May 28th, 2013
In 2010, Philadelphian moms Cheryl Friedenberg and Valerie Franklin (pictured left), created The Mitzvah Bowl Website to provide a database of meaningful community service projects for both Bar and Bat Mitzvah students, as well as teens seeking volunteer opportunities.
The Website is organized in such a fashion that it allows kids to find the right project based upon a subject matter that they are passionate about or something that piques their interest. Friedenberg and Franklin’s goal is to uncover unique projects for teens that reach beyond basic fundraising. They want children to learn a sense of tikkun olam (repair of the world), responsibility, and a connection to their Jewish identity, as well as their community.
The Website, which is very easy to navigate, walks students through the process of choosing a Mitzvah project. Parents can work along side their children to help guide them the numerous choices.
For a variety of additional volunteer ideas, visit their page, More Ideas, to spur even more creativity when deciding on a Bar or Bat Mitzvah project.
You will also find additional ideas on MitzvahMarket.com in our Mitzvah Project resource section.
May 28th, 2013
On December 21, 2012, the Breitowich family from La Porte, Indiana, along with twenty family and friends, traveled to Israel to celebrate son Jack’s Bar Mitzvah. Another twenty-five family members who live in Israel joined the celebration at the top of Masada.
Once back in the States, there was a celebration in Jack’s honor for school friends, teammates, camp friends, and close family at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Indiana.
All party photography was provided by Bella Photographs and the rest of the vendors are listed at the bottom.
Pictured above L-R: Dad Lee, Mom Kathy, Bar Mitzvah boy Jack and older sister Andi.
The Breitowich family traveled to Israel to celebrate Jack’s Bar Mitzvah at the top of Masada.
The Breitowich family are all smiles atop Masada
The outdoor ceremony
Enjoying an authentic bedouin meal with family and friends
The logo for Jack’s Israel trip was “Life is Good”
The front read in Hebrew “Hachiyim Tovim”
The back read, “See you at the top!” (of Masada, of course!)
A t-shirt and water bottle with Jack’s logo was given to each member of the group who climbed Masada
Family and friends all together
As a special treat for their guests, Jack and his family sang a song specially written by Carolyn Schwartz from Poems by Carolyn. It’s to the tune of The Beatle’s, “Got To Get You Into My Life.“
Watch a video of their song
here
Once back in the United States, there was a kids party in Jack’s honor. The invitation and save-the-date note pads were both in the same color palette: black, silver and red.
The “save-the-date” notepads were sent out well in advance because Jack’s party was during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend
The invitation was classic and modern, created by All The Best Invitations
Bar Mitzvah boy Jack in his Brooks Brothers suit and older sister Andi in her cocktail dress from Ask Alice Boutique looked very stylish.
A take-off of the Nike logo “Just Do It,” Jack’s logo was “Jack Did It.” There was a sports vibe, but not specific to a particular sport.
The Pieced Palette created Jack’s sign-in pillow, which was a replica of Jack’s Bar Mitzvah invitation.
The fabric arrives taut so that it can stand on an easel at your party for guests to sign
After the celebration, the fabric is sent back to The Pieced Palette and a pillow is created
Jack enters to rock group Queen’s, “Don’t Stop Me Now.”
Jack is all pumped up and ready to make his entrance
Energy Productions, with JB as the MC, provided a festive atmosphere with non stop dancing and great music.
Jack dancing with one of his dancers
MC JB got the crowd dancing all night
Jack taking over and wearing one of his “Jack Did It” t-shirts
Jack and the kids in t-shirts that read, “Jack Did It”
Everyone on the dance floor having fun
As a surprise for Jack, his sister Andi, along with her friend, sang a song created by Giftrapped.com, a company that creates personalized rap songs.
To see the funny video, click here
A sweet treat as guests made their exit.
Chocolate cake pops in lacquer vases
Guests washed down the delicious desserts with yummy chocolate milk
Mom Kathy offers this advice:
“Planning a Bar Mitzvah doesn’t have to be stressful or intimidating. By staying organized, starting early, and keeping several lists that I continually updated throughout the process, I was able to enjoy Jack’s day and events. Finding vendors in northwest Indiana was a challenge, but the resources from Mitzvah Market made the process easy and successful!
The following vendors helped to make Jack’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Sand Creek Country Club, 219-395-5222
Party Planner: Mom Kathy
Décor/florist: Jill, M & M The Special Events Company, 630-871-9999
Music Entertainment: MC JB, Energy Productions, 847-581-1031
Photographer/Videographer: Bella Photography, 219-736-5217
Favor person Israel and Indiana: Above the Belt T-shirts, 847-651-2144
Invitations: All The Best Invitations, 866-992-4033
Rap Song: GiftRapped.com
Song Sung in Israel: Carolyn Schwartz, Poems By Carolyn, 516-312-0727
Save the date pads: www.artpromos.com, 718-243-9417
Custom stamps: zazzle.com
Cupcakes: Designer Desserts, 219-465-0008
Pretzels: Good Karma Pretzels, 702-281-4991
Lighted tables: Cort Event Furnishings
Signs: Lance, Freelance Studios
Sign-In pillow: Jane, The Pieced Palette
Sister Andi’s dress: Ask Alice Boutique, 516-921-2464
Mom’s dress: Judee’s Boutique, 219-324-6443
Men’s suits: Brooks Brothers
Hair/makeup: Heath and Company, 269-469-4247
May 27th, 2013
Mikayla Arielle Meltser celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on March 3, 2013 at The Coliseum in White Plains, New York.
This was the second celebration for this family and they had a blowout dance party!
EK Productions not only supplied the music entertainment, but also took care of the photography, videography, decor, favors, and extra entertainment.
Pictured left: MC Evan from EK Productions and Bat Mitzvah girl Mikayla.
Mikayla’s daytime celebration took place at The Coliseum in White Plains.
Mikayla in her long, pink gown from All Dressed Up
EK Productions provided the decor for Mikayla’s celebration.
Large scale photos of Mikayla were on display around the room
Birch centerpieces with LED lights were used on some tables
Other tables featured globe centerpieces with votives
Crystal lampshades add a touch of glamour!
EK Productions provided the music entertainment with Evan as the MC. Evan and the EK crew kept guests dancing all day long.
Mikayla makes her entrance
The Pieced Palette created Mikayla’s sign-in pillow with her M & M logo.
Riviera Bakehouse created Mikayla’s colorful Bat Mitzvah cake.
EK Productions provided additional entertainment for Mikayla’s guests to enjoy.
Mikayla standing in front of her custom Step-n-Repeat where guests posed for photos
Guests enjoyed the photo booth
There was plenty of room for lots of guests!
Each of Mikayla’s friends could customize a pair of headphones like the ones below
The following vendors helped to make Mikayla’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: The Coliseum White Plains, 914-557-3401
Music Entertainment/Photo Booth: MC Evan, EK Productions, 718- 982-6000
Photographer/Videographer: All photography from EK Productions including Zap Shots
Decor/Favors: EK Productions
Invitations: Love Laura Designs
Cake: Riviera Bakehouse, 914-693-9758
Sign-In board: The Pieced Palette, 914-420-1746
Mikayla’s Dress: All Dressed Up, 914-908-5661
Suits for family members: Armani
Hair/makeup: Hair by Visulio & Makeup from Jay at MAC
May 22nd, 2013
EK Productions LTD. is a professional group of entertainers founded in 1986.
Their company has grown from a successful DJ operation to a full scale event planning unit, specializing in videos, dancers, automated lighting and special effects, games, percussionists, MC’s, and other exciting entertainment for your affair.
They are now offering something brand new to Bar Bat Mitzvah families: a virtual sports arena! There are 5 different games in 1 system and it’s so compact, it can be used anywhere.
Take a look:
Soccer
Baseball
To learn more visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
May 22nd, 2013
The Wabnik family celebrated their son Evan’s Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, January 12, 2013 with a service at the Jewish Congregation of Brookville followed by an evening celebration at Ultimate 575 in Syosset, New York.
After enjoying his older brother’s more traditional party three years ago, Evan wanted a more active, casual party in celebration of his Bar Mitzvah, so “jeans and jewels” was the suggested attire.
Simon Elliot Events was the photographer and the rest of the vendors are listed at the bottom of this spotlight.
Pictured above: Dad David, Bar Mitzvah boy Evan, Mom Susan and Brother Josh
Evan’s sleek black and light blue invitation was created by Susan Lehrhoff for Ethan Niles.
Evan wanted to be stylish at both his temple service and the evening’s casual celebration.
Evan went with a red satin bowtie for his Bar Mitzvah service
He was much more casual for his party at Ultimate 575
Ultimate 575 is a cavernous space that looks different for each and every celebration. Spitz & Peck provided the decor for the Wabnik’s celebration using beautiful but simple floral arrangements and illuminated tabletops for the adult seating area.
White lanterns hung from the ceiling
There was ample seating for all the adult guests
Simple but elegant floral arrangements
Music entertainment was provided by Todd Barrie with Kevin as the MC.
Evan makes his entrance with the Todd Barrie dancers (aka the Secret Service)
Todd Barrie set up a white dance floor inside the large party space at Ultimate 575
The young guests having fun with MC Kevin
Evan and Kevin!
NY Party Works provided the fun including this mechanical bull, which was a huge hit!
Evan takes his turn on the mechanical bull
Ultimate 575 has some built-in entertainment including the ping pong table above and the basketball court below
For Evan’s sign-in, they ordered a locker online from www.theshelvingstore.com and put it together themselves!
The locker is now a useful piece of storage in his room
Dynamic Events provided the delicious food and Evan’s Bar Mitzvah cake.
Evan poses with all his friends during his candle lighting ceremony
The Wabnik’s were all smiles as they experienced a Mitzvah Mishap…their cake slid right off the table and onto the floor! Not missing a beat, they used this opportunity to take a photo that they will be talking about for years to come.
A Promos USA/Imagemaker designed Evan’s pullover sweatshirt favor for his friends.
When guests left the Wabnik’s celebration, they were offered a Jericho Cider Mill mini apple pie and water bottles with custom labels.
The label read, “If you know Evan, you know he loves to eat. So go home now and enjoy this tasty treat!”
Some Mom-to-Mom advice from Susan:
“Have fun, it’s a party! It should not be stressful. You and your family are celebrating a happy occasion with memories to last a lifetime.”
The following vendors helped to make Evan’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their products/services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Sherry Candel, Ultimate GaGa (Ultimate 575), 516-921-4242
Caterer/Cake: Keith Senzer, Dynamic Events, 516-294-0900
Photographer/Videographer: Simon Elliot Events, 516-586-6822
Music Entertainment: MC, Kevin, Todd Barrie Entertainment, 516-625-4700
Favors: Mindy, A Promos USA/Imagemaker, 800-987-8766
Mechanical Bull/Photo Favors: Margaret, NY Party Works, 800-469-3866
Invitation: Susan Lehrhoff for Ethan Niles, 516-626-3666
Sign-In Locker: theshelvingstore.com
Special Touches: Apple Pie, Jericho Cider Mill, 516-433-3360
Boys Suits: Kenny’s Mens & Boyswear, 516-921-2660
Susan’s Dress: Rachel, It’s Simply For You, 516-921-2863
Make-up: Nicole, About Face, 516-348-5292
May 19th, 2013
Event planner Melisa Imberman, owner of The Event of a Lifetime, Inc. in Westchester County, New York, worked closely with the creative team at X-quisite Flowers & Events and transformed the grand ballroom of the The Ritz Carlton White Plains Hotel.
Tripp Street Studios was the photographer.
Pictures are great, but take a moment to watch this time lapse video that documents this truly spectacular transformation.
The ballroom when Melisa and her team arrived
Watch the transformation here
Now the ballroom is ready for a party!
The columns are covered with a mural of the Bat Mitzvah girl’s photos and logo
Melisa had a state of the art aqua mirrored seamless dance floor installed
The ceiling is adorned with a shower of icicle lights, crystals & ribbons
One of the special decor elements included covering the walls with fabric and up lighting in soft changing color tones of blue
The cocktail napkins had the simple but chic logo
Pretty turquoise and purple pillows
Each centerpiece had a modern flair surrounded by gorgeous arrangements
Beautiful and elegant menus were at each place setting
Staying in the color theme, the dessert table looked great
And so did the cake!
We loved this room transformation and thank Melisa Imberman of The Event of a Lifetime for sharing her ideas with our readers.
May 15th, 2013
By Molly Alexander
Hi! My name is Mölly. I’ve recently started going to Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and I’m so excited to start writing about them.
I love attending Bar/Bat Mitzvah parties because I feel like each celebration has a unique touch, and I love finding out what it is!
I’m excited to bring my perspective to MitzvahMarket.com.
On April 20th, I attended Jason’s Bar Mitzvah. I had a lot of fun at his celebration and enjoyed being there. I definitely found something cool and unique at Jason’s party!
Jason’s theme was hockey. He plays hockey, and his logo was just like the New York Rangers logo. I loved his theme because it was interesting and the logo was new and unique.
Jason’s logo
By far the best thing about Jason’s party was the celebrity guest appearance. Carl Hagelin, a player on the New York Rangers came in and surprised everyone – including Jason – at his Bar Mitzvah! Carl also signed hockey pucks and his trading cards. Jason got a picture with Carl and even got the jersey Carl was wearing when he came to the Bar Mitzvah!
Jason with Carl Hagelin of the NY Rangers
I certainly hope Jason had an amazing time, and I’m sure he did! I had a great time and loved his party. The celebrity guest appearance was cool and it was the first time I saw that at any of the Bar & Bat Mitzvahs I’ve attended!
Read Molly’s last post here.
About Molly Alexander
I’m in 7th grade at Seven Bridges Middle School in Chappaqua and I love to write. Every summer since 2010, I’ve been writing a summer column in my local newspaper. I also do Bat/Bar Mitzvah reports on Instagram. Follow me @mitzvahgirl!
I will mostly likely attend 60-80 Bat/Bar Mitzvah celebrations before I finish eighth grade. I am so excited to be writing for Mitzvah Market!
May 14th, 2013
The Schneider family from Solon, Ohio celebrated son Josh’s Bar Mitzvah on September, 29, 2012. The service was held at Temple Emanu El and the beach themed party followed at The Bertram Inn in Aurora, Ohio.
There were many creative “beachy” details in this party. We thank the Schneiders for sharing them with our readers.
Elizabeth Pruitt was the photographer and the rest of the vendors are listed at the bottom of this spotlight.
Pictured L-R: Dad Randy, Bar Mitzvah boy Josh, Mom Melissa and younger sister Leah
Josh did a great job at his service at Temple Emanu El which was followed by a Kiddush luncheon hosted by his grandparents. For one of his two Mitzvah Projects, Josh coordinated with the National Council of Jewish Women of Cleveland to collect new and gently used books.
Josh smiling on his big day
Books that Josh collected were beautifully wrapped and used as centerpieces for the luncheon and then distributed to local schools
Mitzvah Mom Melissa worked with Save The Date! Invitations & More to create Josh’s invitation. The invitation featured a layer of champagne colored cover stock on top of a layer of dark brown suede-like material with touches of aqua.
Josh and his sister Leah looked great waiting for guests to arrive.
Sister Leah in a dress from Two Sisters Boutique and Josh in a suit from Nordstrom
The beach theme that Josh chose reflected the Schneiders’ many wonderful summers at the Delaware beaches and other beach vacations.
The logo was Josh’s initials in an oval, similar to the magnets you find in many beach towns
Tariko Kendall of Whimzey Event Design brought the look and feel of the beach to the ballroom of the Bertram Inn for the ultimate beach bash.
Place cards for the adults were vintage-inspired postcards. Each postcard represented a different beach that Josh has visited
Vintage beach signage was next to the place card table
There was a beach cabana set up in the kids area
The linens in the ballroom were navy and orange, and beach balls hung from the ceiling
The centerpieces on the adult tables included sand, candles, and shells. The vintage postcards were also incorporated into the centerpieces to designate the table’s name
The centerpiece on the kids table included Josh’s name
Custom pillows completed the beachy look.
Photos of Josh at the beach
There were two different sign-in options for Josh’s guests.
Josh’s friends signed-in on a skim board
At each table, there was a card asking the adults to write Josh a postcard filled with good wishes
There was also a special mailbox for adults to “return” the postcards
The music entertainment was provided by Terry Macklin Entertainment and they kept everyone on the dance floor all night.
Josh is up so high he can touch the beach balls!
Photobooth Cleveland provided an old fashioned photo booth just like the ones you find on the boardwalk.
Guests using the touchscreen photobooth
Sister Leah and her cousin
Bar Mitzvah boy Josh and two friends
Each strip was then placed in a special scrapbook for Josh and his family to enjoy
Whimzey Event Design also set up a custom t-shirt shop so guests could customize a shirt.
The Schneider t-shirt shop logo
Mitzvah Mom Melissa designed several beach-inspired logos and shirts were created on site
The finished product!
When the guests left, they received bags of saltwater taffy, flip-flop shaped lollipops and more!
Also available were water bottles with Josh’s logo and a thank you message
Six months before his actual Bar Mitzvah, Josh played the role of Evan, a Bar Mitzvah boy in “13 The Musical” for a local community theater production. Josh used this opportunity to kick-off his Mitzvah Project. He raised money and awareness about Myasthenia Gravis, a neuromuscular disease that his grandfather has. (Coincidentally, one of the characters in this musical also suffers from a neuromuscular disease). During one of the weekends of the show’s run, friends and family helped out and ran the concession stand with all proceeds being split between University Hospital Neuro-muscular Center and the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation.
Team Schneider
Josh contacted the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation and the first ever Ohio MG Walk was held on September 23rd, the week before Josh’s Bar Mitzvah. Josh has also been selling special bracelets with the word, “Purpose,” as that is the name of a song that Josh sang in another show, and he felt that doing this Mitzvah Project helped to give him a real “purpose” or mission. In total, Josh raised over $3000 and was the top fundraiser for the State of Ohio.
Some advice from Mom Melissa:
“My biggest regret is that I did not hire an event coordinator to represent me on the night of Josh’s party. You really do need someone there to represent you and your child’s wishes for the evening. Otherwise, you may end up wasting time working with your DJ, photographer, caterer, etc. instead of enjoying time with your guests! That being said, one important lesson that I learned is that the Mitzvah family sets the tone. If you are having fun and able to overlook the little things that might not go your way, then your guests will definitely have fun too!”
The following vendors helped to make Josh’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: The Bertram Inn, 330-995-0200
Music Entertainment: Terry Macklin, Sounds of Entertainment, 216-464-9002
Photo Booth: Photobooth Cleveland, 888-767-0559
Caricature Artist: Larry Weber, Flower Entertainment, 440-934-3157
Invitations: Rachel, Save The Date! Invitations and More, 734- 995-9361
Décor/T-shirt Shop: Tariko Kendall, Whimzey Event Design, 216-245-5355
Cabana Lounge/Chair and Table Linens: Lasting Impressions Event Rentals, 216-591-1177
Men’s Service Suits: Nordstrom
Leah’s Service Outfit: Fancy Pants, 440-498-1121
Party Dress for Leah: Two Sisters Boutique, 302-543-7532
May 11th, 2013
Event planner Kristin Barse of Bel Momento Weddings & Special Events along with decor and event company Beautiful Blooms recently collaborated on a Bat Mitzvah celebration for a girl who has two passions: travel and fashion.
This celebration took place at One Atlantic on the Atlantic City boardwalk which boasts spectacular views. Photos by Marie Labbancz Photography.
Bat Mitzvah girl Shayna makes her entrance on the boardwalk in Atlantic City
The beautiful invitation by Bailey Viola of Just Be set the tone for a very fashionable and chic party
The underlying color palette was shades of pink that looked beautiful on this mirrored place card table
The chic place cards were fashion illustrations done by artist Brooke Hagel and printed by Bailey Viola
The cocktail hour had a modern feel with white furniture and pink accents
The menu was a sketch of the guest of honor also done by Brooke Hagel and printed by Bailey Viola
Guests enjoyed unique entertainment in the form of a personal custom sketch!
One Atlantic is a venue right on the Atlantic City boardwalk with beautiful views of the beach
Near the bar area, a travel vignette offered “Specialty Sips”
Beautiful Blooms created colorful centerpieces atop shoe boxes
The centerpiece above was of the Eiffel Tower
This celebration featured a Joan Rivers look-a-like who interviewed the guest of honor and her parents
We thank Beautiful Blooms and the rest of the vendors for sharing this very fashionable Bat Mitzvah with our readers.
Some of the vendors were included:
Venue: One Atlantic
Invitations and Printed Items: Bailey Viola, Just Be
Fashion Sketch Artist: Brooke Hagel
Photography: Marie Labbancz, Marie Labbancz Photography
May 11th, 2013
Lots of detail goes into the theme of a Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration- colors, a phrase, or even initials have been used to set the tone of an event.
Many times, custom logos are used throughout the decor of the party. We’ve recently seen them on t-shirts for the DJ dancers, which adds a fun touch and brings the theme of your party onto the dance floor!
You can also give these t-shirts out to your guests as favors.
Check out the t-shirts on these dancers:
The DanceJock Productions dancers get into this Bar Mitzvah theme wearing jerseys with the number 13
The dancers from Entertainment Tonite Events wore a t-shirt with the Bat Mitzvah girl’s logo, which was her name Chelsea incorporated into a heart
Sarah Merians Photography & Video reminds us that sometimes the Bar Bat Mitzvah child’s name is perfect for a theme! Bar Mitzvah boy JAGGER had his DJ dancers wear t-shirts with his name on the front and “Moves Like…” on the back
The Party Harty Entertainment dancers are wearing “Spencer Night Live” shirts to go with this SNL Bar Mitzvah theme
At Mallory’s Bat Mitzvah, Jordan Elyse Photography captured her brother making his entrance escorted by two Todd Yahney Music & Entertainment dancers wearing t-shirts with the Bat Mitzvah girl’s logo
EJ The DJ dancers are wearing “Air Max” t-shirts which ties in with the Bar Mitzvah theme
MC Adam J of AJH Entertainment and his dancers pose for a quick shot at Sam’s Superbowl Sunday Bar Mitzvah. AJH Entertainment customized Sam’s logo which was incorporated throughout the whole event
Unique Musique provided the music entertainment for Jason’s NYC Bar Mitzvah Bash at the Crystal Plaza. This celebration was all about New York City and included breakdancers, his name in lights on their LED Matrix Stage and dancers wearing shirts with his logo
From Dance Time Entertainment, this dancer’s t-shirt is from Elena and Vanessa’s B’nai Mitzvah. These girls are into everything pop culture and the MTV logo was a good way to incorporate what they love
The Richie Hart Events crew were decked out in blue and orange for a Syracuse themed Bar Mitzvah
From Christine Foster Photo, Bat Mitzvah girl Chloe entered the ballroom at Sherman Mills with dancers from All Around Entertainment. Their t-shirts featured her logo which was also on the back wall of the room
From Love Shack Photo, these dancers are wearing Bar Mitzvah boy Maxx’s logo on their shirts
thecoolestgiveaways.com created a custom logo and the t-shirts that the Party Harty dancers wore at Sydney’s celebration
MC Julian and Aaron of Flare Event Group and their dancers pose for a quick shot at Lexi’s Bat Mitzvah. Flare Event Group wore Lexi’s logo on their chests all evening. This logo was incorporated throughout the whole event from the t-shirts to the customized lighting and plasma screen images
From Yahney Entertainment Group Inc, DJ Jeff Yahney’s dancers wore FAO Sarah t-shirts created by Dazzling Parties
Did you have dancer t-shirts at your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah? Let us know at info@mitzvahmarket.com.
