Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic
are The Word Mavens
These two Philadelphia ladies know the difference between a dreidel and a draykop. They write, speak, blog and tweet about all things Jewish.
Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic are The Word Mavens
These two Philadelphia ladies know the difference between a dreidel and a draykop. They write, speak, blog and tweet about all things Jewish.Authors
Joyce and Ellen are the award-winning authors of the Dictionary of Jewish Words (Jewish Publication Society 2006), The Whole Spiel: Funny Essays About Digital Nudniks, Seder Selfies and Chicken Soup Memories (Incompra Press 2016) and Stuff Every Grandmother Should Know (Quirk Press Feb. 2019).
The Dictionary of Jewish Words
From abba to zaftig, The Dictionary is a user-friendly guide to all aspects of Jewish life. Entries include the Yiddish, Hebrew and English words associated with Jewish holidays, foods, traditions, modern Israel, the Bible and more. Hailed as “an informative and indispensable reference,” this handy book is an entertaining resource not only for Jews, but also for anyone interested in Jewish culture. Learn More…
The Whole Spiel
The Word Mavens’ new book, The Whole Spiel, is collection of humorous essays that have been called “a terrific commentary on living a modern Jewish life.” When the authors ask why body parts sound cuter in Yiddish, debate the difference between rugelach and shnecken, kvetch about shvitzing and kvell about their kids coming home, you’ll recognize yourself, your mom and your neighbors. Learn More…
Speakers
For more than 15 years, The Word Mavens have shlepped around the country to shmooze with Sisterhoods, Men’s Clubs, JCCs, seniors and communal groups, sharing their insights from years of researching and writing about Jewish life. Since 2020, they’ve also been Zooming around the country to speak to their audiences.
Their educational and entertaining “Shmoozing With The Word Mavens” program celebrates Jewish traditions, holidays, beloved foods and the Yiddish and Hebrew words that describe them. Their program – which includes everything from fun facts about bagels to why there is no substitute for a good “Oy!” – rekindles childhood memories and makes audiences laugh out loud.
Over the years, they’ve had many requests for a repeat performance – so they created a brand-new program on a topic close to our hearts – Jewish food! “Noshing With The Word Mavens” features all new content and all new jokes.
Drawing on the success of their signature presentation, Joyce and Ellen have developed a Mavens-in-Residence program. It’s similar to a Scholar-in-Residence program but a lot more fun! Topics include (desserts!), Jewish travel, Judaica, memoir writing, and holidays you’ve never heard of – because they made them up (and you can too!).
“I’ve heard only rave reviews for your talk at our combined Men’s Club and Sisterhood breakfast. Everyone enjoyed your amusing anecdotes
and informative talk!”– Phyllis Wexler, Program Chairman, Oxford Circle JCC, Philadelphia, PA
Humor and Feature Writers
Cartoon by Terry LaBan
Joyce and Ellen write feature stories and personal essays together. Their Word Mavens’ byline appears frequently in national and local publications, such as The Forward, Moment Magazine, InterfaithFamily.com, and NewsWorks.org, the online site for public broadcasting in Philadelphia. They are regular contributors to the Commentary page of The Philadelphia Inquirer, where they offer their opinions on everything from Christmas tchotchkes and paper valentines to the questionable benefits of loyal shoppers clubs. To read a sampling of their essays, click here.
“You made my day! Amid all the serious news and dreary projections was your delightful Hanukkah description … very funny and educational. Your enthusiasm was contagious. Thank you for the morning lift!”
– Myra, an Inquirer reader
The Word Mavens’ blog, Shmoozing With the Word Mavens, was the winner of the Pennsylvania Press Club’s 2015 award for best “Blog & Commentary.” Their op-ed columns took home one of the organization’s 2017 awards in “Specialty Articles – Business.”
When they are not working together, they both pursue independent projects. Joyce Eisenberg is an expert editor who also tackles various writing projects; Ellen Scolnic writes feature articles and personal essays. Both do marketing and public relations work. After all, they do have to bring home the babka.