Palm Beach Jewish Community: Growing in Size & Decreasing in Age

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The Jewish community in Palm Beach County, Florida has changed in a big way, according to the latest demographic survey. Defying its image as a retirement haven, young families are the largest growing segment of the population, with median age dropping from 70-years-old in 2005, to 60-years-old today. 

In addition to being younger, households were different in other ways—over half are Interfaith families and a surprising 20% of respondents described themselves as barely paying their bills or poor. 

The Palm Beach metro area has more Jewish residents than Miami, Northern New Jersey and Detroit, and is predicted to expand further in the next two decades. 

Since my sister lives there, and I’ve witnessed changes in the area firsthand, I agree with their findings. 25 years ago, it was uncommon to see day cares, nursery schools and/or play groups; everything was geared towards seniors. Today, there are tons of organizations and activities that cater to kids and younger parents. Each stream of Judaism is available, from Secular Humanist to Ultra Orthodox. Some of the public schools even take the Jewish holidays off, Kosher food is plentiful and there is a lot of support and awareness from non-Jewish citizens. 

While it’s much too hot for me to live there year-round, it’s wonderful for extended vacations in the winter. I love the Judaica stores, beaches and Jewish museums. There is also a nice feeling of “Jewishness” in  Florida that you don’t experience in most places, outside of NY or Israel. 

New Passover Recipes I Tried & Loved

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Instead of running myself ragged and cooking/baking a bunch of food that nobody would eat—or even requested—I tried something different this Passover and went super simple. Only 3 desserts were on the table: fruit salad, cookies, and a cake. No chocolate matzo, no Boston fruit slices, no macaroons, no meringues  no dipped strawberries, no apricot candy, etc. (Been there, done that, learned my lesson!)

The Chocolate Espresso Cookies from My Jewish Learning were so good. It does require using three mixing bowls, but isn’t complicated otherwise. The secret ingredient is substituting cake meal for flour and it makes a big difference. They’re light and chewy, not dense and dry.

 

The Paleo Orange Cake from Elena’s Pantry only requires 6 ingredients. It suggests washing, boiling and blending fresh oranges, but if you’re rushed, I think it would still be good with straight orange juice. 

As for the fruit salad, I just tossed bananas, blueberries, kiwis and flaked coconut together, then drizzled with honey. So quick, so tasty.

Elaborate feasts can be fun, provided we have the time, money and energy needed to create an epic event. Sometimes, however, a simple spread is actually better. The trick is planning a menu, using wholesome, fresh foods and not taking on more than we can comfortably do. I’ve enjoyed Passover Seders with 15 different desserts and I also liked this little version. Variety!

 

How was your Passover? What did you serve?

Why I’m Attending ShiftCon & You Should Too

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Health, wellness, organic food, recycling, green products, creating a better and safer environment for ourselves and our families. If you agree that ALL of those things are meaningful, you should join me at ShiftCon 2019 – an eco-wellness influencer event.

What is ShiftCon? Their mission statement explains it best: “ShiftCon was born out of the idea that together we can create a profound impact on the world around us. We can literally shift the way we eat, raise our families and our impact on the environment. That shift has begun, and now it’s time to come together and leverage our collective voice. ShiftCon was created to give wellness and eco-friendly influencers a place to network, share ideas, learn from experts, empower one another and organize their efforts into social change.”

Sounds pretty cool, huh? As someone who has attended three ShiftCon events, I can assure you that it’s awesome in person. Not only can you network with other bloggers and influencers, you’ll get to interact with sponsors and speakers who are incredible. 

Last year’s conference (2018) was headlined by Ed Begley Jr. Most recognize him as an actor, but Ed is also deeply committed to environmental issues. (Remember She-Devil with Roseanne and Meryl Streep? I love that movie!) His speech was great and being able to meet him up close, talk together and take a picture was even better. (Yes, I was a little star-struck, but he was so friendly.)

2019’s conference will feature Alysia Reiner who is an actress, activist, and writer, that you’ll recognize from Orange is the New Black.

ShiftCon will be held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Buckhead (Atlanta, GA), October 3-5, 2019. 

Attendees will experience:

  • Professional workshops
  • An exhibitor hall with over 50 brands
  • Networking with hundreds of peers
  • Top-notch speakers
  • Fitness events 
  • Goodie bags 
  • Delicious meals and drinks (organic, vegan, keto, etc.)

This event sells out every single time it’s hosted, so don’t wait to sign up. Register Here and be part of the change you want to see in the world! 

$40.00 Custom Sticker Giveaway

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Any item, no matter how simple, will feel special if it’s personalized. Throughout my life, I have always collected anything that had my name, monogram and/or initials on it. Unfortunately, many customized products are extremely expensive! Luckily, there is an affordable alternative that doesn’t sacrifice quality for cost. 

StickerYou provides personalized stickers, magnets, labels, decals, iron-ons and more. Using die-cut technology, customers can design any shape without constraints, as well as choose standard shapes like rectangles, squares, or circles. Best of all, there is no minimum quantity for orders—buy 1 or buy 10,000; it’s up to you!

Business owners, non profits, and clubs will benefit from the Name Badges. Organizing junkies, Etsy creators, stationary lovers, home bakers/canners, and scrapbook enthusiasts will enjoy the custom labels.

StickerYou has generously offered a $40.00 gift card for one of my readers, good for anything on their site. The Custom Sticker Giveaway will be open thru May 6, 2019. Good luck, everybody!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to winner Stephanie!