Sure, you can get away with giving him money in multiples of $18…but c’mon, this is one of the biggest days of his life! So go the extra yard and get him a unique gift he’ll never forget.
As for the Bat Mitzvah… first things first:
First, make sure you get her a gorgeous Bat Mitzvah dress so there’s no doubt who’s the star of the evening…
Then, and only then – get her a great Bat Mitzvah gift she’ll cherish for years to come.
All that’s left is to watch your “baby” turn into a young Jewish adult.
How exciting!
But wait a minute…
There’s one thing missing.
I mean, Isn’t the whole point of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah to celebrate their coming of age? The day they finally become accountable for their actions and follow the Jewish Mitzvot (commandments)?
(Answer: yes)
And how do you introduce a Bar/Bat Mitzvah to Mitzvot?
With one BIG, meaningful & unforgettable Mitzvah… that’s how!
Tell me about it… I still remember my Bat Mitzvah ceremony as if it were yesterday (and it’s been more than 12 years ago, believe-you-me)!
And guess what? I’ll ALWAYS remember my Bat Mitzvah (as long as I stay healthy, Amen V’Amen)… it’s, hands down – one of the most special days in a Jewish woman’s life.
“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, Rebecca! What about me? I’m the mother of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah and I don’t have a dress yet. Heck, I’m not even sure what I should wear!”
Every Jewish parent would agree: getting your son’s first Tefillin (and Tallit) for his Bar Mitzvah is incredibly exciting…
That is – until you start researching the different types of Tefillin and what Tefillin you should buy… From that point, It doesn’t take parents more than a few minutes to realize: “damn, buying a Tefillin is more complicated, expensive, and dangerous than I thought.”
You hear words you’ve never heard before… (Tefillin Peshutim? Tefillin Dakkot? Tefillin Gassot?)
You wonder why prices vary so much… (and why they’re so damn high!)
You’re trying to figure out the difference between Ashkenazi Tefillin and Sephardic Tefillin…
Confused? I don’t blame you…
That’s exactly why I wrote this Tefillin buying guide: to help you clear out the smokescreen, tell you everything you need to know about Tefillin, and even help you buy the best Tefillin set for your son’s Bar Mitzvah (or even for yourself).
But before you hop on the dance floor and do the chair-dance (spoiler alert), you first need to get the girl a sparkling Bat Mitzvah gift.
A gift that shines… something that will light her up like a Menorah the moment she sees it for the first time.
And what better way to do that than with a unique Bat Mitzvah Jewelry gift?
After all – we all know that Jewish Jewelry gifts are THE best present you can get for a Bat Mitzvah girl on her big day. It’s the ultimate blend of beauty and meaning – which is exactly what the Bat Mitzvah ceremony is all about.
But what kind Jewelry gift should you get her? The million dollar question…
Should you get her a Star of David necklace? Maybe a Hamsa bracelet? How about a Shema Yisrael ring? Perhaps Roman Glass earrings?
Ahhhh! Too many choices!
No wonder people get overwhelmed…
That’s exactly why I spent hours writing this comprehensive Bat Mitzvah Jewelry gift guide…
To help you:
… Escape the same cliché gifts everyone else gets
… Avoid getting her Jewelry she’ll never wear (or worse – ones she’ll only wear when you’re around to not hurt your feelings)
… Choose the best Jewelry gift the girl will absolutely LOVE (without spending hours (or days) browsing through endless Jewelry pieces that all look the same)
Your boy is about to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah… how exciting!
“Let’s raise a toast… L’chayim!”
Hold it there, chief! That’s not what the Torah means by “turning into an adult”. So please keep your boy away from the liquor cabinet for the next 8 years (or 5, depends where you live), m’kay?
What it does mean is that your boy is now subject to the Jewish commandments: he wears a Tallit, he puts on Tefillin every morning, he can participate in a Minyan… just like any Jewish man.
So what if your boy is still “in development”? So what if his voice is squeaky? So what if his facial hair is still nowhere to be found (that’ll come in due time, don’t worry)…
And as an adult – now’s the time to start dressing like one… now’s the time to get your boy a beautiful Bar Mitzvah suit – a suit that transforms a sweet “little boy” into a handsome young man!
But getting a suit isn’t the same as getting the right suit. Many parents wonder:
What suit should I get?
When should I get it?
How do I avoid a suit that’ll rip a hole in my wallet?
When you look at most parents planning their kid’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah… what do you see?
Mothers arguing with the caterer
Fathers negotiating rates with the venue.
Parents pushing buttons on a calculator like merchants in India, desperately trying to keep expenses from inflating like a balloon.
Poor folks, no wonder they’re so stressed.
But you know what’s funny (read: sad)?
When you ask them: “how’s the Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation coming along?” – they’ll usually put on a nice (fake) smile and utter something like: “everything is going GREAT!”.
But you don’t have to be a shrink to realize: everything is NOT great.
The poor parents are racing against the clock, jumping from one phone call to the next, trying to plan a wonderful Bar/Bat Mitzvah party for their child, without falling apart.
Unfortunately, they’re fighting an uphill battle. They’re worried. They’re afraid they’ll let their family down…
Is planning a Bar/Bat Mitzvah supposed to be this stressful? (hint: no)
What are they doing wrong?
Let me answer with Winston Churchill’s famous quote:
“He who fails to plan is planning to fail”.
I constantly see parents fail to plan their kid’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah. And boy do they suffer the consequences:
Their brain is quickly turning into a pressure cooker.
Parents – let’s avoidthat trap, shall we? Because unlike what pharmaceutical companies would like us to believe – prevention is always the best cure.
So today, I’ll show you…scratch that. I’ll GIVE YOU the exact steps, tools, and resources you need to plan an unforgettable Bar or Bat Mitzvah, without losing your mind in the process…
