Secrets of a Jewish Mother: Real Advice, Real Family, Real Love (44 page)

I have a huge extended Zarin family. To Bobby’s mother, Miriam, sisters Lenore and Zina and the entire Zarin clan, thank you for welcoming me to your family and making me part of it. Special thank-you to Jenna and Julie, who always show up.

My assistant, Darren Bettencourt, who is my CMO and keeps me focused. I am so grateful to have you in my life.

Paul Schindler, my lawyer, who is always fighting for me with everyone! Amy Weiss, my manager and friend; Lisa Shotland, the first person in “the business” to really believe in me; Peter Jacobs; Lauren Hale; Andrea Ross; Ryan Tarpley and Alice Ann Wilson; and the rest of my agents from CAA. I hope I don’t let you and your team down! To Michael Broussard, thank you for your enthusiasm, bright ideas and getting me on this road to start with.

Haylilie Salvador and Eyola Leydet take care of our family, including little Ginger, and I am so grateful to them.

My wonderful friends and mentors—Robert and Jill Kirschenberg, Patti Grabel, Elisa Rosen, Lisa Gastineau, Amelia Doggweiler, Jeff and Raelin Kantor, Monique Boshell, Iris Smith, Carole Crist, Judith Regan, Caryn Zucker, Sioux Saunders and Dean Norman.

I have a support team I want to thank—Anne Austin, Galina Shevchuk and the “two Laurens,” Lauren Rae Levy and Lauren Solomon, who always make me look and feel good even when I don’t want to!

Lauren Z, Francis Berwick, Andy Cohen, Christian Barcellos, Tory Brody and the entire Bravo team for giving me a platform to succeed in a way I never thought could happen.

Jennifer O’Connell, Barrie Bernstein, Keira Brings, Matt El-kind, Matt Anderson and the entire Shed Media team.

My fellow Housewives: Bethenny, Ramona, LuAnn, Kelly, and Alex. The original five. I am so grateful to all of you. Sonja and Jennifer ... welcome to the club!

Jill, you are always in my corner. Thank you for helping me to achieve a dream I never even knew I had. Mom, thank you for only seeing the best in me. Thank you, Daddy, for being my example.

Bill Wexler, the love of my life. Thank you for being my anchor and pushing me to fly. Jon and Joanna, you have taught me more than I will ever teach you. If you ever forget my voice, open this book.

Joan and Jerry Wexler, for having always treated me like their own daughter, and my other two sisters, Laurie Stolowitz and Debby Dombrowski, for their unfailing kindness for the last twenty-eight years. “Aunt Marian,” my adored nieces Anna and Erica Dombrowski and nephew Sam Stolowitz, and the entire Wexler, Josephson and Stolowitz clans. In memory as well of my two loving Wexler Jewish grandmothers, Etta “Toots” Wexler and the unforgettable Helen “Floogy” Flugelman.

This book would not have been organized and written without the invaluable assistance of these remarkable friends, who are my inspirations: Virginia DeCristoforo, Ellen Whitehurst, Simmy Indig, Carolina Fernandez, Sandy White Braem, Wendy White, Ellen L. F. Strauss, Marcia Harris, Joan Gmora, Carla Rea, Melissa and Brock Hotaling, Zehavit and Meir Laizerovich-Younes, Gail Sider, Cindy McCann, Jaimee and Brian Kelsey and Wendy Fitzgerald.

Thank you as well to Spencer Brown, David Landau, Rabbi Israel Stein, Yfat Gendell, Jerry Schnydman, Dr. J. Woodford Howard, Dr. Joseph Ho, Harry Reidler and Dr. Warren Steinberg for your wisdom and guidance. To Robin Faller, Bob Bayne, Greg Moceri, Kristen Okessun and Mike Raub, thank you for your faith in me.

Vicki Modell and Fred Modell, for allowing me into your lives.

Cara Gargano, reader and editor extraordinaire, how did I manage without you? Thank you for your enthusiasm, your focus and your wise observations.

In memory of my grandmother, Ida Miller, and my mother for telling me what and what
not
to do, my father for supporting me and Nat Baltor, who taught me how to teach. My baby sister Cooky for caring and being such a loving supporter of all of us. Dr. Bernie Zaontz, who was there for me when I was so sick those many years ago. Lisa and Jill, my left and right arms, who have given me new reasons to go buy clothes. Sol, who still makes me laugh. And Jonathan, Allyson and Joanna, so you remember where you came from.

Thank you to the Jewish mothers who came before us. This book is in honor and memory of you, Grandma Sylvia Levy and Grandma Helen Kamen, and their mothers, sisters and cousins, and also in memory of our wonderful grandfathers Papa Jack Levy and Papa Benjamin Kamen.

Aunt Cooky and Aunt Gloria—what can we say? Have two nieces ever gotten luckier to have such wonderful aunts? You remember every birthday and anniversary. You call when we are sick, you worry about us and you always tell us you love us. You are model Jewish mothers, and our rays of sunshine. We love you with all our hearts. Thank you, too, Uncle Sy for always being there for us.

Our first cousins Debby Hofmann, Sharon (and Larry) Caputo, David (and Marni) Zaret and Rebecca (and Mark) Spar-berg. We love you like sisters and brothers. To their children— whom we think of as our children—Michael Caputo, Alexa Hofmann and Noah and Sam Zaret.

Our agent David Vigliano and his staff.

Sue Peters, Jeff Hayzlett, Erin Foster, Barbara Pierce and Leslie Dance and Kodak for their support.

Fran Drescher, Patti Stanger, Taylor Dayne, LisaRaye McCoy and Molly Shannon—we so appreciate your early faith in this book.

Rita Cosby, Linda Fairstein, Anne Evans, Steve Cohen, Linda Gargano, Arlene Leiter, Dr. Bernard and Priscilla Zaontz, Dr. Frank Detterbeck, Ray Minella, Jane Rosen and Winnie White, for your contributions to this book and your influence on our lives.

Our superb publishing team at Dutton, including Brian Tart, Lily Kosner, Christine Ball and Monica Benalcazar. Carrie Thorn-ton, our editor and cheerleader, for shaping this book with patience and love.

Our daddy, Sol Kamen, for answering the questions we asked and answering the questions we didn’t know to ask. You have always made us feel so good about ourselves. We are so blessed to have you as our daddy.

Finally, thank you, Mommy. Without you, there was no book. Without you, there was surely no Lisa and Jill. As you have told us on more than one occasion, “Just remember. You’re the copy. I’m the original.” Indeed you are, Mom. A priceless original.

JILL ZARIN is one of the stars of the hit Bravo television series
The Real Housewives of New York City.
Known for her devotion to philanthropy, effervescent personality, great personal style and dedication to her family, Jill has become one of the most dynamic personalities to emerge from reality television.

Born and raised in Woodmere, New York, Jill graduated from Simmons College School of Retail Management. She began her career as an assistant buyer at Filene’s and grew to become the national sales manager/vice president of Great American Knitting Mills. Jill currently works with her husband, Bobby Zarin, owner of Zarin Fabrics and Home Furnishings, as a senior executive and focuses on sales and marketing. Jill is currently developing products for the home market and her own bedding line that will be sold at major retailers across the country. Jill is also the brand spokesperson for Kodak.

Jill lives in New York City with her husband, Bobby, and her daughter, Allyson.

Follow Jill on Facebook and Twitter.

 

LISA WEXLER is the host of
The Lisa Wexler
Show, a live radio talk show that broadcasts every weekday afternoon from Fairfield County, Connecticut. In 2009, Lisa won the title “Best Radio Personality” of Fairfield County from Moffly Media publications as a result of a reader survey. Lisa has also been a practicing attorney for more than twenty-five years, having graduated from The Johns Hopkins University and the New York University School of Law. Lisa serves on the boards of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation for Primary Immunodeficiency Research and Jane Doe No More, an advocacy group for victims of sexual assault.

Lisa is married to Bill Wexler. They have two children, Jonathan and Joanna, and a beloved bichon frise, Sugar. They reside in Westport, Connecticut. Contact Lisa and listen to her show at
www.lisawexler.com
.

 

GLORIA KAMEN is an occasional advice columnist for the
New York Daily News
and
BravoTV.com
. She has appeared on
The Real Housewives of New York City,
where she epitomized the real Jewish mother. For many years, Gloria taught business education in New York City high schools and various community colleges.

Gloria has been married to Sol Kamen for over fifty-two years. They have two daughters, Lisa and Jill, and live in Boca Raton, Florida. You may contact Gloria at
www.secretsofajewishmother.com
.