Who better to find the latest and greatest for all-things Bar Bat Mitzvahs than our own Mitzvah Moms?
After your 8th grade son or daughter is finished with the Bar Bat Mitzvah “circuit,” they will be left with lots of wearable favors. Everything from sweatshirts, t-shirts and even PJ bottoms. After a few months, you might realize you don’t have room for all of these extra articles of clothing.
We love what one Mom discovered: Mom Rhonda asked her daughter to select her 16 favorite Bar Bat Mitzvah sweatshirts and then created a quilt that her daughter takes to summer camp each year!
Leave your Bar Mitzvah & Bat Mitzvah guests feeling satisfied with a special gift or delcious treat at the end of the celebration or something for the ride home. See our past Mitzvah Exit Treat story here.
Below are some ideas featuring cookie dough, yogurt, a candy buffet, cupcakes, cookies, Dunkin Donuts apple pie and more for a delicious send-off giving your guests another reason to remember your celebration.
A wall of 400 homemade glitter donuts created a major WOW moment at the end of Cassidy’s Bat Mitzvah
From The Dough Jar, their dough shots and bites are perfect for dessert tables, and can be made into customizable dough jars for a delicious party favor and Mitzvah Exit treat
As guests left this Mitzvah celebration, they were greeted with a 16 Handles yogurt bar with various flavors and toppings
Balloon Artistry set up this delicious Mitzvah Exit candy buffet with lots of pretty pink accents
Flower Power Designs hired this Gourmet Cupcakes truck for a Bat Mitzvah celebration
Have you heard of delicious Insomnia Cookies located on many college campuses? Beth Fink Events designed this InSAMnia cookie stand for Sammy’s Bat Mitzvah celebration
Elevate Event Lounge incorporated the Bat Mitzvah girl’s logo to decorate a fun filled snack bag to go along with the favor. Each bag contained a classic Oreo cookie, a Birthday Oreo Cookie and Mint Oreo Cookie, the Bat Mitzvah girl’s favorites!
Sarah Merians Photography and Video captured this great treat. The date was
March 14, 2015 (3.14.15) which is “Pi Day” so each guests received an actual pie in honor of Joe and Pi Day, 2015!
Simon Elliot Events designed this Hollywood Cafe which offered cotton candy, drinks, pretzels and more to guests as they left this celebration
KAI studios created a beautiful display of gourmet candy apples for guests to enjoy at the end of the night
From Cloud 9 and Provence Catering guests choose their own Mitzvah Exit sweet treat from this donut wall!
From Candy With a Twist, these custom logo s’more kits featuring your logo + their marshmallows = A perfect Mitzvah Exit treat!
Give your Bar Bat Mitzvah guests packaged rice krispie treats with your child’s logo from Treat House
From Sweet Dreams Studio, JB Young shot this carnival cart filled with treats at the end of a Mitzvah celebration
The Lanyard Ladies, who specialize in friendship bracelets and lanyard birthday parities, now offer Custom Made Shoelace Charm Bracelets.
They have 28 different styles of shoelaces to choose from and the charms are made to match the theme of your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah theme or color scheme.
The guest of honor picks their favorite theme, sport, or phrase and The Lanyard Ladies make the charms to your child’s specifications
At your event, guests pick their shoelace, their charm and then watch their bracelet being made right in front of them
If you prefer, they also offer bracelet making at your event. Guests can make friendship bracelets, lanyard bracelets, key-chains, bookmarks, lanyard pens, beaded necklaces and bracelets
To bring The Lanyard Ladies to your event or find out more about information click here or call them at 516-578-2248.
The Selitto family celebrated son Joshua’s Bar Mitzvah with a service and Kiddush luncheon at Bay Terrace Jewish Center in Bayside, New York. A party was held in Joshua’s honor at Warehouse 5, an event space in Island Park, New York.
This theme was all about baseball since Joshua is not only a fan, but a player himself. It also had to be about his favorite team, The Amazin’ New York Mets.
Pictured L-R: Dad Jim, Bar Mitzvah boy Joshua, Mom Leemor and Sister Terry.
Simon Elliot Events was the photographer and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the bottom of the spotlight.
The family worked with Invitations & Calligraphy by Andrea to create their invitation using New York Mets colors, font and pinstriped background.
The service was at Bay Terrace Jewish Center.
Joshua’s family on the bimah
This family went with “baseball chic” for their attire. They wore their favorite party accessory over their dress clothes for this picture. Sister Terry’s beautiful royal blue cocktail dress was from Outrageous Boutique.
Mom Leemor and Sister Terry chose their birth-dates for their numbers. Joshua’s number, 17, is “his” number when he plays baseball, chosen in honor of Keith Hernandez, the former NY Mets first baseman. Dad Jim’s number is for his favorite Mets player when he was young
Warehouse 5 is an event space on the South Shore of Long Island offering great water views.
Joshua’s friends enjoyed the outside deck and water views
Dalsimer Floral and Event Decorators transformed the room into a sea of royal blue and orange; colors of the New York Mets. When guests arrived they were welcomed to “Selitto Stadium.” The entrance was designed to look like an authentic baseball stadium.
The place cards had Joshua’s logo on them.
The balloon version of Josh, posed with real Josh, made by Balloon Artist, Brian Asman.
One of the great pictures of Joshua in his New York Mets uniform that decorated the room
Tall centerpieces embellished with baseballs, mini bats and pictures of Joshua
Mom Leemor created the sock basket in royal blue and orange, of course!
Joshua’s Amazin’ baseball themed entrance video was produced by Simon Elliot Events. Watch here.
After the video played, Joshua’s friends greeted him with much excitement and high 5’s
Joshua and his love of baseball was the focus of this celebration which included many special moments.
Getting ready to throw the first pitch to dad
Dad Jim ready to make the catch
MC James and the EJ the DJ team got everyone into a dancing mood.
MC James and Sister Terry
Everyone had fun on the conga line
Much of the delicious food was served baseball style. Check out this custom tray with Joshua’s logo.
You can’t have a baseball themed party without hot dogs and soft pretzels!
Custom water bottles with Joshua’s logo and a quote from Babe Ruth
Simon Elliot Events hit it out of the park providing fun and entertainment in the form of a custom Selfie Booth and Beatz Station. The popular Selfie Booth allows guests to post photos from the booth directly to their Facebook and Twitter accounts with a custom caption.
Joshua showed-off his custom Beatz headphones
Each guest received a pair of headphones in a custom box designed for Joshua
Josh covered all bases with his puzzle candle lighting ceremony from, It Could Be Verse.
Putting the pieces together for his current picture.
Treat Me Sweet created this 3-tiered New York Mets cake worthy of a die-hard fan.
Treat Me Sweet also hit a home run with the custom concession treat display for guests to enjoy as they were leaving.
The candy buffet featured all his favorite candy including New York Mets Pez dispensers
Each of Joshua’s guests received a cool drawstring bag and t-shirt designed and printed by F and M Expressions.
Joshua volunteered his time to the Steven Petillo Fields of Dreams Foundation. This foundation was started by Mike and Maria Petillo in honor of their son Steven, who was killed in a car accident in August of 2011. Joshua and Steven were friends and Little League teammates. Joshua attended fundraisers and sold raffle tickets at various events. The mission of the foundation is to foster the love of baseball in children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to play.
Some advice from Mom Leemor:
“I think the best advice that I can give is to tackle one aspect of your planning at a time and focus on that. At first, I was trying to do too many things at once, and began to feel overwhelmed with the enormity of all the things that needed to be done. When I took on one thing at a time, I became more relaxed and focused.”
The following vendors helped to make Joshua’s Bar Mitzvah special. If you give any of them a call, let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Warehouse 5, 516-432-2400 Photographer/Videographer: Simon Elliot Events, 516-586-6822 Music Entertainment: MC James, EJ the DJ, 631-348-7848 Décor/florist: Dalsimer Floral and Event Decorators, 516-569-2100 Favors: T-shirts designed and printed by FM Signs and Designs, 516-521-6635 Party entertainment: Selfie Booth, custom Beatz Station: Simon Elliot Events, 516-586-6822 Invitation: Invitations and Calligraphy by Andrea, 516-794-7259 Concession Candy Buffet/Cake: Treat Me Sweet Candy Buffets, 914-355-3350 Puzzle/Candle lighting: It Could Be Verse, 732-679-8093 Balloon artist: Brian Asman, Balloons Equal Fun
Entrance Video: Simon Elliot Events, 516-586-6822 Dress for sister Terry: Outrageous Boutique, 516-931-3331 Makeup:Audra The Makeup Artist
The Goldstein family celebrated daughter Lindsey’s Bat Mitzvah with a morning service at Temple Beth El and the reception at the Pavilion Grille, both located in Boca Raton, Florida.
A New York themed Bat Mitzvah party in Boca Raton, Florida, put the family and friends in a New York State of Mind.
Pictured L-R: Dad Jeff, brother Danny, Bat Mitzvah girl Lindsey, Mom Lisa and brother Spencer.
John Canning was the photographer and the rest of the vendor information is listed below.
We always say the invitation can set the tone for your child’s celebration. This New York subway themed invitation from Karen Schloss of Creative Impressions let guests know what to expect!
Lindsey’s family and friends joined her in celebrating her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Beth El. It was Sukkot and the autumn harvest colors looked beautiful on the bimah
The Goldstein family looked chic in their black and hot pink color palette.
The theme was “Take the L train to New York City.” The place cards were designed as Metro cards and were created at a local Office Max for under $20!
The Pavilion Grille has a great space to work with including a canopy-covered 2,000 square foot dance floor. New York City style was cleverly navigated thanks to Dalsimer Atlas. After guests walked through, they were transported to another place.
A 3-dimensional pop-up of Lindsey on the subway directed her friends to their table
Fun replica signage of the actual MTA sign for Grand Central Station
The tablecloths and seat covers were hot pink and each table had a tall working street lamp with a street sign, such as Wall Street, Broadway and Soho
Lindsey made her entrance in grand style coming down the glass elevator.
Celebrity Entertainment provided great music and dancers. MC TJ was on the dance floor all night. Guests of all ages had a blast!
MC TJ’s hot pink t-shirt stood out in the crowd
Non-stop fun!
Living statues, glitter tattoos and a magazine stand for a photo green screen kept guests entertained all evening.
The living statue, college student Madison Bakish, was from Florida Atlantic University
The magazine stand was the backdrop for photos by Cocktail Hour Entertainment
Photo op on a popular magazine cover
Cocktail Hour Entertainment also provided glitter tattoos which were a big hit
The favors, created by Louie Max, were black hooded sweatshirts designed as subways maps with the New York Subway slogan, “I took the L train to NYC.” Instead of placing the sweatshirts in bags, a tie was used with name tags.
Lindsey raised awareness and funds for FD which works toward treatments for Familial Dysautonomia, a Jewish genetic disease Lindsey’s brother Danny suffers from. She sold raffles for a shopping event and had a team “Team Lindsey” for a 5K for FD Now. Team Lindsey pictured here crossing the finish line
Some advice from Mom Lisa: “Make a to-do-list and break the planning into a timeline. If you handle piece by piece it is much less overwhelming. And NEGOTIATE!”
The following vendors made Lindsey’s celebration special. If you contact any of them please make sure they know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Liz Stark-Perez, Pavilion Grille, 561-912-0000 Party Planner: Mom Lisa Photography: John Canning Photographer, 561-573-3507
Music Entertainment: Celebrity Entertainment, MC Todd Rose aka DJ TJ, 954-200-7777 Décor/florist: David Dalsimer, Dalsimer/Atlas Floral and Events, 954-418-0608
Invitation; Karen Schloss, Creative Impressions, 561-477-6900
Favors: Louie Max, www.louiemax.com, 718-575-2100 Newstand photo booth/airbrush tattoos: Eric Cutler, Cocktail Hour Entertainment, 954-612-7431 Sign-In book: John Canning Photographer, 561-573-3507 Dresses for family members: Mario Pucci, 561-982-8382 Suits for family members: Men’s Wearhouse, 561-482-7533 Hair/makeup for service: Trish, Wild Hare, 561-347-8100 Hair for party: Maurice, Spalano’s, 561-391-8803 Party security: Boca Raton Police
Zane Lantzman of Livingston, New Jersey, is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah which will take place on April 19, 2015.
On November 22, 2014, the Lantzman family rescued dog, Oakley, from the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, New Jersey. He saw that there were so many dogs and cats looking for new homes.
He dedicated his Bar Mitzvah project to helping the shelter by collecting a much needed supply, paper towels.
His goal was to collect 180 rolls of paper towels to donate to the shelter and he reached it!
Please read more about this great Mitzvah project.
MM: Can you give us details of your Mitzvah Project?
ZL: My goal was to collect 180 paper towel rolls to donate to the shelter (18 is “chai” in Hebrew which means life). They are the number one item needed at the shelter.
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project? ZL: We rescued our dog Oakley from the shelter and when I visited the animal shelter to meet and play with Oakley, I saw that there were many dogs and cats there looking for new homes, and I witnessed the great care that the volunteers at the shelter gave to these animals. The amazing volunteers cannot do their work alone. They need help wherever they can find it, which is why I decided to dedicate my Bar Mitzvah project to helping the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter.
MM: Does your project have a start and end date, if so what are they? ZL: My project is over but the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter is constantly in need of donations.
MM: In your own words, what does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bat Mitzvah? ZL: It means to become a man and to have the honor of reading from the torah. It means to help people and animals. It also made me feel great.
Zane, with best friend Oakley, and all the paper towels he collected ready to be donated
MM: If it involved a donation, how did you spread the word?
ZL: We sent out fliers through the synagogue and religious school and posted requests on Facebook multiple times. Fliers were also directly e-mailed to friends, family, teammates and colleagues.
MM: Anything else we need to know about your Mitzvah Project?
ZL: Our family has provided Oakley with continued life, and now I want to make sure that all the other animals in the shelter are also given a chance to find their forever families. To adopt an animal or make a donation please contact the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter. Here are some items that the shelter always needs:
Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter’s Top 10 Wish List:
1. Paper Towels
2. Bleach (non-scented)
3. Non-clumping cat litter
4. Gift cards (Staples, PetSmart, Target, Gas, etc.)
5. Liquid laundry detergent
6. Garbage bags (40 gallon)
7. Wet & dry puppy food*
8. Wet & dry dog food*
9. Wet & dry kitten food*
10. Wet & dry cat food*
* Preferred brands of food are Natural Balance, Nutro, Pro-Plan and Kirkland.
Other items needed: Toilet paper, cat toys, postage stamps, Nyla bones, Martingale collars, plastic basket wrap & bags, brooms & dust pans, Betadine, mop heads, sponges, Pet Safe Ice Melt, Brillo pads, and cat furniture.
We thank Zane and his family for sharing this amazing Bar Mitzvah project with our readers and wish him good luck with his upcoming Bar Mitzvah.
Who better to find the latest and greatest for all things Bar Bat Mitzvahs than our own Mitzvah Moms!
We have spotlighted over 200 families and we thought it would be fun to call out some of the “Mom Finds” that you might have missed.
For the Maskell family, their daughter Dylan wanted a sophisticated and modern party with only one requirement…plenty of teal!
Her celebration featured a great color palette and many special touches created by her Mom Keri including the clever poem below. These bags of ear plugs, with poem attached, were on the tables for any guest who needed them!
Wanna dance and hang out with the rest of the crowd?
Wanna have fun but the music’s too loud?
Open this bag – this is your chance:
Plug up your ears, then GET UP & dance!!!
To see more from Dylan’s Bat Mitzvah story, click here.
The St. Pierre family from Springfield, Virginia, celebrated their daughter Rachel’s Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Olam Tikvah in Fairfax, Virginia, followed by an evening reception at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington, Virginia.
Mom Ilisa created a fun save-the-date along with many great party details incorporating Rachel’s wish for a purple and lime green color scheme.
We featured sister Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah in 2013 which also included many DIY touches by Mom.
Pictured above (L-R): Mom Ilisa, Sister Sarah, Bat Mitzvah girl Rachel and Dad Stephen.
Zachary Ruben was the photographer and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.
Rachel’s save the date was a fun photo favor just like the family used to get at the beach! It was mailed to guests in a bright purple bubble mailer
When you looked inside there was a picture of Rachel holding a sign with the date. Everyone went crazy for them!
The invitation and thank you card from Action Invitations had glitter around the borders and purple print
Rachel did a great job on her Haftorah in front of family and friends
The St. Pierre family looked great, especially Rachel, in her lime green beaded cocktail dress
The happy face emoji logo was in party colors and designed by Ali Weitzman of iSparkleEvents
The party was at the Clarendon Ballroom which had an art deco feel. Mom Ilisa had a vision for this event and made all of the centerpieces and many decor details herself.
Labels with Rachel’s logo were tied onto the lanterns which served as escort cards and favors for the adults
The kids’ escort table had a large “R” for Rachel and it now hangs in her room!
Rachel in the ballroom ready for her party to start. In the background are lime green and purple paper lantern centerpieces made by Mom Ilisa
The ballroom was lit with purple up-lighting
“Celebrate Rachel” vodka luge for adults only!
Mom Ilisa made a beautiful photo book from Picaboo.com that included pictures of each guest with Rachel. Everyone found their page and wrote a note to Rachel
Rachel’s friends signed-in next to their picture
DJ Chad from Washington Talent was amazing and enjoyed by everyone. The party was supposed to stop at 12 midnight, but kept going until 1am! Rachel up on the chair looking stylish with her lime green hat
Dad and Rachel enjoyed a dance together to “Daughters” by John Meyer
Lots of high energy on the dance floor
Rachel lounged with her friends
There was a Havdallah Service at the beginning of the party on Saturday evening. Instead of a traditional candle lighting, Rachel called each person she wanted to honor to light a Havdallah candle. Rachel watched as Grandma Wendy Silver lit a candle
Each of the guests Rachel wanted to honor lit a candle and then returned to the floor. There were 15 candles lit around the room during the prayers
At the end of the evening Rachel’s friends received black sweatpants with Rachel’s logo from Mr D’s Tees
Tied with beautiful lime green ribbon
The escort table was turned over to become a candy bar for guests as they left the party
Some advice from Mom Ilisa:
“My advice would be to do some research, narrow things down and create a vision for how you want the service and party to look and feel. Then make it happen. There is so much that you can do yourself with a little time and creativity. Surround yourself with awesome vendors and trust them to do the job. During the weekend, forget all of the planning and relax and enjoy. It goes too fast, so don’t spend the whole weekend worrying about details. The more fun you are have, the more fun your guest and child will have.”
The following vendors made Rachel’s celebration special. If you contact any of them please make sure they know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Sandra Hoehne, Director of Catering Clarendon Ballroom, 703-469-2244 Photographer/Videographer: Zachary Ruben Photography, 816-591-7198 Décor/labels: Mom Ilisa Day of Service Coordination/Logo Design: Ali Weitzman, iSparkleEvents, 240-393-3394 Music Entertainment/MC: MC Chad, Washington Talent Agency, 301-762-1800 Favor person: Kevin, Mr. D’s Tees, 215-343-TEES Invitation: Sami, Action Invitations, 703-880-8943 Save the Date Photo Favor: Radex, 800-527-2056
Paper Lanterns: Paper Lantern Store
Sign-In Book: Picaboo.com Rachel’s Dress: Déjà vu Boutique
South Florida Mitzvahs by 84 West Events created a great camp theme for Bat Mitzvah girl, Alyssa. The reception took place at Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El in Plantation, Florida, which was transformed into Camp Alyssa.
Using a combination of foliage, simulated camp fires, backdrops, as well as custom logos and graphics, they created an awesome summer camp experience for Alyssa’s family and friends!
South Florida Mitzvahs by 84 West Events provided the photography, decor, entertainment and lighting.
To set the tone for this celebration, there was foliage and backdrops of woods, along with a sign that welcomed guests to “Camp Alyssa”
Alyssa’s camp inspired logo
The escort card table had that “woodsy” feel
Guests received their cabin number along with a jar of trail mix
The mash sign was made to look like wooden signs
Guests had fun writing a note to the Bat Mitzvah girl and “mailed ” them to her
One of the amazing centerpieces, a camp fire, that looked so cozy!
Another centerpiece with foliage and butterflies
The kids’ seating area
The table numbers fit the theme perfectly
Every camper loves bug juice!
An area set up for kids to hang out at the camp fire (not real of course!)
Delicious s’mores were part of the dessert
Friends received Camp Alyssa blankets as their favor
Signage as guests left thanking them for visiting Camp Alyssa
They specialize in custom sign-in boards, place cards, seating charts, logo design, photo décor and more. Additionally, they also offer creative consulting services for families looking for assistance with developing a theme or event concept for their celebration.
Recently, they worked with the Kaufman family who celebrated their son’s Bar Mitzvah at H On The Harbor in Port Washington, New York.
The family wanted to have a kid-oriented event where Jacob could get together with his friends for a truly “rockin” party. Therefore, what better than a “rock star” theme to incorporate his love of music, concerts and dancing.
Special touches such as a custom VIP pass that were handed out by dancers as each guest entered the party and a great logo design tied the theme together from start to finish. Jessica Garmise from Out of the Box Event Decor designed the event décor for this fun and modern party.
Together with Jacob and his family, they brainstormed ideas to create a unique candle lighting display, sign-in board and much more! Check out their special touches below:
CANDLE LIGHTING DISPLAY
Jacob’s candle lighting illuminated the room and dazzled his guests
Out of the Box created a stunning 2-tiered lighted display with Jacob’s name and custom cutouts with his logo and silhouette
Jacob lighting a special candle with his grandparents
INTERACTIVE SIGN-IN BOARD
Jacob was looking for something fun and unique for his sign-in board. Out of the Box had the idea to blow up a silhouette of Jacob singing and then divide it into 140 small pieces that guests could sign
After signing, each piece was attached to a large grid. As more pieces were assembled, Jacob’s silhouette began to appear on the sign-in board. Guests kept returning to the board during the night to see what the final design would reveal!
VIP PASSES
One of the most unique and special touches was the custom VIP passes that were created for each child attending the party. On the back of each VIP pass was a number and throughout the night, the DJ would give out prizes based on the number of each person’s VIP pass
LOGO DESIGN
The orange and dark grey logo was designed to match the color scheme of Jacob’s invitation and fit perfectly with the rock-star theme of the night
The logo was used on many of the party elements including the favors, pillows and the candle lighting
Out of the Box designed the back of the t-shirts to look just like a real concert tour with dates and locations for Jacob’s “Mitzvah Tour”
To learn more about Out Of The Box Event Decor, visit their Website.