20+ Best Bar Mitzvah Invitations for Your Boy’s Big Day (2022)

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Your little boy is turning 13…

Time sure flies, doesn’t it?

I bet you still remember him crawling on the floor… now all of a sudden, he’s all grown up.

OK, enough with the nostalgia! Let’s get back to planning your boy’s Bar Mitzvah!

At this point, I’m guessing you:

Great! Now, all you need is…  guests!

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! Keep an eye open 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 🙂

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Passover Shopping List: The Only Shopping (and Grocery) List You’ll EVER Need (2022)

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Preparing your house for Passover is no easy feat.

  • … Kashering the kitchen (and getting rid of Chametz)
  • … Getting your family & 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
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20+ Best Traditional Purim Costume Ideas for Kids & Adults (2022)

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You think Halloween is cool?

Pfff…Give me a break!

Purim, aka “the Jewish Halloween”, is WAY cooler! (I’m Jewish… so naturally, I’m biased 🙂 ) 

Especially if you capture everyone’s attention with a unique Purim costume that makes everyone else’s costume look like a joke.

You might wonder: What does such a Purim costume look like? 

That’s exactly what this post is for – to show you some of the coolest Purim costume ideas that’ll make your kids steal the show at the Purim party! 

What about the adults, you ask? Don’t worry, I’m not letting you off the hook that easily. By the end of this post, you’ll be all ready to suit up for Purim just like the rest of us… (what, you think you’re too “cool” to wear a Purim outfit?)

After all, we adults are just kids, only with bigger bodies!

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20+ Best Bar Mitzvah Gift Ideas for a 13 Year Old Boy (2022)

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A 13-year-old’s Bar Mitzvah is a BIG deal:

… The Torah reading…

… The dancing…

… 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… And you get to be a part of that memory!

But first things first… before you set foot in the venue, let’s first make sure you don’t arrive empty-handed, yes?

This Bar Mitzvah gift guide contains a hand-picked list of the most unique Bar Mitzvah gift ideas I came across. By the end of this guide, you’ll discover:

  • … What’s considered an appropriate gift to give a boy for his Bar Mitzvah?
  • … What gifts should you NOT give him under any circumstance?
  • … How you can guarantee that your present stands out (read: doesn’t suck)

Ready?

Let’s begin…

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16 Modern & Personalized Challah Covers [Bread Covers] for Shabbat (2022)

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Everything is ready for Kiddush.

The wine is poured…

The Challah is ready for Hamotzi…

But wait a sec!

What about the Challah cover? You almost forgot, didn’t you?

Just kidding… if you’re reading this, you probably haven’t forgotten…

Since you’re looking for some covers for your hot & delicious Challah, what do you say we take a look at a few modern Jewish bread covers that will make your Shabbat table look amazing?

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20+ Best Authentic & Modern Tallit Prayer Shawls from Israel (2022)

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To a true artist, the most mundane thing can be turned into a canvas.

Jewish artists have demonstrated that rule by taking one of the most popular Jewish clothing items – the Tallit (also known as a Jewish prayer cloth or mantle) – and turning it into a remarkable (and practical) piece of artwork.

Whether you’re looking for a new Tallit, you’d like to adorn yourself with an eye-capturing prayer shawl, or whether you’re just a creative soul who admires genius works of art – these hand-picked Tallitot we put together will leave you in awe…

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25+ Beautiful Modern & Contemporary Jewish Mezuzah Cases from Israel (2022)

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What’s the first thing you do before you enter a Jewish home?

You hang a Mezuzah of course…

It’s the main event of a Jewish housewarming, where the Rabbi blesses the Jewish door ornament and the new Jewish home.

This brings us to our main question of the day:

“What kind of Mezuzah case should I get?”

Excellent question!

Lucky for you, we hand-picked the most beautiful modern Mezuzahs that money can buy, whether you’re buying it for your own home or for a friend/family member…

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10 Beautiful Bar Mitzvah Tallit & Tallit Sets for Boys (2022)

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I remember the day my parents got me my first Tallit for my Bar Mitzvah…

A week before my 13th birthday, my dad walked into my room with a Tallit bag in his hand and said: “Son, can you try this on for a moment?”.

He opened the Tallit bag – and out came this gorgeous Blue & White Tallit with golden accents on the stripes.

I was awestruck.

I recited the Tzitzit blessing and put on my Tallit for the very first time.

That’s the first time I saw my dad with tears in his eyes (even though he won’t admit it)… And he wasn’t even that religious!

Fast forward almost 20 years later (boy… I’m getting old) – and I still remember that day as if it were yesterday (as you can tell).

There’s a strong rite of passage element in witnessing your young man wear a Tallit for the first time… doesn’t matter if you’re religious, traditional, or simply going through the motions.

This guide is my attempt to make this moment as memorable as possible, regardless of where you fall in the Jewish observance spectrum…

Let’s begin 🙂

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20+ Beautiful Modern & Contemporary Menorahs for Hanukkah (2022)

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I assume this isn’t the first you’re celebrating Hanukkah (unless you’re like 3 years old… in which case – what are you doing on the internet, child?!)…

Then I suppose you’ve seen a traditional Jewish Menorah or two in your lifetime… (it looks something like this 🕎)

Well, I don’t know how to break it to you – but if all of the Menorahs you’ve ever seen kind of look of the same – then you’ve been missing out on a whole lot.

Just like Apple comes out with new inventions every once in a while (probably less so, these days) – so do creative & talented Jewish artists come up with new modern & contemporary Menorahs (except they don’t charge you an arm and a leg for it like Apple does).

Or to put it another way – just because Hanukkah is a traditional Jewish holiday doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate it with a modern Menorah!

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16 Best Electric Menorahs (LED) & Battery/USB-Operated Menorahs for Hanukkah (2022)

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Hanukkah is all about spreading light and joy to our friends, family, and neighbors. What better way to do just that than by having a gorgeous electric Menorah shine a bright light in our house?

While it’s not a replacement for a true (Kosher) Hanukkah Menorah – an electric Menorah can surely spread light (literally and spiritually) and bring the spirit of Hanukkah to our friends and loved ones… and that’s exactly what the festival of lights is all about!

Note: I highlighted that sentence for a reason – a battery-operated Menorah does NOT fulfill the Mitzvah of lighting a real Hanukkah Menorah.

So without further ado, here are the best electric & LED Menorahs that will brighten up our house, street, and moods during the 8 days of Hanukkah…

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