July 1st, 2014
Our Mitzvah Family Spotlight stories are very popular among our readers.
We find that everyone likes to see how other families celebrate their son or daughter’s milestone event. Our readers see great ideas and then make them their own.
We’ve shared Spotlight stories on more than 200 families and we receive emails regularly from readers who would like to be featured. It’s a great way to thank your vendors with additional press!
There are many creative and unique ideas within each story from families across the country. As we come to the close of another year, let’s look back on some of the wonderful ways these families have inspired us all:
Your Bar/Bat Mitzvah invitation usually sets the tone for your upcoming event. Here are a few from our past Mitzvah Family Spotlight stories:
This Bat Mitzvah celebration was held at an airplane hangar in Ft. Lauderdale! Their custom invitation was a pop-up of Brittany as a flight attendant. See more from the Gendler Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Olivia’s mirrored invitation arrived in a gift box. See more from the Kortick Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
The Miller family decided to make every invitation by hand! Each guest received an iPad (look-a-like) and pen set!
The outside of the box mimicked the packaging for an iPad, complete with images of an iPad featuring apps that represented Max’s hobbies and interests (i.e. iDrum, iSki, iDJ, etc). Inside the box, the invitation was wrapped in paper with Matrix code designed with the date of the Bar Mitzvah (05182013), sealed with a round “Max’s Genius Bar Mitzvah” sticker, and a combination pen/stylus/flashlight attached, which was custom imprinted with the iMax logo
See more from the Max Miller Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
For Raquel’s celebration, which took place at an art gallery, the custom invitations were cleverly created out of paint kits!
See more from the Dunoff Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
For this celebration, the invitation included a classic letterpress for the services with Madison’s name foiled in silver and a viewfinder for the party invitation. See more from the Goldberg Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Here are some cool style moments within our Mitzvah Family Spotlight stories.
For this WWE themed Bar Mitzvah, Zach made his grand entrance in his robe, all ready for a “match.” He entered the ring (we mean room!) to ESPN’s Jock Jams “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble.” See more from the Lipson Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
The entire Imberman family got into the zebra print themed celebration. See more of the Imberman Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Comfortable silvery glitter sneakers finished the look for Melissa’s short Bat Mitzvah dress. See more of the Tucker Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Rebecca chose a short off the rack dress. A removable organza skirt was created so it appeared as if Rebecca wore two dresses to her Bat Mitzvah. See more from the Rebecca Silverman Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Many families get creative with their theme and logo. Check out some of the ones featured this past year:
The Malavsky’s celebrated with an action packed basketball party at Chickie’s & Pete’s Play2 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Read more about the Malavsky Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
The theme was “Jessiegram,” inspired by Instagram, for this sophisticated and fun party utilizing many of the popular symbols that all the kids and adults are familiar with. See more from the Weinberg Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
For Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah the theme was “Sarah and the City!” See more from the Teich Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
The slogan “Instant Fun….Just Add Water” with Harrison’s name, was the theme for this Bar Mitzvah that took place at the Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park in Lake George, New York. Read more about the Weiss Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Everyone seems to have a way for their guests to sign-in and leave a memory/sentiment for their Bar Bat Mitzvah child. Families are getting very creative in this area!
It was a sign-in pillow that looked like their invitation for Jack. Read more from the Breitowich Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
In keeping with Rachel’s Runway theme, her Mom found this dress form from Pier One. Read more from the Greenblatt Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Dani’s celebration weekend took place at Trails End Camp. For her sign-in, guests wrote special messages on postcards which were placed in a custom mailbox. Read more from the Dani Golden Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Camp Mitchell took place in Georgia and guests signed their sign-in flag all weekend long. See more from the Abes Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Friends signed this custom football helmet at Sam’s football themed Bar Mitzvah. Read more from the Feldman Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Here are some creative ways to let your guests know where they are sitting.
Pennant place cards for each guest were placed on turf for an authentic look. Read more from the Zapken Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
This unique seating card board featured a picture of the guest of honor cut into individual squares with the guest’s name and table number on the square. When each piece was taken by a guest, the same picture of Jason was revealed underneath
Read more from the Jason Levy Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
For this New York themed Bat Mitzvah, guests received Metro Cards, which were place cards. Read more from the Lasky Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Bowling pin flashlights were used as lane assignment holders for Bryan’s Bowling Bash at 300 Long Island. See more of the Bryan Hirsch Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Who doesn’t love the Mitzvah cake! Check out these great ideas from our past Mitzvah Family Spotlights.
Cutout silhouettes of each sport that Alex plays decorated his Bar Mitzvah cake. Read more about the Ackerman Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
This glamorous cake tied in with Danielle’s Bat Mitzvah theme. Read more from the Ron Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Splashes of color on Matthew’s cake looked great at his Paintball themed celebration. Read more from the Bennet Bar Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Mikayla’s colorful Bat Mitzvah cake. Read more from the Meltser Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Sometimes it’s the special touches your guests remember the most!
This “live” candy girl was a big hit at this Bat Mitzvah celebration in Florida. Read more from the Brodsky Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
The Bat Mitzvah girl spray-mounted photos to the inside of each thank you card so every guest received a photo of themselves at the celebration! Read more from the Segelman Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
At the end of this Bat Mitzvah celebration, guests were surprised with a dessert waiting for them outside. A cupcake truck handed out cupcakes named after famous tennis players – in keeping with the theme! Read more from the Laff Bat Mitzvah Family Spotlight here
Once again we thank all of the families for allowing us to share their ideas with our readers. Many of you have written in to say how helpful they have been.
If you would like your child’s celebration to be spotlighted, please contact us at info@MitzvahMarket.com.
To see all of our Mitzvah Family Spotlights archived on MitzvahMarket.com, click here.
June 29th, 2014
The USA-Portugal soccer game that ended in a tie was the most watched soccer game in American History. Soccer is on everyone’s mind during this 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Soccer is one of many popular themes at today’s Bar Bat Mitzvah celebrations. If you are a soccer fan, here are some ways to add a “soccer” touch to your celebration.
Check out these ideas below and see how others add soccer to their Bar Bat Mitzvah theme:
EK Productions offers a virtual sports arena! There are five different games in one system, (including soccer), and it’s so compact, it can be used anywhere
Simon Elliot Events captured this Bat Mitzvah girl’s love of the game during her pre-Bat Mitzvah shoot
The Event Of A Lifetime produced this World Cup Soccer theme for Harris’ Bar Mitzvah celebration
Sarah Merians Photography & Video shot this giant Soccer ball sign-in
Soccer themed Candle Lighting display from Balloon Artistry
Leonardo Vatkin Photography created this Website for a B’nai Mitzvah. After shooting clips of the Bat Mitzvah girl on the soccer field, they were incorporated into this B’nai Mitzvah Website and celebration. See more here
Jersey Street Furniture decorated a sports themed Bar Mitzvah with high top tables covered in a soccer pattern and soccer balls as the base
thecoolestgiveaways.com has many great soccer favor options from head to toe!
AJH Entertainment provided the music at this “World Cup” themed Bar Mitzvah which included “soccer” touches throughout the event including this creative place card/seating chart
A Promos USA/ImageMaker can design a great soccer logo for your wearable favor
Stephen Andrews Studios created this poster for a Bar Mitzvah boy who had soccer as his theme
From Impressions Photo & Video, this candle lighting display was clearly soccer themed!
The Pieced Palette creates Bar Bat Mitzvah sign-in pillows like the one above. This one featured the girls’ name, Sloane, on the back
Hi Tech Photography Events not only photographed this Bar Mitzvah celebration, but also provided the decor
Parker’s Crazy Cookies takes a photo and then creates a cookie in that image. This Bat Mitzvah girl loves soccer!
With Low Schmaltz Invitations you can choose the theme, customize the design, select paper, and order your invitations online. They’re printed and shipped in about 24 hours. The above Bat Mitzvah invitation has a classic trading card feel and showcases this sports star. There’s a wide range of pieces available – from reply cards, stamps, and thank you notes, to posters and save the dates
From MakeABall.com, your favorite Bar Bat Mitzvah kid (and their info!) can be on a regulation size soccer ball.
A great gift, centerpiece or decor piece
Behr Pops creates delicious treats in soccer ball themes
Flower Power Designs created this oversized soccer sign-in board
This soccer themed Bat Mitzvah invite with a cleverly worded RSVP is from Invitations4less.com
This chocolate soccer plaque from Enjou Chocolat is a great way to say, “Thanks for Sharing My World Cup Day” as a thank you gift for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah guests
The theme for this event from Nancy Swiezy Events was red, soccer and candy! The tables featured grey pintuck linens and sporty grey seat backs. Candy apples were added in to the monochromatic flowers of red gerber’s roses and carnation pom poms topped with a soccer guy sculpture. Table numbers were created from college sweater numbers
From Evantine Design, this cake was created by Truli Confectionary Arts and was a replica of the Bar Mitzvah boy’s soccer bag
To see the rest of this story, click here
From The Party Girl Events the favors for this soccer themed Bat Mitzvah were Personalized Soccer Balls with the Bat Mitzvah girl’s name and date of event
Did you have a soccer theme for your child’s Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration? Let us know at info@mitzvahmarket.com.
June 25th, 2014
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.
The Goldberg family from Rye Brook, New York, had lots of special touches at their daughter Madison’s Bat Mitzvah because Mom Leslie owns Out of the Box NY, an invitation and accessories company.
When it came time for her sign-in, she created something very unique!
It was an acrylic ticket box. Guests wrote their messages to Madison on neon acrylic “tickets” and put them in the box
To see the rest of the Goldberg Mitzvah Family Spotlight, click here.
To see the last Mom Find, click here.
June 25th, 2014
Elvira Grau, owner of SPACE in Engelwood, New Jersey, has seen it all!
She has successfully acted as the party planner for 3-4 Bar Bat Mitzvahs a weekend at her unique party space with high tech games, extravagant entertainment, unique decor and customized menus.
In April 2014, Elvira planned her own daughter Leanna’s Bat Mitzvah. The theme was an easy choice as Leanna’s birthstone is the diamond. “Shine Bright Like A Diamond” was the theme and it was carried out in all areas of this celebration.
As with all parties Elvira plans, she approached her own daughter’s celebration with the five principles of party planning: VENUE, MENU, ENTERTAINMENT, DECOR AND STAFF.
Below are pictures from Leanna’s celebration including Elvira’s secrets to a successful party and the ideas behind each creative element she dreamed up!
Mazel Tov to the Grau family and thanks for sharing your ideas with our readers!
Most invitations are thrown away after a Bar Bat Mitzvah celebration is over. Elvira wanted something unique, that would stand out, set the tone for the entire celebration and most importantly be useful!
After much research, Elvira found a source in China to engrave on a diamond shaped paperweight and another to supply the red box which looked like something you would get from Cartier – Leanna’s favorite. Each boxed invitation was hand delivered to guests. The Grau’s picked one town a day and delivered them in person – they say of the experience, “It was very exciting to see everyone’s reaction, they flipped out!”
To save money on paper and stamps, a Website was created for the RSVPs. Check it out here
Leanna and her parents Elvira and Jim all looked great! Leanna and Elvira found their long gowns at Jacqueline and Jim’s suit is Versace
Leanna changed into a short Jovani dress midway through the party
Each and every Bar Bat Mitzvah that Elvira plans is unique and different in look and feel. Prior to Leanna’s celebration, SPACE received a renovation. Everything from new walls, LEDs, carpeting, dance floor and furniture. The newly decorated SPACE debuted with her daughter’s celebration. Before guests entered SPACE, they were greet by large vinyl blow-ups of Leanna
Leanna’s pre-party photo shoot included poses with diamonds
Elvira wanted a magical feeling when guests arrived. She lined the entrance of SPACE with white astro turf and trees with twinkle lights for a “Tavern on the Green” feel. Leanna’s step and repeat was front and center for photo ops as guests arrived
Elvira feels a step and repeat is a must-have for a party. This one featured Leanna’s logo
Elvira knows from experience that your child’s gifts are the last thing you need to deal with the night of your party. She creates custom gift boxes, like the one above for Leanna. They are both convenient and safe!
Elvira wanted Leanna’s name in lights, so in-house they built each letter from wood, sprinkled it with glitter and attached light bulbs. It hung over the bar, the hub of the party
Unique entertainment is part of Elvira’s secrets to a successful party. Guests were greeted by aerialists who were hanging from the ceiling serving wine!
Other “atmosphere” girls performed as guests enjoyed the cocktail hour
Part of the renovation included a new white dance floor, new white leather furniture and 20 foot custom built cabanas with sheer white curtains which created a VIP area for guests. SPACE can also add a gobo in the center of the room like this one for Leanna with her name projected within a diamond shape
Elvira says it’s all about the details! Notice the high tufted white leather couches and crystals hanging along the walls
Elvira decided against traditional seating for this celebration. There were only two formal tables for family which featured crystal chandeliers, candles and flowers. For this big social cocktail party, it was open seating
It was hard for Elvira to be a guest at her daughter’s celebration. She checked and re-checked every detail including the “Reserved for Family” signs on the only two tables
Crystals also hung from the ceiling
Crystals, giving the look of diamonds, of all sizes were everywhere, including inside these highboy table tops!
This was a unique entrance! For weeks, Leanna practiced at “circus school” for her grand entrance. Everything was safely rigged and thoroughly checked.
This was possible due to the high ceilings at SPACE
Practice paid off as Leanna was lifted up and zip lined across the dance floor to her destination as impressed guests looked on and recorded this entrance on their smart phones
Watch Frank Duca’s highlights video of this terrific celebration!
As Elvira explains, “I’m Russian, so we had to have a Vodka luge for the adult guests!”
SPACE’s arcade provided all types of fun games for young guests
And the older ones!
Leanna jumps for joy!
Elvira wanted to do something unique for Leanna’s sign-in that didn’t cost a lot of money. She’s a big Home Goods shopper and found a large piece of art work in the clearance center that she felt would be perfect! Elvira “blinged” the edges, added sharpies and asked guests to sign-in!
Elvira feels nothing is more elegant and simple for a candle lighting than different height vases with orchids and floating candles. Crystals were scattered on the table top for added shine!
The family is all smiles during the candle lighting ceremony
All food stations were fun and interactive. On one side, they had “live” sushi and on the other side was a Peking duck station and a wok station. Posters of Leanna hung above the stations for personalization and drama!
Dessert was covered in silver food glitter and looked very glamorous
The dessert bar featured Leanna’s name
Too pretty to eat!
Check out these strawberries
A vanilla fountain was on hand for guests to enjoy
Leanna’s friends all received J America sweatshirts. Crystals were ironed on the back of each one
As guests left, they could grab and go from a candy bar. Candies matched the decor!
The following vendors worked with Elvira at SPACE for Leanna’s celebration:
Photographer: Chris Herder, 917-689-6463
Videographer: Frank Duca, 908-715-2187
Music Entertainment: In-house DJ, MC Charlie
Favors: Hyman & Harry Inc.
Dresses: Jacqueline, 973-992-3535
Hair: Fredrick Fekkai
Make-up: MAC Loida Soriano, 201-362-2029 and Khuraira, 201-227-1135
June 25th, 2014
Simon Elliot Events is a New York based event production company that specializes in state-of-the-art digital media. The Simon Elliot creative team is dedicated to providing innovative services and productions that inspire. Their services are constantly evolving and they are now introducing something new called, Behind the Screens™.
With Behind the Screens™, guests participate in silk screening a custom garment to take home. Part favor, part entertainment activity, guests will learn the art of screen printing while choosing from an array of customizing options. Garment options include T-shirts, Sweatshirts, Sweatpants, Pinnie Jerseys, and more.
Their creative team will work with your child to design six custom screens that can incorporate their logo, interests, and color scheme. The Behind the Screens™ setup displays all of the garments and customizing options in a mall style kiosk.
Once guests choose their garment, they will be escorted to the printing press where they can participate in screen printing their favor. Finished garments will be bagged, tagged by name, and ready for pick up.
Use Behind the Screens™ for your dance floor giveaways as well. They can screen any number of items to be given out on the dance floor or even shot out of their T-shirt canons by the guest of honor.
Already planning a sweatshirt giveaway? They can pre-screen an elaborate design on one side of the garment and allow guests to customize the reverse side, live at the party!
To learn more about Simon Elliot Events, visit their extended profile page in our Vendor Directory.
You can also reach Simon Elliot Events at 516-586-6822 or info@SimonElliotEvents.com.
June 24th, 2014
The Fault in Our Stars is the fifth novel by award-winning author John Green and is currently playing in a movie theater near you!
The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, who is also battling cancer.
One might wonder how this could possibly be a theme for a Bat Mitzvah celebration, but for super fan Chloe Werner there was no other option. She tells Mitzvah Market why she HAD TO HAVE The Fault In Our Stars (TFIOS) as her Bat Mitzvah theme.
Enjoy her first-hand account below:
“My Bat Mitzvah was themed after the book, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I have always loved John Green and his books. They have been a huge inspiration in my life ever since I read the first one about a year and a half ago. I then became fascinated with him and his books and writing. TFIOS was one of my favorites and I obsessed over it (and I still am today).”
I found my Bat Mitzvah dress at The Best Dressed Of Westchester
“I have thought about every possible way to incorporate TFIOS into my life because it had made such a great impact on me. I fell in love with the book the way you fall asleep slowly then all at once (except the slowly part).
When the time came to choose a theme for my Bat Mitzvah, of course “The Fault…” popped into my mind immediately. Even though it had been about 8 or 9 months since I had first read the book, that did not lessen my affection for it. I chose the theme to be “The Fault…” and haven’t regretted anything although people have said I will later.
For my invitation, I had to incorporate colors of “The Fault…” and of course a spoof on one of the quotes.”
Paper Dolls helped with the custom invitation. We used the saying, “That’s The Thing About Bat Mitzvahs, They Demand To Be Celebrated” inside two bubbles similar to the actual book cover
“As time went by, TFIOS became more important and I idolized John Green more and more. I was deciding on how to incorporate TFIOS more and more into my Bat Mitzvah.”
Decor at The Davenport Beach Club matched the colors of the book
My cake (by Enchanted Icing) and cake pops (by Behr Pops) had the same colors from the book!
Even the cake pops tied into the theme and looked like clouds!
My parents and me during my candle lighting ceremony
TFIOS themed pinnies (by Corbinstyle) were the favor for all my friends!
Even my yarmulkes were the same color as the book!
“My friends who I introduced the book to, loved it and said that usually themes aren’t pulled off, but in this case it was different. I also inspired many of the guests to read the book. My love of the book still hasn’t stopped growing since then and even though John Green doesn’t know who I am, he was a big part of my celebration. It has all been an amazing experience connecting my Bat Mitzvah and the book because it was great to have something I love to have been the theme of the party!”
The following vendors helped to make Chloe’s The Fault In Our Stars themed Bat Mitzvah special.
Photographer: Liz Hartzman Photography, 914-636-7618
Venue: The Davenport Beach Club, 914-632-7800
Invitations: Lauren Mandelbaum, Paper Dolls, 914-393-1310
Chloe’s dress: The Best Dressed of Westchester, 914-723-2244
Favors/Pinnies: Suzanne Corbin, Corbinstyle, 914-834-6627
Cake: Nancy Moloff, Enchanted Icing – Custom Celebration Cakes, 917-822-4058
Cake Pops: Beth Behr, Behr Pops, 914-656-1900
Logos: Tom Hall, Design It Creative, 914-413-1445
Yarmulkes: Kippot.com
June 21st, 2014
Max Wallack celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in 2008, but his Mitzvah Project is unique in that it’s a “project” that has continued on long after his Bar Mitzvah.
He is the founder of PuzzlesToRemember, a non-profit organization that provides puzzles to nursing homes, veterans facilities, and other facilities that care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. His great grandmother, Gertrude, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and Max recognized the calming effect puzzles had on people suffering from this disease.
Max is currently a student at Boston University and a Research Intern in the Molecular Psychiatry and Aging Laboratory in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Boston University School of Medicine.
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project?
MW: My great grandmother who lived with my family suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. I wanted to do something to help this population.
MM: Please provide the details about your Mitzvah Project.
MW: I began by collecting jigsaw puzzles and delivering them to facilities that had helped care for my great grandmother. My local Rabbi put me in touch with Naomi Eisenberger, Executive Director of The Good People Fund, an organization that identifies good people doing great work-on a personal scale-and connect them with donors seeking creative ways to help those in need. Mrs. Eisenberger has been a mentor to me, as well as a shining example of what community service really means. She was a tremendous help to me when I wanted to have PuzzlesToRemember become a non-profit organization. At the time I was 12 years old and had no funding to pay for a lawyer’s help. I don’t know if I could have done this without Mrs. Eisenberger’s help.
Max enjoying puzzles with residents at a memory care center
MM: What did it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bar Mitzvah?
MW: It meant a great deal to me to think up a project that could make a real difference in the lives of Alzheimer’s patients. Since then, I have also given many presentations to help other young people find projects where they can make a difference. Sometimes, I have also helped them locate funding.
MM: Please describe what are you doing to spread the word?
MW: I maintain my website where I accept charitable contributions and I spread the word through my Facebook page. I’ve also coauthored a book explaining Alzheimer’s disease to children, “Why Did Grandma Put Her Underwear in the Refrigerator? An Explanation of Alzheimer’s Disease for Children.” Fifty percent of the profits from my book goes to various Alzheimer’s causes. The book is now available in English, German, Polish, Italian, French, Norwegian, Polish, Spanish, and Chinese. It is also being translated into Hebrew, Welsh, Arabic, and Sinhala.
Max at the Alzheimer’s Association’s international conference where he gave a presentation about his current research
MM: How long can people donate to this charity?
MW: There is no time limit.
MM: Is there anything else you would like readers to know about your Mitzvah Project?
MW: I have been able to team up with Springbok Puzzles to create Springbok PuzzlesToRemember, puzzles made specifically to meet the needs of Alzheimer’s patients. They can be seen here. My work on behalf of Alzheimer’s patients led me to the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center. For the past 3 years, I have worked at a Molecular Psychiatry in Aging Lab at Boston University School of Medicine. My work has resulted in several publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Here is a link to an article about my work.
Max and his mentor Dr. Qiu, in the Molecular Psychiatry in Aging Lab at Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, where he’s been doing research for over three years
PuzzlesToRemember has now distributed over 32,000 puzzles to over 2430 nursing facilities. This includes facilities in every state, six Canadian provinces, plus Aruba, Australia, Colombia, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Singapore, and South Africa.
There are currently 12 different images available, and new images are being planned for this summer, including Max’s favorite, the Kitten Puzzle
We thank Max for sharing his incredible Mitzvah Project with Mitzvah Market.
June 21st, 2014
Samantha Collins celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving 2013 at Temple Or Elohim in Jericho, New York.
Her mom Michelle, who works at Simon Elliot Events, pulled out all the stops for her daughter’s “Sam I Am” themed Bat Mitzvah.
Simon Elliot Events was the photographer and the rest of the vendors are listed at the bottom of this spotlight.
Pictured above L-R: Dad Brian, Brother Alex, Bat Mitzvah girl Samantha and Mom Michelle
Mitzvah Invitation, Style & Venue
Young guests received a postcard leading them to a Website created by Simon Elliot Events and adult guests received an acrylic invitation created by Darlene Barzilay. Their Wednesday night celebration took place at Temple Or Elohim in Jericho, New York.
www.PartyWithSammi.com had details about the celebration, RSVPs, her Mitzvah Project, directions and more!
The red acrylic invitation featured white lettering and trim. All guests were asked to RSVP on the Website
Guests were asked to wear black attire which looked great against Mom Michelle and Sammi who wore white. Sammi's long white gown with crystals was from It's Simply For You and Michelle's custom dress was designed by Runway Couture
Simon Elliot Events created large posters of Sammi that fit over the front glass doors
Sammi posed in front of the doors before guests arrived
Mitzvah Details
Metropolitan Events By Reuven did a great job on the red, black and silver decor.
A tall tower, created by Simon Elliot Events and designed to match her theme, listed guests' names and table numbers
As guests entered, they were greeted by a glittery canopy in the center of the lobby
Party Harty Entertainment designed custom light-up cubes
Tables featured beautiful red linens from The Finishing Touch, with rose appliques and Sammi's picture for the table numbers
Each table had a different centerpiece designed by Metropolitan Events By Reuven
Tables were different shapes and sizes including this long rectangle
The menu card resembled an iPhone created by Simon Elliot Events
The large bar created a striking look. The bar was provided by Hasson Catering, the back wall by Party Harty Entertainment and the design on the bar by Simon Elliot Events
Guests wrote special messages on the custom iSign kiosk. Messages and photos from each guest were compiled into a custom hard cover keepsake book
Music & Entertainment
Entertainment Tonite provided the music with Carl as the MC. There were many fun extra forms of entertainment provided by Simon Elliot Events.
Entertainment Tonite provided the cages and LED staging
Mom Michelle with the ET crew
For her entrance, Sammi planned a surprise performance with some of her talented friends
Sammi and her friends performed a dance
Sammi's friends enjoyed the The Selfie Booth™ which allowed them to snap pictures at their own pace in front of a custom backdrop, with a wireless remote. Then they viewed, selected, and added cool filters using the touch screen. They also enjoyed sending their "Selfie" photos via email, text, tweet and uploading them to Facebook
The Superstar Photo Booth was customized with Sammi's logo
Friends also had fun at the customizable portable speaker station. They were able to choose their color of speaker and customize it with graphics
Additionally, guests could participate in Behind The Screens creating their own silk screen garment based on a variety of designs Sammi created before her celebration
Sammi created her own t-shirt!
For her candle lighting ceremony, Hasson Caterers created her logo'd cake and provided the red candle holders
Mitzvah Favor & Exit Treats
Amy Richards from And That created the sweatshirt favors. As guests said good-bye, there were lots of additional surprises and treats.
There was a zip-up version for the girls (left) and one for the boys (right)
A custom-wrapped US Mailbox was by the entrance/exit with a note asking guests to place their gifts here
Hasson Catering provided a bagel and donut bar
Guests were able to grab delicious Mac & Cheese to go!
Mitzvah Project
Sammi’s Mitzvah Project raised money and awareness for texting and driving. Sammi sold the DNT TXT N DRV key chains as part of her project and the “eye” magnets were on each car as guests left her celebration
Mom to Mom
After helping to plan hundreds of clients’ Bar Bat Mitzvahs, Michelle has this Mom-to-Mom advice:
“Although this is what I do for a living, it’s so important to stay organized and focused. My lists had lists! In the end, when all your family and friends are together, it’s worth all the work and worry.”
Vendor Directory
The following vendors helped to make Sammi’s celebration special. If you give any of them a call, please let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Service/Temple: Jewish Congregation of Brookville
Caterer/Cake: Hasson Caterers at Temple Or Elohim, Shawn Farber, 516-937-1020
Music Entertainment: MC Carl, Entertainment Tonite, 516-826-6900
Photography/Videographer/Extra Entertainment/Website invite: Simon Elliot Events, 516-586-6822
Back Bar/Light Up Cubes: Party Harty Entertainment, 516-845-8585
Invitations: Darlene Barzilay, 516-681-4602, notesetc1@verizon.net
Decor: Reuven, Metropolitan Events By Reuven, 917-453-0862
Linens: The Finishing Touch, 516-827-7433
Sammi’s Dress: Rachel, It’s Simply For You, 516-921-2863
Michelle’s Dress: Kimberly, Runway Couture, 516-308-4639
Favors: Amy Richards, And That, 516-364-9222
Hair/Make-up: Salon 230 West
Mac and cheese truck: Dom, Mac Truck, 718-702-4734
Mitzvah Exit Treat: Pies in each car from Mrs. Baking/Steve Borg, 718-460-6700
June 15th, 2014
OUR SON CHOOSES HIS MITZVAH PROJECT
By Dr. and Mrs. Mitzvah (aka David and Danielle Ockman “Favor It Things“)
As parents we struggle to give meaning to our children. We are always second guessing ourselves as to whether or not we have succeeded in teaching gratitude. We wonder if our children really “get it”- and if you are reading our blog, here on Mitzvah Market, you are a parent who cares about this.
Truth be told, we have to admit leaving a Bar Mitzvah Project up to our 12 year old son gave us a momentary relapse of anxiety. Will the project be meaningful to him? Will he follow through? Will he be motivated? Visions of former cookie dough sales and wrapping paper flashed before our eyes – after all he wasn’t going to win anything for this project…only pay it forward.
As any two self-respecting parents (who specialize in clinical counseling!) would do, we began to ask him questions. We asked Blake to tell us why the project was meaningful. Admittedly, it took some pushing to get him to truly reflect..and put it down on paper. This was NOT going to be a replay of those other fundraisers he’d done through the years. This was the first of many mitzvot he was promising to carry out as a Bar Mitzvah, and a real opportunity for him to grow into the man we envisioned. This was going to come from him.
Blake spoke of being grateful for having a family and for all the ways he has been provided for. He heard both of us speak of children we had met in our professional programs who were being helped and supported through the efforts of JAFCO (Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options).
He understood that these children became a part of JAFCO’s program because they had no family or didn’t have a family who could care for them. It is a challenging conversation to explain to your young son that families cannot always care for their own children and that sometimes children are abused. These are thoughts that are beyond comprehension for children like ours. Blake took the initiative and contacted JAFCO to learn how he could help. They had many options and Blake chose to raise money to fill the Chanukkah wish lists of children in the program.
He was optimistic that he would raise enough money to fill many wish lists. Blake had written in his reflection, how grateful he was for the traditions and celebration of Chanukkah each year with our extended family. One thing he wrote was “how great it would be for the kids to know they are not forgotten at the holidays.” Danielle Swiss, an educator at the Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Academy, agreed to have her son join in on the Mitzvah Project with Blake and they have been collecting ever since.
They designed bracelets that read, “EVERY CHILD IS A GIFT” and Blake held a Valentine’s chocolate sale. To date they have collected $1200 which according to JAFCO will provide six children with their wish lists. With five months to go, they are working hard to collect more. This act of Tikkun Olam, Repairing the World has been far reaching and once again our BMBFF’s supported Blake’s project.
Using Social Media, we took to the airwaves and posted about his Mitzvah Project. Blake’s “giving back” brought out generosity and the true spirit of community, even in our Facebook Bar Mitzvah group. Parents and Vendors from our page sent checks ranging from $2 to $50, and the support was overwhelming. We want to extend our thanks to our friends who helped Blake and Brandon provide a “light” for the JAFCO children for this next holiday season. Their project set off a wave of human compassion on our Facebook page. Our very own “South Florida Bar and Bat Mitzvah Planning Group” witnessed a beautiful “pay it forward” moment when Chad Everett, owner of Galaxy Productions and nationally known producer of first rate corporate and social events, saw a post from a parent on a budget wanting inspiration for an art themed Bat Mitzvah.
Chad, was a young artist as well, so on our Facebook page announced that he wanted to create some centerpieces and décor as a gift for her daughter. The support, and “gift of giving,” is what community is all about, another life lesson for our son. Blake sees that giving, inspires others to give and really pay it forward in a meaningful way.
Make sure that your child finds inspiration, and takes ownership of his or her Mitzvah Project. Hopefully it will spark or provide a continued love for building community and repairing the world.
We are inspired by so many incredible vendors on a daily basis working their magic to make Bar and Bat Mitzvah dreams become a reality. Even the way each vendor works with the families in all budgets is amazing. We all have a vision of what we want for our child’s big day, no matter the budget. We are lucky to have some really great vendors on our dream team. Chad Everett has a few tricks up his sleeve for the celebration for Blake, adding a pop of WOW! Don’t be afraid to share your visions and dreams, you will find vendors who want to help you make it a reality.
One of us would like to give away all the details of our party before the big day, and one of us is tight lipped to keep some mystery for our guests, we won’t say who is who! We will share next time how we “built” the celebration with entertainment and who is helping us do it. We will also talk about the “sweet” touches that can be added, in our next blog, “Let them eat cake!”
ABOUT DAVID AND DANIELLE OCKMAN
David and Danielle Ockman love South Florida and reside in Deerfield Beach with their 12 year old son Blake, and 7 year old daughter, Skylar. Blake’s B’mitzvah is scheduled for October, 2014.
David is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in the field of addictions for over 20 years and Danielle is a Social Worker and the Dean of Students at a private Jewish Day School. Danielle’s passion for making people treats lead her to preparing “specialty and custom” chocolate and edible B’mitzvah favors for “Favor It Things.” David and Danielle have become known in the B’mitzvah community of South Florida, as they host the Facebook group, “South Florida Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Planning Group.” Some consider this group to be the B’mitzvah hub, bringing parents and vendors together for a “virtual B’mitzvah showcase” everyday. Since starting the FB page, David has been called “Dr. Mitzvah” and the couple continue to talk many B’mitzah parents down off the ledge!
Catch up on what you might have missed:
Blog post #1 here
Blog post #2 here
June 15th, 2014
The Schuster family from Commack, New York, celebrated son Evan’s Bar Mitzvah service on November 9, 2013, at Temple Beth David in Commack, New York, followed by a luncheon at Insignia Steakhouse in Smithtown, New York.
Back in 2011, we featured Sarah Schuster’s celebration with a fashion theme. Now it was her brother’s turn!
With a great logo using Evan’s nickname (“Schooz”) and his love of basketball, the party was exactly the way this family wanted to celebrate, low key and loads of fun.
Pictured above L-R: Dad David, Sister Sarah, Bar Mitzvah boy Evan and Mom Robin.
Studio J Photography was the photographer and the rest of the vendor information is listed at the end of the spotlight.
Evan was all smiles up at the Bimah
Evan welcomed his guests at the entrance of Insignia Steakhouse
Evan’s invitation, by Wow! Creations, incorporated the red accent color that was used throughout the reception. There was an email RSVP which worked out great
Evan looked so handsome in his suit from Nordstrom and shirt from Kenny’s Men’s and Boyswear
Suzy of Wow! Creations created his logo, incorporating Evan’s nickname. It was used throughout the party and for Evan’s party favors
A version of the logo used on the place cards
Evan’s favorite team is the New York Knicks. He especially loves listening to former NY Knick and television commentator Walt “Clyde” Frazier call the games. Using Evan’s logo, Lighter Than Air, designed Clyde’s famous quotes the focal point of the centerpieces
The signage directed Evan’s friends to their VIP booths
Evan proudly displayed his sign-in book and a poster about his Mitzvah project
Guests enjoyed the amazing food served at Insignia Steakhouse
MC Frankie and the dancers from Tommy Tunes played great music that everyone really enjoyed
Everyone followed MC Frankie’s lead
Tommy Tunes also brought in lots of fun games to entertain guests and a photo booth. Foosball and Pop a Shot were a big hit
Cute photo props
Mom and Dad’s turn in the photo booth
Lighter Than Air also created the sign-in book with this amazing picture of Evan on the cover
The cake, from Alpine Pastry Shoppe, incorporated Evan’s nickname (Schooz) and replicated a basketball sneaker and shoebox
Evan had a wonderful candle lighting ceremony honoring his family and friends
Surrounded by his friends
Wow! Creations created the design for the back of the black hoodies. We love how they tied each sweatshirt with a shoelace!
The logo was placed on the back of the sweatshirt
Evan worked with a charity called Stack the Caps which began in 2008 at Camp Starlight and was inspired by a camper who died from a rare form of cancer. In her memory, Camp Starlight organized Stack the Caps to provide baseball caps to children with cancer.
Evan collected over 100 caps for the children at the Stony Brook Children’s Cancer Center.
Advice from Mom Robin:
“Listen to your children and gauge what they want and don’t want for their special day. Planning a celebration for my son was very different than when I planned my daughter’s party. He wanted something more low-key, from the décor to his involvement in typical party moments. So I tried to respect his wishes and we came up with some amazing compromises. For example, Evan didn’t want pictures of himself all over the venue so we created a logo for him that combined his nickname (Shooz) with his love of basketball. Also, he doesn’t enjoy the spotlight so instead of a typical entrance, we moved the toast to the beginning and welcomed everyone to the party as a family. We also didn’t have a traditional mother/son dance. Instead, our MC Frankie invited all the couples to the dance floor and I dedicated the song “I Hope You Dance” to my son.”
The following vendors helped to make Evan’s Bar Mitzvah special. If you give any of them a call, let them know you read about their services on MitzvahMarket.com.
Venue: Keri, Insignia Steakhouse, 631-656-8100
Photographer: Jodi, Studio J Photography, 631-560-1205
Music Entertainment: MC Frankie, Tommy’s Tunes, 631-732-5886
Décor/sign-in book: Arthur, Lighter Than Air, 516- 933-3210
Invitation/Place cards/Favors: Suzy, WOW! Creations, 516-997-0451
Party entertainment: Photo booth/games, Tommy’s Tunes, 631-732-5886
Cake: Alpine Pastry Shoppe, 631-265-5610
Dresses: To Be Seen, 516-921-5777
Suits for family members: Nordstrom, shirts and ties from Kenny’s Mens and Boyswear, 516-921-2660
Hair/makeup: Karen Meyers, 631-561-9172
Transportation: First Student Bus Company, 631-842-7620
Yarmulkes: Best Kippah, 800-435-1621
