Rafael Hope, Author at Amen V'Amen

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Yummy! The Best Traditional Bar/Bat Mitzvah Food (+ Menu Ideas)

July 13, 2019Last Updated: July 4, 2022 Rafael Hope Leave a Comment

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Your guests came all the way to celebrate your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah… you’re not going to let them starve, are you?

Of course not! You’re like a Jewish mom hosting a Shabbat dinner: feeding and taking care of everyone!

Except…

This time – you’ve got a little more than a few guests on your hands. You’ve got dozens, if not hundreds (or if you’re a Russian Oligarch – thousands) of guests to feed!

Now… The only question (OK, 3 questions) is:

How do you serve so many guests?
What traditional Bar/Bat Mitzvah food should you serve?
Where can you find the best Bar/Bat Mitzvah menus you can use as inspiration?

Those are big questions.

Well, guess what? I’m going to help you answer each and every one of em’!

Excited? You should be!

Let’s get this food fest started…

10 Classy Bar Mitzvah Shoes for a 13-Year-Old Boy (2022)

June 28, 2019Last Updated: July 22, 2022 Rafael Hope Leave a Comment

Bar & Bat Mitzvah

Amen V'Amen is supported by its audience. That means when you purchase something from one of our partners through one of our links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Amen V'Amen is also an Amazon Associate, so we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!

When was the last time you stepped foot (pun intended) in a shoe store?

I remember the days we had to walk all the way to the shoe store, try on 16 different pairs of shoes, only to notice the store owner slowly getting annoyed that we’re wasting their time… Until you eventually had to give in and buy a pair… not because you liked it, but because you felt bad for the store owner.

Thank Goodness – those days are long gone… because today, you can buy any pair of shoes without ever leaving your comfy chair (or bed? or bean bag?).

Including… your boy’s Bar Mitzvah shoes!

Wait. Did I just say boy’s shoes? I’m sorry, I meant man’s shoes.

Because guess what…? Your little “boy”? Not such a boy anymore…

The young man is about to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah – the day he finally transforms from a kid → to a young Jewish adult (at least according to the Torah… hold off on the alcohol there, fella).

One thing is for sure: a Bar Mitzvah boy deserves to show up to his big day wearing a pair of fancy shoes.

That’s exactly why I wrote this article – to help you find the shoes your boy is going to wear as he steps up to the Bimah – and fills you up with pride, joy, maybe even a few tears.

Note: For girl’s shoes – check out our list of favorite Bat Mitzvah shoes.

10 Best Shabbat Hot Plates, Warming Trays & Blech for Shabbos [Reviews] (2022)

June 28, 2019Last Updated: July 22, 2022 Rafael Hope 15 Comments

Jewish Home Shabbat

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You’re preparing food for Shabbat…

Mmmm! It looks (and smells) yummy!

Too bad it’ll get cold by the time you sit down for your Shabbos or Yom Tov meal… Oy vey!

Unless… Unless you get a Shabbat hot plate (or blech) that’ll keep your food warm, fresh and delicious for the entire Shabbat!

The Shabbat “Plata” (as they call it in Hebrew) is one of the most, if not THE most important items in a Jewish kitchen (assuming they observe the Sabbath).

If you follow Jewish Halacha – It’s not a question of if you should have a Shabbat hot plate in your kitchen, it’s a question of which one you should get…

That’s exactly what this guide will help you find out…

Ready? Things are about to get “heated” …

10+ Bar/Bat Mitzvah Symbols & Signs (And What They Really Mean)

June 5, 2019Last Updated: July 4, 2022 Rafael Hope Leave a Comment

Bar & Bat Mitzvah Jewish Traditions

When you attend a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony – you often wonder: “What the hell do all of these random symbols mean anyway?”

Random? That’s cute…

In Judaism, nothing is ever random. EVERYTHING has an underlying meaning… including the Bar/Bat Mitzvah symbols you often see in Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremonies.

In fact, there are 4 levels of interpretation (also known as PaRDeS) in Jewish scripture used to discover the true meaning behind Jewish signs and symbols:

Peshat (פְּשָׁט): Simple, straightforward explanation
Remez (רֶמֶז): Hints – symbolic or allegorical
Derash (דְּרַשׁ): Deriving meaning through inquiry (by cross-referencing and analysis)
Sod (סוֹד): Secret, mystical interpretation

In other words – Jewish symbols sometimes have simplistic interpretations, and sometimes they have such deep, philosophical meaning that before you know it – you find yourself in a deeper rabbit hole deeper than the one Alice went through.

And guess what? The rabbit hole starts right here.

In a few moments – you’ll discover:

What are the most common Bar & Bat Mitzvah symbols?
What do they really mean?

Ready, Alice?

Let’s get to it…

Bar/Bat Mitzvah in Israel: How to Plan an Unforgettable Trip (2020)

May 29, 2019Last Updated: September 26, 2019 Rafael Hope Leave a Comment

Bar & Bat Mitzvah Israel Travel

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 is a breath of fresh air 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!

20+ Unique Passover Gift Ideas You Can Bring to the Pesach Seder (2022)

March 29, 2019Last Updated: July 27, 2022 Rafael Hope Leave a Comment

Gift Guides Passover

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The Passover Seder is approaching.

Excited? You should be!

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 2024.

20+ Best Kosher for Passover Wines & Liquor for the Seder Table [Reviews] (2022)

March 27, 2019Last Updated: July 26, 2022 Rafael Hope Leave a Comment

Kosher Food & Drinks Passover

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Are you drunk yet?

No?

Don’t worry, you’re gonna be soon enough…

Believe it or not – every person drinks at least 4 cups of wine during the Passover Seder (and I’m even including the drinks you have 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).