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.
Every Jewish parent would agree: getting your son’s first Tefillin (and Tallit) for his Bar Mitzvah is incredibly exciting…
That is – until you begin researching the different types of Tefillin and what Tefillin you should buy… It takes parents a few minutes to realize: 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?
You see a mother arguing with the venue owner over the decorations.
A father negotiating rates with the caterer trying to lower the price per meal.
Parents pushing buttons on a calculator like merchants in Thailand, desperately trying to keep expenses from inflating like a balloon.
Poor folks… no wonder they’re so stressed.
But you know what’s funny?
When you ask them: “how’s the Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation coming along?” – they’ll usually put on a nice [fake] smile on their face and say something like: “everything is going GREAT!”.
That’s the moment you realize: everything is NOT great.
The poor parents are racing against the clock, trying to plan the most amazing Bar/Bat Mitzvah party for their kids… but they’re fighting an uphill battle – filled with stress, anxiety and the fear of letting their kids down all lingering over their heads.
What did they do wrong?
Just like Churchill said: they failed to plan… and now they’re suffering the consequences: holes burning in their pockets, nasty bags emerging underneath their eyes, their brain is quickly turning into a pressure cooker.
That’s exactly why I created this guide: to help Jewish parents avoid that trap. Because unlike what pharmaceutical 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 timelines you need to plan an unforgettable Bar or Bat Mitzvah (without losing your mind in the process)…
Look at these shy tweens… standing there on the sidelines with their phones, instead of gettin’ Jiggy with it on the dancefloor.
But hey… can you blame them?
They’re growing up in a social media world. Who needs the “real” world?
Most Bar/Bat Mitzvah parties, to put it lightly, aren’t all that entertaining (read: most of them are BORING)
And when you put those two together – don’t be surprised if the kids are more focused on taking selfies, posting them on Instagram and comparing who got more likes.
Bottom line – this isn’t the 90’s anymore. Kids these days have smartphones – and they’re not afraid to use it.
There’s no point in denying it: if you want your guests to actually have fun at your kid’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah party – you’ll have to raise the bar (pun not intended).
And that’s exactly where these Bar & Bat Mitzvah party activities come into play…Read More…
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 own 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!
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:
What traditional Bar/Bat Mitzvah food can you serve your guests?
How do you serve so many guests?
Where you 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’!
Imagine someone attending a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony for the very first time (hey, that someone might be you!)…
They see people wearing a weird-looking hat, speaking an ancient language (Hebrew is over 3,000 years old) they don’t understand, and walking around in what looks like a cape from biblical times.
They’re baffled 😮 (wouldn’t you be?).
At this point, our poor mystery guest can’t help but wonder:
… What are these odd traditions? (or to put it less politely: WHAT the hell is going on?)
… What exactly are we celebrating here?
… What is the real meaning behind these Bar/Bat Mitzvah rituals?
Let’s give our mystery guest some answers, shall we?
In this article, I’m going to break down the Bar & Bat Mitzvah ceremony step by step (and bust a few myths along the way)…
You know… so that our mystery guest doesn’t feel like The Martian the moment they step foot into the synagogue.
