There’s no better way to kick off this podcast than with my mama, Shellie. She joins me to chat all about the Jewish events she’s had and held in her life and how they’ve changed over the years. Listen in to hear all of her amazing snark and sass while we dive into all of our events from Bris to Shiva. 

Shellie was born in the Bronx but was brought up in Queens to an amazing family with a very happy childhood. She decided not to have a Bat Mitzvah because she was so shy. She did not want to be the center of attention at all. 

Despite her deep attraction to a nice looking Italian boy, she found the love of her life in my dad. They had a big Kosher Jewish ceremony at the temple and she loved it. Sadly, my dad’s father passed away just five weeks prior to their wedding, but she was still happy to be starting a new journey. 

Not too long after that, they were having a naming ceremony for me. They didn’t get to do it in for the first few weeks because I was in the hospital for a while as a premie, but when my brother Larry came, we had a Bris!. 

Fast-forward to my 13th birthday and mama was planning her very first Bat Mitzvah. Since mom didn’t have a Bat Mitzvah, it’s hard to tell if mine was significantly different, but they’ve definitely changed since mine! 

Listen in to learn why my brother Larry’s Bar Mitzvah was so long and why my wedding was super easy for mom to plan but much more difficult for me. 

Mama always says she wouldn’t change a thing about her life. She has no regrets and she’s still unbelievably happy even though we have had to plan and celebrate a Shiva as well. We had so much fun taking a trip down memory lane.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

In this episode:

[01:20] Meet my sassy mama Shellie. 

[02:18] Learn more about her childhood and her family. 

[04:49] Did she ever date someone who wasn’t Jewish? 

[06:30] How did dad ask her to marry him? 

[08:16] They had a big traditional kosher wedding.

[09:29] She shares her experience buying her wedding dress. 

[10:48] Dad’s dad passed away just before their wedding. Hear the story. 

[13:34] The next Jewish ceremony was a baby naming for me.

[14:22] For my brother Larry they had a Bris. 

[15:23] Jump 13 years and we had our very first Bat Mitzvah. 

[17:07] The Jewish faith has changed a lot since the 80s with regard to the role of women. 

[18:06] Why Larry’s Bar Mitzvah was so long and made the boys get a bit rowdy. 

[20:27] Did mama have any regrets? Would she change anything? 

[21:24] What was the process like for planning our ceremonies? 

[22:25] These days the process is much different. 

[23:12] Planning my wedding was a bit different because I was already in the event planning business.

[26:02] How pre-wedding counseling has changed from mama’s wedding to mine. 

[27:25] What were some of mama’s favorite memories from events that we’ve had? 

[28:56] We talk about daddy’s Shiva.

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