38 | DECEMBER 12 • 2019 

W

hen I think of puz-
zles, I think of lots of 
plastic cups. 
And I think of my grandfather. 
My grandfather was a man 
who spent 54 years on the night 
shift as a photoengraver for the 
New York Daily News. Needing 
little sleep, he preferred working 
nights so he could spend the days 
with his family, especially his 
grandchildren. 
From under the couch in my 
grandparent’
s one-bedroom pre-

war Brooklyn apartment, he’
d 
pull out a puzzle he had just start-
ed on a sturdy wooden board and 
set it on the coffee table — and 
we got to work. We completed 
the border first and only then 
would we tackle the rest of the 
project by sorting the pieces into 
cups based on colors and pat-
terns. My grandfather taught me 
that puzzles are a relaxing way 
to develop one’
s patience while 
spending time with family. Along 
the way, I learned about faraway 
picturesque mountain ranges 
from some puzzles and species of 
birds and flowers from others. 
The love of jigsaw puzzles con-
tinues into the next generations. 
Every year on our extended fam-
ily visit to my in-laws in Florida, 
we spend most evenings hunched 
over a puzzle with thousands of 
pieces. My kids, nieces and neph-
ews make it into a competition 
by each claiming their section. 
The marathon assembly sparks 
lots of giggles and conversation, 
and sometimes we break out into 
song, like the year we completed 
a Broadway-themed puzzle. 
My family is not alone in our 
craze for puzzles. According to 
Market Watch, jigsaw puzzles 
sales in 2019 were $670 million. 
Janice Ungar of West 
Bloomfield was a school librar-
ian before a layoff inspired her 
to start Galaxy, a puzzle sales 

business, in 2005. Ungar said that 
puzzles are a great, screen-free 
activity that reduces stress and 
encourages family bonding. 
“When I was laid off as a 
school librarian, I found that 
doing puzzles took the edge off 
my stress,
” Ungar said. “It was 
also a great way as a family to 
come together and talk about our 
day.
” 
Ungar said the bulk of her 
business comes from repeat 
customers who know she carries 
high-quality puzzles with content 
such as beautiful landscapes or 
famous artwork or elaborate and 
intricate scenes drawn by cartoon 
artists. 
Galaxy offers the newest twists 
on puzzles, including those with 
holographic images or ones that 
are built in three dimensions. 
Ungar’
s latest offering in time 
for Chanukah is made of about 
40 tiny wood laser-cut pieces, 
included those in the shape of a 
dreidel. The puzzle sells for $9.95 
including shipping. 
Other popular puzzles she sells 
include ones that display master-
pieces from artists like Vincent 
Van Gough or kitschy ones like 
dogs playing poker. Ungar once 
sold a 3,000-piece puzzle of 
Jerusalem but said this puzzle no 
longer is in stock in high-enough 
quality to meet her standards. 
Ungar said puzzles make great 
gifts for the family to work on as 
the Chanukah candles burn. 
“My non-Jewish customers 
love doing puzzles as a family 
activity for Christmas and maybe 
it will catch on with my Jewish 
customers for Chanukah,
” she 
said. “Doing puzzles as an activ-
ity never really went away, but it 
made a significant comeback 10 
years ago, and the trend shows no 
sign of slowing down.
”

To order Galaxy puzzles, go to 
galaxypuzzles.com.

Piece by Piece

Family time can be enhanced by doing 
puzzles together during the holiday. 

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TOP: Galaxy is selling this 
puzzle for the holiday. 
 
ABOVE: Janice, Joel and 
Matthew Ungar at work 
on a puzzle

gift guide 2018

PHOTOS COURTESY JANICE UNGAR