Count our Jewish Blessings!

With Hanukkah upon us – I’d like to reflect a little on the meaning of Hanukkah for me.

The lighting of the eight candled Menorah is symbolic of the triumph of light over darkness, of good over evil.
The lighting of the Menorah represents the eight days a small amount of oil burned and gave the Maccabees, victorious in preserving their holy place and moral beliefs, a miraculous eight days of holy light – it was a triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.
I think this is the right time of year to count some of our Jewish Blessings!

And I can think of some big ones -
Where would the western world be without Jewish Philanthropy?
Where would our institutions be without the charitable contributions of the Jewish culture?
How many libraries would not have been built?
How many hospitals would not exist?
How many studies would not have been undertaken?
How many elder care facilities would never have been started?
How many patients not served?
When there is need the Jewish Community is the fore front – anticipating and responding with institutions that form the very core of our lives.
How many theaters, cultural centers, museums and art programs would never have breathed?
Where would we be without Jewish Creativity?
What no Bob Dylan? What no Barbara Streisand?
How many first nights would never have opened?
How many plays would never have been written?
Where would we be without Arthur Miller, and Neil Simon and Carl Reiner?
How many movies would not have been made?
How many galleries never supported?
What no Guggenheim?
How many books unwritten?
What -no Leon Uris, or JD Salinger or Elie Wiesel?
How many actors not seen?
When there is art – the Jewish community is in attendance – enjoying, participating and giving.
Where would we be without Jewish Business?
No Leslie Wexner?
No Levi Strauss?
No Barbie Doll?
And Jewish Design – especially in the garment industry?
What no Marc Jacobs, no Ralph Lauren, no Calvin Klein, no Hinda Miller?
It’s almost no clothes!

Where would we be without Jews in Academia?
How many colleges would never have been built?
How much research not pursued?
How many scholarships denied?
And most importantly -How many questions not asked?
And how many doctors and scientists we would be missing!
When we experience academia the intellectual and questioning mind nurtured by the Jewish culture is integral to our experience.

And what about laughter?
Where would we be without Jewish Wit?
Where would we be without the slapstick fun of the Three Stooges, gone more sophisticated with Mel Brooks, or the story telling humor of Billy Crystal and Jerry Seinfeld?
Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller- look at the range!
What about the simultaneously raucous and sensitive Bette Midler, the hilarious Gilda Radner and irritatingly funny intellectual Woody Allen?

Our TV shows would lose essential crazy humor. Our movies their originality – no Steven Spielberg- please no!
Our comedy nights would pale, our ability to laugh at our selves, fall over ourselves and see the absurd and carry on would be less.

So I say we should count our blessings today – our Jewish blessings.
And I will start my counting with a bagel and cream cheese!
As my friend says

Om Shalom

April

Be Beautiful, Live Beautiful, Feel Beautiful

Thinking and Thanking

The holidays are upon us and I've prepared a few words for the end of the year, a reflection of all that is beautiful in our everyday lives.



April

Passing on Good Fortune

A couple of months ago I wrote about my company in New Delhi, Cornell Overseas and how they took a piece of good fortune [a nice order] and turned that into good fortune for others.
All of the staff in our Delhi office participated and collected enough money to organize a food distribution for the poor...at the time I thought - imagine if everybody did that?
This action so excited us in Vermont, that we decided when good fortune came our way, we would do the same. I am happy to say, that it is now our turn to give back. We recently received a large commission check from our Licensing Partner, Danica. When the news came in Donna and I locked eyes across the room - "our turn" we said.
So happily, last week we met with United Way and gave our first pass it on check to them. We also wrote a second check for the Giving World Foundation. The foundation that gives a hand up, through education and opportunity to people in India.
I have long admired the United Way. In our community they are involved with so many worthwhile projects - Dismas House, Food Shelters, King Street Community Center, the Red Cross and many more meaningful organizations. They also have dedicated groups of volunteers that allow community members to participate and learn from volunteerism.
My company is also looking into how we can contribute in this way, too. So my friend, times may be trying, times may be tough, but let's remember to keep passing on the good news, and not hoard it for ourselves.

April
Feel Beautiful, Beautiful, Live Beautiful

Motherhood & Memories

There is nothing as precious or as impactful as childhood. Even as adults we can see the impact of a childhood filled with love and care, and a childhood without.
Being a mother and a grandmother I am conscious of this memory making time. The rituals, the routines, the occasions, and the people that give those fleeting days its value and worth and carry forward to be drawn on all of the days of our lives. This is the emotional and artistic place where I draw my inspiration for our babies' and girls' clothing. I want to make every piece beautiful, every piece delightful, every piece comfortable and worthy of the memories that will be made in it.
We were three sisters growing up just 2 1/2 years between the oldest and the youngest. My mother loved to dress us up, unwittingly creating the first models for my future girl's collection. Now I have a little baby granddaughter and she carries all of the hope and the dreams of the family - you can be sure she wears them well! She looks especially adorable in her Maddy Jacket!

I would love to hear about your favorite childhood memories, or the memories of your children.

April

Feel Beautiful, Be Beautiful, Live Beautiful

Summer Celebrations

A beautiful July Saturday in the height of summer holds so much potential... A marriage could be beginning with pretty bridesmaids and little girls in fancy dresses. Or a special birthday could be being marked, perhaps a party in a garden, an anniversary noted, a reunion of family and friends. What for me might be a quiet day, ordinary day, could well be a day of great celebration for others. Today, as I celebrate the quietness of an every day, many others are making a memory to treasure for years. Mine day is just as memorable... Hope yours is too.

What You Give the World

Think of everything you give the world, just by being you...

  Your actions,

    Your activities and decisions,

  Your one-by-one choices all collectively...

     Your personality,

  Your attitudes,

      and your morals.

This is what you give the world, And these are the forces that will change the world...

Keep on giving.