Happy Festival of Lights! Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Happiest of all the Holidays to YOU! Happy New Year! I hope your 2022 celebrations have brought joy, light and warmth to your heart.
At our house we lit the Chanukah candles and I love how every religion celebrates a festival of lights at this time. We all need HOPE especially when we feel we are alone in the DARKNESS.
Rabbi Yoshi, the head Rabbi at my temple, Stephen Wise, shared these words below from Rabbi Hugo Gryn which he told us, "fill me with hope, especially at this time of year. They were originally shared in 1987 on the BBC's 'The Moral Maze.'" Gryn was born in 1930 in what was then Czechoslovakia. In this piece, entitled "Three Minutes of Hope," Gryn reminds us of just how urgent the lesson of Hanukkah is, now and always.
As I light the menorah in my comfortable London home, surrounded by our children, the oldest of whom is getting married tomorrow, I go back to Hanukkah 42 years ago, the bitter, cold winter of 1944, to a miserable Nazi concentration camp called Lieberose in Silesia. From our less-than-meager rations we saved our margarine, from bits of wood carved out bowls for oil lamps, and out of blanket and uniform threads fashioned wicks of a sort.
Then on the first night of Hanukkah, in our crowded barrack-room (Block 4 it was), the melted fat in its place, we sang the blessings about God’s miraculous saving power. And then disaster! Margarine does not burn! It just fizzled out. And my anger over precious and seemingly wasted calories, and the less than good-natured teasing of non-Jewish fellow prisoners. Though I was then a middle-aged 14-year-old,
I burst into tears. My father, who also saved his rations, and whose idea the celebration was in the first place, and without whose support I would certainly not be alive to tell this tale, tried to comfort me.
"You and I," he said, "have seen that it is possible to live as long as three weeks without food. We once lived almost three days without water. But you cannot live properly for three minutes without hope!" Sadly, my father did not survive. He died of starvation and typhoid a few days after our liberation the following May. But my life was blessed by his life and you will understand why, to this day, beyond the theology and the history of the Hanukkah lights, there shines for me an image of love, and always the inextinguishable rays.
Thank you to Rabbi Yoshi for his spiritual leadership and my book blessing!
I will be speaking LIVE at America’s Favorite Travel Shows! Come see me at The Travel & Adventure Show in CHICAGO –Jan 14-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, NEW YORK CITY – January 28-29 at the Javits Convention Center and LOS ANGELES— February 18-19 at Los Angeles Convention Center!
“Discover endless vacation options from the top travel providers and destinations from around the globe. Meet one-on-one with thousands of travel experts who are on hand to help you find, personalize, and book your next trip. Uncover thousands of dollars in savings with exclusive travel deals and show-only specials. Receive expert advice and learn how to travel like an insider from dozens of educational seminars. Plus, meet Samantha Brown, Andrew McCarthy, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Patricia Schultz, LISA NIVER and more!” Click here to buy tickets and get a special rate with my discount code GOTRAVEL23
Thank you to Redfin for including me in your article: Exploring Parks in Long Beach. I shared the best kept secret of the Naples Canals of Long Beach are a network of man-made canals where you can kayak, paddleboard or enjoy a romantic gondola ride.
15th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 04: Lisa Niver and BJ Korros attend the 15th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards at Sheraton Universal Hotel on December 04, 2022 in Universal City, California. Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images for Los Angeles Press Club
Thank you to the Jewish Journal for publishing my articles for twelve years!
WHERE CAN YOU FIND MY TRAVEL VIDEOS?
Here is the link to my video channel on YouTube where I have over 1.7 million views on YouTube! (Exact count: 1,734,000 views)
Thank you for your support! Are you one of my 3,770 subscribers? I hope you will join me and subscribe! For more We Said Go Travel articles, TV segments, videos and social media: CLICK HERE
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops did a remarkable thing: It issued a memorandum to all American Catholic bishops urging them to prepare their teachings carefully during this Easter period and ensure that they accurately present the Church’s positive teachings about Jews.
On March 25, Professor Ruth Wisse, the legendary Yiddish literature and Jewish culture scholar, used an all-American platform to inspire Americans with Jewish, Zionist and quintessentially American, lessons.
California has long been home to Israeli entrepreneurs and companies spanning tech, cybersecurity, custom software, financial services and full-service restaurants. These businesses generate jobs and strengthen the state economy.
While some voices on the far left and far right attempt to portray Israel as dragging the U.S. into war, Bachar stressed that this is not the reality, noting that the United States is acting based on its own strategic interests.
Chametz is also something that gathers in the corners of our being, the spiritual chametz that, like the physical particles we gather the night before Passover, can infect, wither, influence and sabotage us as we engage with others.
Every Passover, I prepare a truly delicious gluten-free granola. I use lots of nuts and seeds (pistachios, walnuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds) and dried fruits (apricots, dates and cranberries).
How does the Exodus story, Judaism’s foundational narrative of freedom, speak to the present? We asked local leaders, including rabbis, educators and podcasters, to weigh in.
Whoever risks a decisive or semi-decisive prediction of the campaign’s end (and there is a long list of such figures on the Israeli side as well as the American side) is not demonstrating wisdom but rather a lack of seriousness.
The Seder asks us to remain present to the tension between competing fears and obligations. It does not require choosing one lesson over the other, but rather, it creates space for us to articulate our concerns and listen to the fears and hopes that shape others’ views.
Freedom, it would seem, is erratic; it happens in fits and starts, three steps forward and two steps back. Freedom is a leap into the unknown, driven by a dream. We will figure it out in time.
NPR executives may deny accusations of political bias, but the reporting by KPBS on the IHRA definition and the presence of an outspoken anti-Zionist as a producer exemplifies of what makes NPR so vulnerable.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.
Happy Holidays: Niver’s News: Dec 2022
Lisa Ellen Niver
Dec News 2022 with Lisa Niver & We Said Go Travel:
Happy Festival of Lights! Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Happiest of all the Holidays to YOU! Happy New Year! I hope your 2022 celebrations have brought joy, light and warmth to your heart.
At our house we lit the Chanukah candles and I love how every religion celebrates a festival of lights at this time. We all need HOPE especially when we feel we are alone in the DARKNESS.
Thank you to Rabbi Yoshi for his spiritual leadership and my book blessing!
I will be speaking LIVE at America’s Favorite Travel Shows! Come see me at The Travel & Adventure Show in CHICAGO –Jan 14-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, NEW YORK CITY – January 28-29 at the Javits Convention Center and LOS ANGELES— February 18-19 at Los Angeles Convention Center!
“Discover endless vacation options from the top travel providers and destinations from around the globe. Meet one-on-one with thousands of travel experts who are on hand to help you find, personalize, and book your next trip. Uncover thousands of dollars in savings with exclusive travel deals and show-only specials. Receive expert advice and learn how to travel like an insider from dozens of educational seminars. Plus, meet Samantha Brown, Andrew McCarthy, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Patricia Schultz, LISA NIVER and more!” Click here to buy tickets and get a special rate with my discount code GOTRAVEL23
Thank you VoyageLA for interviewing me for your Inspiring Stories from West LA!
Are you wondering where to celebrate this holiday season? 8 new Michelin stars were awarded in LA County. I loved the California Reveal Party at Petersen Automotive Museum.
Embed from Getty Images
15th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 04: Lisa Niver and BJ Korros attend the 15th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards at Sheraton Universal Hotel on December 04, 2022 in Universal City, California. Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images for Los Angeles Press Club
Thanks to Doritos After Dark for the Winter Solstice PARTY
Articles from my recent adventures at Beaches Turks and Caicos:
Read about my visit to PHILLY for LOVE and HISTORY
Thank you to the Jewish Journal for publishing my articles for twelve years!
WHERE CAN YOU FIND MY TRAVEL VIDEOS?
Here is the link to my video channel on YouTube where I have over 1.7 million views on YouTube! (Exact count: 1,734,000 views)
Thank you for your support! Are you one of my 3,770 subscribers? I hope you will join me and subscribe! For more We Said Go Travel articles, TV segments, videos and social media: CLICK HERE
Find me on social media with over 150,000 followers. Please follow on TikTok: @LisaNiver, Twitter at @LisaNiver, Instagram @LisaNiver and on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and at LisaNiver.com.
Fortune Cookie SAID:
Once you make a decision the universe conspires to make it happen
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Sending light, love and laughter –PHOTO: Sunset at Beaches Turks and Caicos Nov 2022
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
Israel and the Internet Wars – A Professional Social Media Review
The Invisible Student: A Tale of Homelessness at UCLA and USC
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
You’re Not a Bad Jewish Mom If Your Kid Wants Santa Claus to Come to Your House
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
Sailing Tahiti on The Jet Set TV: Why Windstar Cruises Delivers Small Ships, Big Experiences
Print Issue: Reflections | April 3, 2026
The Fourth Son in the Haggadah Echoes Kafka’s Investigative Dog
A Bisl Torah — Dayeinu: Enough or More than Enough
Order, Please – A poem for Passover
Why the Seder Is the Oldest Classroom in Human History
Rabbis of LA | Rabbi Shapiro Wants Music in All Aspects of Temple Life
Second of two parts
Antisemitism, Deicide, and Revolution
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops did a remarkable thing: It issued a memorandum to all American Catholic bishops urging them to prepare their teachings carefully during this Easter period and ensure that they accurately present the Church’s positive teachings about Jews.
Ruth Wisse Challenges Americans to Live American, Jewish and Zionist Values
On March 25, Professor Ruth Wisse, the legendary Yiddish literature and Jewish culture scholar, used an all-American platform to inspire Americans with Jewish, Zionist and quintessentially American, lessons.
Shuk-style Mazal Market Returns with Pre-Passover ‘Renewal’
“Mazal Market will exist as long as there is a need for it. It’s a place where everyone feels like they’re Jewish enough together.”
Israeli Entrepreneurs Fuel California’s Economy with High-Paying Jobs
California has long been home to Israeli entrepreneurs and companies spanning tech, cybersecurity, custom software, financial services and full-service restaurants. These businesses generate jobs and strengthen the state economy.
Israel Bachar on Antisemitism, Hollywood and Mobilizing Global Support for Israel
While some voices on the far left and far right attempt to portray Israel as dragging the U.S. into war, Bachar stressed that this is not the reality, noting that the United States is acting based on its own strategic interests.
Chametz Is More than Crumbs in the Corners of our Homes
Chametz is also something that gathers in the corners of our being, the spiritual chametz that, like the physical particles we gather the night before Passover, can infect, wither, influence and sabotage us as we engage with others.
Kugel Kugel Everywhere
At Passover time, all kugels are welcome.
Joan Nathan’s Passover Favorites
Nathan’s family holidays go back 46 years with rotating guests and a community that forms around her ever-changing table.
Magic of Mimouna and a Walnut Cookie Recipe
They are perfect for a Mimouna table because they are flourless and can be baked during Passover, before Mimouna.
Alpine Flavors—a Crunchy Granola Recipe
Every Passover, I prepare a truly delicious gluten-free granola. I use lots of nuts and seeds (pistachios, walnuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds) and dried fruits (apricots, dates and cranberries).
Table for Five: Passover
The Our Ongoing Exodus
From Late-Night Vacuuming to Transcendence: A Passover Meditation
Passover itself denotes transcendence. Leaving one’s limitations. Leaping beyond the ordinary.
Pesach Reflections
How does the Exodus story, Judaism’s foundational narrative of freedom, speak to the present? We asked local leaders, including rabbis, educators and podcasters, to weigh in.
Rosner’s Domain | Be Skeptical of Skeptics, Too
Whoever risks a decisive or semi-decisive prediction of the campaign’s end (and there is a long list of such figures on the Israeli side as well as the American side) is not demonstrating wisdom but rather a lack of seriousness.
When We Can No Longer Agree on Who Is Pharaoh
The Seder asks us to remain present to the tension between competing fears and obligations. It does not require choosing one lesson over the other, but rather, it creates space for us to articulate our concerns and listen to the fears and hopes that shape others’ views.
The Battle for Zionism Will Be Won — or Lost — at the Seder Table
The Haggadah’s original purpose is not to soothe. It is to mobilize.
Pesach at War. Leaving Fast, Leaving Slow.
Freedom, it would seem, is erratic; it happens in fits and starts, three steps forward and two steps back. Freedom is a leap into the unknown, driven by a dream. We will figure it out in time.
A Moment in Time: “Passover – Bedikat Chametz”
The Bias of KPBS, San Diego’s National Public Radio Affiliate
NPR executives may deny accusations of political bias, but the reporting by KPBS on the IHRA definition and the presence of an outspoken anti-Zionist as a producer exemplifies of what makes NPR so vulnerable.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.