I’ve been looking for a “home base” in the digital world for a while now. There are a few podcasts that reliably hit home for me but on a day to day basis, I find myself looking for resonance and coming up empty handed. I want to follow Jewish change makers, artists, cooks, and thought leaders without the noise or context switching of my Instagram feed. I want to look at beautiful things, be inspired, and allow myself time to drink it in.

I also want to make things myself.

“You need to get in the content game,” my husband, Scottie, prods.

So here we are, my first newsletter. Welcome.

I acknowledge that writing a newsletter is an inherently narcissistic venture. While I, like most Jewish mothers, feel what I have to say is important, my hope is to share this platform with other much smarter, much more interesting folks than myself. Fear not, I’ll be chiming in too.

My goal is to publish a new piece every other Thursday. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Sandwiched just off center in the week, they live squarely in the hurried weekday noise of commutes, meetings, deadlines, but feel like the pause before the slow, soft exhale of Friday, when things are “wrapped up” and the body is ready for something quieter. By Thursday morning, I’m already thinking about Shabbat. What I want to cook. Who I want at the table. What I want to carry forward and what I am ready to leave behind.

Thursday is where Golden Hour lives.

This newsletter hopes to be a pause before the full pause of Shabbat. A pre-pause pause. A place for food, culture, conversation, and thoughts on the Jewish world, published to give you just enough time to peruse the grocery store for any ingredients you may be missing should you feel inspired by one of our recipes, though we’ll be including much more than just food.

It’s a good opportunity too to take that needed beat at the height of the work week

Ritual does not have to be rigid to be meaningful. Food and conversation are forms of connection. Slowing down is not indulgent, it’s necessary.

I’ve been looking for a space to “plop” - to find ideas, share my own, and gather inspiration that isn’t riddled with the perils of the infinite feed. My Instagram algorithm knows my propensity to spiral, especially after October 7th, and I’ve found myself deleting the app only to return within a few days because I miss the recipes, the unique Judaica, the wisdom from other Jewish mothers.

This is partly why I created GoldieLox, which sells a Jewish-themed mahjong set. I love being a Jewish woman and I love connecting with other Jewish women.

Similarly, I hope for this to be a safe space with just the “good stuff” that celebrates food, conversation, and life. Because despite the darkness, especially these last few years, boy are we lucky to live it.

At its core, Golden Hour is about staying connected to one another.

This will be a place where I pull in voices from across the Jewish community. Thinkers, makers, founders, artists, cooks, hosts, and people with something thoughtful to say. Sometimes because I believe they have a message worth sharing. Sometimes, selfishly, because I want to learn from them and sit at their table.

Most issues will anchor themselves in Shabbat food.

There will often be a recipe, sometimes two, designed to make Shabbat feel both elevated and doable. Dishes that reward a little intention and fit beautifully on a table.

To begin, here is what I am making this week.

Roasted Citrus Chicken with Shallots and Dates

This is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with warmth and tastes even better the next day.

You will need:

Roast everything together until the chicken is deeply golden, the citrus caramelizes, and the dates melt into the pan juices. Serve it family-style, with challah or rice to catch every last bit.

Inside each issue, you may find:

This space will evolve. I will experiment, edit, and follow what feels right.

The constants will be intention, curiosity, and the idea that we are allowed to begin again, every single week.

If this sounds like something you’d like to make room for, subscribe to receive new posts and stay connected to this (hopefully!) growing community.

With love and gratitude.

L’chaim,

Viv