Doesn’t matter… because on Shabbat, you can’t have either unless you have a Shabbat hot water urn.
You probably know that by now, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article looking for the best Shabbat hot water dispenser, now would you?
Well, since you’re here, let me help you find a hot water heater that will hopefully fulfill your desire for coffee/tea on Shabbat, and last you for many years.
Everyone, get your cameras out… it’s time to polish that Instagram feed with awesome pictures from Israel that’ll make your kid’s classmates (and their parents) drool out of envy!
STOP.
As crazy as it sounds – these days, Bar & Bat Mitzvah celebrations focus mostly on style, rather than substance.
We live in a world dominated by social media, where our kids are constantly trying to keep up with the Joneses (or Cohen’s), only to find themselves participating in this never-ending popularity contest called a “Bar/Bat Mitzvah party”… and guess who’s left holding the bill? (hint: look in the mirror)
Is there a way out of that madness? Yes indeed – celebrating your kid’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah in Israel!
A Bar/Bat Mitzvah trip to Israel offers a breath of fresh for parents who prefer an alternative path. A path that doesn’t involve stress, chaos, and a party that ends up costing you an arm and a leg.
A path that gives your kids the chance to (among others):
Take a break from the noisy world we live in and discover the spiritual side of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony
Discover their Jewish tradition, learn about Israel’s rich history and heritage, and visit the iconic sites they read about in the bible
Form their identity as a young adult based on eternal Jewish values (as opposed to Marvel superheroes)
Quite a different experience, don’t you think?
Now, the BIG question is:
“How do I plan a meaningful Bar/Bat Mitzvah trip? Where should we go? What should we do?”
(OK, those are 3 questions… but you get my point)
These are actual questions I’ve been getting from our readers for a while now… so I figured it’s about time I answered these questions and give parents some ideas on how to plan the Bar/Bat Mitzvah trip of a lifetime… so here we are 🙂
(It took me over a week to write it, so you better like it!)
Fasten your seatbelt ladies and gentleman. We’re ready for takeoff!
You finally get to see your family and loved ones around the Seder table – reading the Haggadah, drinking wine, eating Matzo balls (or Gefilte Fish)…
FREEDOM at last!
But before you start jamming to “Ma Nishtana” and scaring away the birds, you might want to get your friends and lovely Seder hostess an appropriate Passover gift.
Otherwise, as the Brits would say: that’s bloody rude!
Luckily, our Jewish moms taught us better…
Now… the only question is:
“What gift should I bring to the Passover Seder dinner?”
That, my friend, is exactly what I’ll answer in this special Pesach gift guide!
Introducing: Amen V’Amen’s favorite Passover gift ideas for Pesach 2019.
Believe it or not – every person drinks (at least) 4 cups of wine during the Passover Seder… and I haven’t even included the drinks you drink after the Seder.
Passover is all about celebrating our escape from slavery – to freedom… and getting drunk together with our family and loved ones around the Seder table? Now that’s freedom right there!
So… the question is not if, but what wine you drink at the Seder table:
Do you drink the “good stuff” – high quality Kosher for Passover wines? Or do you drink the “nasty stuff”… you know, the kind of wine that tastes worse than Maror (did anyone say Manischewitz?).
That’s exactly why I created this Passover wine guide: to help you choose the former, rather than the latter.
Because guess what? Pesach happens once a year. The last thing you want to do is wreck it with an awful-tasting wine that a cat wouldn’t even touch with a ten-foot pole (not that it can grab a pole, but still).Read More…
Bar/Bat Mitzvah candle lighting ceremonies have come a long way…
They started off as a nice & simple gesture: The Bar/Bat Mitzvah would light birthday candles (hey, it’s still a birthday after all) and invite close family members to light a candle with them.
After all, it’s kind of pointless to go through all this trouble if you don’t have any guests showing up!
Well… today we’re going to make sure your guests show up in droves!
How?
By sending them a unique Bar Mitzvah invitation they won’t be able to say “no” to!
Ready?
Let’s go customize some invitations!
Good News! We managed to get exclusive discounts on some of the invitations – especially for Amen V’Amen readers! Look for the special coupons sprinkled around the article. I don’t know how long they’ll last though (they might be gone by the time you’re reading it)… so you better act quick. You’re welcome 🙂
… Kashering the kitchen (and getting rid of Chametz)
… Getting your family & friends (just the best friends) a lovely Passover gift
… Preparing an awesome Passover Seder
Obviously, to host a Passover Seder (let alone survive the 8 days of Pesach) – you first need to get right Passover food & groceries.
Today, we’ll do just that… or to put it differently: we’ll take the whole Passover shopping off our (Seder) plate 🙂
But be careful…
Just because it’s Passover, doesn’t mean you have to get carried away and spend money like you’re in Congress.
You don’t have to buy every item on the Passover shopping list. In fact, you shouldn’t buy every item on the list. Doing so might lead us to the untold “11th plague of Egypt” – bankruptcy.
How about we avoid that, m’kay?
Remember: Buy what you need, NOT what you can.
OK… now that we’ve set some ground rules, let’s go shopping!
Important
Read the label. Most Passover groceries (with a few exceptions) require a special “Kosher for Passover” Hechsher/certification (i.e OU-P, KFP, KP). Make sure to read the label before you put anything in that shopping cart!
Some groceries contain Kitniyot – which most Orthodox Ashkenazi Jews consider prohibited on Passover. If you don’t eat Kitniyot on Pesach – double check to make sure what you’re buying doesn’t contain Kitniyot.
When in doubt – ask your Rabbi. Different Rabbis may hold different views on what’s allowed and what’s not… So, if you’re uncertain whether something is prohibited or not in your community – ask thy Rabbi
Send/receive Purim baskets while dressing up in cool Purim costumes
Hmm… it seems that there’s only one answer after all…
In Purim, we give Mishloach Manot as a sign of friendship, unity, and care to the people around us. Every Jew is required to send a Shalach Manot to at least one person.
Luckily though – we care about more than just one person… so more often than not we end up sending several Shalach Manot to the people we love.
Therein lies the secret of this special Mitzvah: the more we give to others ⇒ the more love we spread ⇒ the more love we get back in return.
It’s a beautiful cycle of joy and caring – that becomes stronger and stronger the more we give.
And today, you’re going to start off that cycle with the best Mishloach Manot & Purim gift ideas for our family, friends & loved ones…
Purim, aka “the Jewish Halloween”, is WAY cooler! (I’m Jewish… so of course, I’m biased 🙂 )
Especially if your kids capture everyone’s attention with a unique Purim costume that makes everyone else’s costume look like a joke.
And that’s exactly what this article is for – to make sure the kids dress up as their favorite characters and have a blast this Purim.
What about the adults? I’m not letting you off the hook that easily… We’ll make sure you suit up properly for Purim and set an example for the little ones.
… And of course, the real highlight of the night: his brand new Bar Mitzvah gifts!
If everything goes according to plan – the young man will remember this day for the rest of his life.
The best part?
You get to be a part of that memory… So let’s make it a good one, shall we?
In this gift guide – you’ll find out:
… What’s an appropriate gift to give a Bar Mitzvah boy?
… What gifts should you NOT give him under any circumstance?
… How you can guarantee that your present stands out (read: doesn’t suck)
That’s exactly why I wrote this Bar Mitzvah gift guide: to help you find the very best Bar Mitzvah gift ideas every Jewish boy will be lucky to get on his special day(I know I would)…
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