Jewish Gifts and Knowledge

There are always the classic gifts to consider when you are invited to a Jewish wedding ceremony. If the couple is religious, it is sometimes risky to stray too far from the ordinary. So, if you receive an invitation to attend a Jewish wedding, consider these Jewish wedding gifts to give:

• Candle stick holders: in a religious home, these will be used every Friday and Saturday, so a good pair is essential. However, you can make the Sabbath extra special for the soon-to-be wedded couple if you find a pair of candle stick holders that have extra flare, elegance or design. Ones covered in sparkles or gems may be beautiful, or others that feature a colorful pattern. You can also go very simply and elegance with sterling silver holders that stand tall and stylish. Traditionally, the mizvot of lighting the candles on the Sabbath is the mother’s responsibility, so it is just fine if the candle stick holders you find have a bit of a girly design.
• Mezuzah: every Jewish home must have a mezuzah on their front door post, if not on every door in the house. You can find unique mezuzahs with fun prints and designs on them, or elegance ones with abstract designs that can sometimes take up six to 10 inches on one’s wall! Find one that can be engraved with the couple’s wedding date and names or find a simple one that speaks of elegance and happy occasions. The couple can never have too many of these, since religious couples need one for every room in the house.
• Menorah: the eight- tiered candle holder for Hanukah is a popular gift because everyone celebrates this holiday and everyone needs a menorah in order to do so. The styles of menorahs that are available today are endless: fun cartoons, stylish sterling silver casings, tv themed menorahs, classic looking menorahs, artsy abstract menorahs and even personalized menorahs. Choose one that reminds you of the soon to be wedded couple so they can use it during that special time of year and keep it on display in home year round.

Shopping for Jewish gifts is not a difficult task, but finding the right piece that is truly unique may require a bit more time than usual. Just be sure to scout out all your options before making your choice. In the end, so long as you have put genuine thought into the mission, the lucky couple will be extremely grateful no matter what!

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Many modern brides spend countless hours picking out the perfect bridal gown for the big day. After the special gown has been chosen, the crowning glory is the perfect veil that sits atop her pristine hairdo and acts as the finishing touch to her bridal ensemble.

What many modern brides do not realize is that they have the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony to thank for that long veil and for adding to the eternal alluring mystery of the classic beautiful bride.

It is believed that the tradition of wearing the veil started when Jacob, son of Rebekah, went looking for his mother’s brother, Laban. Upon arrival, Jacob met Laban’s youngest daughter, Rachel, while she was tending to a lamb. The Torah describes Rachel to be “lovely in form and beautiful” and not long after meeting her, Jacob fell in love.

He then asked Laban for permission to marry Rachel. Laban then agreed to give his daughter’s hand in marriage in exchange for seven years of servitude. Jacob agreed and the Torah goes on to explain that he was so in love with Rachel that those seven years seemed like only days. When the Jewish wedding ceremony was finally upon them, Laban was up to a scheme.

He dressed his oldest daughter, Leah, in a wedding dress and covered her face with a veil. He then sent her to the chupah (wedding canopy) to marry Jacob. The next morning, Jacob woke up to realize the switch and was very angry with Laban, who rationalized the scheme by explaining the importance of the oldest daughter marrying first.

Jacob then negotiated to work for Laban for another seven years in exchange for Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban agrees and Jacob delivers his end of the promise once more. In the end, Rachel and Jacob finally partake in the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony that united them together in their love for eternity.

The Torah tells us of a beautiful story about love and romance and deceit. In honor of Rachel, the tradition of covering a bride’s face with a veil was created and has lasted thousands of years to even grace the traditions of the modern bride. Although veils now range in every color, material and length, the concept got its roots in the Jewish religion.

Every time you see a bride and her veil, think of Jacob and Rachel, whose love was strong enough to withstand 14 years of simply waiting for one another and who is deemed as one of the most romantic couples of the Torah.

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When someone close to you moves into a new residence, one of the best Jewish gifts you can give is a mezuzah, which means doorpost in Hebrew. The mezuzah is a piece of parchment that is contained in a decorative case. The mezuzah is also inscribed with certain Hebrew verses from the Torah.

The mezuzah is one of the most important Jewish gifts that have religious significance for a newly married couple. Some people interpret Jewish law to require a mezuzah on every doorway in the home.

However, a mezuzah should not be put on doorways of bathrooms or closets that are too small to be considered an actual ‘room’.  Many Jewish people place a mezuzah only on the doorpost of the front door entrance to their home.

To ensure that the mezuzah is Kosher, the parchment should be prepared by a qualified scribe who checks the mezuzot parchments for defects. This is a very meticulous process and every detail of the parchment paper is examined. As a result, genuinely Kosher parchment paper is often sold for around $150 or more.

Let’s say you give your son or daughter a mezuzah, but what if they don’t know how to properly affix a mezuzah?

Here are the instructions according to Halakha (Jewish rules) on how to properly affix a mezuzah to your doorpost:

• The mezuzah should be placed on the right side of the door.

• Place the mezuzah in the upper third of the doorpost.

•  Jewish law requires that all mezuzot be attached within 30 days of moving into an abode outside of the state of Israel.

•  For a residence in Israel , the mezuzah is attached immediately upon moving in.

• Any Jewish person can recite the blessing if that person can understand the importance of the blessing. That means men, women and children are fair game.

• When attaching several mezuzot, you only have to say the blessing once after putting up the first mezuzah.

Many Jews throughout the world, even those who are not religiously observant, affix a mezuzah to their front doorposts. This is one of the most important of all the Jewish gifts you can give a person who is important to you.

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A Jewish wedding is a huge occasion to celebrate and, should you be invited to one, you are certain to have a great time. Even the ultra orthodox are known to have a wild and crazy time! But, before the Jewish wedding rings are exchanged, many bridal showers and l’chiam (a toast) parties are thrown for the bride.

In Orthodox communities, the women and the men are separated for many occasions. The men may have their own gathering, while the women attend showers. The bride and groom often marry young- generally anytime between 19 and 24.

At the wedding, it is a mitzvah (or ‘good deed’) to make the bride laugh and dance with her. It is also a great time to seek a blessing from the bride on her wedding day, as she is very special on this day and the blessing is more potent than on any other day.

Ideas: Jewish New Home Gifts

Great bridal shower gifts would be any new home gifts that the bride and groom can put to good use. Jewish new home gifts may include:

• Challah Cover- these are fancy rectangle cloth covers that lies on top of the challah (or bread) during the Sabbath. It is removed after the blessing over the bread has been made. It is always nice to have a beautiful challah cover and fancy ones may have embroidery or gems, it may be hand painted or it may be crafted from fine materials (like silk).

• Shabbot Candle Stick Holders- beautiful candle stick holders are always a wonderful gift for a newly wedded couple. They will be used every Sabbath and they are considered a very special part of the Shabbot routine that is reserved for the lady of the house.

• Mezuzah- this is a wonderfully clever gift because it is something that every Jewish family needs, and they need a lot of them! A mezuzah is ordinarily placed on the right side of every doorway in the house. They carry a tiny scroll of Hebrew text inside and it is believed to bring protection for the house. In Orthodox communities, men and women touch the mezuzah with their hand and kiss that hand every time they enter a room. All kinds of mezuzahs- clay, glass, metal, funny pictures, beautiful designs, or just plain- are available and a couple can never have too many!

*Remember that, if you are invited to an orthodox bridal shower, the food must be kosher. If you wish to bring a dessert, make sure you purchase it from a kosher bakery, or ask the hostess how you can help.

The proper attire may be a skirt, leggings and a long sleeve blouse. Even though orthodox women don’t let their arms or legs show, doesn’t mean they are not in style. If they have a cute tank top or sleeveless dress, just wear a shell (a basic black or white long sleeve shirt) underneath.

No Comments | In: Jewish Wedding Gifts | tags: israel gift, jewish bridal shower, Jewish Wedding Gifts, jewish wedding rings, new home gifts. | #

This list is continued from my last post.

Even though Jewish orthodox women are known for having many children, every baby is precious and is celebrated to the full extent. If you are invited to an othordox baby shower, remember that all of the food is kosher and, if you want to bring something, it must be purchased from a kosher bakery or be prepared in a kosher kitchen.

The baby shower will be women-only and you are sure to be in for some fun. There is always plenty of food and treats, if it is an ultra orthodox baby shower, there will probably be a lot of kids and babies around.

Jewish Baby Gifts Ideas

There is a plethora of great Jewish baby gifts ideas and I’m sharing my favorite ones with you:

• Baby Blanket- my mother has always done the cutest things for baby showers. She buys a pink or blue soft blanket (maybe fleece) and has the Hebrew names of the new-born baby embroidered on the corner of it. The embroidery never costs to much and it is an excellent way to present a beautiful, useful and customized gift.

• Hebrew Writing Onesie- I came across this wonderful shop in downtown Jerusalem that I will never forget about. It was the cutest idea that this lady and her son came up with shortly after he entered the Israeli army. She simply had fun Hebrew text printed on a baby onesie (like ‘princess’, ‘little king’, ‘from the homeland’, and more). I strongly recommend checking it out. It’s the cutest idea and any who knows how to read Hebrew (like the orthodox) will adore it! Although she is located in Israel, she ships everywhere!

www.hebrewtshirts.co.il

• Jewish Children’s Books- this is a thoughtful and wonderful gift. A lot of orthodox families don’t watch a lot of TV and, instead, encourage reading. You can get a children’s book that helps a child learn the basics of Hebrew, tells the story of Hanukah or Passover or simply has a fun story to tell about a Jewish boy or girl.

• Play Shabbot Set- one thing that I had as a child and I loved was a fake Shabbot set, which included a small wooden challah, candle stick holders and bottle of wine. This will be fun for the kids to play with and help them learn the routines of the Sabbath.

No Comments | In: jewish baby gifts | tags: israel gift, israel gifts, jewish baby gifts, Jewish Holiday Gifts, Jewish Wedding Gifts, judaica gift. | #