Penny is a big Mel Brooks fan so “Spaceballs: The Bat Mitzvah” was the perfect theme. The service was held at Temple Sharey Tefilo Israel in South Orange, New Jersey followed by a small luncheon with 80 guests at hibachi restaurant Arirang in Mountainside, New Jersey.
This family included Mel Brooks special touches in many ways! Each table was named for a different Mel Brooks film, with posters of the movies serving as table markers. Guests enjoyed a round of Mel Brooks themed trivia and after a lively hibachi show and delicious lunch, they enjoyed a “Spaceballs: The Cake” for dessert. As guests left the celebration, they received a “Spaceballs: The Bat Mitzvah” shirt.
Pictured above (L-R): Mom Allie, brother Simon, Bat Mitzvah girl Penny and dad David
The photographer was Morgan Triska Media and the rest of the vendors are listed below.
Bat Mitzvah Details
Mom To Mom Advice
“Plan the party that your child wants, not the typical party that everyone else has or the ones that you’ve been to. Our child isn’t into dancing and loves Japanese food, so we planned a party that reflected those interests. Also, beware..if you hold your event at a hibachi place, make sure the chefs know NOT to playfully squirt oil at the photographer’s camera or they’ll break her flash and you’ll end up with limited pictures! Unfortunately, that was the case for us!”
Mitzvah Project
Penny raised $3,160 for JASA, the go-to agency for older New Yorkers. JASA serves more than 40,000 seniors each year with 20+ services and programs to empower seniors to age in their own homes and communities. Penny has been a member of JASANextGen (a volunteer advocacy program for ages 12-22) throughout the pandemic, interviewing seniors and learning about food insecurity, mental health issues, and more. Penny wanted to raise funds to help older adults receive critical services. They held a bake sale at the house, advertising it on social media and at school. They offered far-away friends and those who don’t like carbs a “double the donation” offer – they could pay for treats which they would then bake and deliver to the interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges where they live. Penny sold out of the bake sale, and delivered an additional ten fresh batches of goods to the food pantry! To connect with JASA for a mitzvah project, email development@jasa.org.
Bat Mitzvah Vendors
Venue: Arirang, 908-998-3721
Photographer: Morgan Triska Media, 412-636-1834
Favors: Purple Door Designs, 973-229-2557
Invitations: Andrea Napchan Designs, 516-652-5484
Cake: Eat Knit and DIY, Krista Winters, 347-993-1528
Mom’s Dress and Simon’s Suit: Nordstroms
Hair/Makeup: Lumie Salon, Kosia Asiamah, 973-327-9555
Mitzvah Project: JASA.org
