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.
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
Chloe Cornell is a 7th grader who lives in Armonk, New York and will be celebrating her Bat Mitzvah in March, 2015. She loves tennis, soul cycle, fashion and is also our teen blogger for Mitzvah Market.
Chloe and a friend founded the company #kindnessistherealcool for their Mitzvah Project, and invites everyone to visit them on Instagram @kindnessistherealcool and join the movement.
We spoke to Chloe to learn more about her Mitzvah Project that supports Stomp Out Bullying which is considered the most influential anti-bully and cyber bully organization in the United States.
MM: Can you give us details of your Mitzvah Project? CC: It is a movement to promote and celebrate kindness and acceptance in our society. I created a trademarked logo and designed a product line to raise money for Stomp Out Bullying. We sell t-shirts, hats, bracelets, water bottles and stickers from the Website www.kindnessistherealcool.com. I also have an Instagram account where I post inspirational quotes about kindness, photos of products for sale, and suggestions of kind acts.
MM: Does your project have a start and end date, if so what are they? CC: The project began in November 2014, and I hope to continue it for a long time.
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project? CC: Middle School is known to be a difficult time in people’s lives and bullying is a hot topic for tweens and teens. In addition, there is a lot of hate around the world, so I thought that promoting kindness and helping people who suffered from bullying would be a timely and important cause.
MM: In your own words, what does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bat Mitzvah? CC: Becoming a Bat Mitzvah means becoming an adult in the Jewish religion. One of the most important parts of being a Jew is to do mitzvahs/give charity. To me, doing a Mitzvah Project shows that I am ready to be considered an “adult” in the Jewish community.
MM: If it involves a donation, what are you doing to spreading the word? CC: I am sending an email out to our friends and neighbors and have friends and family helping to spread the word. People can go on my Website at www.kindnessistherealcool.com. I also have an instagram account @kindnessistherealcool.
MM: For how long can people donate to this charity? CC: I hope to keep this ongoing as long as people will donate! I would love for other people to join as kindness ambassadors, to help sell our product, and spread the word.
We thank Chloe for sharing their Mitzvah Project with our readers.
The Dropkin family from Cortlandt Manor, New York, celebrated daughter Eliana’s Bat Mitzvah at Temple Israel of Northern Westchester in Croton-on-Hudson, New York and afterwards there was a luncheon reception at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, New York.
Eliana is an animal lover so she decided on a “Rainbow Zebra Stripes” theme.
We also featured brother David’s clever geography/travel themed, click here to read about it.
Pictured above (L-R): Brother David, Dad Joseph, Bat Mitzvah girl Eliana, and Mom Suzanne.
The photographer was Alan Weiss Photography and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.
The invitation, which hinted at the theme, was in a teal blue and in a zebra striped design. The invitations were on a shimmer metallic paper so the printed “crystal” design caught the light better
Mom Suzanne created a Website page on Freeservers.com which included an email to RSVP, the dress attire, Temple and party directions as well as Eliana’s Mitzvah Project information
Eliana’s family and friends joined her in celebrating her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Israel of Westchester.
Here Eliana is surrounded by her grandparents up on the bimah
Eliana with her parents.
The whole family was included in the service with both her Dad and brother playing guitar
Eliana had two great looks. She started off the party in a floor-length silver and black Hailey Logan gown. Mom Suzanne got the tiara from from Amazon.com
After the cocktail hour, Eliana changed into a zebra print cocktail dress from Delia’s
A vibrant array of neon colors in a zebra pattern were part of the party decor. Neon zebra place cards tied-in with the theme
Zebra print balloons were on each table
Everything was in the zebra neon colors including the holographic foil zebra embossed kippot and the drawstring favor bags with Eliana’s logo.
Brian William Events created this great collage which had pictures of Eliana from the past 13 years. The board was designed by Mom Suzanne on Photoshop. The middle photo is of Eliana proudly holding her personalized prayer book with her name printed on the front. On the side of the board Eliana’s name is spelled out along with words describing her
Jimmy Dee Entertainment with MC Mike had so much energy and had guests of all ages on the dance floor. Here is Eliana making her entrance
Up in the chair for the Horah
Dad Joseph strutting his stuff
Everyone loved dancer Geronimo
Eliana and her friends know all the moves
The family is all smiles in front of the delicious cake.
The Westchester Marriott put the family up in their Presidential suite after the party. How often does a girl get to stay in the Presidential suite? A very happy Eliana after the party with her balloons.
Eliana worked at a soup kitchen with her friends from Young Judaea Camp Sprout Lake in Verbank, New York. She will be working on several more Mitzvah Projects with her Hebrew School class this year. She also has chosen to help support the non-profit chimpanzee sanctuary Save The Chimps, Inc.
Eliana hopes to hold a drive through Hebrew School to collect items for Save the Chimps. She also took some of her gift money to symbolically adopt Jaybee while supporting the sanctuary.
Some advice from Mom Suzanne:
“I loved using Pinterest to keep track of fun ideas and decorations for the ceremony and party. I pinned everything from dresses Eliana liked to tallis options to rainbow zebra grosgrain ribbon and themed balloons. I even found and pinned an idea for how to make place card stands out of paper clips – the idea worked great and we used it at the party!”
Here is the list of vendors who made Eliana’s party special. If you call any, please make sure you tell them that you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Banquets in the Part at Simplay, an upscale interactive venue located in Hauppauge, New York, has everything to create the most unique Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration all under one roof.
This versatile space has eight multi-sport/activity simulators, a fun lounge area and stylish ballroom. The 15,000 square foot facility is designed to host your event “and only your event.” Event coordinators work with you to plan all aspects of the celebration that will exceed your expectations. The lounge area is just steps away from the interactive simulators and can be enhanced with light up furniture, club lights, DJ and custom designed to your taste and theme for the day.
Special Offer From Banquets in the Park at Simplay: $150 off final balance with mention of Mitzvah Market!
Check out how Banquets in the Park at Simplay can be transformed into a fun club-theme:
Simplay can easily be transformed into a nightclub with LED Lucite furniture
There is a great area that can be used for the dance floor
Light capabilities, tables and linens are in-house
The kids lounge is packed with video games for PS4 and WiiU
Cool seating areas
A wide variety of favorite sports games for kids of all ages!
To learn more about Banquets in the Park at Simplay please visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
It is her hope that friends and family will come out and support her team named, “Jillian’s Journey.”
We caught up with Jillian to learn more:
MM: Can you give us details of your Mitzvah Project? JB: I will be raising money for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and walking on April 12, 2015 to raise awareness.
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project? JB: I was recently diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. My doctor is at CHOP where I found out about this organization made up of parent volunteers for specific research in pediatric Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. I have chosen to share my diagnosis with friends and family to raise awareness about this disease. I will be walking in team “Jillian’s Journey” in the Walk for Hope to help find a cure and better medical treatments. I was diagnosed this year at age 12. I was not growing and lost weight which at first we thought was due to my participation in my favorite hobby…DANCE. After trying to increase calories in my diet and continued weight loss, my parents took me to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where I was diagnosed.
MM: Does your project have a start and end date, if so what are they?: JB: Now through April 12,2015 but raising funds for IBD research will be ongoing for me.
MM: In your own words, what does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bat Mitzvah? JB: I believe we all need to do nice things for others to become welcomed as a Jewish adult.
MM: If it involves a donation, what are you doing to spreading the word? JB: So far, we have called and emailed friends and family and posted information on Facebook. There is a donation page on the Walk For Hope Website, click here. I will be making posters and will also “Can for Crohn’s” at our local supermarket to raise money and awareness. I also created an Instagram page Jillian.Journey. I was excited to see a news story about Philadelphia Phillies player Jake Diekman who also suffers from IBD. When I posted a message on my page he was the first to like the message!
The flyer that Jillian and her Dad created with information on how to donate or get involved in the Walk for Hope
MM:For how long can people donate to this charity? JB: This charity accepts donations all year but the actual walk is April 12, 2015.
MM: Anything else we need to know about your Mitzvah Project? JB:I have not only given money to help fund research, but I have given samples for medical research in hopes to find a cure or better treatments.
We thank Jillian and her family for sharing this wonderful Mitzvah project with our readers. Click here to find out more information on the Walk for Hope or to donate to Jillian’s Bat Mitzvah Project.
