The Center, created by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC—an overseas arm of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago—is a multi-functional center for people with disabilities.

What's unique is people with disabilities run the center too. Similar to a North American model, CIL offers peer counseling, social activities, legal assistance, and a support network. The Center is funded through the JDC, the Israeli government, and the Ruderman Family Foundation. There are 1,000 Centers located throughout North America, and six in Israel.

CIL was the perfect fit for Zipper. She has volunteered at the Tel Aviv branch of the center for two years to date.

Zipper helps people at the center live independent lives as contributing members of society—despite their disabilities. "Nothing can define you but yourself-no condition, handicap, or disorder," she said. "I'm only limited if I choose to be."

James Franco went back to school recently, a place he seems quite comfortable these days.

Northwestern University's A&O Productions and NU Hillel brought Franco to speak on Saturday night, March 1, at the university's Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.

Jeffrey Sconce, Northwestern Professor of Radio Television Video and Film, moderated a discussion with the actor in front of an audience that sold out 90 minutes after the star's appearance was announced just two days before the event.

Franco, who is Jewish on his mother's side, has been spending a lot of time in Chicago this winter rehearsing for Northwestern professor and Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro's Broadway production of "Of Mice and Men," which hits the New York stage in April.

Franco has enjoyed a wide-ranging film career, from blockbusters to indie films. He starred in movies like the Spiderman trilogy, Milk, Pineapple Express, Spring Breakers, This is the End, and 127 Hours, for which he won an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Aron Ralston, the real-life mountain climber who amputated his own arm. On the small screen, Franco played a lead role on the short-lived, cult TV show Freaks and Geeks, as well as on the soap opera General Hospital.

He's something of a renaissance man—actor, director, author, painter, teacher, and student. In fact, he seems to be a perpetual student these days.

After dropping out of UCLA the first time around to pursue acting, the Palo Alto native returned to the university as an adult eight years ago, in the middle of his red hot film career. An English major, Franco was granted permission to take as many as 62 course credits per quarter compared with the normal limit of 19. He later earned his MFA from Columbia University and is a Ph.D. candidate in English at Yale University.

"The university was the place I thrived and being there, I was among other people who were passionate about what I was passionate," Franco told the Northwestern students.

Friends say he always has his nose in a book. Even on the movie set, when he's not shooting scenes, you can find him reading Ulysses in the corner of the room, as friend and colleague, filmmaker Judd Apatow, has put it.

Franco been known to throw himself into his roles method acting-style. He told the crowd that when he filmed the television biopic on James Dean, he barely spoke to anyone for months. He even told his girlfriend at the time that he could only talk to her for an hour a week.

When asked his biggest piece of advice for aspiring filmmakers, Franco told the students that technology has made everyone their own one-man/woman film crew. "If you want to go get into film or TV, there is no reason you shouldn't be out there making your own things [films], while pursuing other things," he said.

At the end of the talk, a brazen student in the crowd asked Franco if he would join him for a "selfie," but Franco told him he'd do him one better: The actor pulled out his own phone and posed with the room full of students—himself included.

For Chicago teacher and mother of two Kim (Prywes) Bloomberg, making jewelry isn’t merely a passion or hobby, but a part of continuing her family’s legacy.

To Kim’s grandmother, who sparked her interest in trinkets and treasures, jewelry was more valuable than money. In her mind, it could not so easily be taken away. As a Holocaust survivor, she had good reason to feel this way. Her family hid all its valuable jewelry in the baseboards and chandeliers of their apartment in Poland at the onset of the war. After they survived Auschwitz, Kim’s grandfather, who stayed alive blending in and working on a Christian family’s farm, helped them retrieve the items. He held the apartment’s post-war tenants at gunpoint (after they refused them entry, of course) while the women collected their things. Kim’s grandparents were married soon after and eventually used some of the jewelry to flea Poland and secure passage to America. Once there, the jewelry helped them come up with cash to rent an apartment in the Bronx.

Now, Bloomberg makes her own jewelry through Kim Bloomberg Designs, and her style emphasizes timelessness – jewelry that can be passed through the generations.

A New York native, Bloomberg attended the University of Illinois where she studied art, specifically glassblowing. However, she changed directions a couple times, pursuing advertising in Chicago after graduation (where she met her husband) and having the epiphany to become a teacher. Her creative energy and love of jewelry and art, however, followed her, including big moves to Atlanta and then back to New York before deciding to raise her family in Chicago. She teaches art enrichments at schools in Deerfield and Highland Park and classes at the Glencoe Public Library.

Whether you love jewelry or Jewry, both, or appreciate a fascinating story, Kim Bloomberg is a Jew You Should Know.

1. How did you first discover your passion for art and jewelry?
I’ve been passionate about art for as long as I can remember. My grandmother used to spend hours showing me her jewelry collection and I loved trying it on. My father (her son) is also a jewelry lover and always bought my mom one-of-a-kind pieces to celebrate milestones. As a child, being creative was something for which I received encouragement and recognition. My father always prioritized taking art classes, attending ceramics and sculpture classes weekly at night after work. Sometimes he would bring me along and let me play with clay and make sculptures. Now he brings my 7-year-old son to the same classes. When I was 11, I began making worry doll barrettes for a local boutique. The owner sold out of every barrette I brought him and continuously placed orders until they went out of style. It ignited an entrepreneurial spirit in me, which continued until I officially went into business in 2001.

2. Describe the concept behind your jewelry designs. What has influenced your style and approach?
Each piece is artfully balanced using the highest quality stones and craftsmanship. Quality is very important to me; I hand-pick each and every gemstone and only use the finest materials. All of my pieces are inspired by nature, yet they all have a timeless, feminine style. My collection is always evolving, yet it is important to me to keep my style consistent. I attempt to create jewelry that can be passed on from generation to generation.

3. Why did you switch from pursuing art and advertising to becoming a teacher?
Well, I loved the energy and the excitement of advertising. Socially, it was a great thing for me to be doing right after college. I would sometimes work overnight shifts on big accounts and work on new business pitches. It was fun to be a part of a team. But I wasn’t passionate about it. One night I came home from work and the news of Columbine was all over the TV. I stood glued to the news throughout the night and the next morning I decided I needed to pursue a teaching degree. I felt like it would be a perfect way to blend my creativity and my desire to work in a social environment. I make it my point to reach out to those students who try to remain invisible.

4. How has inheriting your family story shaped you in general and as a Jewish woman?
My family story probably has the biggest influence on my life as a Jewish woman. I always felt that whatever I was going through in my life couldn’t have been as bad as what my family went through during World War II. I internalized it a lot as a kid and still think about it so much today. I recognize my grandparents’ and parents’ struggles as a sacrifice they made to give me the things they didn’t have. I have learned that Jewish traditions are to be treasured. From generation to generation is a very meaningful Jewish phrase for me, to remember our history and teach it to my children.

5. If you had to design any kind of Judaica, what would you make?
I guess it would have to be heirloom quality jewelry for milestones and celebrations. I love the idea of designing a tiny mezuzah pendant that opens up with a viewing area to see and read the scroll. I love tiny, miniature treasures like that.

6. What do you love most about combining art and teaching?
I feel like I get to have the best of both worlds. I love the solitude of making my jewelry and draw a lot of energy from that creative time. I am also a very social person and I love seeing kids and adults tapping into their creative spirit.

7. In an alternate universe where you couldn’t teach or make jewelry, what would you do?
I would definitely be a rock star. Unfortunately, I can’t carry a tune and don’t know how to play any instruments. According to my husband, I am tone deaf.

8. What’s your favorite Jewish thing to do (or how do you Jew?) in Chicago?
Well, I am a native New Yorker so I am still discovering what the Second City has to offer. I’d like to say that eating bagels is what I do, but unfortunately, I have yet to find a bagel that matches the ones I find on the East Coast. I know I will get a lot of flak for this response, but hey, we all know it’s the truth. So, the best Jewish thing I do is to continue carrying on the traditions of my past by hosting holidays, teaching my children customs and eating Shabbat dinners together with my family.

She’s a straight-talking, 4’7’’ superhero.

An international treasure with a joie de vivre. A household name whose mention brings a smile to people’s face. She’s the people’s sexpert before the phrase “sexpert” was coined. She put the candid discussion of sex on the map—and we haven’t shut up about it since. She’s fluent in four languages—English, German, French, and Hebrew—and she’s taught at Yale and Princeton. She’s authored 35 books, including Sex for Dummies, and she even has her own board game. She’s a little woman, who leads a big life.

She’s Dr. Ruth Westheimer, but we all know her simply as Dr. Ruth. And at 85, she isn’t slowing down. She’ll speak for the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, about sex and the Jewish tradition, at Congregation Am Shalom in Glencoe on Sunday, March 23.

When her sex advice radio show “Sexually Speaking” first aired back in New York in 1980, the radio station was so nervous about Dr. Ruth’s frank discussion of sex that her bosses relegated her to the lousy midnight timeslot for a quick 15 minute show. And rather than deal with the risk of listeners calling in live with unvetted questions, people mailed their queries into Dr. Ruth (back when all mail was snail mail) for her to respond to on her show. Within a year, Dr. Ruth had built a larger audience during her midnight slot than many DJs had at rush hour drive time. Eventually, the radio show morphed into a TV show and went national, and she also hosted a similar version of the show in Israel in Hebrew.

Born in 1928 in Frankfurt, Karola Ruth Siegel, as she was called back then, was the only child of Orthodox Jews. In 1939, the then-10-year-old girl said goodbye to her mother and grandmother and her secure and happy childhood, and was shipped—along with 100 other German Jewish kids—to a children’s orphanage in Switzerland. By war’s end, she learned that her parents and grandmother had been murdered in the Holocaust.

At 17, she picked up the pieces of her life and emigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine, later Israel. Upon arrival in Israel, she changed her name to a less German sounding name, as German Jews were encouraged to, taking her middle name “Ruth” as her first name so perhaps long-lost family members could still track her down.

In Israel, Ruth joined the Haganah (what would later become the IDF) and helped fight for the country’s independence for a couple months as a scout and a sniper. On June 4, 1948, her 20th birthday, she returned from her surveillance shift to the youth hostel where she was living, when a bomb exploded in the lobby. She was struck by shrapnel all over her body, but her feet were hardest hit. She credits Israeli surgeons with saving her feet from amputation.

Ruth then moved to Paris where she studied psychology, and eventually settled in New York City, where she lives to this day, and where she earned her Master’s in Sociology and a Doctorate of Education in the interdisciplinary study of the family. She happened upon a job at Planned Parenthood, which led her to further her education in human sexuality.

Just last year, an off-Broadway play called “Becoming Dr. Ruth” told the story of the Jewish celebrity sex therapist’s life.

At the start of the New Year, Dr. Ruth and I sat down for a phone interview to talk about changing attitudes toward sex, her biggest legacy, and why she loves turtles.

Oy!Chicago: Over the decades, since you got your start in the field of sex therapy, there has been a huge evolution in the culture in terms of people putting sex out there, from the old days of Lucy and Ricky in separate beds to Miley Cyrus twerking and 50 Shades of Grey-mania today. How do you feel about the evolution?
Dr. Ruth Westheimer: No question there has been a change—some of it good, some of it not so good. For example, people engaging in sex before they have a good relationship is not so helpful. But what definitely has changed is that nobody sleeps in separate beds; you don’t have to have one foot on the floor…and there is a change in [a more open] attitude toward homosexuality…and women and men are more sexually literate—I’m not the only one who talks about sex [now].

What question are you asked most often as a therapist?
I don’t have a number one question, but [I get] a lot of questions about loneliness and finding the right partner.

What is your advice for people in the Jewish community who are looking for the one?
In the Talmud, it says as soon as a boy and a girl are born, it’s already determined who they are going to marry. I don’t think that’s so. There are lots of people who are accomplished and like what they’re doing, but just have not found the [right person].

Part of it is that their expectations are too high. Everybody is dreaming of their Prince Charming, but their Prince Charming might [not be perfect]. Television always shows this ideal of [relationships]. People have to be more realistic….[and] they have to take a risk. For example I have a household full of turtle [figurines]. If a turtle stays in one place, nothing can happen to it. If that turtle wants to move, it has to take a risk—it has to stick its neck out. I want people to be like turtles by sticking their neck out…

Have you always wanted to be a sex therapist?
[At first] I wanted to be a medical doctor. I wanted to be a pediatrician because I’m so short. And today, I do not regret that I did not have the opportunity.

Why did you enter the field?
I was looking for a job and I was offered a position at Planned Parenthood in New York City… and look what happened. I used the data for my doctoral dissertation and I’ve stayed in the field ever since. I thought ‘What’s the matter with these people? Don’t they have anything else to talk about—only sex?... And then 24 hours later, I said ‘Oops, what an interesting subject matter.’ I’m still talking [about it] at age 85.

How do Jews approach the subject of sex differently than many other religions?
…Sex for Jews has never been a sin. It’s always been a mitzvah.

What do you recall about the early years of your childhood in Frankfurt before the Holocaust?
The early childhood experiences—the early socialization of a child—is crucial and I believe part of what I did accomplish is because I had a wonderful home life. I was an only child with a grandma living with us who had nothing else to do but take care of me, in an Orthodox Jewish, loving household. The early years of my life were very productive.

Dr. Ruth in Israel.

How did you appreciate your time serving in the Haganah?
I’ve never killed anybody but I’m a very good sniper. I could throw hand grenades. I was badly wounded on my 20th birthday in Jerusalem in both legs. I was lucky that I had a brilliant surgeon. And two nights ago (on New Year’s Eve) I danced half the night.

You’ve done so much in your life? What do you think is your biggest contribution to date?
To be able to say that sex is not something shameful; in the proper context, it should be a joyful experience, and if there is a problem to go for help.

What’s it like to be a cultural icon?
I absolutely love it. You can tell Chicago that I love being Dr. Ruth.

Some of the research for this article came from the 2012 book “The Things that Matter,” written by Nate Berkus.

A free trip to Israel? Uhh, yes please.

Taglit-Birthright Israel is fast becoming a staple of the Jewish American young adult experience. And even though every trip is unique and totally the best group/bus EVER, there are some things that no Birthrighter can avoid doing – they unite Birthright participants everywhere, across the more than a decade of Birthright Israel trips.

And whaddya know? Registration for Summer 2014 trips, including Chicago community trips organized by JUF through Shorashim, open today for returning applicants and Wednesday for new applicants! If you’ve already experienced these 18 glorious things, pass this along to someone who has still yet to go!

1. Become giddy with excitement the moment you pass through customs.

And then contain it, because you don’t want anyone to think you’re going to be the trip weirdo.

2. Eat excessive amounts of falafel and shawarma, drowned in hummus.

Because it’s sooo much better than what you get in the States. And because you have no idea what anything else is and whether it’s edible.

3. Declare your trip guide the coolest and smartest human being on the planet.

You will never know this much about anything.

4. Take this picture in front of a waterfall.

If a hike doesn’t end in a waterfall, it’s just not worth hiking.

5. Ponder your very existence at the Kotel.

It looks so much bigger than it did in that video you watched in Hebrew school.

6. Drink at the hotel bar.

How often depends on how old you are – i.e. how recently you turned 18.

7. Ask yourself why there are so many cats.

Well, it’s quite interesting, actually. The British brought cats to Palestine because of a mice problem, but didn’t spay/neuter them, and then somehow forgot to round up these free-roaming, fertile cats to take them back when all the mice disappeared. Then they had babies. Oops.

8. Gravitate to the nearest Aroma because you are inexplicably obsessed with their iced coffee slushies.

You might not remember a single Hebrew phrase from your trip, except for “ice-kafeh, b’vakasha.”

9. Wish your trip called for more time in Tel Aviv.

“Umm, I think we missed that big piece of Israeli history over there by that beach. Or was it that nightclub?” Yallah Balagan!

10. Take this picture atop Masada.

The most meaningful sunrise in your tiny little Jewish life.

11. Take this picture at the Dead Sea.

Plus, you worked really hard to be bathing-suit ready for this trip and you want proof.

12. Sleep on the bus. All. The. Time.

It’s very exhausting ensuring the continuity of the Jewish people.

13. Name your camel. Then take this picture.

Although 95 percent of the time you keep taking this picture:

Thanks, C____ the Camel.

14. Struggle to sleep in a Bedouin tent.

How can you sleep on the ground? … with all your new best friends right next to you!

15. Summon all your courage to haggle with an Israeli vendor and fail miserably.

Because you’ll always get a good deal when you speak English, wear a backpack and have a giant American nametag around your neck.

16. Hoard Israeli candy and snacks.

It’s authentic, Israeli merchandise you simply can’t get in America.

17. Buy gifts for people at the airport before going home, mostly to get rid of leftover shekels.

Better yet, give your shekels as gifts and encourage the recipients to go to Israel! Yay!

18. Have an amazing time.

Register for Birthright Israel today!

Highland Park native Jason Brown performs his “Riverdance” program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Boston, Mass. He finished in second place.

Nineteen-year-old Highland Park native Jason Brown is an Olympian. Brown earned a spot with a second-place finish at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Boston on Jan. 12. His “Riverdance” program won the crowd over, dazzled the judges, and has garnered more than 2.7 million views on YouTube.

Although he’s been skating since he was about 4 years old, Brown, with help from his parents, Steve and Marla, also set aside time growing up for connecting with Judaism and the Jewish community. He attended Hebrew and religious school at Congregation Solel in Highland Park through his Confirmation year and went to Jewish summer camp at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) for five summers.

Brown spoke with Oy!Chicago about his viral success, balancing his commitment to Judaism with his skating ambitions, and what he’s looking forward to at the Sochi games this month.

Oy!Chicago: Now that you’ve had some time for it to sink in, what has been your feeling and reaction so far to all this excitement?
Jason Brown: I went to Nationals really well-trained and ready to put out two clean skates and that’s what I’ve been working so hard this whole year to do, so it was not surprising to me that I was able to do it. What I think has been out of this world is the reaction afterwards … the magnitude of what happened I did not ever expect. I cannot express how fortunate, and lucky and blessed I feel. I can’t even express the amount of people that have reached out to me, I can’t even put to words – I really can’t.

Have you received any funny or crazy reactions since you “went viral”?
So many people are Tweeting at me or writing about me that they’re not into skating and I got their attention, and I think that’s something that is a skater’s dream because you want to expand the sport, you want non-skating fans to become skating fans and that definitely took me by surprise and means so much to me. The Riverdance cast wrote me, which is just the most insane thing in my life. They’re such inspirations to me … Today I got a Tweet from Bill Whelan who composed the music of Riverdance. I don’t even know how to respond. It’s so beyond anything I ever thought would happen. It’s beyond even if I skated my best, it’s not what I thought would happen.

Highland Park native Jason Brown performs his “Riverdance” program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Boston, Mass. He finished in second place.

A lot of people have praised you for being a great performer. Is that what you think is really drawing people in and causing this reaction?
For me, I love to perform and I love to perform for the audience, to the audience, at the audience. I think that’s something I’ve always loved to do since I was little. I think because I don’t have the biggest technical marks, I work so extremely hard in every other aspect in skating and I love it so much … Nothing makes me happier than to know that the audience enjoyed it and had a good time watching it.

When did you know that skating was more than just an activity for you?
I went through a two-year period where I told [his coach, Kori Ade] I didn’t want to compete again; I got so nervous being in front of a crowd. My coach, I love her to death – she’s literally my second mom – somehow turned me around mentally and showed me the joy that competing and performing brings. From there she started to take me to different training sites all over the country and that was really inspiring … It was about 2006 in those Olympics when I first was like, “this could be something I really want to do.” When I was 11, I won the juvenile title and that is when I started to believe, “let’s see where I’ll go,” that’s when I became a bit more serious. As the years went on, that drive to train and become more dedicated kept growing.

What Jewish experiences do you feel have influenced you?
I went to OSRUI for five years and I think their support through it all—they allowed me to go for three weeks or two weeks [of a four-week session] and leave, they even let me come back for the last couple of days. I wasn’t able to take that much time off [of skating]. Just the family atmosphere ... I have so many memories at that camp. Growing up, I went to Hebrew school until I was a sophomore and I read Torah at confirmation. Being part of that community and having their support means so much to me … The Jewish community and that feeling is something that I can’t be more grateful for.

What was it like trying to balance skating with a commitment to Judaism?
There are times when you have to start to give up things because you can’t do it all. I think what was so great was having the balance made me so much more of a well-rounded person. I was able to have a life outside of the rink. Skating never defined who I was, and it still doesn’t to this day and I can’t thank my parents enough for that. I wasn’t always forced to be at the rink, and having that balance made me a more balanced person and athlete.

The Brown family on vacation in Arizona (left to right): Steve, Jordan, Jason, Dylan and Marla.

What is your mindset heading into the Olympics?
I’m just taking it like I’d approach any competition. I’m going to do the best that I can and just train really hard and take it day by day. That was my mentality for Nationals and that’s a mentality I’m going to keep for the Olympics. That’s where [my and Kori’s] focus is – training very consistently and keeping it very schedule-oriented, just do your job every single day.

Any athletes you’re looking forward to meeting?
I think it’s going to be so incredible to be around so many athletes of so many different sports. People like Shaun White, to actually see them in person, or Bode Miller. I think that’s going to be insane. It’s crazy that I’ll be there when the U.S. hockey team is playing and the speed skaters – Shani Davis – those are the type of experiences that I’m so excited to have because I’ve seen them on TV for so many years and it’s like, wait, I’m going to be there? It doesn’t register yet. I don’t know when it will, if it ever will.

You have such a big support network of family and friends who saw you perform at Nationals and have reached out to you since. What has that meant to you?
There’s nothing more important to me than family and family friends, the people you surround yourself with. I couldn’t have asked for a better support system. They’ve all been there at my lowest lows; they’ve been there at the moment with the highest highs and they’ve never stopped believing in me … Sometimes it’s hard as an athlete; in any sport there are times when you fail, there are times when you don’t succeed. I know there are some athletes if you don’t succeed your family and friends say that wasn’t good enough. I never ever get that. It’s learn from it, grow from it and keep going. They’ve never stopped being proud of me and it means the world to me.

Photo credit: David Safran

You can talk about sex – and images of women in the media and throughout history – with Emma Morris. Although she works as a library assistant at the University of Chicago by day, Morris is the managing editor of Jewrotica.org, an online community, resource, and forum for Jewish sexual expression through articles, essays, fiction, poetry and more.

But not one thing (or two things) defines who she is. A native of East Lansing, Mich., Morris received her degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan, and after considering a PhD in film studies, got her master's in library and information science. She volunteers at the Leather Archives and Museum and has written horoscopes for Jewcy.com, vegetarian restaurant reviews for Examiner.com and an unpublished novella (you can read part of here) that she describes as a "supernatural noir/detective/murder mystery/love story that revolves around literature, ideas and libraries."

With a cornucopia of interests and talents, it wasn't hard to determine that Emma Morris is a Jew You Should Know. 

1. You seem to really like old things. What draws you to archives and artifacts and what excites you most about working with them?
What draws me to books, heirlooms, antiques and other objects is their history. It excites me to imagine who owned, touched, wore, or meditated on them before me. Sometimes you can actually feel energy radiating from a book or piece of jewelry. Even just the materiality itself, the decomposition of film, the wear and creases in paper and notes in the margins, the evidence of its connection to human touch and care: each object has its own life stored within it. In some ways, I think of objects as conduits, a way of communing with spirits. 

2. What subjects or issues interest you most in the areas of gender studies and sexuality? How has this influenced your career path?
A year ago, I joined forces with Jewrotica. Learning about how Judaism has shaped many of our writers' and readers' lives has been fascinating; it has both taught me about Jewish tradition and revitalized my interest in how people understand – and celebrate – themselves in the context of gender and sexuality.

What interested me most while pursuing my bachelor's degree was the way that women are depicted in literature, film, mythology and popular culture – all of which have been largely produced by men. I perceived these works to be projecting and appropriating and perpetuating images of ideal femininity that tend to bear only a passing resemblance to actual women. At the same time, storytelling, writing, or artistic creation can be a way to sublimate erotic impulses, to exorcise demons. So there's an unconscious sex game between creators and readers/viewers in which what we experience informs our identities and sexualities.

3. In your mind, are Jews mostly afraid to discuss sex in a religious context? What role does Jewrotica play in this discussion?
In my experience, when Jews discuss sex in a religious context, they are careful to stay within prescribed bounds. In more religious circles, those bounds are of course the normative legal strictures of halachah (Jewish religious law). Religious discourse on sex and halachah focuses on modesty, marriage, and the ways that sex relates to the divine. In some cases, pleasure is validated, but religious Jews tend to strongly resist modes of thought that are independent of "halachically"-ordained sexual categories and norms. Secular Jews, on the other hand, often use irony and humor to resist seriously confronting both religion and sexuality.

Jewrotica is educational and all-embracing. Our role in this discussion is to provide an outlet for Jewish sexual expression, a forum for meaningful learning and conversation, and an opportunity for Jewish engagement …the goal is to move beyond fear, shame, and guilt through learning and connecting while embracing a positive attitude toward love, romance, sexuality and eroticism. 

4. Astrology has its own kind of spirituality. How does that mesh with your Judaism?
Astrology meshes with my Judaism by bringing me closer to the past. It also connects me to family members, friends and historical figures toward whom I feel a particularly strong bond. Astrological affinities, such as sharing a sun sign, cut across time and space and even religion. I've always been drawn to mystical, enigmatic and intuitive forces. When I discovered last summer that I share a birthday with Sydney Omarr, Jewish astrologer to the stars, I felt that I was somehow fated to further pursue my interest in astrology.

5. If you could get your hands on and study any original Jewish document or artifact, what would it be?
It would be great to get my hands on some of Houdini's personal collection of magic or illusion books, original photographs, letters, maybe a straitjacket! A rabbi's son, Houdini's myth influences, transfixes, and seduces people to this day. What I find so exciting about Houdini is that he's this towering, magnetic, nearly supernatural person who captivates people nearly 100 years after his death. There's a whole legend and industry built up around him: movies and graphic novels are made about his life and museums are dedicated to his work. The Secret Life of Houdini: The making of America's first superhero by Larry Sloman and William Kalush is an outstanding biography that I would recommend to any Houdini-lover. 

6. What are your favorite vegetarian restaurants in Chicago? Any hidden vegetarian gems?
My new favorite Chicago vegetarian restaurant is Uru Swati. It is a recent addition to Devon's strip of Indian restaurants, and has the most amazing, unique dishes. Other not-so-hidden favorites are Dharma Garden, Chicago Diner and Native Foods. 

7. What do you love most about having so many diverse interests and talents, and what would you say ties them all together for you?
In many ways, writing ties all of my interests together: trying to make sense out of things, distilling and connecting meaning, exploring unknown forces and the weight of history, organizing and preserving artifacts or ideas, following the mind in motion, which sparks and fuses and forms into words that can take on a life of their own. 

8. How do you Jew in Chicago?
Séance Seder! This isn't a real thing, as far as I know, but it's been a long-standing fantasy of mine. I'd invite Sigmund Freud, Peter Falk, Saul Bellow, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Houdini, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Lou Reed, Edward G. Robinson, Walter Matthau, Maurice Sendak, Theda Bara, my grandfather and other ancestors I never got to know ... the possibilities are endless!

There’s nothing like love, whether you’re surrounded by it – or looking for it. And although Chicago might not be the romantic capital of the world, it has for so many people been the backdrop of their most treasured love story. Whether your Chicago love story has been written, whether it’s written in the stars, or whether you keep having to throw out the first chapter, Oy!Chicago wants to publish your story for our upcoming blog series, “Beshert in Chicago.”

All week from Feb. 10-14, we are hoping to publish stories about love in the Windy City, whether that’s past, present or future tense. Whether you’re a writer, an occasional writer-for-fun, or you know someone who might want to contribute to this blog series, here’s how to submit: write a paragraph describing what your piece is about and send it to info@oychicago.com by Friday, January 24. The only requirement is that the post should in some way relate to the theme, however you interpret it. We will review your submission and let you know if we are interested in running in your piece in full on Oy!Chicago the week of the blog series.

We look forward to reading your awesome stories and sharing your talent with the entire Oy!Chicago community! Please note that Oy!Chicago is a volunteer-run website, so we are unable to pay for published submissions at this time. If you have any questions, email them to info@oychicago.com.

Stef & Steven

Author Lauren Weisberger

Bestselling author Lauren Weisberger made waves with her first book, The Devil Wears Prada—the 2003 book inspired by Weisberger's experience working at Vogue as an assistant for Anna Wintour was made into a popular movie of the same name in 2006 featuring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Ten years and four books later—including Chasing Harry Winston and the recently published sequelRevenge Wears Prada—Weisberger will visit Chicago this month to speak to JUF's Young Women's Board.

In an email interview with Oy!Chicago, Weisberger talked about her strong Jewish identity, her love of planning travel, and how her personal life inspires her writing.

Oy!Chicago: Can you give us a preview of what you'll be speaking about in Chicago this month?
Lauren Weisberger: I'm so excited to visit Chicago, although I'm not going to lie—I do wish it was in July and not January. But seriously, I'll be talking about what it was really like working atVogue, how The Devil Wears Prada came about, and what it was like being on set while they made the movie. I'll also touch a bit on trying to find a balance between work and motherhood, which is a topic important to so many women.

What was your Jewish upbringing like? What role does Judaism play in your life today?
In Scranton, where I was born, we belonged to a Conservative synagogue. I went to Hebrew school three or four days a week and Sabbath school on Saturday mornings, which was taught by the rabbis' wives. Once we moved to Allentown, right before my bat mitzvah, we joined a reform synagogue with a really wonderful, progressive congregation. Israel is important to me: I went for the first time in high school (on Alexander Muss High School in Israel), studied abroad at Tel Aviv University in college, and have been fortunate enough to visit half a dozen times in the years since college graduation. My daughter attends a Jewish preschool, and it's important to both my husband and myself that our children will be raised to understand and value our Jewish traditions.

How, if at all, does your Judaism influence your writing? Do you consider yourself a Jewish writer?
Of course I consider myself a Jewish writer—I am one! All of the protagonists in my five books have been Jewish, and I wouldn't be surprised if all my future main characters were as well.

Your time working at Vogue inspired The Devil Wears Prada and all of your books have young, female protagonists—how much of your own experiences motivate you as a writer?
So much of my own life inspires what I write. Whether it's work, family, friends, motherhood, I am a writer who tends to write what she knows. In Revenge Wears Prada, a great deal of my own life finds its way into the book. Andy and I may have had divergent career paths since the first book, but we both still make a living by writing; we both still have passionate love affairs with New York City; we both struggle with trying to strike the right balance between excelling at work and being good mothers. And naturally I mine my girlfriends' lives for good anecdotes and stories—so many of their experiences find their way into my books.

What is one interesting thing about you not many people know?
I am obsessed with planning travel! Not just traveling, which I love, but the whole planning process and all the details that go into it. I subscribe to all these travel blogs and airline forums and research hotels and activities and destinations for hours on end, and I volunteer to plan trips for everyone I know. Little is more exciting to me than figuring out a way to use frequent flier miles on a blackout day. If I had another life to live, I'd probably come back as a travel agent.

What's next for you?
I'm working on my next book! This one is a little different than the others I've written, and I'm having such a great time with the research. I'll tell you all about it in person.