TEST-DRIVING dreidels at the Jewish Museum Shop on the Upper East Side, David
Alhadeff, 38, turned into a child again. A look of pure glee crossed his face
whenever he got a particularly good “spinner,” as he put it.
Never mind the unsolicited comments from the shoppers who gathered around him.
“You only get five tries,” one older gentleman told Mr. Alhadeff, the owner of the Future Perfect stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn, while watching the action (or lack thereof) with one particular model.
And a woman visiting from Napa, Calif., advised: “The cheap wood ones are the best.”
Mr. Alhadeff was inclined to agree. The wooden ones were the kind he played with as a child at the Seattle Hebrew Academy, but he claims that his hand-eye coordination is much better now. “The gleam you see in my eyes today is because I actually got these things spinning,” he said.
Buoyed by his success, Mr. Alhadeff went in search of more modern dreidels, but was surprised to find that, unlike the wide selection of modern menorahs, the modern dreidel pickings were slim. His theory: “It’s because it’s a kids’ game. It’s a piece of nostalgia for an adult to receive a dreidel, whereas receiving a nice menorah is receiving a relevant Judaica gift that you will use.”
Jonathan Adler was one of the few designers who offered several options. “He’s a great designer and a Jew, so it makes sense he not only did a dreidel, but did it from a modern perspective,” Mr. Alhadeff said. “They’re cute, fun and fit into the new modern lifestyle.”
Continue reading.
Never mind the unsolicited comments from the shoppers who gathered around him.
“You only get five tries,” one older gentleman told Mr. Alhadeff, the owner of the Future Perfect stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn, while watching the action (or lack thereof) with one particular model.
And a woman visiting from Napa, Calif., advised: “The cheap wood ones are the best.”
Mr. Alhadeff was inclined to agree. The wooden ones were the kind he played with as a child at the Seattle Hebrew Academy, but he claims that his hand-eye coordination is much better now. “The gleam you see in my eyes today is because I actually got these things spinning,” he said.
Buoyed by his success, Mr. Alhadeff went in search of more modern dreidels, but was surprised to find that, unlike the wide selection of modern menorahs, the modern dreidel pickings were slim. His theory: “It’s because it’s a kids’ game. It’s a piece of nostalgia for an adult to receive a dreidel, whereas receiving a nice menorah is receiving a relevant Judaica gift that you will use.”
Jonathan Adler was one of the few designers who offered several options. “He’s a great designer and a Jew, so it makes sense he not only did a dreidel, but did it from a modern perspective,” Mr. Alhadeff said. “They’re cute, fun and fit into the new modern lifestyle.”
Continue reading.
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