Bar•Bat Mitzvah: Fall/Winter 2016

Mitzvah Bar•Bat

BARBATMAGAZINE.COM

KOSHER CONTRIBUTIONS

FALL • WINTER 2016

INSIDE: Planning advice for parents Teen Mitzvah project feeds those in need

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Mitzvah Bar•Bat

Fall•Winter 2016

CONTENTS

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BARBATMAGAZINE.COM

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FALL • WINTER 2016

KOSHER CONTRIBUTIONS

Inside: Planning advice for parents from Northeast Ohio experts as well as a story about how area children are helping provide food to families in need through their mitzvah projects.

On the cover: Benjamin Cohen on the occasion of his bar mitzvah Sept. 10 at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike. Photo courtesy of Kim Ponsky Photography

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Doing good works well

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Editor Michael C. Butz discusses opportunities for turning mitzvah projects into social-action projects

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Professional planners agree that taking care of all the details well in advance can help set up any celebration for success

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Super settings Greater Cleveland is home to b’nai mitzvah venues that both give a nod to the region’s past as well as a hint at its future

Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

Activities abound

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From high scores to high notes to high altitudes, Northeast Ohio offers many opportunities to plan a lively party

Kosher Contributions B’nai mitzvah kids volunteer through Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry for their mitzvah projects, improving access to food for an entire community

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Planning ahead

Looking Back Some people you might know recall their bar or bat mitzvah

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Gifts galore From presents for the b’nai mitzvah child to thank-you gifts for guests, area storeowners can help parents make the best choices

Ask a pro Planning tips from Northeast Ohio professionals about catering, stationery, entertainment and photography

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Bar/bat banking Monetary b’nai mitzvah gifts can help teens save for the future while teaching them important financial lessons

Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 5

Mitzvah Bar•Bat

STORIES THAT INSPIRE N

Editor Michael C. Butz mbutz@cjn.og Design Manager Jon Larson Cleveland Jewish Publication Company

eed proof that it’s never too late to become a bar mitzvah? Look no further than Yisrael Kristal.

Kristal, who lives in Israel and is reportedly the world’s oldest man, became a bar mitzvah not as a 13-year-old but as a 113-year old. The whole thing sort of gives new meaning to the term “bar mitzvah boy.”

Kristal was joined by his two surviving children, nine grandchildren and 30 greatgrandchildren, according to the New York Times.

Kristal was born in 1903 in what today is Poland, the Times reported. World War I was in full swing when he turned 13, and by 16, he’d lost both of his parents.

He opened a candy store in Lodz that flourished, but when Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kristal, his wife and their two children were moved to a ghetto in Lodz, where the children died. In 1944, he and his wife were sent to Auschwitz, where his wife was killed.

When Allied troops liberated Auschwitz in 1945, Kristal weighed only 82 pounds and was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust, his daughter told the Times. Kristal eventually remarried, started a new family and moved to Haifa, and his daughter attributes his long and healthy life to daily prayer and healthy eating.

Kristal’s story is remarkably inspiring, and I suspect I’m not the only one whose heart is filled with joy after learning of his perseverance.

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Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

A second story of Holocaust survival similarly inspired one of the kids we talked to for this issue of Bar•Bat Mitzvah’s feature story. I don’t want to give away the whole story, but this young woman was inspired by her great-grandmother’s Holocaust survival to volunteer at the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry – helping feed those in need – for her mitzvah project. After reading the story, I hope you’re as encouraged as I am about the young adults working to make a difference in the community.

Also in this issue, representatives from several different Northeast Ohio businesses – many of which have served the community for years – share their collective wisdom and experience to help planning for the perfect bar or bat mitzvah.

From providing advice on how to choose a caterer, photographer or entertainment company that’s best for you to helping you select a venue, incorporate unique activities or choose just the right gift, Bar•Bat Mitzvah magazine strives – as we do in every issue – to make the planning process smooth, productive and even enjoyable so that your celebration will be meaningful and memorable.

President & CEO Kevin S. Adelstein Vice President of Sales Adam Mandell CJN Managing Editor Bob Jacob Controller Tracy DiDomenico Manager of Digital Marketing Rebecca Fellenbaum Events Manager Gina Lloyd Custom Publishing Manager Paul Bram Editorial Amanda Koehn Kristen Mott Yoda Newton Editorial Intern Hannah Edelman Digital Content Producer Lillian Messner Advertising Marcia Bakst Marilyn Evans Ron Greenbaum Andy Isaacs Adam Jacob Nell V. Kirman Sherry Tilson Design Jessica Simon Stephen Valentine Business & Circulation Diane Adams Tammie Crawford Abby Royer Subscriber Services 216-342-5185/circulation@cjn.org Display Advertising 216-342-5191/adsales@cjn.org VOL. 140 NO. 50 CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS (ISSN-00098825) is published weekly with additional issues in January, March, May, June, August, October, November and December by The Cleveland Jewish Publication Company at 23880 Commerce Park, Suite 1, Cleveland, OH 44122-5380. Single copy $1.25.

Periodicals Postage paid at Cleveland, OH., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER and additional mailing offices. Send address changes to the Cleveland Jewish News, 23880 Commerce Park, Suite 1, Cleveland, OH 44122-5380

Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 7

LOOKING BACK

Well-known Northeast Ohioans remember their bar or bat mitzvah

RABBI STEPHEN WEISS

Madison Weiss, from left, Diane Weiss, David Weiss, Stephen Weiss, Ben Weiss Rabbi Stephen Weiss

Senior Rabbi, B’nai Jeshurun Congregation

By Carlo Wolff

A

ug. 31, 1974, a typical late-summer day in southern California, was a special day for Stephen Weiss, who turned 13 three weeks earlier. The boy awoke excited, thinking how in a few hours he would read Ki Teitzei, the Torah portion that deals with many forms of law.

That Saturday was Weiss’s bar mitzvah, a milestone the future rabbi had been preparing for assiduously. The only boy Rabbi Shimon Paskow bar mitzvahed that day at Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Weiss was more than ready to go.

Thousand Oaks in suburban Los Angeles is adjacent to Simi Valley, where Weiss lived with his parents, a sister two years older and a brother three years younger.

“I was excited. I slept very badly,” says Weiss, now senior rabbi at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike. “I had good teachers, my father taught

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me Hebrew at home, and worked with me on my prayers and my Torah reading.”

Did all go well? “I think so,” Weiss says. “I did a lot. I read the whole Torah portion, chanted the whole service.”

Not only was he proud of his accomplishment in the Conservative synagogue – his bar mitzvah took some three hours – the event also shaped who he is today.

“I don’t know if I knew then what it would mean to me later in life,” he says. “I knew that I had really accomplished something significant, but I don’t think I understood then consciously the

Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

way that it shaped who I am, my Jewish commitment. My Jewish commitment grew out of that experience.”

Maybe 100 friends and family attended, a “pretty big gathering,” and there was a party afterward at a community clubhouse in Simi Valley.

There were cold cuts, “a guy on a keyboard,” a swimming pool.

The whole day rolled out easily, from reading Torah to poolside relaxation.

“I think everything went smoothly,” says Weiss, who doesn’t recall what kinds of congratulatory gifts he received.

“I don’t remember any hitches.”

“It was a nice day. It was summer in Los Angeles; it’s always sunny. It was a typical dry, sunny day, so the pool felt really good.”

Apparently, Weiss was so eloquent a reader that he was asked to do Torah readings for Etz Chaim and his youth group.

A year or two later, after his

family had switched to another synagogue, he was asked to be a full-time Torah reader, an offer he declined. Later, however, he accepted a similar offer at a synagogue in West Los Angeles to which his parents had to drive him.

It seems the bonds Weiss forged at Etz Chaim, where he was close to Rabbi Shimon Paskow, and his relationship with his father, Ben, a religious man who started teaching the boy conversational Hebrew in fourth grade, stood him in good stead.

(His father also brought him to synagogue every single Friday night and Saturday morning “without fail.”)

“It gave me certain skills that kind of propelled me into a deeper involvement with synagogue and a deeper relationship with Jewish life,” Weiss says. BM Carlo Wolff is a freelance writer from South Euclid

Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 9

Left: Harriet Young, left, and Yetta Romm flank Sharon Young, the future Rabbi Sharon Young Marcus, at her bat mitzvah in 1979. Harriet is Sharon’s mother, Yetta her grandmother.

Below: Sharon Young and her mother spent hours designing Sharon’s bat mitzvah invitation.

Rabbi Sharon Young Marcus

RABBI SHARON YOUNG MARCUS Associate Rabbi, Park Synagogue

By Carlo Wolff

S

haron Young was very nervous when she awoke on Oct. 13, 1979, a few hours before her bat mitzvah at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in suburban Philadelphia. It was the morning of Simchat Torah, and the woman who would become Rabbi Sharon Young Marcus was due to read the first portion, celebrating the Torah’s birthday.

Marcus already knew she wanted to be a rabbi. Her bat mitzvah affirmed that.

“I practiced for months,” says Marcus, associate rabbi at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike. “I remember having to take my Torah portion to camp and I had another girl; it was a double because there were so many kids. I was given the first paragraph; on Simchat Torah, we start and end the Torah, we start it again on that holiday, the birthday of the Torah.

“The other girl was given the last paragraph of the Torah and I was given the very first paragraph, the story of creation,” she adds.

As the first girl in her family

to have a bat mitzvah and read from Torah, Marcus suggests she felt conspicuous, particularly as her family “had been rather traditional.”

“I was the first girl born in 50 years in my family,” she says.

“Everyone had boys, boys, boys, lots of boys.”

Despite her anxiety, she was happy to have a “really good part” of the Torah to read, especially after her rabbi at Keneseth reassured her.

“I remember that morning I was very nervous, but my rabbi leaned over and said, ‘You’ll do a great job; this is my portion.’ It was his portion as well, and he was a very powerful figure in my life. And he knew I wanted to be a rabbi, so he was very mean-

10 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

ingful to me.”

After the bat mitzvah, lunch at the synagogue went well, says Marcus, recalling that she and her mother spent hours making invitations. They featured a ribbon motif, and designing them took time. About 150 showed up for her bat mitzvah celebration in this busy temple in Elkins Park, Pa., a heavily Jewish suburb much like Beachwood.

“I remember my mom spending hours on tablecloths and flowers, music; I had a lot of friends,” Marcus says. “I was very upset because one of my good friends had a bat mitzvah the same day at a different synagogue, so our friends were very split. I had a kids’ party Sunday night, and the next day, we went out to a farm. My birthday’s Oct. 19, so we had a hayride, cookout and bonfire at the farm; it was like the end of 50, 60 bar and bat mitzvahs in my class ... I wanted something different.”

Her parents bought kosher hot dogs that the family brought to that farm, where

“they cooked them for us.”

The weekend went swimmingly, Marcus says. And while no single memory stands out, her reminiscence of the event still glows.

“I just remember being surrounded by family and friends,” she says, comparing her Pennsylvania synagogue, the fifth-oldest Reform temple in the United States, to “Silver’s Temple,” the reinvented The Temple-Tifereth Israel now known as the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

“I had a really good time and enjoyed the service,” Marcus says. “It was the beginning of my aspirations for the rabbinate.” BM Carlo Wolff is a freelance writer from South Euclid

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Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 11

Armond Budish and his son, Ryan Hal, at Ryan Hal’s bar mitzvah Dec. 10, 1994, at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights.

Armond Budish

ARMOND BUDISH Cuyahoga County Executive

By Carlo Wolff

R

abbi Armond E. Cohen and Rev. Eli Levy, key figures in the history of Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike, played critical roles in the bar mitzvah of Armond Budish, a Beachwood resident in his second year as Cuyahoga County Executive.

Budish studied hard for his 1966 bar mitzvah, turning 13 that June 2. He recalls looking forward to the event at Park Synagogue, which at the time existed only in Cleveland Heights.

“It was part of my education, part of my progress as a Jewish youth,” says Budish. His parents were proud of him; so were his

three younger siblings.

Budish doesn’t recall much about the event other than that it was a “triple,” because “back then, the synagogue had lots of kids and limited dates.”

Cohen, who led Ohio’s largest Conservative congregation for decades, officiated, preparing students in class and individually. Cohen died in 2007.

12 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

But it was Levy, Park Synagogue’s ritual director from 1961 to 1997, who most helped Budish navigate his way smoothly through the ceremony.

“I studied for it, no question about that,” Budish says. “Rev. Eli Levy – he was known as the reverend – was the person who prepared me and all the other kids at Park at that time.”

It seems that Levy, who gave bar or bat mitzvah lessons to more than 3,000 boys, girls and adults from Park Synagogue, had no qualms about using technology that was stateof-the-art for its time, though Budish can’t quite remember the exact device.

“I forget whether it was a

tape recording or little record that he had given us, with not only reading material but something to listen to so we would be better prepared,” Budish says. “He was old-school; he sang a portion on it, he chanted the portion on whatever it was, a tape or record, so we could hear how it was supposed to sound.”

Levy died in 2013.

There was a party at the synagogue following the service.

Budish recalls he had fun, but what stands out in his memory is a candle-lighting ceremony.

“It went well,” he says. BM Carlo Wolff is a freelance writer from South Euclid

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mroddy@signatureofsoloncc.com Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 13

Rabbi Samuel Broude, from left, top row, with Ron Leikin and his parents, Shirley and Milton Leikin. Bottom row, from left, Jeff, Jim and Kari Leikin.

Below: Ron Leikin is a happy man after collecting envelopes at his bar mitzvah.

Ron Leikin

RON LEIKIN President and dealer principal, Leikin Motor Company

By Carlo Wolff

T

he chapel at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood was full when Ron Leikin celebrated his bar mitzvah on June 20, 1964.

The back door was open, there was an oneg with wine and cake, and people took snapshots.

Leikin, who grew up in Shaker Heights, had made it through, and it was time to party. Once Leikin had overcome his nervousness and an initial flub that had the audience laughing, his bar mitzvah had been smooth sailing.

“I was ready for it; we went to Hebrew school three days a week, and I had a tutor,” Leikin recalls. “The guy who was most responsible for getting me ready was a guy by the name of Eisenstein. He was a rough guy, he was a big guy, he didn’t take any shit from the kids, and I was not a particularly good Hebrew student, but he got me ready.

He did the impossible; he got me prepared.”

Other than his opening, all went smoothly thanks to Eisenstein, and to Leikin’s best friend, Bill Treister.

“If he hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t have gotten through it,” he says. “The two of them were responsible for me getting my bar mitzvah, Eisenstein being the taskmaster, Treister being my helpful buddy.”

But when another friend, who was sitting in the front row, started smiling as Leikin was reading from Torah, he realized he’d made a mistake.

“The most significant memory of that morning was I was so nervous that I started my Torah portion and left out the opening prayer, before you

14 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

start where people join in,” he says. “Every kid in the audience started to laugh; parents, most of them, didn’t notice, but the kids who had gotten bar mitzvahed did. I realized it when I looked up and saw one of my friends in the front row smiling and shaking his head; the kid’s name was Hal Reisenfeld, he lives in Florida now. He was the guy that noticed it right away and I looked up and realized what I had done but there was no turning back.”

So Leikin made it through, segueing into an adult party at Hawthorne Valley Country Club in Solon and a kids’ party in the backyard of the Leikin home on Lyman Boulevard. Leikin now lives in Cleveland Heights.

The oldest of four children, Leikin that day began to understand what it means to be a man.

“Once I was bar mitzvahed, my father impressed upon me that being the oldest, as time went on, I just needed to under-

stand the responsibility of being the first-born,” he says. “Not only now you’re a man,” his father told him, “but you have to start understanding these things.”

What of the bar mitzvah gifts?

“Envelopes. It was all about the envelopes,” he says, laughing. “In those days I had pockets full of envelopes. I carried them around all night; had them in every pocket of my suit. They were mostly in those days a lot of savings bonds and some checks.”

Other adults in his family stressed the importance of hard work and rigorous thought.

“That was always the theme: Think before you act and work hard,” says Leikin, who still attends Fairmount Temple. “That was the ethic that was handed down from grandfather, father, uncles and ultimately to me.” BM Carlo Wolff is a freelance writer from South Euclid

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Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 15

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KOSHER CONTRIBUTIONS

By Amanda Koehn

18 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

B’nai mitzvah kids volunteer through Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry for their mitzvah projects, improving access to food for an entire community

Amanda Koehn

O

n a Sunday morning in early October – which also happened to be erev Rosh Hashanah – adults, kids and families volunteering at the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry formed a human conveyor belt of sorts. One person would pack a donation bag full of cookies, produce, pancake mix and other assorted foods, while the next prepared the bags for transportation, and finally, someone organized the bags into a very full, white van to deliver to recipients.

Jacob Pincus, 13, of Beachwood, who came to volunteer with his dad, Stephen, 49, and sister, Miriam, 17, was already quite familiar with the pantry. Jacob volunteered with the pantry for his mitzvah project, almost a year ago.

“I learned how hard some people work just to get food to people who are less

fortunate,” Jacob says.

According to a 2014 report from Feeding America, 19.4 percent of Cuyahoga County residents faced food insecurity.

The Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry, one of the largest agencies of the Cleveland Food Bank, serves 4,000 people each month.

As teens like Jacob and Hannah Appel, a

Beachwood girl who took donations at her bat mitzvah for the pantry, work with the pantry for mitzvah projects, they learn not only about providing healthy food in the Jewish community, but also lifelong lessons of tikkun olam.

FAMILY SERVICE Jacob, his parents Amy and Stephen, and two sisters Miriam and Sarah, 20, moved from Pittsburgh to Greater Cleveland in 2011. Stephen is a lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board in Cleveland, and Amy works for the Friendship Circle in Pepper Pike – both service professions that inspire the family’s commitment to serving in the community. Thus, as members of the Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood,

Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 19

Amanda Koehn Volunteers pack bags for the delivery van.

Those interested in volunteering, donating, or who need assistance can contact the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry at 216-382-7202 or info@kosherfb.org.

Rivka Goldstein Hannah Appel with the items she collected for the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry. they wanted the family to be active together in the Jewish community.

“We had previously lived in Pittsburgh where it was a more diverse community, and I think that it is important that people who grew up here know there are other people right down the block who you may not meet on a day-to-day basis but that these are people who are part of our community that we need to take care of,” Stephen Pincus says. “These are lessons people should have throughout their lives, and the earlier they get started, the better.”

Amy Pincus connected the family with the pantry and they

soon began volunteering.

“Since we moved here, we’ve been a big part of the kosher food pantry,” Jacob says. “It just felt right, I guess.”

Thus when it became time for Jacob’s mitzvah project, he was already used to the fastpaced, yet friendly, atmosphere.

“We came on Sundays and had a list of food to put in each bag and we had to make close to 100 bags each time,” Jacob says.

He also organized food drives for the pantry at his school and synagogue as part of the mitzvah project. Speaking at his bar mitzvah last November, Jacob talked about the pantry

“I just learned that even if you can’t do so much to help people, even the thought of what you can do and being there counts.”

Hannah Appel 20 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

and the important work done there.

An eighth-grader at Fuchs Mizrachi School in Beachwood who plays on his school’s basketball team and plays guitar, Jacob still finds time to volunteer at the pantry on occasion.

“As parents, we want to leave an ethical legacy to our children that is based in Jewish values, not material things,” Amy Pincus says. “When we pass on this tradition of giving, our children have a strong moral compass that will guide them throughout their lives.”

KOSHER PANTRY Devorah Alevsky, director of the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry, expanded the pantry after taking over for her parents, Rabbi Zalman and Rebbetzin Shula Kazen. Her parents were Russian immigrants who led Congregation Zemach Zedek, an Orthodox synagogue in Cleveland Heights, and founded the pantry.

“We feel very proud that we are not only helping the needy and the struggling families in our community, but that we’ve really created a way where young people are actively involved and learning

the concept of tikkun olam and charity and kindness,” Alevsky says. “It really goes hand in hand because without the volunteers we couldn’t possibly do what we are doing.”

The pantry is now at 2004 S. Green Road in South Euclid.

In addition to having an open pantry on Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m. for people to pick up kosher foods, the pantry also delivers food, including fresh produce, to senior apartment buildings and goes door to door for those unable to leave their homes. The group’s ability to deliver foods lets them give out more fruits and vegetables than many food banks, since recipients do not have to lug heavy produce home, especially if they do not drive.

“Hands-on activity really makes a difference in learning sharing and caring,” Alevsky says.

“These are things people always remember about themselves.”

EXTENDING SERVICE Hannah Appel, 13, started volunteering at the pantry through a J-Teen Mandel JCC summer camp program and quickly connected their work to her own family history.

“I thought it was really inter-

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Amanda Koehn Stephen, Jacob and Miriam Pincus at the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry. esting and it made me realize how my bubbe Lola was in the Holocaust and she didn’t have that much food,” says Hannah, an eighth-grader at Beachwood Middle School.

Living with her mother Suzanne, father Lee and 16-yearold brother, Noah, Hannah says her family is inspired by the survival story of her greatgrandmother, Lola Malcmacher.

“I think (Hannah) wanted to do something to help others and it’s so special and unusual that she has a great-grandmother, a Holocaust survivor,” says Suzanne Appel, director of the JDN Early Childhood Center at Bellefaire JCB. Thus, when it came time

to choose a mitzvah project, Hannah chose the pantry. “I just learned that even if you can’t do so much to help people, even the thought of what you can do and being there counts,” she says.

However, like Jacob, her interest in helping the pantry and the Jewish community didn’t stop there. Hannah, who goes to the Temple Emanu El in Orange, decided that at her April 2016 bat mitzvah, she would collect food from her 250 guests to donate to the pantry.

“When she told me she was interested, I contacted them to see if they were open to having us collect food ... so we actually collected a lot,” said Suzanne Appel.

22 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

“I learned how hard some people work just to get food to people who are less fortunate.”

Jacob Pincus The Kosher Food Pantry relies heavily on the financial support of donors and sponsors to fund this project of delivering the packages of food every month to struggling families.

Now, Hannah, who is also active with the Playmakers Youth Theatre program at the Mandel JCC and the North American Federation of Temple Youth, says volunteering at the pantry has inspired her to do more volunteer work in general.

“I’ve been thinking about it and would eventually like to go with my temple to Israel and volunteer there,” Hannah said.

The pantry always welcomes teens looking to take on a chesed project. Volunteers can come as often as they like.

“I would say to definitely go look at it and check it out, it is very fulfilling,” Suzanne Appel says. “It’s a lot bigger than you think and you help a lot of people.” BM

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Joe Mineo Creative is a nationally recognized and award winning event design company. In their studio they create and produce events for clientele in the nearby cities of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and beyond.

With every event they create, plan or manage the Joe Mineo Creative team provides a unique design, respect to budget, exceptional service, and a sophisticated presentation.

Joe Mineo’s 30 years of experience in the design, planning, and management of events is just part of the service you can expect to receive when booking a wedding, Mitzvah, corporate event or special occasion at Joe Mineo Creative.

Innovative concept development, thoughtful event branding, unique décor, expert floral design, customized graphic design, and clever digital media integration all contribute to the success of every event they produce.

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PLANNING AHEAD

Professional planners agree that taking care of all the details well in advance can help set up any celebration for success

By Kristen Mott

Whimzey Events

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ike most large social events, a bar or bat mitzvah reception requires careful planning and close attention to detail. From selecting a venue to deciding on vendors to making sure guests have an enjoyable time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Here, Joe Mineo, owner and creative director of Joe Mineo Creative in Canfield, and Tariko Kendall, founder of Whimzey Events in Warrensville Heights, offer tips to keep the planning process easy and enjoyable.

FIRST THINGS FIRST The first component that needs to be decided on is the venue.

“As soon as the rabbi or temple is giving you your date for your bar or bat mitzvah, contracting where you want to have your celebration is imperative,” Mineo says. “Being that most venues can only do one event at a time, and if this particular venue is the one you

really have your heart set on, then you want to make sure that’s wrapped up.”

If the venue doesn’t come with an in-house catering team, booking a caterer nine to 12 months beforehand is the next important step, Mineo says. Many families then find a party planner.

“By the time they get to me, they’ve already booked their venue, their DJ, their photogra-

26 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

pher and their caterer,” Kendall says. “I’m a designer, so I can help them figure out things like decorations and invitations after they sit down with me.”

GOODBYE THEMES While themes have ruled the b’nai mitzvah world the last few years, the new trend is to use sophisticated décor and color palettes.

“More and more I am leading my clients to no theme and they are leading me to no theme. A 13-year-old today is not a 13-year-old (of ) five years ago, and certainly not a 13-year-old (of ) 15 years ago, when themes were a bit more necessary,” Mineo says.

“Kids’ concept of design is so much more educated.

Sometimes a theme juveniles an event. What we try to do is more of an ‘atmosphere

feeling’ than a theme. What do we want the party to feel like?

What’s the energy in the room?”

Kendall agrees, and says that more of her clients are focusing on having nice décor and using uplighting to transform a space.

“Even if there is a theme, they’re not making it so over the top. There are little touches of what the theme is instead,” she says.

PARTING GIFTS Pictures taken inside a photo booth remain a popular favor for b’nai mitzvah receptions, Mineo says, but he’s also getting more requests for personalized gifts, especially when it comes to clothing.

“They like something that’s personalized, either with the logo of the event or something personalized special to the client. I find that for the kids, they

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“As soon as the rabbi or temple is giving you your date for your bar or bat mitzvah, contracting where you want to have your celebration is imperative.”

Joe Mineo, owner and creative director of Joe Mineo Creative

really focus on something they can wear, whether it’s a T-shirt, sweatpants or a baseball cap. They’re kind of attracted to custom monogrammed or a logo piece of clothing,” he says.

Kendall, on the other hand, says she always tries to steer her clients toward favors that are edible.

“Whether it’s a candy buffet or some type of concession setup where people can pick a variety of things on the way out as they’re leaving, that seems to go over very well and it’s money well spent,” she says.

Missing details Components such as the venue and décor are usually top of mind, but sometimes smaller details can slip through the cracks. Transportation is an aspect of the planning process that’s often overlooked, Kendall says.

Depending on the distance between the ceremony location and the reception venue, booking some sort of transportation for guests may be a wise investment.

28 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

Integral to any party is food, like the Margherita pizzas (left) and chicken potstickers (above) from Joe Mineo Creative. Table decor, such as candles and floral arrangements, also can make an impact.

According to Mineo, many parents also underestimate how important the food selection is to the children.

“Sometimes parents think kids don’t care about the food, but they do. They really do know the difference when it comes to food,” he says.

Finding out the child’s favorite food or favorite restaurant can help steer the menu in the right direction.

“If the kids want burgers and fries, then we may add glazed balsamic mushrooms to the burgers and dipping sauces for the fries,” Mineo says. “I want to upgrade that to make it something a little more interesting than a typical kids’ menu.”

Final advice With so many vendors to choose from, Kendall recommends shopping around before making a decision.

“Do your homework before signing that dotted line. Make sure that the designers are capable of producing what they say they can before you proceed. Ask for references and some samples of work that they’ve done before actually signing that contract,” she says.

For Mineo, one of his biggest challenges is working with clients who try to micromanage every last detail. To relieve stress and ensure great results, he encourages parents to let the vendors do what they do best.

“This is what all of these vendors do for a living on a daily basis,” he says. “We’ve seen successes and we’ve seen failures. You need to let us do what we do best in the budget that you’ve given us. Go with your gut when you’re hiring vendors.” BM

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hile many families opt for commonly booked venues – like a hotel ballroom or party hall – for a bar or bat mitzvah reception, others are looking for alternative venues that incorporate unique activities or entertainment.

From music to arcade games to outdoor adventure courses, Northeast Ohio offers plenty of options to create a memorable experience.

Dueling pianos The Big Bang, a dueling piano bar, opened in the Flats East Bank in Cleveland in August 2015. The venue accommodates 350 people, and families have the option of booking the entire facility or reserving a private VIP area off to the side of the stage.

Throughout the evening, guests can request songs for the two pianists to perform.

“We put a request sheet and pencils on every table,” says Craig Emhardt, general manager of The Big Bang Cleveland. “At any given point, people can write down the song they want to hear and then throw it on the piano themselves. The music is constantly evolving throughout the night so the guests can hear the music they want to hear.”

In addition to music, The Big Bang offers a full menu with small plates and upscale American cuisine, as well as two fully stocked bars. Dietary restrictions also can be accommodated, Emhardt says.

Emhardt believes the entertainment that The Big Bang offers sets it apart from other venues in the area.

“We bring in world-class entertainers to perform. We fly in some of them weekly from other parts of the country,” he says.

“There’s something for everyone. We can start off playing The Beatles for parents and then switch to Maroon 5 for the kids and then we can play a Disney song two songs later. We offer the gamut of genres of music.”

arcaDe gaMes More than 80 arcade and video games are housed within Play Arcade + Kitchen, which opened in Mayfield Heights in March 2015.

Families interested in hosting a bar or bat mitzvah at the venue may book a private upstairs banquet facility, which can fit 150 people, or the entire facility, which accommodates 400.

“Our private banquet room is separated from the arcade area,” says Darryl Margolis, operating partner. “We allow the kids to go downstairs and enjoy the games while the party upstairs is going on. It gives the adults a space away from the arcade area so they can enjoy dinner and the party while the kids go down and utilize the video games.”

All parties at Play Arcade are catered by an in-house team. The regular menu at the venue features scratch-made American cuisine, including salads, pizzas and grass-fed beef hamburgers. Families also may opt for “banquet style” food, Margolis says, such as chicken Marsala, sliced beef tenderloin and sautéed vegetables.

Margolis also is in the process of remodeling 5,000 square feet in the south end of the building. He hopes that the project will increase the building’s banquet occupancy by another 400 people as well as allow the venue to host more than one bar or bat mitzvah at a time.

According to Margolis, the combination of interactive video games and great food make Play Arcade + Kitchen a unique destination.

“I became a bar mitzvah many, many years ago. I see that some of the same venues are still out there. I think we’re some place different and just kind of a change from the status quo of what’s been around for so long,” he says.

32 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

The Big Bang Cleveland

Play Arcade + Kitchen outDoor aDventure Thrill seekers may want to check out Go Ape Zip Line and Treetop Adventure at Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville.

The course, which opened in April 2015, features 42 crossings, including bridges, trapezes, tunnels, ladders, two Tarzan swings and five zip lines, the longest being 400 feet.

“Basically you go through a series of crossings that are attached to trees and to platforms, so you’re about 40 to 50 feet off the ground for two to three hours,” says Dan D’Agostino, USA managing director of Go Ape. Depending on the size of the group, families can reserve the afternoon or the entire day for guests to go through the course.

Although aspects of the course may seem challenging, D’Agostino assures that it was designed for people of all physical abilities.

“Our minimum age is 10 years old. We’ve had a 92-year-old

grandmother go through the course before. There are harder obstacles and less challenging obstacles as well. Really anybody that can get up a rope ladder can go through the course,” he says.

Go Ape is typically open from late March through the beginning of December. While there are no food options on site, D’Agostino says the staff has a list of recommend caterers that it has worked with in the past.

D’Agostino believes Go Ape provides something unique for those celebrating a bar or bat mitzvah.

“We set up an experience for pretty much everyone, but then it’s your own experience,” he says.

“You and your friends and your family are going through the course, but you’re working on the course and the challenges pretty much by yourself. It’s really a unique, different, self-driven experience up in the tops of the trees in a beautiful park.” BM

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A lot of time and effort goes into planning a bar or bat mitzvah, and along the way, many questions are certain to arise. Thankfully for area families, Greater Cleveland is home to many professionals with the experience and know-how to help answer those questions and offer advice.

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CATERING

Clockwise, from left: Golden beet ravioli, a dessert display and quintuple chocolate pushups

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PRESIDENT | CHEF DAVE’S CATERING WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GET RIGHT? Every host will have a different answer about what’s most important to them. Choosing a caterer who will anticipate your needs and help navigate the challenges – even those not directly related to catering – and whom you can rely on when feeling overwhelmed can give a real sense of comfort. There’s so much work that goes into the planning and all the details, having a professional who’s attentive and accommodating to your needs can make the preparations going into a joyous and celebratory time feel that way through the entire process.

WHAT’S OFTEN OVERLOOKED? With so much focus on this great party for one child, sometimes other siblings can feel left out or neglected. Having them involved in some way, however minor, can go a long way to keeping everyone happy, sulk-free and on the same team.

Another thing that we periodi-

cally have to deal with are guests sometimes neglecting to inform the host about special dietary needs. It might lead to a bit of scrambling, but caterers will usually be able to accommodate them. For larger events, we’ll anticipate those last-minute requests and have some items prepared for the more popular special diets.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD PARENTS CONSIDER? Depending on the format of the party, we often find that a simpler menu for the kids is sufficient. This allows you to focus your efforts (and budget) on a more elaborate menu for the adults. Also, don’t hesitate to convey anything that’s meaningful to you to your caterer. As with anything related to your bar or bat mitzvah, if it’s important to you, it should be important to them.

WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING? We’re seeing multiple courses, more variety and combinations of plated and family-

36 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

style service. Also, ethnic and regional foods and a variety of in-house smoked meats have been increasingly popular on recent menus. And while we’d no longer consider them true trends anymore (hard to call it a trend when it’s going strong and continuously stronger for more than 10 years), but a focus on sustainable, seasonal, local and more healthful offerings is certainly an area we see more clients requesting – and appreciating our own underlying philosophy in regards to mindful cooking and mindful eating.

WHEN SHOULD PEOPLE START PLANNING? The nice thing about bar and bat mitzvahs is that they never catch you by surprise. Reserving the caterer, venue, DJ and photographer a year in advance will usually suffice – but that’s never guaranteed, of course.

We’d recommend reserving your preferred choices as soon as you’re ready – and then relaxing.

It’s a nice feeling to be able to have the framework for the big day set and then have the ability to take your time filling in all of the details. BM

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ENTERTAINMENT

CLE Music Group

ELI COHEN

DJ AND MC | CLE MUSIC GROUP WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GET RIGHT? One of the most important things to keep in mind during the planning of a great mitzvah is that everyone should be in the understanding that the guest of honor is just as much the client as the parents. Even though they are not the ones writing the check, they are truly the most important part of the day. It’s about the guest of honor, their friends, their family and their life journey.

WHAT’S OFTEN OVERLOOKED? So often it’s the large details that take center stage when planning a mitzvah. Where is the band from? Who’s the DJ going to be? Where will the celebration take place? The most common thing overlooked at any great life celebration is definitely the novelties, items

and giveaways. These things go a long way, and are very necessary to the success of the event, plus the kids love them.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD PARENTS CONSIDER? Parents should also consider party motivators or dancers.

Plus, it’s important to have the appropriate ratio of guests to dancer count. If you’re having a celebration and are expecting 100 kids, you really should have at least four party motivators and dancers. If you’re having a large party and only have one dancer on site to assist the DJ and MC, you’re missing a great opportunity to engage the kids (audience) and create an amazing show. Kids need a little push, party motivators and dancers will be that needed push.

WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING? There are lots of trends these

38 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

days. Lately, I’ve seen these trends to include lighting designers and Henna artists. These options are making a big comeback. Obviously, there’s the usual fun stuff : inflatables, photo booths, party hats, decorations, big screen TVs and games. Creating a theme is very important.

The best celebrations pick one theme and then design around that one concept.

WHEN SHOULD PEOPLE START PLANNING? It’s best to plan a large and important event at least one year out. This is to ensure that the venue and entertainment needed and desired for an event are available and that both items best suit the guest of honor. Many of the most popular weekends to host a special event are also busy wedding weekends, and we all know that brides plan a year or more out – so plan early. BM

“The most common thing overlooked at any great life celebration is definitely the novelties, items and giveaways. These things go a long way, and are very necessary to the success of the event, plus the kids love them.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Elizabeth Glorioso Photography

ELIZABETH GLORIOSO

PHOTOGRAPHER AND OWNER | ELIZABETH GLORIOSO PHOTOGRAPHY WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GET RIGHT? The most important thing to get right is to select a photographer that is a great fit for your family.

My approach is to meet the family and get to know them at a photo consultation before the mitzvah. The consultation is an opportunity to answer the family’s questions. We talk about everything from whether the family likes more posed or candid photos to clothing options. I want my clients comfortable working with me and excited about capturing the moments that matter to them.

WHAT’S OFTEN OVERLOOKED? What is often overlooked is the importance of the printed image. Whether that be a beautiful custom album or a few favorite portraits from the day framed on the wall, parents might consider that years from now there will be a family milestone such as a

graduation or wedding when the mitzvah photos are part of family history. The future of digital files is unknown. Ask the photographer you are considering booking if he/she offers professional printing and album design services along with the digital files. It saves time having your photographer provide the printing, and the quality is so much better from professional labs.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD PARENTS CONSIDER? When selecting a photographer, parents need to consider the photographer’s experience documenting mitzvahs. Make certain the professionals considered are skilled in portraiture and can capture fast-paced action of dancing and party games.

Take a close look at his or her printed work and online galleries, checking for a photographer’s wellroundedness. With my degree

40 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

in photography from Cleveland Institute of Art, I use my technical skills at every mitzvah to make beautiful portraits and capture key moments.

WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING? A trend that is popular is premitzvah portrait sessions. This photo session is taken a few months before the event. I love this trend because it furthers my relationship with the client.

The professional photos from the session are often used for mitzvah announcements, invitations and party décor. I have even seen huge life-size stand-ups made for the party.

Super fun!

WHEN SHOULD PEOPLE START PLANNING? Parents should plan to book your photographer nine to 12 months in advance. Just like the favorite party venues, when the dates get booked, the dates are gone. If you have a photographer’s work

“The consultation is an opportunity to answer the family’s questions. We talk about everything from whether the family likes more posed or candid photos to clothing options. I want my clients comfortable working with me and excited about capturing the moments that matter to them.” you really love, contact them as soon as possible and they can let you know how far in advance they typically book events. I have booked clients as far as 18 months ahead, especially for popular dates such as holiday weekends. BM

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SYNAGOGUE

Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple

CANTOR SARAH SAGER

CANTOR | ANSHE CHESED FAIRMOUNT TEMPLE WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GET RIGHT? Before the student even begins to prepare to lead the congregation in worship, before the student looks at the Torah portion and determines what has to be learned, it is important for the student, his or her parents and the entire family to appreciate that becoming a bar or bat mitzvah is really the status that initiates a young person into the Jewish people. It is not an occasion that happens once and is forgotten, it is the accomplishment of the status of accountability that renders the young person a full-fledged member of the Jewish people.

All the “service” does is to celebrate this new position that happens automatically by virtue of the student turning 13 years old! It doesn’t do anything to the student, it does not confer the status of bar or bat mitzvah

upon the student. In this context, what happens after the service is far more important than what happens before and during.

After the service, the entire community depends on the bar or bat mitzvah to learn, to study, to act, and to energize our people and our tradition.

WHAT’S OFTEN OVERLOOKED? The feelings of younger siblings!

When so much time and attention are being focused on the child who will be celebrating becoming a bar or bat mitzvah, the younger brothers and sisters may feel that they have become invisible. Even while parents know that “their turn” will come, it can be hard for the younger child to understand that, and when the gifts start arriving, it can be positively painful. Just being aware of all of the family dynamics that surround even the most joyous lifecycle events

42 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

and paying some extra attention to the younger child(ren) can go a long way to easing feelings of resentment and being left out.

social, judicial, etc.) about which they feel passionate.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD PARENTS CONSIDER?

In the best of all possible scenarios, our parents would start raising their children to live vibrant, meaningful, informed and passionate Jewish lives from the day they are born! If they did this, the experience of celebrating a bar or bat mitzvah would be but one of many important Jewish milestones that would inform their child’s life. The more natural and intrinsic Judaism is in the family’s structure and practice, the more meaningful and less stressful will be the experience of a bar or bat mitzvah. The ultimate goal is for our children to grow up to be educated, contributing, practicing and joyful Jews! That is Judaism at its best and its most rewarding. It is the journey of a lifetime that can enhance every moment of our lives. BM

A bar or bat mitzvah is a beginning, not a graduation!

This is a perfect opportunity for parents to discuss with their children their own values, their thoughts and feelings about being Jewish, and their hopes for their children’s Jewish lives.

WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING? One of the trends is what I would identify as “individualization” of the service and a deepening of its meaning as a result. Our students are offering their own thoughts about the prayers and the Torah portion, and are seeking to do mitzvot that reflect their interests and the initiatives (such as ecological, medical,

WHEN SHOULD PEOPLE START PLANNING?

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FLORAL PF Designs: Pilla Palermo Florist

TONI BYRNE

OWNER | PF DESIGNS: PILLA PALERMO FLORIST WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GET RIGHT? The most important aspect for any event is to understand the vision of the client. Just as no two people are alike, no two events are alike and no two people see things the same way.

I need to be sure my designs are a reflection of the interests and personality of the client. I want to be able to sift through all the possibilities and propose decorations that reflect those ideas and flow into a fabulous celebration.

To accomplish this goal, I usually have an initial visit with both the child and parent to discuss the child’s interests and gain an understanding of his or her personality. We discuss the theme for the evening, what would work well in the venue and the amount of decorating they feel would be appropriate to capture their vision.

WHAT’S OFTEN OVERLOOKED? I feel sometimes people overlook decorating the temple or synagogue and focus only on the evening celebration.

The decorations, which can be transferred and used again, let people know that something special and important is occurring.

We did a mitzvah at a temple decorating the luncheon tables with solid linens and arrangements of flowers and balloons. The balloons were removed for the evening and the centerpieces transferred and reused for the evening children’s tables. This versatility sets the mood for the celebration without adding a significant expense.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD PARENTS CONSIDER? I feel that most parents are involved in every aspect of their children’s lives. They know their

44 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

interests, their personalities and their desires. They need to consider all of those things when planning their event.

The florist needs to evaluate the location and propose decorations that coincide with the child’s interests and the parents’ budget. We have turned a club into a winter wonderland in July for a child who loved winter, hanging snowflakes from the ceiling and placing popcorn “snowballs” on the tables. Another child loved Africa.

We turned his venue into an African jungle complete with vines, animals and jungle sounds.

Parents need to consider all the possibilities.

WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING? I’m seeing events that are much more informal and fun. We are seeing more casual seating and smaller tables, stations with a variety of foods instead of large formal seating with served meals.

The table decorations reflect this shift. We are doing long tables with florals cascading down the center combined with cocktail tables and smaller rounds so people can mingle. The larger rounds may have elevated pieces, the cocktail tables smaller clusters. The flowers are youthful and fun.

WHEN SHOULD PEOPLE START PLANNING? Ideally, the planning should begin once the venue has been booked. Florists book their events 12 months in advance.

The summer and early fall months are their busiest times.

It is always best to secure your vendors as early as possible even if you haven’t decided the type of decorations you may need. Mitzvahs especially have items that are customized.

Signage, specialized centerpiece containers and linen may require more lead-time to secure. BM

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SUPER SETTINGS

Greater Cleveland is home to b’nai mitzvah venues that both give a nod to the region’s past as well as a hint at its future

By Jonah L. Rosenblum

Dave Siegel / Siegel photographic Inc.

A

iry rooms, picturesque views and even a carousel have all risen in recent years – literally and figuratively – for consideration as enticing options for bar and bat mitzvah parties.

Welcome to the 21st century.

Jackie Nachman, sales manager at the Western Reserve Historical Society, home to the famed Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel, says parents are remarkably creative when it comes to bar and bat mitzvah planning.

Weddings generally veer traditional. Not bar or bat mitzvahs.

“People are way more creative with bar mitzvahs

than weddings,” Nachman says.

“They’re coming in with more creativity.

“I think the trend is leaning toward how unique you can go.

We’re probably the pinnacle of uniqueness.”

That uniqueness is best encapsulated by the carousel, which is popular with kids, of course, but is also a dramatic throwback to Euclid Beach Park,

48 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

a popular amusement park shuttered in 1969. As a result, many parents and grandparents have taken equal joy in the carousel, relishing memories of years past.

Bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies at the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum of the Western Reserve Historical Society are surrounded by old cars and planes. There is even a Goodyear gondola, on top of which the Goodyear blimp used to fly.

There is also a plane reminiscent of the one the Wright brothers flew.

All of which provides plenty for a b’nai mitzvah’s younger guests to occupy themselves with. Gone are the days of trying to get 7-year-old Billy to sit still at the table. Now, Billy can look at an 1897 Panhard Levassor, the oldest enclosed automobile in the world, according to the museum sign, while Mom and Dad talk politics.

“You don’t need to dress (our facility) up,” Nachman says. “It already has a lot to see.”

The hotel ballroom has changed as well. Take the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, with

Dave Siegel / Siegel photographic Inc. Opposite page: The Hilton Cleveland Downtown has added a new dimension to the city’s skyline. Above: The Hilton’s ballrooms feature ceilings that are 18 to 20 feet high. Right: The Crawford Auto Aviation Musuem of the Western Reserve Historical Society offers a unique setting for parties.

its high ceilings, humongous windows and triumphant views of the Cleveland skyline and Lake Erie.

“It’s hard to feel cramped when you have 18-feet ceilings, 20-feet ceilings. These are huge spaces,” says Carolyn Deming, the hotel’s director of public relations. “In all these spaces, you’re greeted by the lake and the mall and the courthouse, the stadium, the blue skies. It really brings an element from the outside. You know what time of day it is when you’re in our space.”

Deming says the hotel’s ballroom – like many modern hotel ballrooms – is defined by flexibility. Ballrooms can be broken into numerous sections, meaning the hotel can adapt to the size of the guest list. The windows, normally featuring views of the city and the lake, can be screened for the critical

social task of Mom and Dad embarrassing their son or daughter with a slideshow.

But in the 21st century, the bar mitzvah has surely broken out of the ballroom.

At the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, the ballroom is pivotal and beautiful, but nothing beats the location.

The hotel is within walking distance of East 4th Street, the Warehouse District and Public Square.

“We have the best location,” Deming said. “We’re really, really fortunate where we’re located in the heart of downtown Cleveland.”

In an era when entertainment is expected to far exceed the hora, that’s what it’s all about. BM

Western Reserve Historical Society Western Reserve Historical Society

Jonah L. Rosenblum is a freelance writer from Cleveland Heights

Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 49

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Blum’s Party Goods

GIFTS GALORE

From presents for the b’nai mitzvah child to thank-you gifts for guests, area storeowners can help parents make the best choices

By Jonah L. Rosenblum

G

ift-giving is an art – an art that is fully tested when one’s bar or bat mitzvah rolls around.

And it’s not only finding the perfect gift for the 13-year-old b’nai mitzvah that’s an issue.

There’s also the matter of treating the out-of-town guest right, with the perfect little trinket or arrangement lying in wait on the hotel bed.

All of which is ideally done within budget, so there’s still money for the b’nai mitvah’s wedding a decade or two later.

Miriam Blum, owner of Blum’s Party Goods, talks about hostess gifts that are $5 apiece.

On the other hand, Les Keller, proprietor of ARK Jewelers at Cedar Center, notes that a classic gift, the bar mitzvah ring, has become too expensive for many of his customers due to the rising price of gold. Those gold rings have gone from roughly $400 to $700, Keller says.

“Who’s going to spend that on a 13-year-old boy?” he asks.

Fortunately, there are plenty of more reasonably priced gifts available. Cuff links are a classic option, according to

52 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

Keller, ranging from $50 to $300 depending on the level of customization. The risk of customization has been drastically reduced by the fact that a three-dimensional image is first drawn on a computer, providing the customer with a chance to review before the work is done.

A moving star, which in silver is $100 and in gold starts at $250, is another interesting item, dividing the Star of David into two moving pieces. When separated, the pieces “look like abstract pieces of art,” Keller says. When together, it’s a Star of David.

While ARK Jewelers welcomes bar mitzvah gift buyers, Keller says the bat mitzvah jewelry gifts still outnumber the bar mitzvah jewelry gifts. Diamond studs, in particular, remain the standard.

“Diamond studs are always in style for young ladies and they’re always a hit,” Keller says.

Studs can be expensive though, making them a “very nice gift, usually given by close family members.” For the less close family members and friends, bracelets can be a good buy. The bracelets can be adorned with the bat mitzvah’s birthstone – and can start at $65.

Diamond earrings and a moving Star of David from ARK Jewelers.

The gifts don’t always move in one direction, however.

The b’nai mitzvah’s parents may want to get a gift for Aunt Ruth after she takes two planes to get from Scottsdale, Ariz., to Cleveland. Naturally, a gift for Aunt Ruth must be followed with gifts for Grandpa Lenny and the other 10 family members who traveled from that part of the world known as “Not Greater Cleveland.”

Chocolate arrangements are one very popular hostess gift, says Blum. Colored dishes, starting at $5 apiece, are another.

Monogrammed towels can be

ARK Jewelers bought at a similar price point – and offer a nice personalized feel.

As Blum notes, the options are numerous enough that she can find something for every budget.

“People don’t want to spend a lot of money,” Blum says. “You can choose the price range and the budget.”

Just don’t forget about Aunt Ruth.

Seriously. BM

Don’t just host an event Host an Experience

Jonah L. Rosenblum is a freelance writer from Cleveland Heights

BOOK NOW! I NFO@REDS PACEEVENTS .COM In the lifetime of a Jewish family there is so much to celebrate. Whether you are a young adult becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a couple preparing for marriage, a family with small children looking ahead to religious school, or an adult wanting to renew or build a connection to a synagogue community, The Temple provides that special place. Become a part of The Temple family and celebrate with us.

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Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 53

BAR/BAT BANKING Monetary b’nai mitzvah gifts can help teens save for the future while teaching them important financial lessons

By Ed Wittenberg

B

oys and girls often receive substantial sums of money as gifts for their bar or bat mitzvah.

It’s advantageous to the children to deposit that money into some type of savings account at a bank, rather than keeping it locked up at home.

“One of the most obvious benefits of putting your money in a savings account is the safety a bank provides,” says Lisa King, vice president of marketing at Dollar Bank in Cleveland. “Not only are a bank’s vault locks much more secure than anything you’d have at home, but money kept at a bank is FDIC-insured and provides the extra benefit of earning interest (on interest-bearing accounts).”

A standard savings account would work well for a teenager who would appreciate the ability to track his or her balance online or with a mobile banking app, King says.

“Using a mobile remote deposit service, you can deposit a check by simply taking a photo of the front and back of the check and following simple instructions to have it immediately deposited into your account,” she says.

Dell Duncan, executive vice president of Geauga Savings Bank in Newbury Township, says the two main investment vehicles are a regular savings account and certificate of deposit. He says interest rates are very low in general, but

slightly higher on a CD. “With a savings account, you can add to the balance at any time,” he says. “So after the initial deposit from the bar or bat mitzvah, if the child is earning money on his or her own, he or she can add to that account or make withdrawals at any time.

“With a CD, you take a given amount of money and contract with the bank to put that money on deposit for a specified amount of time. Interest rates are a little bit higher because the bank knows it will have that money for a certain period of time and can utilize that money at a higher interest rate; therefore, they can pay a higher interest rate for it.”

With a standard savings account, one can also withdraw the money at any time and move it to another bank, so the bank is “not as keen on paying a higher interest rate,” Duncan adds.

King says in considering investment options, one should think about how long he or she can invest, what his or her goals are and how he or she feels about

54 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Fall•Winter 2016

risking the money.

“Most experts agree that you should keep some money in a savings account before moving excess funds to other investment products that may provide a Duncan higher opportunity for growth but also the risk of losing your money – something that wouldn’t happen with a bank savings account,” she says. “If you are worried about risk, keep in mind that you can invest in a CD at a bank. Like savings accounts, CDs are also FDIC-insured.”

One difference between a regular savings account and a CD, Duncan says, is with a CD, one commits a certain dollar amount for a specified period of time.

“If you (acquire) additional funds, you cannot add those funds to a CD until it matures,” he says.

“The advice I would give is if the depositor opens a CD, I wouldn’t commit for too long a period of time because interest rates are so low. For the last eight years, interest rates have been about as low as ever, and for savers, that’s not a good thing.”

King says as a first step, parents could open a savings account at a local bank and encourage their child to save a

King portion of his or her bar or bat mitzvah money.

“When monthly statements arrive, they can explain the value of earning interest by keeping the money in a bank, as opposed to keeping it at home earning nothing,” she says.

“They could also have conversations with their children about creating a savings and budgeting plan and regularly discuss the status of that plan. They could also offer to make contributions to that account as a reward for displaying good savings or budgeting habits.”

Having a savings account helps teach teenagers the discipline of working toward a goal, King says.

“It helps them manage money for future goals or emergency needs and shows them how making regular deposits – even small ones – adds up over time,” she says. BM Ed Wittenberg is a freelance writer from Cleveland Heights

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Touch Screen DJ! Take your Simcha to a whole new level with the Touch Screen DJ by RTH This exclusive DJ system allows your guests to witness the DJ mix the music right before their eyes!

Thanks to the two-way touch screen technology and interactive control surface, you won’t just be able to hear the music… but actually watch it come to life! And yes… the guest of honor can help!

Lighting! Lighting is one of the most prominent variables necessary to create great energy at your bar or bat mitzvah. With hundreds of lighting and décor options available, take your design to a whole new level with the new Freedom Sticks; giant light bars that can be mounted or hung from anywhere… without wires! Perfect for entranceways, DJ setups, backdrops, or an accessory to the Interactive Sports & Games! Be sure that all dance floor. Remember that your lighting choices your guests have a great time at your next even can really make a difference! on AND off the dance floor with new interactive activities! From modern classics like LED Ping There’s a reason RTH has been entrusted for nearPong and a Giant 22-Player Foosball, to Rock ly 20 years with more than 2,500 simchas; the Shots Ultimate Basketball and their new coin- reason is the passion they have for their clients’ free Crazy-Claw Machines, RTH allows guests of events and the great lengths they go to make them all ages to test their skills and win amazing prizes! ROCK. Contact RTH today to partner together and bring your event to life!

Light-Up LED Hora Chairs! One of this year’s hottest additions for bar and bat mitzvahs; lightup Hora chairs are an awesome accent piece to 440.232.7625

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Fall•Winter 2016 // Bar•Bat Mitzvah 55