The Jewish Family Fun Book: Holiday Projects, Everyday Activities, and Travel Ideas with Jewish Themes »

This celebration of Jewish family life is the perfect guide for families wanting to put a new Jewish spin on holidays, holy days, and even the everyday. Full of activities, games, and history, it is sure to inspire parents, children, and extended family to connect with Judaism in fun, creative ways.

With over eighty-five easy-to-do activities to re-invigorate age-old Jewish customs and make them fun for the whole family, this book is more than just kids' stuff. It's about taking the Jewish family experience to a new educational and entertaining level.

This new editon-updated and expanded-details activities for fun at home and away from home, including recipes, meaningful everyday and holiday crafts, travel guides, enriching entertainment...and much, much more!

Clearly illustrated and full of easy-to-follow instructions, this lively guide shows us how to take an active approach to exploring Jewish tradition and have fun along the way.

Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     xiii
Holiday Fun
Shabbat     3
Can-Do Candlesticks     4
"Kid-ish" Kiddush Cup     5
Danielle's Dough-licious Shabbat Challah     6
The "Super-Appealing, Spill-Concealing" Tablecloth     8
Making Your Own Besamim Box     9
Some Easy-to-Grow Herbs for Your Besamim Box     10
Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur     11
Tooting Your Own Shofar     12
Tashlich: Tossing Your Cookies for the New Year     13
Inside-Out Candied Apple     14
Old Country Nut 'n' Honey Treats     15
Sephardic and Persian Hors d'Oeuvres     16
Sending the Very Best New Year's Cards     18
History in the Making: Designing Your Own Jewish Calendar     19
Sukkot     21
Sukkah-Building Basics     22
Tips for the Sukkah "Interior Decorator"     22
Sukkah-in-a-Sukkah Centerpiece     23
The Real-Deal Lulav Shake     25
The Wacky 'n' Tasty Lulav "Shake"     25
Simchat Torah     27
Tiny Totin'Torahs     28
Fun Flags for the Simchah Strut     29
Hanukkah     31
Miraculous Menorah Making     32
Dreidel-Playing Basics: How to Be a Gelt-Shark     34
Lip-Licking Latkes     35
Appetizing Applesauce     36
Fry 'em and Try 'em: Soofganiyot     37
Tu B'Shvat     39
The "Nature Nosh" Tu B'Shvat Seder     40
Home Gardening     42
Turning Paper Back into a Tree     43
Purim     45
The "Shake-Rattle-and-Roll" Grogger     46
"Purim Punim" Face Paints     47
Crowns Fit for a King or Queen     47
Three Points: A Haman Hat Trick     48
What a "Cast" of Characters: Papier Mache Puppets     49
The "So-Good-You'll-Eat-Your-Hat" Hamantaschen     51
Passover     55
Operation Feather-and-Candle     55
Undercover Matzah     56
A Traditional Ashkenazi Charoset     58
Farid's Persian Version Charoset     58
The Family Fun Seder: Charting the Seder Course     59
Yom Ha'Atzmaut (with Yom Ha'Shoah and Yom Ha'Zikaron)     65
The "Stuff-It-'Til-It-Stuffs-You" Falafel     67
Aliza's Spreadable Edible Incredible Hummus     68
Slice 'n' Dice Israeli Salad      69
"Jew"elry     69
Lag B'Omer     71
Don't Lag B'hind     72
Shavuot     75
Midnight Read and Feed     76
The Land of Cheese Blintzes     76
Prize-Winning Paper-Cutting     78
Tu B'Av     81
It Takes Tu B'Av to Tango     82
Invent a Yente: Tu B'Av Matchmaking     82
To My Love on Tu B'Av     83
Celebrating Secular Holidays in a Jewish Way     85
Fun at Home
Volunteerism: Mitzvot & Tzedakah     93
Make Your Own Tzedakah Box     94
Grassroots Tzedakah     95
Showtime at the Retirement Home!     96
Special Trips to Special Homes and Shelters     97
Arts & Crafts-and Fun Things to Eat     101
Mezuzah Magic     101
Cosmic Judaica: Glow-in-the-Dark Stars of David     103
Playful Place Mats     103
How to Grow a Family Tree     104
Tallit "Tie-Dye-enu"     106
All-Purpose Candy Clay     109
"Me-shugga" Cookies     110
That's a Wrap!     111
And the Envelopes, Please     112
Sports, Games & Outdoor Fun     115
Like a Maccabi      115
Jewish Scouting for Everyone     116
Go "Ga-Ga" for Ga-Ga     117
Shesh-besh     118
"This Challah's-for-the-Birds" Feeder     118
Jewish Music & Dance     121
The Parent-and-Kid-Friendly Jewish Music Guide     121
Kid-ish Yiddish Music     134
Kids' Favorites from Israel     135
Kool Klezmer and Alternative Jewish Music for Older Kids     136
Israeli Folk Dancing: Motza'ei-Shabbat Fever!     143
Dance 101: Basic Steps     144
Stepping Forward: Some Easy Dances     145
Books & Stories for Jewish Families     149
Family Fun Books     149
Make Your Own Books     176
Films & Videos for Jewish Families     177
Family Fun Videos     177
Family Fun Films     183
Making Your Own Jewish Family Videos     186
Internet & Software for Jewish Families     189
Jewish Fun Webguide     189
Surfing the Hebrew-net: Hebrew Fonts on Your Computer     194
Super Software     196
Fun on the Road
Jewish Museums for the Family     207
Where to Go throughout the U.S.     207
Jewish Historical Sites      217
Learning History on the Road     217
Jewish Family Camps, Getaways & Festivals     225
Away-from-Home Fun for the Entire Family     225
A Guide to the Funnest Kosher Restaurants in the U.S.     235
Good Eats and People to Meet     235
Afterword     257
Appendix of Prayers     259
Appendix of Stencils     269
Index     273