Secrets of a Jewish Mother: Real Advice, Real Family, Real Love

by Jill Zarin, Lisa Wexler, Gloria Kamen

Overview

A Real Housewife of New York City reveals the Jewish mother's secrets to life, love and happiness.

The Jewish Mother knows what she wants-and what you should want too. Here, readers will learn how to make her methods their own, and give and get love and happiness in great amounts. Jill Zarin, the breakout star of Bravo's hit series The Real Housewives of New York, teams up with her sister, Lisa Wexler, award-winning host of the daily radio program The Lisa Wexler Show, and her mother, the estimable Gloria Kamen, who made a splash on Jill's series last year. With real-life stories from the mother/daughter trio illustrating their wise and witty tips on dating, marriage, money, and more, Secrets of a Jewish Mother is all the advice readers didn't know they needed but will never forget.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101532539
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/01/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	775 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

JILL ZARIN is one of The Real Housewives of New York City, which attracts more than two million viewers each week.

LISA WEXLER is the award-winning host of the daily radio program The Lisa Wexler Show.
GLORIA KAMEN, mother of Lisa Wexler and Jill Zarin, was the surprise hit of Real Housewives season two. She writes the “Ask Gloria” column on BravoTV.com and lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

What People are Saying About This

Patti Stanger

You don't have to be Jewish to read this book, but after reading this book everyone will want to be Jewish. The best practical advice a girl could need from three extraordinary Jewish mothers....Jill's, Lisa's, and Gloria's advice will save you a lifetime of aggravation. (Patti Stanger, Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker)

Fran Drescher

Gloria epitomizes the Jewish Mother! She has a heart of gold and earrings to match!

Barbara Bietz

Reading Secrets of a Jewish Mother is like a sitting around the kitchen table with a pot of coffee and a chocolate bobka, listening to advice from old friends. (Barbara Bietz, author of Like a Maccabee.)

Molly Shannon

You don't have to be Jewish to need a good Jewish mother. Gloria has sooooooo much good advice....Chicken soup has got nothing on this lady.

Kathy Lee Gifford

It's not just a Jewish mother that has these secrets, it's a lovely book.

Steve Doocy

It's a good book, check it out. (Steve Doocy, Fox & Friends)

Reading Group Guide

1. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Do you agree with Gloria's "Must Haves" for a husband? What would you add or omit?

In the book, Lisa, Jill and Gloria strongly believe that you should not live with a guy before marriage? Do you think they are right?

Why do you think Jewish parents tell their daughters "What's His is Yours and What's Yours is Yours?" Do you think this is said in fun or meant to be taken seriously?

In the book, Lisa and Jill claim that they do not and have never "suffered" from sibling rivalry. How much of that do you think is true? Is it possible to raise children without creating sibling rivalry?

Competition between mother and daughter is a big no–no, according to the authors. Is this syndrome familiar to you? Do you think the authors are right about this?

In the book the authors say "Bar Mitzvahs, Weddings, Family Gatherings: The Grudge Starts Here." Which family grudges do you recall that were started from these events? How much do you hold onto grudges yourself?

Humor is one of the main themes in "Secrets". Why do you suppose the authors emphasize humor so much?

What type of friend are you? If you are a front–row friend to someone, in what ways have you demonstrated that friendship?

In the book the authors say that criticizing the kinder is a HUGE mistake. Have you ever criticized a friend's child? Why? What did that do to your friendship?

Lisa believes in having a "nice sized knipple." Do you have one? Do you think you should?

Has money ever come between you and a friend?

Have you ever thought about what you'd be willing to do for money?

How do your views on money affect your judgments about friends and colleagues?

Have you ever heard people generalize about Jews and money? If so, how do you respond?

How much do you value your education?

Do you play a big role in your children's academic life?

In the book the authors say a woman should try and maintain her looks throughout her marriage. Do you agree?

Are you judgmental of others based on how they look?

Are we, as women, too hard on ourselves when it comes to our physical appearance? As a society, are we too obsessed with beauty?

Do you think the authors views on beauty and health are specific to a certain economic and ethnic class of women, or are they universal?

Jill wrote her "Fashion Tips" in the book. What would you add or take out? Do you think it is important to be fashionable?

Lisa was not satisfied with her first career so she decided to engage in another. Would you take a risk like that?

Do you love what you do? How important is loving your job to you?

Do you work in the same field as your degree?

'Secrets" says: "Make sure your children know you love them, every day and in as many ways as you can." Do you agree with this philosophy? How do you show your kids you love them?

Do you agree with their "Commonsense Parenting Basics?" Why or why not?

Gloria says she hates it when she hears that parents make their kids feel guilty. Auny Cooky thinks guilt reflects a good moral conscience. What do you think?

How much do you think parents should interfere in their adult children's choices?

Should parents try and break up a relationship if they don't like the boyfriend or girlfriend of a spouse? How surprised were you at Gloria and Sol's behavior with Jill and Lisa?

How important was religion to you in choosing your spouse? Is a similar ethnic, religious or cultural background something you stress with your own children in choosing a mate? Why or why not?

Do you understand why the authors have the attitudes they do about their Jewish heritage?

Do you believe in superstitions? If so, which ones?

Jewish women are often accused of being tactless and interfering. After reading this book, do you think this is a fair stereotype? After reading this book, do you think this is a bad thing or a good thing? What did you learn from reading this book?

Editorial Reviews

The latest of TV's Real Housewives of New York City to enter the publishing arena, Zarin wisely recruits her sister, radio host Wexler, and their mother, online columnist Kamen, to produce an opinionated guide to life from the point of view of three Jewish moms-the kind whose "stereotypical traits" ("domineering, interfering, tactless and loud") have resulted in strong families and successful careers. Insisting that "if a lesson is worth teaching once, it is worth teaching at least two thousand times," the trio use a conversational, collaborative approach to make each themed chapter (including dating, health and beauty, education, career, and, of course, parenting) stick, trading off charismatic group narration with first-person interjections and personal stories that expand upon traditional, time-tested advice: "We come from a long line of long marriages. ...We were taught it is normal to go through bad times in a marriage, even bad year." They also provide "ask yourself" questions to motivate further exploration, and a short chapter on "Superstitions and the Clichés that Matter." Honest, self-aware, and frequently funny, these women deliver a triple-strength dose of universal advice.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly

[Jill Zarin's] sharing little pearls of wisdom, along with her mom, Gloria Kamen, and sis, Lisa Wexler, in the book Secrets of a Jewish Mother: Real Advice, Real Stories, Real Love. (Just in time for Mother's Day!) Their prescription for successful parenting (friendships, dating, etc.) has a universal quality to it, so it's not only for Jewish moms.

UrbanBaby.com

I felt this book was incredibly smart. It shows the ups and downs of these three women's lives. Like the book title says "Real Advice, Real Stories, Real Love." Nothing is sugarcoated and artificial. I really like how each chapter of the book has stories from each person's life. How Jill dealt with divorce, Gloria's struggle with her friendships at certain points in her life, and Lisa's view on money?In conclusion, I really feel this book is a wonderful read. It makes you think differently about life in certain ways that you normally don't.

Sammi's Blog of Life

Aside from advice on raising kids and stories from Kamen and her daughters, Secrets of a Jewish Mother deals with marriage, friendship, dating, money, and more, and includes practical quizzes and self- assessment action steps.

Shalom Life

Filled with candid, humorous and loving advice and personal glimpses into their lives, this trio offers up some tips we should all heed and live by?This is a thoroughly enjoyable read and should be passed around to mothers, daughters, sister, nieces, aunts, girlfriends and all ladies who might enjoy reading and discovering that in the end we are all basically the same - with the same hopes and desires - and remember an old adage redefined here: 'Hell hath no fury like a [Jewish] mother scorned!' Bravo! to Kamen, Wexler and Zarin (and I don't mean the TV channel).

Hamptons.com

A great book this Mother's Day

MSNBC's Morning Joe

From friendships to love, marriage and children, the book covers many aspects of life with laugh-out-loud stories and pointed advice the [authors] have learned as Jewish mothers and Jewish daughters.

SavvyAuntie.com

All-in-All, I love everything that the three mothers had written. I did learn quite a bit of things from each and every one of them. I liked the fact they each gave their own advice and stories in each chapter. From friendship, dating, beauty, marriage, parenting, money and more, this is a great book and a keeper! Another part I liked was in the chapters there was a section called 'Ask Yourself', because I do find myself answering the questions... So I would like to say Mazel Tov to Jill, Lisa and Gloria. Toda. Thank you for letting me read this wonderfully written book.

Momsword.org

No-nonsense advice.

Daily Beast

...an astonishing cornucopia of heartfelt insights from three savvy, headstrong women who share tried- and-true strategies for dealing with universal issues relating to friendship, dating, marriage, parenting, and family, and you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate it.
— Huntington Patch

Elise Pearlman

Practical advice. A mother's wisdom: Know how to laugh at yourself apologize when you're wrong and always carry pepper spray!

Star