PJ Library Corner: A Tree is Nice, Indeed

In case you didn’t know, there’s a minor Jewish holiday coming up on January 25th called Tu Bishvat, and it’s all about trees.

Oftentimes referred to as the “New Year for Trees” or the “Birthday of the Trees,” Tu Bishvat comes as the trees in Israel just start to blossom (we know, we know, there’s still snow on the ground in many places right now, including Israel, but an early springtime celebration never hurts).

Anyways, back to the trees: many families celebrate Tu Bishvat by planting trees and celebrating all that they have to offer. This month, PJ Library, an organization that sends out free Jewish books to families each month, offered up a true gem, just in time for Tu Bishvat: A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry, illustrated by Marc Simont. Originally published in 1956 and winner of the Caldecott Medal, this charming picture book is a throwback to a simpler time, and a reminder to soak in the wonder of nature all around us.

Inside the book are simple lines like, “Trees are very nice. They fill up the sky,” and, “Trees make the woods. They make everything beautiful.” The pages are accompanied by elegant illustrations, making it easy for a reader of any age to see just how beautiful trees can be. The book also devotes a section to planting trees, a common Jewish tenet that is even more popular come Tu Bishvat time. If a tree seems a bit too big for your little ones to handle, planting your own parsley is another great idea (and it will be fully grown in time for your Passover seder!).

The funny thing about trees is that they ARE nice and they ARE everywhere but seldom do we give them much of a thought in our day-to-day lives. Whether it’s reading Udry’s book, going on a walk in your neighborhood to pick out a favorite tree, or planting your own, use Tu Bishvat as the perfect excuse to help your kids celebrate trees in all their leafy glory.

Want to get books like A Tree is Nice sent to your door every month, for free? Sign up for PJ Library. If you live in the New York metro area, you can sign up through Kveller by clicking here. Everyone else can find their local PJ community by clicking here.

How To Civilize Your Kids

Don’t pay someone else to teach your children etiquette. Just start early—and make them write thank-you notes. 

By Marjorie Ingall



(Photoillustration Tablet Magazine; original photo Shutterstock)

Last week, the New York Times ran its semi-annual story about consultants who give lessons to children about manners. This piece was well-timed, since I’m hearing lots of post-Hanukkah muttering from bubbes and child-free humans nationwide about children’s failures to send thank-you notes for gifts. The Times piece is essentially the same as every other bemoaning-the-death-of-manners piece the newspaper has run since the dawn of time. (Here’s one on the lack of manners at bar and bat mitzvahs! Here’s one on Petit Protocol classes at the Hotel Pierre! Here’s one on don’t-shriek-when-presented-with-asparagus-soup classes at a New Jersey hotel! Here’s one on some darling African-American children at a charter school who begin every class with Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” and this article is not at all anthropologically wide-eyed and condescending—oh wait, yes it is!) All these stories are really about parents falling down on the job, neglecting to teach civility, and outsourcing the task to strangers—some of whom charge hundreds of dollars for the privilege.

Put away your checkbooks. I will now teach you to civilize your little heathens for free.

You know those Hanukkah presents your children received? They have to say thank you. If they are old enough to hold a crayon, they are old enough to write a thank-you note. You say, “Let’s make a picture for Auntie Sophie! She sent you that fabulous plastic dreidel full of chocolate you ate in a nanosecond, remember?” If the kid is too young to write anything, you write the note on the picture and tell the kid what you’re doing. Believe me, children absorb things the way a latke absorbs oil, especially when these lessons are consistent. If the kid can write his name, have him sign the note. If the kid is physically capable of writing her own note, force her. If the child is hesitant, withhold food. Withhold affection. Our ancestors survived repeated attempts at annihilation; their descendants will survive being made to write thank-you notes.

Continue reading.

Celebrate Winter Fruit: Quick Tu B'Shevat Decorating Ideas

If you already know that you've got a busy week ahead, and there won't be much time for decorating for Tu B'Shevat (the Jewish New Year for the trees) here are a few simple tricks that you can do in just a few minutes. Stock up on colorful citrus fruit and some green apples, and in no time your home will look ready for this fun holiday!

1. Fill large jars or glass vases with fruit and water, simple yet beautiful.

2. Create a pyramid of fruit by simply attaching fruit to one another with toothpicks. In order to make this footed pot a suitable base, I placed an inverted stainless steel bowl into the pot to fill up the space.

3. Display colorful fruit and real greenery where ever possible — on open shelves, buffets etc.

4. Aren't you glad that you've started to read this blog? (I'm glad that you have! ) Now you too can enhance your family's enjoyment of this holiday without a huge investment of time. It's all about learning to think creatively!

Knit By A Ten Year Old!

Ruffled Knit Scarf Using Mesh Yarn......Knit By A Ten Year Old!

 It just so happens that knitting scarves from mesh yarn is all the rage with the girls in my daughter's school, so I gave her a ball of this special yarn for Hanukkah, and yesterday she knit herself a scarf. Well, it wasn't exactly what I'd call knitting, as she used her fingers more than the knitting needles, but she did a great job and is so very proud of her accomplishment. And of course, I'll be happy to buy her another ball of yarn, for the sake of encouraging crafting! (Now if I can just get her to learn how to actually knit, I'll be even happier!)

The mesh yarn isn't really yarn exactly, but rather more like trim, but it comes in a skein, and like many other specialty yarns on the market, allows one to create something with amazing texture and interest! And you only need one ball of yarn to make a scarf, so it's a great idea for gift making this winter too!

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Tabletop Torah

God has more in common with a bottle of dish soap than you might think. Or at least Brooklyn-based puppeteer and educator Ora Fruchter wants you to think so.

Through Creatures Teach Torah, Fruchter uses various puppetry methods to explore and teach biblical stories [video trailer here]. One of these methods is object theatre – a school of puppetry developed in Europe in the 1980s in which everyday objects are anthropomorphically transformed into characters. In a world where a fork can be the villain and a slice of coffee cake, the hero, there’s lots of room for interpretation. A simple household object – the way it looks, its real life utility – can be a fresh and unexpectedly provocative way to think about the personalities of the characters in the Torah.

Take Fruchter’s Tabletop Torah performance where Moses is a sponge and God is a bottle of dish soap. Instead of explaining to her multigenerational audiences why this is, Fruchter puts the question to them. In so doing, she hopes audiences can "access the idea that the Torah is theirs to interpret."

So check it out -- just be warned that once you do, your dishpan may never look quite the same to you again.

The Hanukkah I see in children’s books demonstrates families playing dreidel and eating latkes while the menorah shines brilliantly in the window. Then there’s the inevitable illustration of the kids’ utter elation when the parents unveil a bag of gelt night after night.

The scene sounds delightful, but I can’t imagine it’s realistic in all Jewish homes. Let’s be honest: starting in October, lots of Jewish kids obsess over the ”holiday” (aka Christmas) catalogues that arrive daily in mailboxes around the country.

Right or wrong, at some point this tradition of 8 nights of gifts as influenced by Christmas has become part of the Hanukkah many of us know and love.

And yes, yes, yes, I know that letting Hanukkah resemble Christmas undermines the main message of Hanukkah. I don’t need the lecture. My kids go to Chabad every Shabbat morning. They love Shabbat dinners, decorating the Sukkah, and attending ice cream parties for Shavuot. They even know that Hanukkah celebrates the war story of the Maccabees‘ unlikely defeat of the Greeks (and not just the oil lasting for eight days). Nobody would accuse my husband and me of neglecting to pass on a healthy dose of serious Jewish tradition to our children.

Nevertheless, instead of completely trying to fight this Christmas imitation during Hanukkah, I’ve come to embrace it by adding my own practical and reasonable twist to the nightly celebrations. I mean, just because I let my kids open gifts during every night of Hanukkah, it doesn’t mean that the toy section of Target needs to take up temporary residence in my living room.

Trust me, you can do 8 nights of gifts without creating spoiled brats, even if it seems like on a couple of the nights the only thing missing is the eggnog and the tree.

Ideas for a festive but practical Hanukkah:

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Hanukkah Gift Guide 2012: Classic Toys for Kids

There’s no stopping Hanukkah, which is heading our way starting December 8th. If you’re looking for some more classic, well-made toys for your kids, we recommend heading over to one of our favorite online stores, Magic Beans. Here are our eight favorite items, perfect for any night of Hanukkah.

     

 The Melissa & Doug Grocery Basket with Food ($19.99) is a classic gift that any child would put to good use. A variety of highly realistic toy food items are stored in a metal grocery basket. And why do kids like to pretend to shop and cook? Don’t ask! Just go with it!

For something a little less traditional, consider a gift of Neo Tobbles ($27.99). These highly durable and lightweight funky shapes are a great stacking toy for tiny hands.

My First Wooden Ball Track Basic Set ($99.99) is sure to please the toddler in your life. The set’s familiar wooden tracks are mixed with fun, bright blocks. Just don’t expect your house to become as magically clean as the one in that picture.

For the toddler on the go, the Kickboard USA Micro Mini 3-in-1 Scooter ($114.99) is the ultimate vehicle. Designed to grow with your child, the scooter is available in both pink and blue (not that we’re saying which one goes with which gender. Ahem.).

Continue reading to see more great gifts.