Shiksapedia

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Book Review:What to Do When You're Dating a Jew

In What to Do When You're Dating a Jew, two nice and very funny Jewish girls, Vikki Weiss and Jennifer A. Block, attempt to "keep you from ordering a ham and cheese sandwich in a kosher deli or planning a party to celebrate the Jewish New Year. Think of it as a little advance warning about what you are getting into by dating a Jew. You'll thank us later."

I wish I could have read it many years ago when I fell in love with Fred, but alas--or rather, oy veh--this delightful book wasn't published until 2000. If you want to learn a lot and laugh until your kishkes hurt, it's Must Reading. The authors can be irreverent and politically incorrect in a way we shiksas never could, even if we knew the stuff, which we don't, which is why we need the book....

For example, in the chapter on holidays they write, "Some may be disappointed that the High Holy Days have nothing to do with marijuana. These same people will take comfort in learning that there is a big feast at the end. But you've got to suffer a little to get there."

Have you ever wondered if synagogue, temple, and shul are the same? Weiss and Block explain it all for you: "Orthodox Jews usually use the word shul. Conservative Jews say they are going to synagogue. Reform Jews go to temple, but not often."
This breezy how-to-fit-in book doesn't tackle very serious issues such as conversion, spirituality, and morality. Sprinkled with recipes, anecdotes, and jokes, What to Do When You're Dating a Jew introduces you to holidays, jewish food, and the major stages and rituals in Jewish life, love, and death. So read it already!

Juicy Jews?

Thanks to whoever is behind the blog Juicy Jews for quoting an article that ran in the J. Jewish Bulletin of Northern California. It was an interview with me and Vikki and mentions the Passover section from What to Do When You're Dating a Jew.

This is actually a very cute story……and one that MOST of us can probably relate to in our own ever expanding family faux pas..:-) ( I think I did something like this once a Catholic Mass while at a wedding with an old girlfriend). I'm not sure if the book is still in print (it's an old story!) but funny nonetheless!

Alison Weiss (née Johnson) was at her first seder at her in-laws. The table was decorated with matzah covers, a seder plate and a figurine of a baby in a basket that her nephew had made in school. "Who's this? Baby Jesus?" Weiss asked. "All surrounding conversations came to a halt. My 2-year-old nephew yelled, 'No! It's Baby Moses!'""It took me a couple of years to live that down," she said.Had Weiss read "What to Do When You're Dating a Jew," she would have been more prepared.Weiss' blunder is one of the many scenarios that interfaith couples share in this amusing new book, subtitled "Everything You Need to Know From Matzah Balls to Marriage," by two Bay Area authors.The idea for the book originated with Vikki Weiss of Mill Valley (of no relation to Alison), whose two sisters and brother all married non-Jews."There were no big faux pas in my family, but I saw the potential," she said. "I realized a handy guidebook would be useful."So, she spoke with her friend Jennifer A. Block, who lives in San Francisco. The pair work in marketing and had met while employed by Wells Fargo. They were both transplants to the Bay Area, Weiss from the Chicago area and Block from a suburb of Boston. Both are 31.With the high rates of intermarriage and their own experience with it — Block is married to a non-Jew; Weiss is single, but has dated primarily non-Jews — they certainly knew there were some people who could benefit from a book such as this.

Not exactly timely...

If you ever wanted to know what the 2007 Top 5 Trends in Outdoor Living, check out this article I wrote as an insert for the Reed Business publication Professional Builder. And a friend posted the article using issuu, so it has a more tactical feel (the pages appear to turn) than just a PDF. Unfortunately, the pages are not in order.

I also wrote about the 2008 top trends in outdoor living for the same pub. As you can imagine, not much changes from year to year, making this a surprisingly tough piece to write.

Like every other writer out there, I constantly Google my books and name to see what pops up. I just found this in the blogsphere, which made my day:

"If I had read a book like What to Do When You’re Dating a Jew when I was first introduced to the Jewish community, it would have made it easier for me to connect, or at least to understand. The book is aimed at non-Jews who want to know all about interacting and fitting into Jewish families with as little friction as possible. It has lots of down-to-earth information." (Lynne on Jewish stuff: Lynne's paper)

We're remodeling a rental unit, so we're on a first name basis with several Home Depot employees. On our last trip there, I was thrilled to see two of my Sunset books on the racks: Smart Closet Makeovers and Backyards for Kids. For the first one, I remade my husband's closet into Scrapbooking Central (much to his surprise!). For Backyards for Kids, I enlisted Dave to help build a play structure and a kids' log cabin (on the cover), so look for him on the pages. (Photography by Michele Lee Willson and styling by Lara Del Fava.)

Perhaps this is a sign of the times: Back in 2006, I wrote several chapters for Reader's Digest's Free Money, Free Stuff. Just came across an Ohio library site that says the book is checked out of 9 library locations. Good reading in tough times.

Ah, a big gap since my last post. Right now I'm working on an profile for ReadyMade magazine about super sweet Given Campbell wallpaper. These motifs make you want to get up and dance to '70s mod music. Best of all, Given prints by hand with eco-friendly ink, so what's good for your wall is also good for the environment. Look for the piece in ReadyMade issue #41 (June/July 09).

Bank of America Military Banking projects

The Military Banking campaigns I wrote are online now. See more here:

https://www.bankofamerica.com/military