Tag Archives: purim

Purim Carnival Alternative, Miztvah-centric

Posted on 03/03/2014 | Comments Off

Purim "scrip" that converts to real money after we calculate donations. Like non-digital bitcoin, but not really...

Purim “scrip” tickets become real money after tzedakah donations are calculated.

A Purim carnival without cheap, plastic prizes? What if instead of winning crappy, non-recyclable tchotchkes, a kid at a Purim carnival wins tzedakah tickets—Mitzvah Money—from each game, and then stuffs them into a pushke for his or her favorite charity? At least two synagogues are doing this already, and this year, mine will, too.
It’s just like Chuck E. Cheese, only instead of redeeming tickets for disposable clutter, kids donate tickets to help people less fortunate.
If the tzedakah-centric model sounds like carnival buzz-kill, read on.

(UPDATE: see pics and after-the-event update at next post, here) Continue reading →

Comments Off on Purim Carnival Alternative, Miztvah-centric

Posted in Activity, Purim

Tagged carnival, Fair, Justice Fair, mitzvah, purim, Tzedakah

Gyotaku Fish-Printing in Adar (for Purim)

Posted on 02/20/2014 | 3 comments

a blue Bluegill

Fish is a symbol of the Jewish month of Adar, the month in which we 1) celebrate Purim and 2) freak out that Passover is so close. Why fish? From the astrological sign, Pisces. I’ve always thought it seemed a bit fishy that astrology gives us a kosher Jewish symbol, but Pisces is right there on the calendar. It’s legit. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in Activity, Nature, Purim, Rosh Hashanah / Yom Kippur

Tagged fish, Gyotaku, printmaking, purim

Making Toys Jewish

Posted on 05/06/2011 | 5 comments

Dollhouse Purim teaparty

Kveller.com published my article on Converting Toys to Judaism. Do please read it at Kveller.com and leave a comment if you have ideas to share.

What does converting toys mean, exactly? It means we can use all the toys we already have, Jewishly. From Lego to play kitchens to Barbies to bath toys.

Here are a few more ideas and pictures I couldn’t include in the article, plus a few quotes.

“A Jewish toy is a toy that can accessorize a Jewish story.”

Torah and Bible stories, midrashim, folktales, holiday stories and the latest PJ Library selection can all be re-enacted or embellished Continue reading →

5 Comments

Posted in Jewish Identity, Jewish parenting, Jewish Toys

Tagged Duplo, jewish toys, Lego, Passover, Playmobil, purim, sukkot, toys

Edible Mishloach Manot Basket

Posted on 03/14/2011 | 1 comment

Edible Pretzel Basket for Purim

Of course the contents of a Purim Mishloach Manot basket are edible. But what if the actual basket was, too?

A Homeshuling post about kid-crafted Mishloach Manot containers that are eco-friendly, cheap and reasonably attractive utterly derailed my work schedule today. I stopped everything to try the idea I posted as a suggestion, to make an edible basket from pretzel dough. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Posted in Edible Craft, Purim

Tagged brachot, dough basket, edible craft, food blessings, hamantaschen, Mishloach Manot, purim

Origami Mishloach Manot for kids (with video)

Posted on 03/13/2011 | 4 comments

origami cup + handle

Just about any origami box, bag, envelope or basket can be a Mishloach Manot container, but this one is actually easy enough that little kids can make it.

Remember the origami paper cup pattern? It’s pretty common in schools and scouts and whatnot. This is it, plus a stapled handle. (The cup can actually hold water, as long as you don’t need it to hold water for very long…) Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in Jewish parenting, Purim

Tagged Mishloach Manot, origami, purim

Converting Valentine candy: Mishloach Manot

Posted on 02/16/2011 | 1 comment

Mishloach Manot

Whether or not you do Valentine’s Day at your house, there is a world of half-price Valentine candy in shops right now, and some of it can work just dandy for the next Jewish holiday, Purim. Kisses, especially. Because of the chocolate preferences of certain grandmothers in our family, our Purim Mishloach Manot baskets always include Hershey’s kisses. Valentine kisses are usually robed in red: simple, bright, fun red. Without the outer packaging, red kisses are deliciously generic and ready for conversion. And of course, they are kosher. (So are Tootsie Rolls, by the way, and I Continue reading →