Lilli Jennison’s Chanukah Message for 2025

This Chanukah, I’ve been reflecting on the beauty of new beginnings — those that touched my family, my friendships, and the ways I choose to spend my time.

The most meaningful new beginning was the birth of my perfect niece, Riley. She is pure love and light, and we thank G-d for her every single day. When she smiles, the whole world melts. There is something truly magical about a baby laughing and smiling at you — it’s a kind of joy that settles right into your heart.

Another special beginning this year was launching my crystal business. After 15 years of reselling on eBay, I decided this past spring to try something new: live crystal sales on TikTok. I’ve always been a collector with more crystals than shelf space, so selling them felt like a natural next step — and it blossomed into a real business. I now have over 2,000 followers, go live every week, and even had the opportunity to sell at the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival and the Chattahoochee Nature Center Holiday Market. One of my favorite moments was meeting a young girl who was so excited to buy one of my crystals — her smile reminded me exactly why I love what I do. I’ve built a wonderful little crystal community and made many virtual friends I genuinely look forward to seeing each week.

I also embraced a craft I’d been wanting to try for ages: needlepoint. I started in November and just finished my second project. It reminds me of cross-stitching, which I haven’t done since high school. There’s nothing more relaxing than putting on “Jeopardy” in the evening and stitching away.

Another beautiful new beginning came when my best friend of 20 years asked me to be her maid of honor for her wedding next year. I was over the moon. Even though we don’t live close anymore, she has always been my ride-or-die, and I’m so grateful to stand beside her on her special day.

These days, my life is full of everything I love — being creative director at AJT, spending time with my family and especially the baby, sourcing crystals, hosting live sales, packaging orders, and winding down with “Jeopardy” or a movie while I needlepoint. It all makes my days feel full, meaningful, and wonderfully my own.

Lilli Jennison is the Creative Director for Atlanta Jewish Times.