Authors of “The Whole Spiel” and
 the “Dictionary of Jewish Words”

Nosh

n. Yiddish: a little snack

“It's nice they put out bagels and coffee. We like a little nosh before the program.”

Nosh

n. Yiddish: a little snack “It's nice they put out bagels and coffee. We like a little nosh before the program.”

Looking for an entertaining program for your organization?


Book The Word Mavens
, two ladies who know the difference between a dreidel and a draykop, for an in-person or Zoom presentation. Their “Shmoozing With the Word Mavens” program always gets rave reviews. 

“You were wonderful! Your knowledge, your stories and your memories provided much appreciated joy. The Word Mavens were a big success.”– Beth Quinn, Scarsdale Synagogue, NY  

Over the years, they’ve had many requests for a repeat performance – so they created a brand-new program on a topic close to their hearts – Jewish food! It’s titled “Noshing With the Word Mavens.”   

Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic are the authors of the Dictionary of Jewish Words and The Whole Spiel: Funny essays about digital nudniks, seder selfies and chicken soup memories. Each hour-long program is humorous, illuminating and nostalgic. 

“Thanks for the laughs and the nice memories. It was a fabulous morning – and definitely what the doctor ordered!”
– Mary Salinger, Keneseth Israel, Allentown PA 
 

The Shmoozing Program

The Word Mavens dive into Jewish holidays, customs, foods and more, and you’ll learn: 

  • Is it kosher to call Martha Stewart a decorating maven?
  • Are you a shnorrer if you lurk by the free sample counter at Costco?
  • Why did the Catholic cardinals schmooze about the Pope, and
  • Is there a law that says you must give a Hanukkah gift on all eight nights?   

Joyce and Ellen describe variations in Jewish observances around the globe, new traditions that usher words into existence, and funny stories of how Yiddish words are often mangled in daily conversation.

In a review in the New Jersey Jewish News, Debra Rubin wrote, “As members noshed on bagels and a shmeer at the program sponsored by Temple Beth El’s Sisterhood, Joyce and Ellen shared bubbe meises and shtick about the colorful Jewish words that are part of the vernacular of American Jews.”

“The program was very entertaining and had lots of audience participation. I also found out I knew more about Jewish words than I thought.”  – Rose Ann Rosenthal, Somerset, NJ 

The Noshing Program

In “Noshing With The Word Mavens,” Joyce and Ellen dish about familiar Jewish foods, like knishes and kugels, and newer delights like Sephardic haroset and shakshuka. They talk about machers who became famous for their food inventions, the surprising history of the bagel, and where gefilte fish swim. You’ll gobble up interesting facts like: 

  • Who are the Fleishmann brothers and what did they invent that made their mother kvell
  • Is p’tach a Jewish food or a sound you make when you spit something out?
  • When your Bubbe told you to “shitteryne” was she cursing?
  •  Is the “gefilte fish line” a new form of Jewish geography?

After they “noshed” via Zoom with a Sisterhood in Pittsburgh, the host wrote: 

We alI learned so much … who knew about Maxwell House and Lender’s Bagels and Gold’s Horseradish? And Heinz Vegetarian Beans…a mechaya! As I am writing this email, I’m getting constant interruptions by text, phone, and emails raving about your presentation!! I can’t thank you enough. Now I have to go eat lunch…I’m starving after that talk!” Be well, Bernice  

The Word Mavens have presented their program to more than 100 groups in six states, with audiences ranging in size from 25 to more than 300. Audiences at JCCs; Hadassah Lunch & Learns; Jewish Federations; synagogue Sisterhood, Men’s Club and senior groups; and Jewish book fairs have laughed out loud. Since the arrival of COVID-19, Joyce and Ellen have been presenting their program via Zoom to congregations around the country and beyond. 

Ellen and Joyce had to do a lot of work to get all fapitzed for Zooming! Read their humorous article about “curating” their backgrounds. It appeared on WritersWeekly.com in Dec. 2020. 

Mavens-in-Residence 

Joyce and Ellen have developed a Mavens-in-Residence program. It’s similar to a Scholar-in-Residence program but a lot more fun! Read about it here. 

Audience members routinely thank The Word Mavens for rekindling fond memories from their childhood and reminding them of some of their most beloved traditions and celebrations. 

“Enjoyable. Enlightening. Excellent. These are just a few of the words I have heard used to describe the program you presented.” – Rabbi Ron Muroff, Chisuk Emuna, Harrisburg, PA

2023 Engagements
In Person and/or On Zoom

Baltimore Hebrew Cong., Baltimore, MD
Beth El of South Hills, Pittsburgh, PA
Brith Achim, King of Prussia, PA
Beth El, Margate, NJ
Brith Sholom Cong., Bethlehem, PA
First Hebrew Cong., Peekskill, NY
Shannondell, Valley Forge, PA
Temple Anshe Sholom, Hamilton, Canada
Temple Beth El, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Tiferet Beth Israel, Blue Bell, PA

A Sampling of In-Person Programs:

Beth El, Allentown, PA
Beth El Sisterhood,
 Bethesda, MD
Beth El Congregation
Combined Sisterhood Event, Baltimore, MD
Beth-El Congregation, Dallas, TX
Beth El, Harrisburg, PA
Beth Sholom, Elkins Park, PA
B’nai Tikvah, Canton, MA
Brandeis National Committee, Freehold, NJ
Canal Walk Hadassah, Somerset, NJ
Congregation Kol Emet
, Yardley PA
Shaarai Shomayim, Lancaster, PA
Gershman Y Lunch & Learn, Philadelphia, PA
Har Zion Temple, Penn Valley, PA
JCC of the Lehigh Valley Author Series, Allentown, PA
Jewish Book Fair, Houston, Texas
Jewish Cultural Center of Reading
Jewish Geriatric Home Closing Board Dinner, Cherry Hill, NJ
Keneseth Israel, Elkins Park, PA
Main Line Hadassah Luncheon, Newtown Square, PA
NCJW Closing Luncheon, Phila, PA
Ohev Shalom of Bucks County, Rabbi’s Special Event,
Ring House, Rockville, MD
Siegel JCC, Wilmington, Delaware
Temple Adath Emanu-El Men’s Club brunch, Mount Laurel, NJ
Temple Beth El, Lancaster, PA
Temple Beth El HAZAK group, Somerset, NJ
Temple Gates of Prayer Sisterhood, Flushing, NY
Temple Israel Sisterhood, Merrick, NY
Washington Hebrew Congregation, D.C.
Women’s Division, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

A Sampling of Where We’ve Zoomed:

Beth El, Cedarhurst, NY
Beth El, Cedarhurst
, NY
Beth El of Bloomfield Hills,
MI
Beth El of South Hills, Pittsburgh, PA
Beth El, Springfield, MA
Beth-El, Hillsborough Twp, NJ
Beth-El Cong., Ft. Worth, TX
Beth Israel
, West Hartford, CT
Beth Haverim Shir Shalom
, Mahwah, NJ
Beth Shalom, Santa Fe, NM
1st Hebrew Congregation, Peekskill, NY
Har Shalom, Potomac, MD
Hewlett East Rockaway JCC, NY
Midway Jewish Center, Syosset, NY
NCJW, Rockland Chapter, NY
NSS Beth El, Highland Park, IL
Olam Tikvah, Fairfax, VA
Shaarei-Beth El, Oakville, ON
Sons of Israel, Briarcliff Manor, NY
Temple Kol Ami, W. Bloomfield, MI
Temple Shalom, Newton, MA
Temple Sinai, Roslyn, NY
Tifereth Israel, Washington, DC
Women of Fairmount Temple, Cleveland, OH