Comedian and Philadelphia Jewish Voice contributor Steve Hofstetter, whose birthday is today, decided to use the day for something serious. He made a video discouraging his 8 million social media people from birthday wishes, instead asking for donations to a cancer org that helped his wife during a difficult time.
(Keep this in mind for this weekend. PJVoice Comic Steve Hofstetter is always a hoot. Part of the proceeds will support the Philadelphia Jewish Voice. - promoted by Publisher)
Tired of Chinese food and a movie on Christmas Eve? Try some of the top Jewish comics in the business as the King Davids of Comedy take the stage. Our mensches present their hilarious schtick as the great tradition of Jewish comedians continues at the brand new Laughing Devil Comedy Club. Shows are hosted by Philadelphia Jewish Voice writer Steve Hofstetter from the Late Late Show and lineup is TBA - though past guests have included Jeff Garlin, Sarah Silverman, and more.
It's not embarrassing to meet a girl online. It's embarrassing to meet a girl at a bar. Imagine knowing the only reason you have a girlfriend is because you met her when she was drunk and now she feels trapped. Tell that story to your 8-year-old son one day.
"How did you and mommy meet?"
"Well son, it was dollar shot night. Your mother looked so beautiful as the neon "Pabst Blue Ribbon" sign hit her while she was dancing on the bar. I got her to come down with a few shots of Jack Daniels, we went back to her place, one thing led to another, and that's why your name is Jack."
Compatibility is typically measured in likes and dislikes, general station in life, and temperament. But maybe its time people started measuring it in health, too.
Whether you believe in common interests or opposites attracting, we've always measured a relationship by preferred hobbies. I once had a girl break up with me because she liked to go hiking and I'm not outdoorsy, and she liked a glass of wine with dinner and I don't drink. When she ended things, I suggested that I'd build her a bar in the woods. What was she going to do, break up with me twice?
Station in life is also important. We first notice the awkwardness in high school - seniors dating freshmen are both sketchy and annoyed. When you're worried about college, you don't want to be dating someone still wearing braces. Later in life there's more of an impact. If you have kids from a previous marriage, the last thing you want to do is find a wonderful companion who is still in their party phase. Unless you're Casey Anthony.
And of course there's temperament - the potential success of a couple can often be measured by how they argue. Every couple argues eventually. So if you're both people who fight hard and make up, or both people who casually debate, that could work. But if one of you loves conflict and the other avoids it, your relationship will end quicker then a typical boxing match - and with one of you knocked out, too.
Through all this, something I'd never considered before is genetic compatibility. Sure, someone who wants biological kids needs to be able to get pregnant and someone who loves fitness should avoid dating a partner with a glandular problem. But if the J in JDating is important to you, you should also consider genetics.
This year my wife and I will be spending one seder at her mother's and one at my mother's, but in the future, we may be starting our own Passover traditions. And I admit, I am completely lost.
I began thinking about the Passovers I knew growing up, and how the holiday was the same every year. There'd be an occasional change in which random elderly cousin coughed a lot in the last seat, but from five to fifteen years old, I had twenty identical seders.
It would be unfair of me to expect that the seders my wife and I might throw in the future will involve just my traditions and not hers. So to help me think about which I'd like to keep (and entertain a few readers simultaneously), I wanted to recount the memories that most say Passover to me. I'd bet at least a few of these will remind you of your childhood, and help you determine what you'd like to keep, should you ever JDate your way to your own family.
For a group of people that constantly complain how often we're excluded, Jews should really get better at including other people.
I've seen it happen at seders. I've seen it happen at Shabbat dinners. And now I've seen it happen at my own wedding. Yes, I am married now - thank you JDate.
For thousands of years, there's been a focus on education in Jewish families. We send our children to the best schools, and encourage them to get the jobs that require very little menial labor. While other cultures might be proud of any honest living, you'll rarely hear a Jewish mother bragging about her son, the factory foreman.
Which leads to the unfortunate side effect: thinking that everyone should be as educated as we are. A common attitude among Jews is, "if you can't keep up, it's your fault for not knowing how."
If you haven't been watching HBO's Boardwalk Empire, you're missing out on something rare. A Jew portrayed on camera as a tough guy.
The stereotypical Jewish character on television is not usually one we can be proud of. From Woody Allen's nebbish and neurotic to Mrs. Seinfeld's overbearing and oblivious, the Jews might have a reputation as scholarly, but never sexy. This must be what it Italians feel like watching Jersey Shore.
I imagine it's much more difficult to be a Jew on Christmas than it is to be a Christian on Hanukah. You don't find many Hanukah specials about families getting stranded in an airport learning the true meaning of the menorah.
But if there were lots of Hanukah specials, I'd be just as annoyed as I am at those about Christmas. I finally realized that I do not dislike most Christmas specials because they are about a holiday I do not celebrate - I dislike them because they're really, really cheesy.
I love the original Grinch cartoon. The Peanuts specials are always fun, and Seinfeld's Festivus episode is a classic. A number of sit-coms have simply had funny events happen at Christmas parties, which is fine considering that the holiday is a part of our country's pop culture. But the shows that have people changing their lives based on the true meaning of Christmas really exasperate me.
As a kid, I always knew where to be for the high holidays. I would be in my seat in synagogue, with an occasional respite for "bathroom" breaks that devolved into 20 minute games of freeze tag. I know, lying to my parents is wrong. But it gave me something to repent for.
We have always gravitated towards large metro areas. Perhaps it's because we're a communal people. Perhaps it's for the availability of good Chinese food. Whatever the reason, we're city dwellers. Which means there's an awful lot of America without any Jews.
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-- by Steve Hofstetter
