June 7th, 2017
With over 300 Mitzvah Family Spotlight stories since 2008, and new features each week, we know it’s hard to remember everything these creative families have done to celebrate their child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration.
Many families get creative with their Bar and Bat Mitzvah details. We love showcasing creative invitations, cakes, logos, fashion, entrances and place cards.
Themes are always fun. We have spotlighted hockey and baseball. Fashion is always great. Who doesn’t like clothes, shoes and shopping? We’ve gathered some great ideas for you to put a stylish spin on this classic Bar and Bat Mitzvah theme.
Check out these parties we’ve featured that are definitely a brand of their own!
An "Adamcrombie" store. What a great idea! Read more about this celebration
here
Shoes make the outfit and the theme. Read more about this celebration
here
A dress form makes a perfect sign-in for a fashion themed Bat Mitzvah. Read more about this celebration
here
Shoeboxes and bags with the Bat Mitzvah "Designer" on them. How fun! Read more about this celebration
here
Got to have the designers. They make great centerpieces. Read more about this celebration
here
Of course, the dress has to match. Missoni chevron always works. Read more about this celebration
here
A shopping bag cake is perfect for the fashionista. Read more about this celebration
here
Did your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration include a fashion theme? Let us know at info@MitzvahMarket.com.
May 28th, 2017
Who better to find the latest and greatest for all things Bar Bat Mitzvahs than our own Mitzvah Moms!
Thank you to Mitzvah Market reader Roberta Lasky for sending us this great DIY video from Cleverly. If you have old CD cases lying around, they can be used to create photo cubes, which is a unique idea for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah candle lighting ceremony.
Check out how easy it is to create photo cubes from CD cases:
Watch here
It is similar to another great candle lighting idea we featured a few years ago.
These cubes are a great way to personalize each candle for your honorees!
If you have a great idea you would like to share with our readers, please send it to info@mitzvahmarket.com.
See more Mom Finds here.
May 25th, 2017
By Stephanie Sorkin, www.stephaniesorkin.com
I remember walking into the very first birthday party with my food allergic daughter. Completely overwhelmed and unprepared, I looked with horror at children’s messy faces and dirty hands filled with allergens that could potentially send my little girl to the ER.
Fast forward many years and hundreds of parties later and I’m a seasoned professional. After all, most parties are at the same neighborhood places. More times than not, pizza is served and we bring our own cupcake. With a little legwork, we are good to go. This is not to say that there haven’t been bumps in the road, but what once seemed unmanageable, is now under control.
Just when I thought that I could let my hair down, in rolled the piles of Bar and Bat Mitzvah invitations. Brightly colored envelopes in all shapes and sizes! Oh, how the parents agonize over every beautiful detail! How do you navigate an event where food is often the focal point of the celebration? A party in an unfamiliar venue where numerous allergens are present. An event where your child is likely in charge of themselves and most of all…an occasion that your child does not want to miss!
As a parent, I’ve always found that my child’s emotional wellbeing was as important as their physical. Their self-esteem as significant as their health. As a FOOD ALLERGY parent, I have had to switch gears. I work tirelessly to make sure that my child feels included and that occasions like these go smoothly but ultimately, I just want my daughter to be safe. My family is not alone in coping with Food Allergies, as an estimated 13 million Americans under the age of 18 are affected*. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs should be a magical, memorable time in our children’s lives. With the proper planning, they could be safe and enjoyed by all!
TIPS FOR YOUR CHILD TO ATTEND A BAR BAT MITZVAH SAFELY
1. Contact the host when you receive the invitation. First, politely tell the host that you plan on calling the venue to speak to the caterer due to a food allergy. I hesitate to suggest “asking” the host if you can call, as you never know what the response may be. I should note that in my experience, I have never had a request met with anger or resistance. Parents want the party to run smoothly, without incident. Remember, this request should come at least a month before the party. Calling 3 days before the event with a laundry list of questions does not give anyone adequate time to respond. Please be considerate.
2. When you do speak with the caterer, be mindful that they may not be educated in cross contact and contamination. A buffet that starts out safe may not be after excited children start mixing, dipping and sampling the foods. Make your decisions based on your own personal comfort level and your child’s allergy.
3. Don’t demand changes or make special requests. The party is about the Bar or Bat Mitzvah child. It is a very special, momentous occasion and it’s unrealistic to ask for accommodations.
4. If you determine that there is a safe food or foods that your child can eat, discuss this in depth with them. Remind them about safe behavior such as not sharing food and being mindful of the danger of shared plates and utensils.
5. If realistic, assign your child a buddy that they could tell if they are not feeling well. The buddy should be chosen in advance and given thorough instructions to tell an adult should an allergic reaction occur. Speak to the host or responsible adult in advance about the protocol and treatment of a reaction.
6. Send your child with 2 epi-pens, to be kept in a safe, easily accessible location.
7. Feed your child a full meal before they go to the event, even if you have determined that there are safe foods available. When your child arrives full, they will likely hightail it to the games and photo booth then dance the night away!
*United States Census Bureau
ABOUT STEPHANIE SORKIN
Stephanie Sorkin is the award-winning author of “Nutley, the Nut-free Squirrel,” “Chocolate Shoes with Licorice Laces” and “Frenemy Jane, the Sometimes Friend,” available on Amazon. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Ms. Sorkin donates a portion of her books proceeds to various charities supporting children.
As a food allergy advocate, Stephanie spends her time visiting schools in the tri-state area, discussing the inspiration behind her books and the importance of creativity. For more information or to inquire about a school visit, please visit www.stephaniesorkin.com. You can find her on social media @stephsorkin
To read more about food allergies, click here.
May 21st, 2017
Coco Events is your direct source for hundreds of unique ideas for games, music and entertainment for Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations.
At Coco Events, you will receive the most cutting edge entertainment at the most competitive pricing. Coco Events provides all the elements you need to make your event, whether large or small, a smashing success. They specialize in entertainment: bands, disc-jockeys, multi-media, performers, party entertainment, and interactive games for any occasion.
Branding and customization has made Coco Events what it is today. Looking for something new and different? Look no further. If you can dream it, they can create it. Coco Events make the impossible possible.
Photo Booth Man
Photo Booth Man is a one-of-a-kind robot with a built-in Photo Booth! This Robot strolls your event enabling guests to take pictures and email them immediately. A separate print station is available. Photo Booth Man will operate for up to 4 hours. All your guests will be talking about this unique mobile photo booth long after your celebration!
It's a robot, it's a photo booth...it's Photo Booth Man!
Your pictures can be taken in front of a step n repeat
Photo Booth Man can walk around and take photos with guests
Photos are printed wirelessly at your event with your custom logo in the corner
Photo Booth Robot Man taking photos of the kids on the dance floor!
To learn more about Coco Events, visit their profile page in our Vendor Directory.
May 18th, 2017
SPACE is a revolutionary and renowned Bar and Bat Mitzvah venue that offers a unique experience catering to guests of all ages.
For over a decade, SPACE has provided a solution to alleviate all of the stress and anxiety associated with planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebration.
Everything from the venue, the menu, the decor, and the staff is in-house. SPACE offers a private event setting that is conducive for both children and adults. They offer high-tech entertainment, with the largest video game selection, a laser tag arena, exclusive paint-less paintball and bowling alley. Combining entertainment for all ages with the elegance of a country club and the ambiance of a nightclub makes SPACE a winning venue for all.
Your Child’s Grand Bar or Bat Mitzvah Entrance!
SPACE has been branded as the “sickest” Grand Entrance. It is the only exclusive venue known for their outrageous Bar and Bat Mitzvah entrance. SPACE custom built and designed a safe and secure Lyra Grand Entrance. Each guest of honor is strapped in a safe harness and descends from the ceiling which is carefully controlled by 3 people. As your Bar or Bat Mitzvah child is coming down from ceiling, there are confetti machines, co2 blasts and the guest of honor has a choice to hold their own co2 cannon gun. Your child’s entrance at SPACE will never be forgotten by your child or your guests.
Click here to see a video highlighting all the grand entrances at SPACE
More grand entrances on the Lyra:
To learn more, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
May 8th, 2017
With more than 20 years of experience creating and printing custom theme favors for Bar and Bat Mitzvah clients, Jaylor Party Favors knows a thing or two about what’s hot with kids today. They are up on the latest trends and designs and offer the newest in Bar and Bat Mitzvah Favor options.
Their specialty items include hooded and zip sweatshirts, sweatpants, t-shirts, blankets, mesh jerseys, tank tops, shorts, flannel PJs, sport bags and more! Their expertise is in silk screening and embroidery on brand name apparel such as American Apparel, Gildan, Jersees, Sofees, Bella, Boxercraft, Champion or any other style you select. They are price competitive and, they can ship nationwide.
Jaylor’s services include personalized labels, packaging and delivering the favors to your venue.
Jaylor Party Favors – New For Spring!
BASEBALL SHIRTS
3/4 sleeve unisex baseball shirts available in 12 colors – boy and girls love ’em!
Sports theme
Baseball theme
Camp theme
Soccer theme
Twins theme
Light Weight Sweatshirts
As popular as ever, hooded and full zip sweatshirts in t-shirt material – great for camp!
Sneaker/Fashion theme
Fashion theme
Beach theme (front)
Beach theme (back)
Club/Graffiti theme
iPhone graphic with personalized interests
Splatter graphic with initials
Playbill theme
Lacrosse Pinnies
Lacrosse pinnies available in 15 colors for boys and girls – fully customizable front and back!
Tiffany & Co inspired theme (front)
Tiffany & Co. inspired theme (back)
Sports theme
Lucky 13 theme
Softball theme
Twins Lacrosse theme
Camp theme
Dance and NYC theme with initials
To learn more about Jaylor Party Favors, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
May 4th, 2017
With over 300 Mitzvah Family Spotlight stories since 2008, and new features each week, we know it’s hard to remember everything these creative families have done to celebrate their child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah milestone event.
Many families get creative with their Bar and Bat Mitzvah details. We love showcasing creative invitations, cakes, logos, fashion, entrances, place cards and themes.
It is double, or even triple, the fun when we showcase B’nai and B’not Mitzvahs. Because you are celebrating more than one child, these celebrations take creativity and ingenuity as you need to make each child feel special and the theme needs to capture all the Mitzvah children.
Here’s a round-up of some of the B’nai and B’not Mitzvahs that have been featured and a link back to the entire spotlight story!
Get inspired!
TURNOF FAMILY: A family vacation inspired the theme of Cole and Chase's Amazon Adventure B'nai Mitzvah. Read more about this celebration
here
GARELICK FAMILY: This family celebrated the B'not Mitzvah of their girls who "Just Love 2 Party". Read more about this celebration
here
LOKOFF FAMILY: This family celebrated with a fun "carpool karaoke" inspired B'nai Mitzvah entrance! Read more about this celebration
here
SCHRIER FAMILY: Everyone had an E&Mazing time at this B'nai Mitzvah. Read more about this celebration
here
GOLDBERG FAMILY: This set of twins celebrated at one of their favorite places, an aquarium. Read more about this celebration
here
SIEGEL FAMILY: These sisters celebrated at Tyler Hill Camp, owned by their parents. Read more about this celebration
here
CHAIKEN FAMILY: This family carved up a great ski B'nai Mitzvah. Read more about this celebration
here
KANDEL FAMILY: It was an Academy Award celebration for these triplets! Read more about this celebration
here
HALLIE & JARED : For this family it was "the BEST DAY EVER" at their twins celebration. Read more about this celebration
here
HOROWITZ FAMILY: It was 3 times the fun for this family! Read more about this celebration
here
KLEIN FAMILY: This family celebrated at a ski themed B'nai Mitzvah, complete with a blizzard. Read more about this celebration
here
CARESS FAMILY: This party took place at the Edison Ballroom. Read more about this celebration
here
BOUDIN FAMILY: This family celebrated with a rock n roll theme. Read more about this celebration
here
PARADISE FAMILY: It was twice the fun for these girls! Read more about this celebration
here
FRIEDMAN FAMILY: The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City was the spectacular venue for twins Rachel and Avery. Read more about this celebration
here
KRATZ FAMILY: Even snow couldn't stop these brothers from celebrating! Read more about this celebration
here
LOWENSTEIN FAMILY: These twins cooked up a great theme! Read more about this celebration
here
ZATMAN FAMILY: This family created "Sports Central" for their sports loving boys. Read more about this celebration
here
KOSSAK FAMILY: This was a Fire & Ice themed party. Read more about this celebration
here
May 4th, 2017
Henry Greene from Armonk, New York celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in November, 2014. His Mitzvah Project was called, Enriching Lives Through Camp and benefited SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education).
We wanted to share his Mitzvah Project idea with our readers:
MM: Can you give us details of your Mitzvah Project?
HG: So many of my friends are lucky to go to summer camp and I know they all have camp clothes they can’t wear anymore. My Mitzvah Project was an easy way for them to donate those clothes and feel good about helping a kid go to camp. I collected gently used, outgrown logo’ed camp clothes at a local ice cream shop in my town. I then sold these items via Camp Clothesline and donated 50% of the profits to SCOPE.
MM: In your own words, what does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bar Mitzvah?
HG: My mom runs a company called Camp Clothesline that takes slightly used logo’ed camp clothing and resells it online. I’ve seen so many clothes come in and out of our home that I thought her company could give me an opportunity to raise money for a cause I care about. I have had so much fun at Trail’s End Camp and I want all kids to be able to have the experience that I am having at camp.
MM: If it involves a donation, what are you doing to spreading the word?
HG: I posted signs in the local ice cream shop offering a free ice cream to kids who dropped off their camp clothes to sell. All kids love ice cream so i thought that would be a good motivation for more kids to donate. I also sent out emails to my entire invitation list from my Bar Mitzvah and posted flyers in my neighborhood.
MM: For how long can people donate to this charity?
HG: Anytime, just go to SCOPE’s Website.
We thank Henry for sharing this creative Mitzvah Project with our readers.
May 1st, 2017
Mitzvah Market Magazine, our annual publication is looking for an editor to oversee our next issue.
The editor will assign and edit the stories and keep track of artwork needed. Our next issue will be published in October, if you have experience as an editor, please send your resume to jobs@mitzvahmarket.com.
Mitzvah Market Magazine reaches thousands of families as they are planning their child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Our magazine runs the gamut from Comprehensive Resource Directories to in-depth Editorial which will be read, re-read and referenced repeatedly throughout the planning stages by parents throughout the New York Metropolitan area.
About Our Company
Davler Media Group is New York’s leading diversified local media company producing print, digital and event products in luxury, visitor, parenting and event industries. All of our media are the leaders in their categories, serving more clients and reaching more consumers than direct competitors. We pride ourselves on providing outstanding service which results in superior renewal rates and overall greater client retention.
Our products include:
• City Guide & cityguideny.com—NY’s largest visitor magazine.
• NYMetroParents.com & 9 parenting magazines—Region’s largest parenting media company reaching 1,000,000 families per month.
• Mitzvah Market—Annual Mitzvah Market Magazine, MitzvahMarket.com and Celebrate! Party Showcases are the largest media serving families planning Bar Bat Mitzvah events.
• New York Spaces & newyorkspacesmag.com.
• Mommybites.com – Digital and social community for quality parenting resources.
• Metrosource.com – The largest LGBTQ media publication serving the New York City and Los Angeles areas.
April 30th, 2017
By Peter Deutsch
Anyone who has ever planned a Bar or Bat Mitzvah for their son or daughter has come to appreciate the amount of time and effort required to make their child’s celebration a memorable event. Just the selection of the venue, for example, can entail countless hours of walking through different spaces in order to find just the right one. But in time, after speaking or meeting with dozens, you’ve finally selected your venue, entertainment company, décor firm and other vendors. You are convinced that you are on your way to an amazing event and that the process from here on out will be more streamlined and manageable. And that’s when you receive the dreaded multi-page contract from each vendor which lays out the services that vendor will provide and the commensurate costs … or does it?
As the father of two teenage boys, my wife and I have had the pleasure of planning two Bar Mitzvahs, and I have reviewed numerous vendor agreements in connection with each celebration. Most of these contracts were well drafted and, as expected, designed to protect the interests of the vendor. Indeed, no one could quarrel with the fact that each vendor has a business to run and is only looking to protect itself from the myriad of risks it faces. For those without legal training (and even for some lawyers), however, these agreements can, at times, be difficult to understand and often contain pitfalls for the unwary.
Peter Deutsch and his family at his son’s recent Bar Mitzvah
Perhaps the most critical vendor agreement is with the venue where your affair will be held, as most families will spend the greatest percentage of their total event budget on the venue and catering. At the outset, one needs to be familiar with the concept of “minimum guaranteed revenue” and, more importantly, how it is calculated.
Minimum guaranteed revenue (“MGR”), as the name implies, is the minimum revenue that a venue will require to perform services. If you are having a large affair, the MGR is usually satisfied by the per person charge for each of the guaranteed number of guests. But if you are having a smaller party, the revenue from the guaranteed guests will often be less than the MGR, and here’s where it gets tricky. Your first instinct is that by the time you include your food and beverage enhancements (think s’mores station and martini bar, for example), you should easily be able to make up any shortfall. You may be surprised to learn, though, that your venue may only permit these enhancements to constitute a maximum of 5% of the MGR, for example. Therefore, depending on the amount of the shortfall, you could find yourself paying much more for your venue and catering than you had planned.
Another significant issue that impacts every vendor contract is what are the consequences if you have to reschedule or cancel your child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah. For example, most venues have in their contract language that if you cancel your affair, you forfeit your initial deposit and any additional payments made under the contract. The theory here is that because venues are typically booked many months in advance, a cancellation makes the likelihood of the vendor’s booking another event on that same date extremely low, if not zero.
However, if your event has to be rescheduled because the venue is unable to host your affair due to an “act of god” or “for reasons beyond their control,” the venue’s agreement typically provides that it will have no liability to you other than to attempt to reschedule your event (while retaining all payments you’ve made to date). But that need not be the case. Indeed, while it is reasonable for a venue to retain all prepayments as liquidated damages in the event you opt to cancel your affair, the same rule should not apply if the venue is unable to host your celebration – even due to an “act of god”. This theoretical issue became a reality in 2012, when Hurricane Sandy battered New York City, rendering many venues situated on the East and Hudson Rivers unusable for weeks. Because switching the date of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah entirely isn’t usually a welcome idea – the child has been studying his or her torah portion and D’var Torah for weeks and the family is all flying in to hear it! – modifying the venue agreement at the outset to contemplate the flexibility to switch venues, if the worst happens, without forfeiting any prepayments can provide peace of mind to the whole family.
An additional topic to consider is the role of key performers. For example, it is not uncommon to engage a particular entertainment company with the understanding that you want a specific MC to perform at your child’s party. Indeed, while most entertainment companies will do their best to honor such a request, the agreement that they ask you to sign will nonetheless provide that any such performer is “subject to availability” and that the entertainment company “reserves the right to provide a substitute performer, if necessary.” Again, while no one could fault an entertainment company for having their contract contain such language to protect themselves, it is not unreasonable for you to request that the contract be revised to require that the entertainment company contact you in advance if a key performer is unable to appear at your affair and consult with you regarding the selection of a substitute.
These are just a few of the issues that, if not addressed, can have significant unforeseen, unintended and often, expensive, consequences for your event. With all of the moving parts and decisions that must be made, often months in advance, many families engaged in planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, especially for their firstborn, don’t have the experience to be able to foresee some of these and other pitfalls or don’t pay enough attention to the specific provisions of their vendor contracts at the time of signing. Unfortunately, it’s often the case that when the party is 30-60 days out, families are first considering questions like: will the venue provide enough electricity for my emcee, DJ, all of the games my child talked me into getting and the lighting company I had to bring in? What’s a 20-amp electrical circuit anyway and how many do I need? And my favorite – isn’t this included in the contract?
The good news is, if the issues are flagged in advance, most vendors are willing to make revisions to their contracts to make a prospective client happy (and because they don’t want to lose the business). Thus, a key component for a seamless affair is to have fleshed out with your vendors these and other potentially onerous provisions and to have a complete understanding of the specific services that each vendor will provide the night of your affair, how that translates into contract language and costs, and what revisions will be necessary to level the playing field. Contrary to popular belief, Bar and Bat Mitzvah contracts are for reading, not just for signing.
About Peter Deutsch
Peter Deutsch is a New York City-based attorney with over 27 years of broad-based corporate, transactional and business experience. He focuses on advising entrepreneurs, small businesses and high-net worth individuals in connection with business formation and capital-raising efforts, business development, potential acquisitions, sales of businesses and other commercial activities. And in his “spare time,” Peter had the responsibility for reviewing and negotiating the vendor contracts for both of his sons’ Bar Mitzvah celebrations. For more information, please visit www.peterdeutschlaw.com.
