August 17th, 2017
One of the many decisions you will make when planning your child’s celebration will be about the Bar or Bat Mitzvah photographer.
Ivan Piedra Photography, a division of Airgraphics Entertainment, is one of the most sought after Bar and Bat Mitzvah photographers. He wows his clients with his artistic style and unique vision.
Five Things You Should Know About Hiring Ivan Piedra Photography for Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah
1. When you hire Ivan Piedra Photography, Ivan and his team will show you top notch professionalism. Ivan will deliver creative and amazing pictures that you will cherish for years.
2. Ivan Piedra Photography offers a variety of packages to fit into your budget. There are samples on his Website to help you better understand his style.
3. Ivan is open minded and likes to collaborate with his clients. The more information you share about your event, family, and guests, the smoother things can run.
4. Ivan loves to work with the kids at parties and always brings out the best in them. He embraces and captures the love and vibe of a party. He is familiar with the layout of the parties and knows when to be ready for those key moment shots.
5. Ivan and his team treat all of their clients as VIP’s. He is always prepared and dressed to party. You cannot help but smile when he is around.
To learn more about Ivan Piedra Photography, visit the Airgraphics Entertainment extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
August 7th, 2017
The Grounds at HNA Palisades offers impeccable catering and professional staff in your choice of elegant indoor and scenic outdoor venues — allowing for an incredible array of flexibility, creativity and imagination for your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration.
Indoor And Outdoor Options
The Grounds at HNA Palisades in Palisades, New York, offers eye-popping elegance for as many as 300 guests. It is more than just a venue for your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah, The Grounds is an experience that your guests will never forget. The staff at The Grounds understand that your child is unique and will customize your celebration to make your visions come to life. Rest assured, their expert staff of professionals, plentiful array of resources and vendor specialists know the business of event planning.
Stylish And Chic
You will love the original architecture, the opulent decor and the flexible floor plan. Over the years, The Grounds have surpassed clients’ visions and expectations creating one-of-a-kind Bar Bat Mitzvah celebrations. When your guests enter the building into the main lobby, their eyes will widen with wonder when they see the 25-foot ceiling encased by floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views. They will continue on into the perfectly planned festivities – enjoying the experience from entrance to exit.
The Party Of Your Child’s Dreams
The Grounds at HNA Palisades will customize the layout to create a perfect Bar Bat Mitzvah for you and your family. They traditionally place guest tables on either side of the dance floor, creating a central space for your guests to gather and dance the night away.
Customized lighting instantly transforms an elegant Bar Bat Mitzvah into a lively kids club-inspired dance-fest. One minute, you’re seated at tables enjoying their chef’s exquisite cuisine, the next minute, your guests are engulfed in your custom themed celebration, surrounded by spinning lights and pulsing music, dancing well into the night.
Top-Notch Event Planners
The Grounds offers more than just a best private event venue – they offer full-service to their clients. You will be assigned an experienced and dedicated event specialist to help plan every detail of your child’s party, including music, dancers, catering, audio/visual, layout, décor, photo booths, video/arcade games, specialized candy bars, and any other imaginable service. Planning your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah becomes as stress-free as possible so that you can enjoy time with friends and family.
To learn more about The Grounds at HNA Palisades, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
August 7th, 2017
I knew the routine well. After all, I had been a Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor at the same reform synagogue for well over a decade. There was an expected protocol for preparation, and the services themselves were always conducted in a very familiar order with well-rehearsed choreography. Often families would ask, “How can we make the service feel uniquely special to our family?” Of course, there is something beautiful and comforting about the traditional customs and rituals of a temple community. Synagogue clergy will often encourage that any ‘customized ideas’ be relegated to a post-service celebration rather than during the service itself. However, there are ways to respectfully complement a ceremony with symbolic touches that will make the Bar/Bat Mitzvah experience all the more meaningful and memorable.
Each temple community has its own set of expectations for the Bar or Bat Mitzvah, and it is of utmost importance to respect the customs of your congregation. When you schedule your first meeting with the rabbi or ritual director, feel out how much latitude you have in changing or augmenting any aspects of the ceremony, especially if you want to give out “parts” to family members. If you’ve attended other services outside of your own synagogue, be prepared to share which rituals or moments resonated with you most and why you want it for your daughter or son’s moment on the bimah.
SHABBAT & BEYOND
Nowhere is it written, “Thou shalt only have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah service on a Saturday morning followed by a catered Kiddush luncheon.” However, you really do need to check in with the temple administrators about what kind of flexibility you have with the days and times. If there is openness to dates outside of a Saturday morning, there will be significant changes to the service length and content.
Some families opt for a Shabbat Mincha (Saturday afternoon) or Shabbat Ma’ariv (evening) service, the latter of which concludes with Havdalah, a ritually-rich ceremony complemented by lovely sung prayers that marks the end of Shabbat and the beginning of a new secular week.
However, keep in mind that Shabbat ends with sundown, which will fall much later in the evening hours of early fall and late spring, affecting the timing of Havdalah. Typically, both the mincha and ma’ariv services, which may include a Torah service, are much shorter than a regular Shabbat morning service, which includes more extensive prayers and both Torah and Haftarah readings. Of course, you can hold a service that doesn’t fall on Shabbat at all. Many families opt for Sundays or a weekday, especially if family members are Shomrei Shabbat (strict adherents of the Sabbath) and cannot drive to your celebration on a Saturday. Each of the services offers different prayer components, so it will be important to review with your rabbi or service leader what’s expected of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah if you have the option for a morning, afternoon or evening service, Shabbat or otherwise.
Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies combined with the holidays allow for interesting ways to get creative and engage more family members. Last fall, I attended a Sunday service, which also happened to be the seventh day of Sukkot known as Hoshanah Rabah. The family’s rabbi suggested this festive occasion not only because it is resplendent in the colors and fragrances of the autumn harvest, it also happens to offer a shorter Torah reading. Together the rabbi and the family determined this would be better suited to the abilities of the Bar Mitzvah boy. The guests gathered in celebration, shaking the lulav and etrog, under the sukkah which was constructed with help from the family, making this occasion all the more spiritually significant.
RITUAL OBJECTS
It is customary at most temples for the Bar or Bat Mitzvah child to wear a tallit (prayer shawl). If you have a tallit for presentation, perhaps explain the significance of the ritual item and the importance of how it came into the family. The same could be true for a kippah (prayer cap) or a yad (pointer) used for reading the Torah. In some cases, a congregation will hold a Kiddush on the bimah immediately following a service. Is there a family Kiddush cup or challah cover that can be presented as part of the prayers over the wine and bread? If you have a celebration during Chanukah, include your family’s menorah and invite family to kindle the holiday lights.
“I think personalization is wonderful, and the service needs to speak to our unique hearts and life experiences,” said Evan Moffic, a rabbi at a temple in the northern suburbs of Chicago. He embraces discussion about what families have observed at other services, and has often included rituals that strike a meaningful chord with families. “There have been a dozen occasions where we even used a Torah that has been part of the family. It makes the service quite special.”
GIVING HONORS
While an heirloom Torah is certainly a rarity, it is a visual splendor to watch a Torah be passed down l’dor va’dor (from generation to generation) in front of the open ark. At a reconstructionist service I attended, great grandparents, grandparents and parents stood alongside their Bar Mitzvah facing the congregation. As the rabbi explained the significance of the ancestral promise to carry on the tradition of teaching the commandments onto children, the family stood shoulder-to-shoulder, ready to ceremonially pass the Torah from the eldest to youngest. The congregation stood mesmerized by the jingling of the silver ornaments that adorned the sacred scrolls as the Torah gently made its way into the arms of the Bar Mitzvah, who then brought it to the podium in preparation for reading. There are many other ways to offer up honors, known as kibbudim, to family members and close friends at your service, regardless of their faith.
“We included as many family members as possible, to involve and honor them,” recounted Ashley, the mother of a Bar Mitzvah boy from a conservative temple in Morris County, New Jersey. “My mother presented the tallis with a beautiful tribute to my son. His great aunt and uncle opened the ark. Aliyot [Torah blessings] were given by his Jewish uncles and cousin. English readings were read by family members who were not Jewish, since we are an interfaith family. It all culminated into a very personal, touching service.”
Ask your rabbi about other ways to offer kibbudim. For younger children, consider several invitations to open and close the ark, or the honor of holding the Torah crowns and ornaments for safekeeping during the Torah service. If it’s customary at your temple, they also could join in the parading of the Torah scrolls around the synagogue. After the Bar or Bat Mitzvah child has read from the Torah, Jewish adults may have the opportunity to conduct the hagbah, or the lifting of the open scrolls to reveal what had just been read to the entire congregation, and the gelilah, which involves rolling up, binding and dressing the Torah for its proper return to the ark.
Cantor Barbra Lieberstein Fergang serves students in both Rockland County, New York and Bergen County in New Jersey, and has a plethora of ideas to make services feel more personalized for families, whether in a congregational setting or outside of a synagogue environment. She suggests honoring immediate family members and if applicable, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s tutor, during the reciting or chanting of the threefold priestly benediction. “The parents, siblings and the tutor hold a tallit like a chuppah above the child signifying a shelter of peace and protection,” explained Cantor Barbra, making this a poignant moment for those closest to preparing the service. You could also consider raising the tallit as a chuppah during a parents’ blessing.
YOUR UNIQUE FAMILY
The leadership at the Bar or Bat Mitzvah service in and of itself is a unique contribution. Michael Sternfield, a rabbi based out of Bradenton, Florida, encourages the B’nai Mitzvah to conduct as much of the service as possible. And then there’s the much anticipated d’var Torah (aka “The Speech”) where your child is expected to draw relevance from the Torah portion to one’s life. Rabbi Sternfield guides his students to take on Mitzvah Projects that have an emphasis on the interpersonal human experience, so that they can speak from the heart about the ethical gains they have made as part of this Jewish rite of passage. And as for the parents’ remarks that add another distinct element to every service? The rabbi advises, “Remember, this is not the Academy Awards. It’s not about how great a soccer player you have or about the merit badges that your kid earned or the grades he or she gets at school. This is your opportunity to talk about the spiritual meaning of the occasion and how the entire experience has represented your family’s values.”
Indeed, family is at the heart of what makes a ceremony different from anyone else’s. Mazel tov and best wishes in making yours especially memorable for your loving mishpucha.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CLERGY
Advice on questions to ask clergy as you explore ways to personalize your Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony:
• What makes the service unique or different from other synagogues or clergy?
• How can we adapt the service to my child who has special needs?
• How can we include non-Jewish family members to make the service all-inclusive?
• How can we include all immediate family members to make the ceremony more meaningful?
By Cara J. Moroze
July 31st, 2017
NJM Entertainment is a full service boutique style entertainment company based in New York specializing in DJs, videographers, games, live music, lighting, multimedia and unique talent.
Their experienced MC, DJ’s, dancers/motivators and live musicians are some of the most qualified, talented, and chic entertainers in the industry. They have DJ’s who know the right type of music to play to keep guests and the dance floor rocking, they create posh lounges with furniture, add creative lighting, and provide unique talent for extra entertainment.
One of the many special moments during your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration will be the Mother-Son and/or Father- Daughter dance. To help you cross this off your to-do list, we asked the experts at NJM Entertainment for the top dance songs for this special moment and here’s the list!
TOP FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCE SONGS
I’ll Be There by Mariah Carey
Find Your Wings by Mark Harris
One Call Away by Charlie Puth
I Love You This Big by Scotty McCreery
Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift
There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney
In My Daughters Eyes by Martina McBride
My Little Girl by Tim McGraw
TOP MOTHER-SON DANCE SONGS
A Song for Mama by Boyz II Men
The Perfect Fan by Backstreet Boys
Stand by You by Rachel Platten
A Mother’s Love by Mark Masri
I’ll Stand By You by Carrie Underwood
My Wish by Rascal Flatts
Sweet Child O’ Mine by Sheryl Crow
Count on Me by Bruno Mars
To learn more about NJM Entertainment, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
July 24th, 2017
Imagine having your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah service and/or party at Dylan’s Candy Bar?
As the largest state-of-the-art sweets emporium and candy lifestyle brand, Dylan’s Candy Bar is not your average Bar or Bat Mitzvah event space. The modern day candy land is home to over 7,000 candies from around the world, making it the most popular destination for the ultimate sugar rush experience.
Whether you are looking to hold your service or celebration one of their several locations, or need a candy buffet for your event, they customize every detail. What makes a Dylan’s Candy Bar event unique is that they are not only candy experts, but full-service planning professionals! Taking the best of what Dylan’s Candy Bar offers, they tailor each and every detail to the client’s needs. No Dylan’s Candy Bar Party is the same! They believe that every celebration deserves to be exceptionally sweet, colorful and right out of your sugar plum dreams.
Imaginative and energetic is what a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Dylan’s Candy Bar is like. From their DJ, Emcee and Karaoke, LED stages and lasers, Photo booth, Magicians, and Candy Girls, the fun doesn’t stop. And their food from their in-house caterer or their preferred kosher caterers, is as out of this world as the candy.
Your guests will feel like Willy Wonka with the Candy and Dessert Buffets, Ice Cream Sundae Bar, Candy Mocktails, Personalized Candy and more.
Can you imagine more candy? Wait till you see Dylan’s Candy Bar Centerpieces, Invitations and Thank You Cards, Custom Digital Screens, Candy Party Favors and Cakes.
You can host your Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Dylan’s Candy Bar in New York at the Flagship Store or Union Square, or in Chicago, Miami or Los Angeles.
For a whimsical, playful, and unforgettable Bar or Bat Mitzvah, Dylan’s Candy Bar is the venue for you.
To learn more about Dylan’s Candy Bar, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
July 20th, 2017
Share your helpful advice about Bar and Bat Mitzvah planning and have it published in our annual Mitzvah Market Magazine!
Are you a Mom or Dad who have planned a Bar or Bat Mitzvah for your child? Do you have great “What I wish I had known” tips to share with other families about the Bar or Bat Mitzvah experience?
Tell us about the one thing you wished you had done differently in planning your celebration or the one idea that really worked well? What was so worth spending extra money on? Or conversely, what was a waste of money? What questions did you wish you had asked in advance of your photographer, venue, party planner or others? Should you have shopped earlier for outfits? Did it really matter if your tablecloths matched the invitations? Did the kids love your giveaways or do you wish you had thought of something different? If you could do it again, what would you do differently?
In other words, what do you wish someone had told you during your own planning process?
Please send your advice and one hi-res photo from your child’s celebration to info@mitzvahmarket.com. It will get published in the next edition of Mitzvah Market Magazine, November 2017.
Thanks for sharing!
The Mitzvah Market team
July 20th, 2017
With a variety of themed options to entertain both children and adults, Chelsea Piers Connecticut ensures that your child‘s Bar or Bat Mitzvah is both unique and exciting!
Chelsea Piers is excited to be working with Nikki Glekas Events, their exclusive catering partner, helping families celebrate this special occasion. Nikki Glekas, a restaurateur, caterer and event designer, is the founder of Nikki Glekas Events, and owns and operates the award winning EOS Restaurant and Bank Street Events, both in Stamford.
At Chelsea Piers Connecticut, Nikki and her team provide outstanding catering and event planning services for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. They work with families to design menus that both kids and adults will find flavorful and delicious and manage every aspect of the event that a client requests from invitations to room décor.
Chelsea Piers Connecticut and Nikki Glekas Events are committed to providing their clients with great food, exceptional service and a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration your family and friends will remember forever.
To learn more about Chelsea Piers Connecticut, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
July 20th, 2017
Summer is almost here!
Your kids might be away at sleepaway camp and you have lots of time on your hands. Why not make use of this carefree time and start planning your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration? It’s a great chance to start crossing items off your to-do list.
Here are 5 reasons why you should start your planning now!
1. Sitting by the pool or on the beach is a great place to make your guest list and review a list of venues, planners, DJs, and photographers that you are interested in using.
2. You can contact vendors easily using the “Mitzvah Connect” form on each profile page in the Vendor Directory. Since there are few Bar and Bat Mitzvahs during the summer months, these Bar Bat Mitzvah vendors have more time to meet and discuss the details of your celebration.
3. You can do your own research and narrow down the choices. When your child gets home, you can present them with the ones you think are best but still give them options.
4. You have time to leisurely shop for a dress, shoes and accessories for yourself and family members.
5. Sit back and enjoy the planning process…..
Read Top 15 Questions To Ask Your Bar Bat Mitzvah DJ
Read Top 15 Questions To Ask A Photographer
Read: Top Questions To Ask Your Bar or Bat Mitzvah Caterer
Read: Top Questions To Ask A Bar Bat Mitzvah Venue
July 17th, 2017
Life…the place to be, Westchester’s Premier Alternative Bar Bat Mitzvah venue features 29,000 square feet of modern, state of the art industrial event space.
LIFE’s special event space can accommodate from 30 to 500+ guests. They feature full service catering by Abigail Kirsch Catering Relationships, with casual menus by LIFE Catering, plus Kosher catering available too. Under one roof, get tables, chairs, linens, lounge furniture, LED lighting and 20’ projection screens for the montage. Additionally they have arcade games, laser tag and bowling.
LIFE knows that Bar Bat Mitzvah planning and budgeting is stressful enough, but not knowing what the total cost of your event will be after all is said and done, can cause additional unnecessary stress.
Good News! To make the process easy and more enjoyable, LIFE has partnered with top vendors in the industry and negotiated incredible discounts to offer clients a complete All-Inclusive Bar Bat Mitzvah party package that includes all of the services for your event! LIFE will provide this at one simple and incredible price.
The package includes, but not limited to, the following:
* LIFE Catering Gourmet Stations with Premium Open Bar * Travesties Entertainment DJ Package * Decor Package by Life Styles Decor * Lounge Furniture Package * Four Wall Video Projection * Special Lighting Package * High-End Video Arcade * Montage * Cubbies For Kids’ Lounge * Wall Gobos & Cafe Plasmas * Valet Parking * Coat Check * Two Licensed Security Guards
*Contact LIFE for details and pricing.
Here are a few pictures of their event space:
(c) Andre Maier www.andremaier.com
To learn more about Life…the place to be, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
July 12th, 2017
Planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah for your child changes your life. Once you go through the planning process, you will become an expert!
After your celebration, you can give words of wisdom to others that only a Bar or Bat Mitzvah parent can understand.
We asked those who have celebrated this milestone event for their child to reflect on practical, silly and funny things that only this unique group can relate to!
THE 10 THINGS ONLY A BAR BAT MITZVAH PARENT CAN UNDERSTAND
- Your son or daughter will actually learn their Torah portion and make you proud!
- After your montage is done, you will lose sleep worrying if you left a particular family member out. But this montage will make you cry each time you watch!
- You will need slippers or something flat on your feet for the car ride home.
- There will be lots of No RSVPs – some you can predict and others will shock you.
- There will be some people who never send a gift or even RSVP!
- You will forget to eat the entire night and 5 hours will feel like 5 minutes.
- You might spend more money than you budgeted, but it will be on something special you had to have!
- There will probably be one guest (or a few) that will drink too much that everyone will be talking about.
- Don’t stress over the things that go wrong, you are the only one who knows they were supposed to happen.
- It WILL be one of the best weekends you spend with your family!
If you have celebrated your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah and are interested in sharing your ideas and experience with our readers in the form of a Mitzvah Family Spotlight story, please click here
