About me
I wanted my daughter to grow up with many happy memories of her childhood, and a strong positive connection to Jewish traditions. I started this site as a place to share ideas and resources that I found while playing with her at home, and while preparing for “Shabbat Tot”, a monthly craft, singing and story session my husband and I ran for toddlers and their parents in our community. Later, I made resources while volunteering as a teacher in the Hebrew and religion school at Temple David, a progressive Jewish congregation in Perth, Western Australia.
As you will notice, I have not updated the site in some years. I have become busy with other activities. My toddler is now a teenager, but still loves the crafts we made all those years ago. Please feel free to use any ideas you find here to bring joy to those around you, wherever you might be.
In closing, I gratefully acknowledge the creativity of those who inspired me all those years ago, especially the Bible Belt Balabusta and Creative Jewish Mom. 🙂
21 Responses to "About me"
7 June, 2011 at 11:28 am
Hi, my name is Joseph Smith and I wanted you to know that you’re the crafting/diy blog of the week at our blog. You were picked, well, because you have a really interesting and fun blog. If you’d like to check out your link on the right side of our sidebar and the post highlighting your blog for the week you can check it out at http://craftsquirrel.blospot.com
You don’t have to, we’re not looking for free publicity or anything of that sort. We simply wanted to let you know that you are our featured blog this week.
Thank you for your amazing crafts.
23 November, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Hi,
I think your ideas are awesome!!
I went on to look for Hannukiah ideas – and found yours and to my surprise recognised Talia!
This site is so great – i am very impressed.
Keep up the excellent work 🙂
Ester (from Temple)
3 March, 2012 at 4:30 am
Im so glad I found your site- I was looking for a Tot shabbat-appropriate telling of Megillat Esther and yours is excellent! I love your crafts; they are creative and not “dumbed down.” I am the rabbi at a congregation in Ventura CA (north of L.A.) and I will send the link to your site to our Jewish pre-school director and teacher; you have great ideas! Thank you.
6 March, 2012 at 10:58 pm
Thank you Rabbi, it’s a pleasure to be able to contribute to joyful Jewish life, here, there and everywhere!
23 May, 2012 at 11:15 am
Just discovered your website. So many cool ideas. In fact I never knew there were so many Jewish bloggers out there. I’m new to the ‘blog’ world, so this is so great for me.
4 September, 2012 at 4:14 am
I have just stumbled across your blog and we,too,are joyfully Jewish. I am so grateful to have found your blog and your craft ideas are lovely.
It’s nice to meet you!
Miri
7 September, 2012 at 4:15 am
Jude
I am Safta to my two “yofi” granddaughters. I love doing Jewish crafts with and for them. Your blog has given me inspiration, ideas, and ingenious creativity! Todah Jude
19 February, 2013 at 4:46 am
I shall be having a Purim Picnic at our home for our children , grandchildren and friends. Your rendition of the story of Purim is perfect- for those adults and children who will glean facts without smashing the joy I would so want for everyone to feel as we learn about our remarkable People. Thank you so very much.
Hana Bogen
3 July, 2013 at 12:09 pm
Great ideas! I wanted to ask whether you are ok with pinning posts to pinterest. I have set up a collaborative Jewish informal education pinterest board (would love it if you participated!) and it would be great to pin some of your projects there.
This is the link if you want to look- pinterest.com/birkatchaverim/jewish-informal-education-and-crafts/
Thanks,
Meira
9 July, 2013 at 7:20 pm
Hi Meira, your pinterest board is excellent! I’m very happy for my projects to be included.
1 June, 2014 at 12:02 pm
Dear Joyful Jewish,
You had a wonderful child’s ten commandments with simplified text.
Would you give permission to use it in an educational setting?
I was hoping to use it for Shavuot and when discussing the ten commandments.
Hoping to hear from you.
Leslie Levant Program Consultant for Montefiore Institute,
Heritage Park, Calgary Canada.
We have found, restored and are interpreting a Jewish farm colony synagogue and interpreting it in a living history museum where the majority of our visitors are not Jewish but do know about the Ten Commandments.
Kindly respond to
leslielevant@hotmail.com
It is lovely, simple and very effective for young children.
Warmest regards.
Leslie Levant
3 July, 2014 at 4:37 am
SheKnows.com is excited to include a photo from Joyful Jewish on our site! In our article we will provide a link back to your blog post. Please contact us if you have any questions or if you would prefer that we not use your photo.
13 | Joann Miller
7 December, 2015 at 12:23 am
Stumbled across your blog. Loved the Chanukah cards…. I snarfed a portion of the image for my Facebook cover and I added a link back to the page so everyone can see the otiginal graphic. Love it!
http://www.facebook.com/purpleology
4 February, 2016 at 2:32 am
May I please have permission to use one of your designs of the Jewish calendar (unfinished or finished version), which you posted on June 29, 2014? I would like to use one of them (preferably the one on the yellow background, if it’s OK to crop off the arrow and text above it) to illustrate an article I’m writing on the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars. I’m planning to publish the article in our Jewish Genealogy Society’s quarterly newsletter (totally nonprofit and noncommercial). It’s a good, clear, simple design that illustrates the way the months line up against each other. Thanks very much!
15 | Susan Steeble
4 February, 2016 at 2:43 am
I forgot to mention, in my permission request, that I would, of course, include a credit line to you and your blog. Thanks again!
Joyful Jewish 
21 February, 2011 at 11:11 pm
Would you consider adding a subscribe link or an email subscription link to your sidebar widgets? That way, folks can get updates when you post something.
Thanks!
26 February, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Yes it’s a good idea, I think you should be able to find RSS subscription links (RSS Entries) at the top of the page now!