3 minute read
JWOW
jewish women of wisdom
Of Covid, Closets, and Chanukah
By Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz
Like everyone else my age, I cleaned closets during the early months of last year’s lockdown. We all nested, upped our sourdough skills, and tackled niggling household organizing chores. Some of us took online classes. It felt good to have something to show for the time we were confined.
Among the things that had accumulated in the 15 closets in my home, I found things I wasn’t ready to put into the trash or giveaway pile. Some were the usual culprits – mishloach monos containers. I found three cheeseboards.
Easy solution to the Chanukah menu, I thought. Cheeseboard arrangements can include fresh and dried fruit, whole wheat crackers, and something savory. The idea seemed healthier than the other choice for this kind of hostess item – a charcuterie board. I’d use them as centerpieces on my milichig table.
I had plenty of time to plan a menu around the woody tones of the board. Easy, too, and not expensive! I ordered a roll of brown kraft paper for tablecloths and got cheap burlap runners for the tables. Twine wrapped around some everyday glassware. I could repeat the theme. There were some scarlet leaves around that added pop, and so I popped them into vases.
Table became tablescape. Hey, I could compete with the Between Carpools crowd, even if I was a grandma! I ordered woody paper plates on Amazon and found some napkins to match in my stash.
The creativity went up a notch with more closet finds. I found many shallow wooden trays from Oh Nuts! and similar snack purveyors that I’d saved for some homemade arrangements. (Yes, I have the brown tissue paper and plastic containers to go on top). Wouldn’t they be useful for our har-
vest-themed sukkah which has scarlet and orange-hued décor?
A lot of thinking and purchasing of craft supplies ensued. I bought rolls of washi tape in patterns and prints that worked with the palette. And then I bought some more. We needed Hebrew stencils and scrapbook paper. I checked my crafts closets for more to give the various grandchildren ages 5-15 ample materials and found yarn, markers, and beads. There had to be enough pairs of kid scissors. A trip to the local Dollar Tree met my needs and more; they had unique foam balls with glitter in the right colors.
The next stage of planning included the second-oldest girls from two families. It was time to give them a chance to lead and be in charge. We spoke by phone. Then they came over (one from Staten Island), and we laid out materials and discussed process. Pairing older ones with younger ones made sense. We have a boy who likes projects, and one who doesn’t. We had a kindergartener last year, too.
It was decided that each pair would make something for Bobby’s sukkah but also make their own signs to take home. A sample was made. Instructions were written out on huge Post-its. The multiple names of the chag and appropriate pesukim were written out so they would get the spelling right. The mess would be contained and on a different floor and the activity held after the meal. This year the entertainment was a science experiment by a third grader and magic tricks by a second grader.
The food worked out OK. Chestnut soup (tasteless! Don’t try it!), an easy baked side of salmon, and the pizza store completed the menu. The cheeseboard, especially the crackers, not the gourmet cheeses, attracted a finicky kid or two but no adults. There was a salad or two around, I think. No one went hungry.
There were no adult games this time for when the kids were busy for an hour and a half downstairs. No one had prepared one. Everyone sat around the dining room table and chatted.
“It was the best family Chanukah party!” exclaimed one adult.
“Why?” I pressed the one who expressed this evaluation.
“We didn’t have to do anything or bring anything!”
So how can I match this gathering a year later? Am I doing it all again? Do I have the time to plan and purchase all the supplies this year sans aveilus and the pandemic to keep me at home every evening? Will I be partied out during Chanukah week as is usually the case?
I don’t have the answers yet. But I will give you the answer to the question: shall I give you a cheeseboard? No! Because I know that if you give this woman a cheeseboard….
