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Celebrate. To some, the idea of celebrating a Jewish holiday is about as exciting as watching "I Dream of Jeannie" reruns. Certainly, no one can call Pesach cleaning fun. But don't focus on just the work. Instead, make the holiday fun. Cover your table with "plagues," like plastic frogs and ping-pong balls (that's the hail). On Purim, fill your home with bal- loons and streamers. On Tu b'Shevat, buy a tree at a nursery, then plant it in your yard, and make leaf-shaped cookies. Eat Jewish. Food does a great deal more than fill the stomach. It can fill the heart, as well. Even those most detached from Judaism tend to speak warmly, even lov- ingly, about the Jewish food they ate growing up. Was there anything like Mama's chicken soup, or the corned- beef sandwich at the Fifth Street Deli, or Mrs. Berger's homemade gefilte fish? If most of your meals consist of on- the-run burgers, or even tofu with veg- etables, try eating Jewish for awhile. Miracles And Coincidences. Our days are so consumed by dreary details — is the laundry done, did we return phone calls, did we make it to the bank, get gas, pick up a carton of milk, complete the report — that it's easy to overlook the real wonder of life. But it is precisely these moments that keep us grounded, which really bring meaning to our existence. So how do you find them again? It only takes five minutes a day. Consider a mysterious coincidence in your life that still leaves you breathless. Maybe you inexplicably left work exactly 15 minutes late — though normally you're right on time — then learned that a devastating accident occurred on your very route exactly 15 minutes earlier. Or perhaps you picked up the phone and called an acquaintance that you hadn't heard from in years, only to learn that her mother had died that very day and she was desperate to speak with a friend. Are such incidents just chance? Not in Judaism. We should regard them, • instead, as little presents from God, who is showing Himself in our lives. Also, take time to remember the seem- ingly ordinary, which are, in fact, mira- cles that bloom around us every day: the endless array of living creatures in the world (do you know how many species of butterfly exist?) and the mystery of birth (imagine that two tiny specks, an egg and sperm, contain all the genetic programming not only to create eyes and ears and a heart, but reason and emotion and love). Learn Your History. There's a reason genealogy is all the rage: Our history tells us who we are. It will tell our children who they are, as well. Begin a family scrapbook. Speak with relatives, collect photos, make a family tree. The interviewing process is especial- ly important, so make a list of ques- tions in advance. The key is to be specific. Don't just ask your great- aunt, "\Xtrhat was Chanukah like when you were little?" Instead, say, "Did you have a menorah of your own? What did it look like and where did you get it? Who made the latkes? Do you still have the recipe and if so, what was it? Did you eat latkes with applesauce or sour cream? Did family come for the holidays? If so, who? Do you remember seeing menorahs in the windows of neighborhood homes?" Make A List. Everyone can think about some aspect of Judaism and Jewish histo- ry that makes him proud. Maybe it's the fact of Israel's continued existence in the face of overwhelming odds; if you haven't lately looked at map, take time again to compare the size of Israel to the size of its enemies. Or maybe you're still amazed by Jewish contributions to science, or the world of medicine. Whatever it is, write it down. Then add to your list, every day if possible. Ask your best friend to add to it, as well, and your spouse, children, a teacher or parent. Make Jewish Learning Fun. In a favorite room post a large sheer of paper or chalkboard. Every day, chal- lenge yourself, or family members, to come up with a fun and unusual fact about Jewish life or Judaism or Jews. (Did you know that \X/yatt Earp's .wife, Josephine, was Jewish? Or that American-born artist, Jacob Epstein [1880-1959] was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II? Or that fans of Emma Lazarus, most famous for her immortal lines on the Statue of Liberty, included Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson?) Look Into The Future. Try to envision your family 25, 50, 100 years from now What would you hope to see? Based on your life, what do you think you will see? - Parents tend to wish a great deal, and sometimes wishes come true. The only way to guarantee the future, however, is to live it. If you care that your children will live a Jewish life when they become adults, show them how to do it now. If you want your children to be part of a Jewish community, then show them how to do it now If you want your children to be compassionate, to be involved, to be show them interested, to be learned now do it now.