The Matzah Ball Quotes

“But what I always explained to Jacob is that these candles are a metaphor. They remind us that we always have a choice. We can be someone who snuffs out another person’s candle and, in the process, makes the world a darker place. Or we can be the type of person who spreads light. Better to be the shamash—one candle that lights all the others and brightens an otherwise dark world.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“So many people think Hanukkah is about miracles. But Hanukkah is really about fighting for the things you believe in. Everybody focuses on the oil, but there would have been no oil, no lamp and no miracle had the Maccabees not taken up arms and stormed that darn temple. That’s the thing people forget about Hanukkah. We make our own miracles, Rachel-la. We’re in charge of creating our own happy endings.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“But you know what the Midrash says? God only works through broken vessels.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Shmuel shrugged. “You know what bashert is?” “It’s like a soul mate.” “How very modern of you,” Shmuel teased. “Bashert literally means destiny.” “Isn’t that the same thing?” “Not exactly. Soul mate...it’s a movie concept. It’s the idea that you fall in love with someone, and off you go, living happily ever after. But in Judaism, that’s not the point of finding your bashert.” “So what is the point?” “Your other half exists to make you better. She exists to complete something you lack, and vice versa. You challenge each other, like chavruta, two blades which sharpen each other. But that’s different than love, Jacob. In some ways, it’s more powerful. Because only your bashert, your other half, can fill up what you lack...and help you fulfill your destiny.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Mikael, the world is filled with angry and miserable people. Those people are never going to be happy for you. So you go out there and you live your truth. You be the person the universe asked you to be. And anyone who doesn’t celebrate you for it, anyone who doesn’t love you through it, screw ’em. Because we love you. Just the way you are.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Everything in life is designed to lead us to our higher purpose.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“He wanted love but didn’t feel worthy of it. And so, even though he liked her, when Rachel showed him the smallest iota of interest he did what so many adult children from broken families do—he protected himself by pushing her away.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Truth could be scary. Darkness might always endeavor to snuff out the light, but the strength of those who truly loved us would always push us forward. This was how we brightened an otherwise dark world. We filled it with truth, and love, and light.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“even though he liked her, when Rachel showed him the smallest iota of interest he did what so many adult children from broken families do—he protected himself by pushing her away.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“We are in charge of creating our own happy endings.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Rachel shut the door on Jacob. She shut the door, like always, on the possibility of love. And then—for no reason she could pinpoint, no reason in particular—she burst into tears. A deep wail escaped her lips as she crawled back into bed. Chronic illness was the Great Decider. And it had decided for her, once again.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Your other half exists to make you better. She exists to complete something you lack, and vice versa. You challenge each other, like chavruta, two blades which sharpen each other. But that’s different than love, Jacob. In some ways, it’s more powerful. Because only your bashert, your other half, can fill up what you lack...and help you fulfill your destiny.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Rachel wasn't sure when this chronic illness calculator had first appeared in her brain, but it ran continuously in the background, as essential to her well-being as food and water.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Everyone was always so quick to offer advice. Nobody just came over and did the laundry.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“For God’s sake, Rachel, you’re nearly thirty years old. Live your damn life already.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“He must have been a thousand years old, incapable of moving at high speeds or great distances, but he was suddenly there, inches away from her, feet almost touching, smiling warmly in her direction, with rosy red cheeks and twinkling brown eyes.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“It was amazing thing, really. To be accepted, completely for who you were. For all their flaws, mistakes and oddities, they were people who made the world a better and brighter place to live in.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“The world is filled with angry and miserable people. Those people are never going to be happy for you. So you go on out there and live your truth. You be the person the universe asked you to be.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“You don't realize how much a goodbye is worth until you never get one.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Aviva,”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“We’re not the norm. We’re not typical. We’re Jews! So let’s put Judaism on fleek!”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Bring in the Jews! Everybody loves the Jews.” “That’s actually...famously not true.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Ema,” Rachel said, growing frustrated. “My body, my choice.” “But—” “Change the topic.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“The Matzah Ball,’” Dr. Rubenstein read aloud. “‘By Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt.’” Jacob radiated pride. “They think it’s going to be a bestseller.” “It doesn’t matter whether it is or not,” Rachel said firmly. “Because it’s my story.” Her mother cupped her cheek. Tears welled up in Rachel’s eyes. She had fought hard for this happy ending. Rachel had lived a decade of her life in secret, certain that her entire world would come crashing down if anybody found out the truth about her disease or her career. Instead—the irony struck her—it was the exact opposite. Everything good in her life had grown out of being honest.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“It was an amazing thing, really. To be accepted, completely, for who you were. To find your friends...and your bashert. For all their flaws, mistakes and oddities, they were people who made the world a better and brighter place to live in. They lit up the room with love and support for each other.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Jacob,” Shmuel interrupted him. “Lie to yourself all you want. But do me a favor, okay? As your friend and business partner of over a decade who’s risked everything with you on this Matzah Ball...don’t lie to me.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“You were so brave.” Rachel choked on the words. “I don’t think I could ever be that brave.” “Not brave,” Toby corrected her. “I was scared, nearly every single second of every day during the war. I was scared after the war, too. But I was done hiding. I was done pretending to be somebody I wasn’t. I was ready to be free, tell my story, and in doing so...brighten the light of someone else.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Honesty. The word was so simple for other people. But Jacob had never been a rabbi’s daughter. He had never experienced the ups and downs of a religious communal life. The way congregants gossiped, tallying up a scorecard of Shabbat dinners and sermons before negotiating your father’s contract. The way women peered into your mother’s shopping cart at the grocery store, checking on the hechsher of her items. There were rules to being a rabbinic family. There were expectations. Rachel had not met any of them. She wanted to be courageous. Speak the words that for too long had been sitting upon her heart. But Rachel loved her parents. She loved her sometimes dysfunctional but always openhearted Jewish community. What Jacob didn’t understand—because he relied on no one and therefore had no one to answer to—was that truth had consequences. Even for love, Rachel wasn’t prepared to face them.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“It was amazing that half of New York didn’t burn down every holiday season. For all the ingenuity of the Jewish people, it seemed a failure of design. In over five thousand years, they had not come up with a better solution for lighting Hanukkah candles.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball

“Rachel’s entire face edged into a frown. He didn’t like seeing her that way. He moved, like always, to rectify the situation, flashing her a wide smile. “Well, now that you know my sob story—” “Don’t do that,” she said, cutting him off. “Don’t downplay your loss to make me more comfortable. It’s not fair to you. Or necessary.” Jacob nodded. Chronic illness formed a band of secret sufferers. He was grateful that for once he didn’t have to explain this part of his life to someone.”
― Jean Meltzer, The Matzah Ball