October 2nd, 2011
We know it’s sometimes hard to come up with a Mitzvah Project idea. When we learn about a Mitzvah kid who created a project by making something by hand, we love sharing!
This is the case with Emily Simens from Hewlett, New York. She celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on September 17, 2011 and decided to call her Mitzvah Project, Mitzvah Candles. The beneficiary of her project will be the JCC Food Pantry in Woodmere.
We caught up with Emily to ask her a few questions and learn more about her Mitzvah Project:
MM: Why did you decide on this Mitzvah Project?
ES: My family donated food to the JCC of the Greater Five Towns’ Kosher Food Pantry many times in the past, so I knew I wanted to involve them somehow. There are many families in need just in our town and the food pantry needs donations.
MM: What does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bat Mitzvah?
ES: It means that you are doing something good that could change someone else’s life and you benefit from it too because you accomplishes something.
MM: Can you give us details of your Mitzvah Project?
ES: I’m selling candles that I designed and donating the money to the food pantry in Woodmere.
The candle Emily designed
MM: If it involves a donation, what are you doing to spread the word?
ES: I made a facebook page for the candle and my project was also featured in the Nassau Herald and in the Temple Israel bulletin.
MM: For how long can people donate to this charity?
ES: The food pantry could always use more food, so there is no limit to donating to them.
MM: Anything else we need to know about your Mitzvah Project?
ES: The candles are $18 each. If someone would like to buy one, they can email me at mitzvahcandle@aol.com.
We want to thank Emily for sharing her Mitzvah Project with our readers!
October 2nd, 2011
Biz Bash, the ultimate in event trends and style has released its “hot” new Fall menu ideas from top catering companies around the world.
According to Biz Bash, there are two big buzz words this year: customization and interactivity. Many are trying to give their guests an interactive catering experience and the chance to try something new. Make-your-own stations are all the rage and go beyond just candy bars.
Here’s some tasty inspiration and ideas for your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration in the food department!
From Tip of the Tongue comes apple chicken potpie for one using local upstate New York Cortland apples and assorted autumn vegetables
Elegant Affairs Caterers offers passed mini Pop Tart lollipops in apple cinnamon, strawberry, and s’mores flavors
Fancy Girl Table created Parmesan cups with roasted ruby queen beets, cauliflower, carrots, and smoked tomato pesto. What a great veggie mini meal!
Dish Food & Events offers made-to-order risotto martinis with bay scallops and rock shrimp or asparagus and wild mushroom
Abigail Kirsch puts their twist on cookies and milk with peanut butter and jelly macaroons, a mint oreo, a black and white, and a warm chocolate chunk cookie. All served with a caramel milk shake and fortune cookie…who says you can’t have it all!
We love this idea! Cork Catering set up a make-your-own s’mores station at a recent event
For those serving their guests breakfast or brunch, Mary Giuliani Catering & Events in New York created a devil-your-own-egg bar with hard-boiled eggs set on ceramic cartons and mini pails filled with toppings like paprika, caper powder, chives, and bacon
Pinch Food Design in New York creates taco stations, where guests could decorate homemade tortillas with an array of toppings served in custom-made resin pedestal pieces inspired by handcrafted Mexican pottery
Elegant Affairs Caterers also creates “salad-tinis” made by “chef-tenders,” who mixed ingredients with oversized drink shakers and served them in martini glasses
L-Eat Catering in Toronto now uses a four-compartment dish for multiple entrées, including the above of roasted petit beef tenderloin fillet, miso-glazed black cod, mushroom risotto, and a green bean bundle
Creative Tastes Catering & Event Production in Miami serves meals from mason jars with spoons attached, including a created breakfast-on-the-go with yogurt trifle
For more information, visit Biz Bash.
October 1st, 2011
This was the third Mitzvah for the Karen family who celebrated daughter Ali’s Bat Mitzvah on May 28, 2011 with a morning service at Temple Beth Torah in Jericho, New York followed by an evening party at North Shore Synagogue in Syosset, New York.
Although there was not a specific theme, Ali used pink and orange as her colors and there was lots of neon in the ballroom for a disco feel. The ballroom was transformed with terrific lighting and decor.
All photography was done by Neal Bloom and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the bottom of this spotlight.
Pictured above: (L-R): Older sister Marissa, Dad Rob, Bat Mitzvah girl Ali, Mom Carla and older brother Jordan
All three of the Karen women wore white. Bat Mitzvah girl Ali’s dress was from Outrageous Boutique, Marissa’s was a BCBG and Mom Carla bought her long gown from Melony Mazzeo in East Williston, New York.
Everyone looks gorgeous in their white dresses with accents of silver or gold
Ali’s invitation was done by Robin’s Write Invites and featured her Bat Mitzvah colors of pink and orange.
The ballroom at North Shore Synagogue was transformed by Paul from Party Interiors. Del Mir Caterers provided all the delicious food.
Lighting can set the mood of a room
Black and white chair covers and crystals create a striking look
Ali poses in the kids lounge area
Ali’s place cards coordinated with her invitations and were created by Karen Garber who also did the calligraphy on the invitation envelopes.
Entertainment Tonite provided the music entertainment with Matt as their MC.
A large crowd fills the dance floor
MC Matt gives Mom Carla a lift!
Guests enjoy the music
Del Mir Caterers created a beautiful matching cake in orange and pink.
The Karen family blows out the candles
Ali shares a special moment with one of her friends who was celebrating her birthday on the same day
Close friend Gail Janicola made Ali’s sign-in book using an Apple computer.
The pages were filled with pictures of family and friends
Brother Jordan “signs in”
Another friend, Janet Kesner had a great idea for the table numbers.
Using an old picture of Ali, she was able to photo shop different numbers onto the same photo. Copies were made at Walgreens and each photo was placed in a frame!
Ali and her Dad share a special moment and father/daughter dance.
Michelle Weissman created Ali’s favors and matching drawstring bags for her friends featuring her saying, “Be Happy, Be Ready.”
The girls received “flash dance” style sweatshirts saying “Be Happy” and the boys received T-shirts that said, “Be Ready Basketball”
As guests were leaving, they found a candy bar set up inside and a waffle truck outside!
Mom Carla successfully planned three Mitzvahs for her children and has this advice.
“Don’t get caught up in the small details, it’s all about the love in the room. Take a moment to step back and look around. Everyone is there because of your child and your family.”
The following vendors helped to make Ali’s Bat Mitzvah special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Caterer/Venue: Del Mir Caterers at North Shore Synagogue
Music Entertainment: Entertainment Tonite, MC Matt
Favors: Michelle Weissman Creative Specialities, 516-637-0493
Photographer: Neal Bloom, 631-754-7442
Invitations: Robin Cohen, Robin’s Writes & Invites, 516-822-5108
Place Cards: Karen Garber, 516-681-2939, inkspotzs@aol.com
Cake: Del Mir Caterers
Décor: Party Interiors by Paul 516-586-5492
Waffel Truck: Wafel and Dinges
Dress for Mom: Melony Mazzeo, melonymazz@yahoo.com
Dress for Ali: Outrageous Boutique
Dress for Marissa: BCBG
Hair/makeup: Entourage
Videographer: Entertainment Tonite
September 27th, 2011
Where should I put my stuff?
Cubbies at your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a great place for kids to store their shoes, party favors, gift bags and anything else they brought along!
Each cubby should be personalized with your young guests’ name so everyone has their own spot.
A must have for some celebrations, here are a few we have featured and some we found online!
These cubbies were featured in the Goldenberg Bar Mitzvah Family spotlight
For a camp themed Mitzvah, The Crystal Plaza used net bags (the ones many of the kids take to camp) with young guests favors inside
White cubbies look great with favor bags in orange, lime and blue from Successful Affairs
Great Neck Games transformed a ballroom and put in these cubbies for a beach themed Mitzvah Inspire
From Eventful Productions, great graffiti inspired lockers/cubbies for an urban themed party
Black cubbies make the teal favor bags pop from the Tacher Bat Mitzvah Family spotlight
Authentic lockers from East 7th Street Promotions
Did you have an interesting way of displaying your favors? Let us know at info@MitzvahMarket.com.
September 27th, 2011
By Stephanie Kepke Kaplan, Boys, Dogs And Chaos
In my second Mitzvah Diary post, I shared that compiling the guest list was the biggest party planning challenge for me. I take it back – the montage is now my official Everest. A friend of mine warned me to start looking for pictures six months in advance; it’s that difficult to amass just the right assortment of snapshots. And honestly, that’s not surprising – how does one possibly compress thirteen years worth of memories into just ten minutes of video?
I have well over one hundred and fifty pictures right now and I know I need to winnow it down to one hundred. I’ve already done my fair share of winnowing – I have spent hours going through the literally hundreds and hundreds of packets of photos I have stored in stacked flowered boxes. Remember, thirteen years ago, none of us had digital cameras. In fact, I didn’t get a decent digital camera – one that I used exclusively, not just as a novelty, until my third son was born. It will be a breeze to collect his montage pictures – just click and drag. Not so for my son, D. And, being that he was my first child, I was in full on paparazzi mode – documenting everything from his first cry (well, my husband took that picture) to his first coo to his first potty foray. That’s a lot of pictures – I narrowed it down from about sixty five to twenty six from his first year. But, that means a quarter of the montage will be D’s babyhood. I can already hear D’s friends yawning, not to mention D. whining about baby pictures crowding out baseball pictures.
It’s not just baby pictures that are hard to curate – I scanned in sixty three pictures from birth to age five and then got to work on the digital pictures. I now have a folder on my desktop with probably another hundred pictures from age six and up. Everything seems necessary and yet the montage can’t be half an hour long. With four weeks to go, I need to edit out the fat and do it quickly. My wonderful (patient) niece has agreed to put together the montage and I promised to deliver the pictures well in advance. Well, we’ve passed well in advance and we’re creeping up on, “OK, I need it now or it won’t get done.”
Part of the difficulty in accomplishing this task is that I’ve lingered on each picture – reminiscing about easier times before everything was a battle. I used to think that toddlerhood and all of the defiance that went along with it – the constant chorus of “no’s;” the declarations of, “I do it mysef!;” the tantrums when it was time to leave the playground – was the hardest thing that I would ever face as a parent. More seasoned parents would shake their heads at my frustration and say, “Little kids, little problems; big kids, big problems.” But, I didn’t believe them. Now, I understand. D. acts like he hates me most of the time. He’s always embarrassed of me and often tells me I’m neurotic. I know it’s the age. I know that deep down he really loves me, but it still stings.
Looking at the pictures of him from infancy on up, I am reminded of how completely attached to me he was. I remember so clearly what it was like for him to fall asleep on my shoulder – for that to be the only place he would sleep for what seemed like an eternity. I am reminded of the time I caught the flu from him when he was a toddler and he cried hysterically until I dragged myself into his room, feverish and shaking, to rock him on his chair, because no one else – not daddy, not grandma – would do. There is the picture of him sitting on my lap at 10 years old – our annual birthday hug – his head on my shoulder, a huge grin on his face. Three short years later, he is more than a head taller than I am, his face has taken on the angular proportions of an almost man and his patience for me often wears thin. That is why combing through these pictures is such a gift and why narrowing down the choices is close to impossible. But, narrow the choices I must, so I have stayed up every night until the wee hours, trying to decide what belongs up on that flat screen during the party.
The criteria I’ve come up with: if the picture seems like it would interest someone other than me, it stays. If I find it completely captivating, but to anyone else it would just be a run of the mill shot of a cute baby or a sweet boy grinning, then out it goes. Some of the images that have made it so far – in addition to holiday shots, birthday party shots and baseball shots, there are many of my dad and D. (if you read my last post, then you know that my father passed away in the spring and that one of the ways we plan to honor him is by featuring him in the montage), as well as pictures of D. playing the drums, from babyhood on. My husband, Jeff, was a drummer in a band when D. was a baby and he often played acoustic sets at Borders. D. loved coming with me and banging on the drums when the show was over. He is an amazing drummer now and I think it will be fun for everyone to see his progression on (and obsession with) the drums over the years – from those Borders shows to his toddler days banging on a plastic marching drum to his elementary school years behind the skins to a short video of his solo at the last school concert.
I still have several more pictures to cut (at least fifty), but I’m on the road to a short (no more than ten minutes) montage that will hopefully keep everyone engaged and entertained, even if I cry bittersweet tears right through it.
About Stephanie Kepke Kaplan
Stephanie Kepke Kaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. Before kids she was an arts reporter, covering the Boston music and cultural scene (even though she is a born and bred Long Islander, she lived in Boston for nine years and her first son was born there). Now, she blogs at Boys, Dogs and Chaos (about life with – you guessed it – three boys and two dogs) and Mitzvah Mom. She is also working on a novel about a PTA mom. She has also written for Long Island Parent magazine.
Catch up on Stephanie’s previous posts:
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
September 25th, 2011
Cupcake dipped in chocolate that sits on a pretzel. Do we really need to talk you into this? The Mitzvah Market team tried these and thought they were a very delicious and decadent dessert!
Popsy Cakes started 3 years ago as a High School project for 16 year-old Jessica Cervantes from Miami and has turned into a national cupcake business.
She had emigrated to the U.S. from Cuba as a child, loved to bake in her Grandmother’s kitchen and competed against 25,000 business students across the country and won first place in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship – wow!
What a great favor for your child’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Flavors include: strawberry milkshake, dark chocolate decadence, vanilla bean dream, and red velvet rush. It can be customized with swirls, sprinkles and ribbons and they can design something special with your child’s name or theme.
Strawberry Milkshake
Red Velvet Rush
They are certified kosher and can ship worldwide.
For more information, visit their Website.
September 25th, 2011
Shalom! Welcome to Israel.
Well, actually this great Bar Mitzvah celebration took place in Washington, D.C. but Evoke Event Planning led by event planner Jodi Moraru made guests feel like they were on a trip to Israel!
This event was full of traditions and meanings, as the family and their guests were able to enjoy a special evening celebrating their heritage and a special day in a magical place.
Photography by Robert Bowen Photography.
The room was brought to life with painted murals of beautiful scenes of Israel outlined by stone archways that bordered the walls, stretching from top to bottom.
A painted mural was created
The detailed, rustic setting was decorated with wooden tables and bars.
Each table was accented by vibrant bouquets, orange flowers and almonds!
Mix it up – look how great these exotic tablecloths go with the wooden chairs and tables
Bulbs hanging from the ceiling recreated the feeling of the square in Old Yaffa outside of Tel Aviv
Ridgewell Caterers based the menu off traditional Middle Eastern recipes and delicacies, with a modern and gourmet twist.
Pita pockets with falafel balls or roasted chicken schwarma with Tahini sauce, finished with freshly made Mediterranean dips
Israeli salad, basmati rice tossed with golden sultana raisins, slivered toasted almonds, and of course…french fries
To become a part of the family’s celebration, family and friends were asked to light the candles hanging from an archway representing traditions of Judaism
Thanks to Evoke Event Planning for sharing this terrific celebration with MitzvahMarket.com.
September 24th, 2011
The Ryder Family from Long Grove, Illinois celebrated their daughter Melanie’s Bat Mitzvah service at Congregation Beth Am in Buffalo Grove and then had a Sunday evening reception at the Wyndam Glenview Suites in Glenview, Illinois.
Mitzvah Mom Jill is an event planner and has great ideas and thoughts to share with our readers from planning her daughter’s “Enchanted Evening” themed Bat Mitzvah.
Pictured above: L-R: Mitzvah Mom Jill, younger sister Chloe, Bat Mitzvah girl Melanie, older sister Jordan and Mitzvah Dad Adam.
Lee Ross Photography took all the pictures and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the bottom of this spotlight.
One side of Melanie’s beautiful invitation that was created by Jamie Joffe featured fuschia with black print, accented with a black bow and grey flowers with a pearl center
Melanie on the Bimah at Congregation Beth Am in Buffalo Grove, Illinois
For Melanie’s Enchanted Evening, M&M The Special Events Company which Mitzvah Mom Jill works for, created centerpieces with gorgeous floral and branches dripping with crystals and butterflies as well as trees around the room. There was also dramatic lighting which really enhanced the theme
The lounge area with crisp white furniture and fuchsia accents
Melanie striking a pose before the guests arrive
The kid’s tables were pushed together to form two large flowers. The kids sat at the pedals with fuchsia lamour linen and orange lamour napkins and cushions
Elegant cinnamon bichon linens were used for the adult tables with fuchsia lamour napkins and fuchsia seat cushions
The place card table featured a beautiful tree with butterflies and crystals hanging from the branches
The large fushia “M” made a statement and each place card was actually a pen with a gerber daisy glued on top. The pen said “Melanie’s Enchanted Evening”
Mom Jill made the centerpieces on the kids tables and some of the large trees around the room. She was so glad to get the trees out of her living room and over to the party! She felt like she was living in a forest for quite a while!
Mom Jill rented these great charger plates from her company, M&M The Special Event Company. She also found these cute flower hair bands that guests could keep and used them for napkin rings. Mom Jill wore her hair band that night as a bracelet!
Melanie “makes her entrance” into the party by walking on a custom cobblestone path
The cobblestone path led right to the dance floor which also had street lamps on each corner
The music entertainment was provided by H.Y.P.E. Productions with MC’s Rob and Chicken Wing
Melanie’s moment up in the chair surrounded by her family and friends!
Melanie’s friends received shirts from Promotional Product Partners. Mom Jill has this tip: “When printing the giveaways, I used two inks and put the more girly stuff in one color, so when it came time to print the boys I only used the one ink minus the flowers”
Melanie’s friends pose wearing their fabulous giveaways
Get Flipped Chicago was part of the entertainment at the party. The guests moved around while they took pictures and then those pictures created a mini flipbook that guests took home
The Wyndham Glenview Suites brought in these beautiful cupcakes from Rolf’s Bakery that had butterflies on them and look like works of art!
Guests enjoyed a colorful candy bar
The following Mitzvah vendors made Melanie’s Bat Mitzvah celebration special. If you call any of them, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: The Wyndham Glenview Suites, Glenview, Illinois, 847-803-99800
Party Planner: Jamie Joffe, 708-799-9383
Music Entertainment: H.Y.P.E. Productions, 708-895-1400
Invitations: Jamie Joffee
Decor/Florist: The company Mitzvah Mom Jill works for The M&M Special Events Company, 630-871-9999
Party Entertainment: Get Flipped Chicago, 847-272-7865
Photographer: Lee Ross Photography, 847-786-4400
Videographer: Elbaum Video Productions, 847-607-0772
Favors: Promotional Product Partners, 888-772-6674
Cupcakes: Through the Wydham Hotel Rolf’s Patisserie, 847-675-6565
Dresses: Betsey Johnson and Jessica McClintock
September 21st, 2011
Once again we found a Mitzvah Find from the Wedding industry, but we know it’s very cool for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs too!
PictureThisNashville.net is like a photo booth, but much cooler! You can also use this system to create your sign-in book.
They use 21″ touch screen Apple iMacs that were created specifically for Picture This. This touchscreen is your custom kiosk. Personalize your Picture This Nashville touchscreen with titles, date, logo, and photos panels.
Your guests can take a series of fun pictures and watch them print in their choice of color, black and white, or sepia tone.
They can even email them right from the kiosk.
Their photo guestbooks have guests sign-in via their touchscreen kiosk. Their picture is taken with the kiosk camera, and they are asked to leave a handwritten message. Picture This team of designers puts together a custom book layout, sometimes blending other media such as photos of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah child or photo booth pictures. The book is printed and shipped directly to you.
The pricing starts at $999 for a four hour session with unlimited photos and a high resolution DVD of your images.
If you do not live in the Nashville area, get in touch with Elaine from Picture This and she will find a distributor near you. She can be reached at 818-472-3820.
For more information, visit their Website.
September 21st, 2011
We love the personal touch of a backyard Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
We recently brought you Max Rudolph’s Backyard Bar Mitzvah. Now we are headed North to Toronto for this Mitzvah Inspire.
Two event pros put this Bat Mitzvah together. Angela Zaltzman is the founder of A to Z Management and Selena Hazlitt is a vintage stylist and owner of Hazlett Vintage Rentals. They combined vintage decor and the Bat Mitzvah girl’s favorite color, pink in a casual, relaxed setting, the family’s backyard. Many of the paper accessories were from Brilliant Bash.
Photography by Hudson Taylor Photography.
The homemade mash sign tells guests which direction to go
A beautiful frame with a chalkboard insert was used as the signage for the place card table
The place cards were displayed on a pine harvest table stacked with wood soda crates and wicker picnic baskets
Place cards were attached to small jars of homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam from a local farm which also served as favors
Long tables inside a tent with pink linens against white carpet and chairs
Table number stenciled on a tag – simple and stunning – can you see the drop of pink in the center of the flower?
Guests were treated to a real old fashioned lemonade stand
The custom sign above the bar now adorns the fence by their pool to remind them off all the fun they had at the party
Logo and straws by Brilliant Bash
Guests enjoy fresh lemonade
The beautiful and delicious looking candy bar in all pink!
Yummy cupcakes decorated with little flowers on top in honor of the Bat Mitzvah girl’s favorite color
Looks like they know how to throw a Bat Mitzvah in Toronto. Thank you to both A To Z Management and Hazlett Vintage Rentals for sharing this story with our readers.
