So last night I was at a Channukah party.  I noticed something.  Everybody in the room was between 55 and 62.  I guess this is my age cohort. 

Well, actually, there were two younger couples with their singleton babies, one who walked and one who didn’t.  But that was it as far as youth goes.  

What did we do?  We had an orgy.  Of eating that is.  We had latkes and cake and veggies and salmon and asparagus and tea and coffee and fruit.   Oh don’t forget the chocolates and cookies.  Did I mention the fruit drinks and wine?  And for the healthy people there was also salad.

No one smoked grass and apart from the wine, hardly any alcohol was consumed.  So how was this a party?

Well, we lit the candles, sang the blessings and about 3 Channuka songs;  then we ate;  then we had dessert; then we got our coats and left.

And throughout this time, with multiple and single partners, men and women, we made mad, passionate conversation.

The noise level in the room made me almost deaf.  It was somewhat reassuring to realize I knew almost everyone but when the noise went above a certain threshhold, I stopped talking, smiled and mouthed the words, “Happy Channukah” to anyone who looked my way.

“So this is what it means to have a party now that I am sixty,” I thought.  ”Raided by the police for talking too much.”

Nothing of the sort actually happened.  But I did learn how some people had fascinating ideas which they are very enthusiastic about and which they had to tell me right there and then.  It is just too bad that they had not had the chance to tell me about them for the two years preceding the party.

So there we were, shmoozing (a Yiddish word don’t you know), and then when it was time to leave, everyone said, “Be well.”  My daughter who took introductory Yiddish at York last year, pointed out to me that she never hears this expression from her non-Jewish friends.  She said she finally realized why when she learned the Yiddish expression used on saying good bye - “Zay gezund” which means “Be healthy” or “Be well.”  When I mentioned this at the party, it spread around the room like wildfire.  “Do you say that? Hey, I say that too!”  It felt like we were all born again.  We were all connected!

So as I ride off on my sleigh, I say “a happy Channukah to all and to all, Zay gezund!”