The Pressure of Being a Blum

Growing up, I had the picture-perfect childhood. My parents were liberals and raised my brother and I open-minds, and the impression that we were capable of achieving our biggest dreams, no matter how impossible they seemed. My brother and I were also lucky enough to witness my parents practice what they preached. I watched both my parents grow incredibly successful as the years progressed. Today, I call my parents and my older brother the “Dream Team,” since they are still living their dreams and still casually walking the road to success. And then there’s me: almost ready to graduate college, and not quite sure if I'll make the team. The only problem is I’m not too sure I’m capable of making the cut. Let me explain my story of the ‘Dream Team’ and then maybe you’ll see what I mean.

My father, Michael Blum, was born in Israel and moved to America when he was eight. My father and his family had a difficult time assimilating to the new culture and language, as well as struggled financially, while living in Long Island, New York. In school my father was bullied because he was unable to communicate and understand what the teacher was saying. Well, my father turned his unhappiness and insecurities into motivation to learn English and over-achieve in school. My father even skipped a grade and got a full scholarship to college. To make a long story short, my father ended up becoming a successful businessman for big name corporations, such as IBM, Hewlett Packard, etc.  And he has even given lectures at prestigious Ivy League schools, such as Harvard. Currently, he is the Vice President and Global Leader Banking for Wipro Technologies, a leading technology company from India. Yes, he had the classic “rags to riches” story.

My mother, Saundra Blum, grew up as your typical all-American girl. She grew up in a wealthy community in Long Island, New York, known as Great Neck, but she claims her family was one of the poorest in town. My mother was nominated as homecoming queen in both high school and college. At first my mother was a special education teacher, then she had her share in the business world as a corporate figure for an insurance company, but for some reason she was convinced that there was another career for her out their that would fill her niche. My mother found that career, and it turned out to be a very different career than we all expected, but she has thrived in success with it. Today, my mother is a hypnotherapist/ past-life regression therapist and is very well-known in the alternative-medicine community. Recently, she released a relaxation Cd, which is being sold on Amazon.com.

Then there’s my brother, Jordan Blum, who is six years older than me. He is that rare kind of person that has known what he wanted to be since he was five years old- a film-maker. He is the biggest movie-buff I know and his imagination is somewhat overally creative. He went to film schools during the summer, had his first job as a camera-man for Fox News at just 18-years-old! In college, he directed a mini-series that aired on the university’s channel. In his junior year of college, he entered a film contest for MTV, and won a VIP pass to the movie premiere of the “Phantom of the Opera,” and his short film was featured on national television. Before he even graduated college, he got an internship at MTV reading scripts. Finally he landed a job as a writer/ production assistant/ Executive Assistant for the hit show, ‘American Dad!’ Recently, he wrote two full episodes, by himself, for ‘American Dad!’ The episodes will air in the spring. Next week, my brother is pitching a new cartoon series to Fox, which he co-created with one of the creators of ‘American Dad!’ Oh and I forgot to mention, his film career looks like it’s going to take off any second, since DreamWorks is considering one of his movie scripts and my brothers long-time hero, and creator of marvel comics, Stan Lee, is also reading his script. Did I mention my brother is only 28?

The Blum Family has experienced success-after-success, which only makes me uneasy to think about how the heck I’m going to live up to all this. I can’t help, but stress since I’m not even totally sure what I want to do with my life yet. I know I want to write, because writing is my passion, but what kind of writing? I haven’t a clue.

 Next December I will be graduating with a degree in Journalism and my minor is Women’s studies. The only problem is, over the last 4 years, I’ve realized journalism isn’t really my thing since my strength is creative writing, and the rules of journalism don’t really allow for any imagination or creativity; in other words, I’m screwed. It’s stressful being a Blum, and I may struggle finding my place in the world... But, at least I have connections. 

The Hanukkah Lesson

          Growing up, I belonged to one of the few Jewish families in my town. I’ve become rather used teaching   my non-Jewish friends the traditions and beliefs of Judaism. One of my favorite things to do is to bring my non-Jewish friends to my family’s annual Hanukkah party.

Over the weekend, my roommate, Danielle, and my friend, Lauren, decided to come with me to New York and attend the Hanukkah party. Since they’re both Christian and haven’t really been exposed to Jewish culture before, I decided to give my friends a lesson in Hanukkah.

Latkes

When I think of Hanukkah, my grandparents immediately come to mind. Let me start with my blatantly Jewish Safta (grandmother). My Safta has the thickest Israeli accent, it sounds as if she just came off the boat from Israel. The best way to describe my Safta… Dr. Ruth. She’s a very tiny, petite woman, with blonde hair, small eyes that smile behind her glasses, and has does not have filter when it comes to talking about inappropriate things. She also has mastered the art of 'Jewish guilt' to the point where she could probably teach a course in it. Although, I must say the woman sure can cook! During the Jewish holidays, you can find my Safta in the kitchen with a glass of brandy in one hand, and a wooden spoon in the other. I don’t know what she does or how she does it, but the end result is a delicious traditional Middle Eastern meal that you’re taste buds will never forget. Safta is famous for her mouth-watering Latkes. Over the years, the demand for her incredible Latkes has grown outrageously at our Hanukkah parties, because no one can get enough of them. This year, my Safta made a record-breaking 30-pounds worth of latkes.

My Saba (grandfather) also has a heavy Israeli accent and frequently makes terrible grammatical errors, which has caused many people to scratch their heads in the past. My Saba is the type of man who often feels the need to comb over the mere three strands of hair on his balding head. He is a humble and quiet man, only because he can barely get a word in with my chatty Safta around. When he is able to get a word in, it’s usually a witty one-liner that has us all laughing hysterically. After meeting my grandparents, I think Danielle and Lauren were a bit overwhelmed.

The clock hit 4:00pm. One by one, our family and friends, both old and new, began piling through the door. Soon our house became more crowded, louder, and definitely more fun. I decided to teach Danielle and Lauren how to play Dreidel, a traditional Hanukkah game. “Dreidel, is pretty much gambling for kids,” I said. “We each get a collection of chocolate coins, otherwise known as Hanukkah gelt. First everyone needs to put one coin in the middle. Then we take turns spinning the dreidel. If it lands on ‘Gimmel’, you get to take the entire pile of gelt in the middle. If it lands on ‘Hay’, you get to take half of the pile. If it lands on ‘Shin’, you need to put another coin into the pile. Finally, if it lands on ‘Nun’, you don’t take anything and you don’t give anything.” Once my friends got the hang of it, the game of dreidel grew rather intense. The game grew even more intense, and we all became bitter when my eight-year-old cousin joined the game and spun a ‘Gimmel’ every time it was his turn. In retrospect, our competitiveness and bad-sportsmanship with an innocent eight-year-old may have been a tad bit inappropriate and pathetic. But anyways, dreidel was a big hit, especially with the girls.

After our friends and family gathered around and we lit the Menorah, we then introduced my family’s own Hanukkah party tradition. For 25 years, we have had our guests write their name, the date, and a little personal message on a strip of paper, and we then attach it onto our Hanukkah Chain. The chain has become our special and most valued decoration during Hanukkah, since it contains memories of our dearest family and friends, some who are no longer alive today. The Hanukkah Chain has become so long, it circles around the perimeter of our living room twice!

I watched Danielle and Lauren proudly decorate their link to the chain. I could tell they felt touched to be a part of our family, our tradition, and experience a culture so different from what they are accustomed to. I think it’s safe to say my Hanukkah lesson was quite a success, since the girls already confirmed that they’re attending the ‘Blum Hanukkah Party’ next year.