We are having a party this year.

There is no question how tough the last couple months have been on the Jewish people, war victims and the rest of the world watching the atrocities committed by Hamas in Gaza. I, like so many other moms have suffered vicarious trauma watching the videos of innocent children and hostages and perhaps even worse, seeing Israel be blamed for it. With the rise of antisemitism and the fearful rhetoric heard around the world I have never been more concerned, and in the same breath, proud of my Jewish heritage. Despite whatever the media wants to portray, the Jewish spirit will continue to be alive and well amongst a long and arduous history of threats to their right to exist. Now is no different and in keeping with the tradition of Hanukkah, we will continue to believe in miracles and seek liberation as a people!

And this year, more than ever in recent times, we need hope and we need celebration.

And so in that spirit, I am throwing a party.

I wanted my table this year to represent joy, the celebration of light in the world and welcome warmth amongst the darkness we’re facing. I wanted to honor the many bright spots in this world, despite the earlier sunsets and depressing news on our phones.

So I sprinkled tinsel, cocktail stirrers and gelt around each place setting and swapped out name cards for novelty ornaments that describe each guest.

I could only hope that a fellow hostess would choose Anna Wintour for moi, but I went ahead and did it myself.

I included my husband’s family’s vodka goblets as piece of history, next to mini bottles of Grey Goose, a staple in Russian family dinners. As were the homemade latkes, creme fraîche and caviar.

As I said then; I can’t tell you how, I can’t explain why, but I do know for a fact, miracles happen.

I wanted to create a cozy, spirited corner of the world for us to revisit one of the cornerstones for me of being jewish, a wholehearted belief in miracles.

Several years ago, when I was a couple of months pregnant with Parker, we got the most encouraging news, he was a healthy baby that would in fact live a life without a genetic disorder as the early tests suggested. It was December of 2020, one of the most challenging years for my generation and many others. People had lost so much, including my first pregnancy just before my 31st birthday and here I was, coming to terms with yet another. But despite all of the fears about the health of my second pregnancy I was also in awe of what I did have. The love and support from my amazing husband, my family, my friends. The wonderful specialist who was kind but honest, the friends who didn’t give advice, but instead listened to me as my mind went to all types of places, and my loving husband who endured the fear of the unknown alongside me with compassion and grace. It was just before Hanukkah that we got the good news, our baby boy would be healthy and it was perhaps the first miracle I’d ever experienced in my 31 years to date.

As I said then; I can’t tell you how, I can’t explain why, but I do know for a fact, miracles happen.

I am still hopeful for one today, and perhaps part of the miracle this year is seeing the outcry of support from those around me, some Jewish, some just decent human beings. Some celebrities, some random neighbors on the street. I know this is going to be a long road for us all and the conversations will be challenging, but I will remain hopeful in humanity no matter what, just like every Jewish person has had to do for centuries.

We will not succumb to antisemitism or the doctrine of terrorism. We will fight for our right to exist and our land. We will celebrate our culture and faith, we will forever be proud to be Jewish.