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Posted on January 31, 2018 by simonebloomnathan

Welcome to my website, home of Eight Candles and A Tree, a book for all families that celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. With almost sixty percent of Jews and a third of all Americans marrying out of their faith, this is a much needed children’s picture book that shows how one interfaith family celebrates their holidays.

Thanks to VeryWell

Posted on November 28, 2022 by simonebloomnathan

Thank you to VeryWell Family for featuring Eight Candles and a Tree in their “best holiday books for children.”

Book recommendations

Posted on November 17, 2022 by simonebloomnathan

Thank you to Sheperd for inviting me to recommend picture books about celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. Check out my recommendations and their website.

Children of Intermarriage

Posted on October 23, 2021 by simonebloomnathan

This article discusses some of the findings of a recent Pew Research study on the children of intermarriages. Here is a link to the 2020 Pew Research study. Scroll down to the section “Intermarriage and Child Rearing” for specifics.

Hanukkah: The Basics

Posted on November 20, 2020 by simonebloomnathan

Thanks to 18 Doors for this guide to Hanukkah – everything you may want to know about the holiday and more. 18 Doors has many other resources for interfaith families.

Interfaith’s Guide to Hanukkah

Posted on December 24, 2019 by simonebloomnathan

Interfaith is a good resource for parents who celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. Here’s a link to their Hanukkah guide.

Christmas Tree for a Jewish Mom?

Posted on December 24, 2019 by simonebloomnathan

Today’s New York Times features this article about a Jewish mom who changed her reaction to her sons having a Christmas Tree over the holidays. (Here’s the link, just in case. My Jewish Sons Have a Christmas Tree, and I Need to Deal
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/24/opinion/christmas-hanukkah-divorce.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)

Mistletoe and Menorahs Movie

Posted on November 27, 2019 by simonebloomnathan

Interfaith has information here about the new Lifetime holiday movie Mistletoe & Menorahs. In the movie, premiering December 7, a woman needs a crash course in Hanukkah before her Jewish boss’s holiday party and a Jewish guy wants to go all-out to impress his new girlfriend with his Christmas decorations.

Interfaith Christmas Tree

Posted on November 14, 2019 by simonebloomnathan

Erin Gates’s Elements of Style blog is a wonderful resource for creative design and fashion ideas. Here is an image from her site that combines Hanukkah colors with a Christmas tree. unnamed