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Join Smashing Life: A Jewish Community Where You Are Enough

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Smashing Life and Brides Club members met up with Karen on her visit to NYC last November!

What a fantastic week it’s been in our 8 Days of Hanukkah Festival. In just a few days, we’ve built a warm, vibrant community as we all navigate a Hanukkah like no other. This incredible group has brought SO much light into the world – and while the festival will end as the Hanukkah candles dwindle down for another year, the incredible sense of support, community, and belonging doesn’t have to.


When Smashing Life member Sam Levitz recently moved into a new apartment, fellow SL’er Jenna sent her the sweetest housewarming gift!

The Hanukkah Festival is just a taste of what goes on 365 days a year in Smashing Life,  Smashing The Glass’s warm, inclusive lifestyle community for Jewish and Jew-ish women, whether you’re single, engaged, married, or anything else. It’s like the warmth of freshly baked challah and Shabbat candles fused with fashion, interiors, lifestyle, recipes, a healthy dose of fun, and a whole lotta heartfelt love and support.


Smashing Lifer Sam and STG’s Client Relations Manager, Emily Sacharin, at Bridelux Atelier in NYC in January 2020

And for the next few days until Wednesday, December 16, the doors to this life-changing community – a space that, in the words of one of our members, “feels like coming home” – are open. If you’re looking to make new friends, lean into your Jewish identity, and find a space where you are enough – what are you waiting for? Join now to see what it’s all about.


Zoom Shabbat dinner with Smashing Life

Not sure if Smashing Life is for you? Have a read through these heartwarming words from one of our beloved longtime members. Sam Levitz.

Sam Levitz, New York City:

Growing up I was a part of many different Jewish circles but found in my adult years that those circles had faded into only fond memories. I was struggling to find a space that felt curated for me and my needs as a Jewish adult, and wanting to create a space for myself and my future family that felt true to my Jewish identity. Smashing Life gave me that power and inspiration. 

I’ve made connections and friendships inside Smashing Life that I know will last a lifetime. From virtual Shabbat dinners and in-person happy hours (one day again soon!), to support and love when things get difficult, I know that Smashing Life is the place I can go to where I will find the most incredible people to lift me up.

And I hope they know that I’m there for them. When the going gets tough, you don’t need to look further. We’re not just an online group, we’re a family, a community, and we’re there for each other. 

To be part of a group of Jewish women to connect, engage, and share life’s struggles and triumphs is more important to me than I ever realized. 

Our Jewish or Jew-ish connections may have initially brought us together, but it’s the kindness and compassion of this group that keeps me coming back. I don’t know what I’d do without it and I feel so lucky and fortunate to be a part of it.

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Free 8 Days of Hanukkah Festival – Come join us!

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Happy Monday.. and Happy Hanukkah week! Just a quick one to say that we start our 8 Days of Hanukkah Festival tomorrow, Tuesday Dec 8! 

Hanukkah starts this Thursday December 10, so get festival-of-lights ready by joining us in the Hanukkah Festival.

The accompanying pop-up Facebook group has already opened and it is POPPING in there!

You’ll be welcomed inside the group with open arms, whether you’re Jewish or Jew-ish, married, engaged or single – you won’t find a more inclusive, welcoming bunch!

FUN PRIZES!

As it’s the season of gift-giving, I’m also giving away prizes to Festival-goers from ModernTribe every day of the Festival!

So whether you’re able to get together with family or not, come and join our warm and inclusive Hanukkah Festuval community and have fun, win prizes, and have an even more authentic and beautiful Hanukkah than you ever thought possible.

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These Menorahs Are Guaranteed to Light Up Hanukkah 2020

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Nosh Menorah by Modern Mensch via ModernTribe
(10% discount for Smashing Life members)

PSA: Hanukkah’s less than a week away! (It starts the evening of Thursday, December 10.)

Are you ready?

Here at Team STG, we definitely are! We’re putting up our Hanukkah decor, mailing out some carefully selected gifts and cards, planning our Hanukkah menus, listening to the new Daveed Diggs Hanukkah song on repeat – and, most importantly, dusting off our menorahs!

Lighting the menorah (aka chanukiah aka hanukkiah), a nine-branched candelabra lit, is the key ritual performed each night during Hanukkah. Each night, one additional candle is lit – so there’s one candle on the first night, two on the second night, three on the third night, and so on, until the final night when all eight candles are lit. That extra ninth candle? It’s the shamash (which means “helper” or “servant”), set aflame first on each night and used to light all the other candles.

Lighting the menorah, reciting the customary blessings, and watching the candles do their thing is such a special experience – and it’s even more special when you have a menorah you love using, whether that’s because it’s a family heirloom, you crafted it yourself, it was gifted to you by someone special, or its style is a perfect fit with yours.

These days there’s such a diversity of menorah styles, and we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of our favorites – so if you’re currently using one that doesn’t spark joy, have a look through our roundup and see if you find something that speaks to you.

Another thing that can make your Hanukkah extra bright this year? Smashing The Glass’s FREE online 8 Days of Hanukkah Festival, starting this Tuesday, December 8. Come together with our wonderful community of Jewish and Jew-ish women from around the world to share recipes, crafts, decor, music, and more – and to make some new friends, of course! Sign up to reserve your spot today.

RBG “I Dissent” Menorah by the Glamorous Elephant via ModernTribe
(10% discount for Smashing Life members)

You went crazy for this menorah honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg when we shared it on Instagram @yourjewishlife!

Leah Menorah  by Joy Stember via ModernTribe
(10% discount for Smashing Life members)

How fun is this modular menorah? You can arrange it however you like (even a different setup each night if you want!), while the sleek design of pewter blocks keeps things firmly grounded in contemporary style.

Brass Bird Chanukiah by Jonathan Adler via Contemporary Judaica
(10% discount for Smashing Life members)

This elegant brass bird menorah is just the right of amount of unexpected to bring some fun to your Hanukkah setup while still keeping things chic.

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8 Days Of Hanukkah Festival With Smashing The Glass {Sign Up Now – It’s FREE!}

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I’m so excited to invite you to join my free 8 Days of Hanukkah Festival, whether you’re Jewish or Jew-ish, single, engaged or married… YOU are invited!

Over 8 days I’ll be sharing yummy Hanukkah recipes, DIY crafts, table decor, music, and cocktail ideas, plus we’ll delving into the spiritual side of the holiday, because in 2020 who doesn’t need to find some light in the darkness?

Did I mention I’ll also be giving Hanukkah gifts from ModernTribe to Festival-goers every day too?!

And of course we’ll be lighting our menorahs ‘together’ too (and it doesn’t matter whether your menorah is DIY or a family heirloom – I want you to get involved just as you are!).

It’s FREE to join, but you need to reserve your spot now!

Hanukkah will feel different this year, with communities unable to get together for parties and menorah lighting in the way they’ve done so for thousands of years.

But it doesn’t mean that this year Hanukkah can’t be just as fun, celebratory and meaningful!

It’s FREE to join, but you need to reserve your spot!

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Hanukkah Cards: The Holiday Tradition We All Need in 2020

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Jewish Museum Boxed Hanukkah Cards: Zoomukkah? Hanuzoom? by Jenny Rozbruch

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Hanukkah 2020 is going to be a holiday unlike any other. A lot of us are going to be missing family and friends we’d ordinarily celebrate with, and all kinds of eagerly anticipated festivities – from Hanukkah parties to public menorah lightings – are a no go due to the pandemic.

But we’d like to propose one small custom to add to your Hanukkah toolbox that can help you stay connected even while social distancing: the Hanukkah greeting card. Sending a cute card with a heartfelt message is such an underrated – and easy – way to reach out across the miles and make your loved ones feel cared for. Plus, these days there are so many fun designs to choose from – and today we’re sharing some of our very favorites. 

While sending (and hopefully also receiving!) some gorgeous greeting cards to those loved ones you won’t be able to see in person this year is a great way to alleviate some of that pandemic gloom, we realize it may not be quite enough to get you through all eight days – and for that reason, we’re running a FREE online 8 Days of Hanukkah Festival, starting December 8. Come together with our wonderful community of Jewish and Jew-ish women from around the world to share recipes, crafts, decor, music, and more – and to make some new friends, of course! Sign up to reserve your spot today.

Mighty Maccabees Hanukkah Card by ThePaperPonyCo via Etsy

We love the way this fun card illustrates key elements of the Hanukkah story, from the Maccabees to the menorah to that miraculous jug of olive oil!

 

Blue Hanukkah Scene Card by Paula & Waffle via ModernTribe
(10% discount for Smashing Life members)

We’re loving the folkloric vibes of this blue and white design.

 

Saguaro Cactus Menorah Card by SketchyNotions via Etsy

Attention all Southwesterners: rep your regional pride with this fun saguaro menorah card! Also appropriate for those of us just dreaming about a warmer climate this time of year…

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