36 | DECEMBER 19 • 2019 

more than three times.
Vicki Salinger of Southfield 
said one year her Ameinu 
group did a variation on the 
traditional game by having 
everyone choose a gift without 
unwrapping it. Participants 
sat in a circle and listened to 
a story laden with the words 
“right” and “left,
” passing their 
gift to the right or the left each 
time. At the end of the story, 
everyone kept the gift in hand.
Marie Slotnick’
s most vivid 
white elephant memory is 
the one that got away at Beth 
Shalom Sisterhood’
s Chanukah 
party. Someone else received 
a chain necklace with a white 
elephant pendant. “I kept try-
ing to trade for it so that when 
someone asked me about it I 
could say, ‘
I got it at a white ele-
phant exchange,
’
” said Slotnick 

of Pleasant Ridge. “Boo hiss — 
it did not end up with me.
” 
Some hosts, aware not all 
gifts will be equally great, ask 
everyone to vote at the end of 
the exchange for the worst gift 
of the day. The “winner” gets a 
nice gift provided by the host.
If you’
re stumped about what 
to bring, perennial favorites 
include nice picture frames 
and fancy edibles or potables. 
“Good gifts involve liquor, wine 
or chocolate,
” said Sandy Gross 
of Oak Park.
And the most important 
advice? Be a good sport and 
remember it’
s all in fun. If the 
gift you like gets stolen or you 
pick a dog of a gift that no one 
wants to steal, just laugh about 
it. You can always put it away 
for next year’
s white elephant 
gift exchange. 

Etiquette Guidelines
Respect the request to bring a gift of a certain value. Mandy Garver of 
Bloomfield Township remembers an organization’
s white elephant gift 
exchange where one person received a couple of packages of fancy 
paper napkins. “They were nice napkins, but everyone was pretty 
shocked to see such a cheesy gift,” she said.
• It’
s OK to “regift” by giving something you received that you 
can’
t use, but make sure it is “like new.” Something obviously 
used is a no-no. 
• Avoid anything political, sexual or religious (unless you’
re in a 
group affiliated with a synagogue).
• Wrap your gift beautifully. 
• Be sure to follow the rules of the game. Some hosts might spec-
ify all gifts should be gag gifts. If so, don’
t bring something really 
nice.
• Don’
t bring items of clothing in a particular size or that won’
t be 
of use to both men and women, unless it’
s a single-sex gather-
ing. 
• Don’
t bring something with a promotional logo or advertising 
message. 
• Be aware of changing trends. Ten or 15 years ago, a set of 
beautiful notecards would generally have been welcomed. These 
days, few people use them.

We’
r
e 
seeki
ng 
pr
esent
er
s! 
 
What
 
can 
you 
shar
e?

We’
r
e 
cur
r
ent
l
y 
r
ecr
ui
t
i
ng 
 
a 
di
ver
se 
gr
oup 
of
 
pr
esent
er
s 
 

of
 
var
yi
ng 
backgr
ounds 
and 
exper
t
i
se.
 
 

Submi
t
 
your
 
pr
oposal
 
by 

Tuesday,
 
December
 
31,
 
2019.

Vi
si
t
 Li
mmudMi
chi
gan.or
g 

Cl
i
ck on Pr
opose for more det
ai
l
s.

We’
r
e 
seeki
ng 
volunt
eer
s! 
How 
can 
you 
help?

Many 
vol
unt
eer
 
oppor
t
uni
t
i
es 
avai
l
abl
e.
 
 
Be 
a 
key 
par
t
 
of
 
a 
r
emar
kabl
e 
day 
 

of
 
Jewi
sh 
exper
i
ence 
and 
l
ear
ni
ng!

Vi
si
t
 Li
mmudMi
chi
gan.or
g 
 

Cl
i
ck on Volunt
eer
 for more det
ai
l
s.

SUNDAY,
 
Mar
ch 
22,
 
2020

The 
St
udent
 
Cent
er 

East
ern 
Mi
chi
gan 
Uni
versi
ty 
 

Ypsi
lanti
,
 
Mi
chi
gan 

An i
ncl
usi
ve festi
val
 of unexpect
ed Jewi
sh l
earni
ng—run entirely by vol
unt
eers

gift guide 2019

continued from page 34

l PG-20