Jewish life is very rich and diverse filled with much celebration. From the weekly observance of Shabbat/Sabbath to annual Festivals and various Life Cycle events come tremendous opportunities for gift giving.

• Sabbath
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• Passover
• Weddings
• Hanukkah (Chanukkah)
• Housewarming

You may want to have a little background information to help you chose a gift that would not only be appropriate but guaranteed to become a treasured keepsake.

First of all it’s interesting to know that the Jewish calendar is lunar, it follows the cycles of the moon as opposed to the secular calendar which follows the movement of the earth around the sun. That explains why we can’t say each year the exact date of a specific festival. A good example of this is Christmas, which is December 25^th every year, Hanukkah begins on the 25^th day of Kislev, a Jewish calendar month which falls in the period of November-December every year. Actually there are two calendars, one is religious and the other civil, just a little FYI to remember.

We have a beautiful hand painted Sabbath Set that includes the candles and a large ceramic tray. Sabbath is a day set aside to pause from work and be at peace. Those who do not observe it think of the Sabbath in terms of what you can not do but remember we said it is a Holiday! It is a joyous day to be thoroughly enjoyed with good food and wine, the day from sunset to sunset is full and looked forward to with much anticipation. Sabbaths near major festivals are known by special names. Our original hand painted set is great for weddings, new homes, or Holidays!   Back to the top

The center of this festival is the Seder dinner in the home. We have a beautiful ceramic hand painted Passover Set, which makes a great wedding, new home, or Holiday gift. Strangers are welcome at the Seder table to remember that "We were strangers in Egypt." The role of matzahs or unleavened bread is so important that this holiday is sometimes called The Feast of the Unleavened Bread. After God had sent ten plagues on the Egyptians they were given little time to prepare to leave and so because the yeast didn’t have time to rise, unleavened bread was taken on the journey. We have included beautiful Ceramic Matzahs Trays made in the Holy Land which brings very special meaning to them.

The Seder is a joyous occasion with family and friends. A Haggadah or book containing special liturgy is given to everybody at the table. The Haggadah and participation by those gathered plus the large meal makes for a long happy evening.

Just by turning 13 Jewish boy automatically becomes a Bar or age 12 a girl becomes Bat Mitzvah. The accompanying ceremonies are not necessary to attain this status, and they are not mentioned in the Torah or Talmud. They are actually a relatively recent invention, especially the elaborate nature of the celebration.

During Sabbath service shortly following the child’s birthday the youth is called up to the Torah to recite a blessing over the weekly reading. It is also customary for the youth to make a short speech, which usually begins with the words, "Today I have become a man [or woman]." The father then says a blessing, thanking God for removing from him the burden of responsibility for his child’s sins. It is important to note that a bar mitzvah is not the goal of a Jewish education, nor is it a graduation ceremony marking the end of a person's Jewish education. One is obligated to continue to study Torah, the first five books of the Bible, throughout life.

This ceremony is usually followed by a reception, which can be as elaborate as a wedding reception. In America, the bar mitzvah celebration plays an important role in Jewish life and is often accompanied by a fancy party and gifts. In considering what to give, the type of community may be the determining factor. Sometimes money is given usually in multiples of $18, a number that is considered to be favorable in Jewish tradition. In many communities today, the gifts are the same sort that you would give any child for his 13th birthday. It is best to avoid religious gifts if you don't know what you're doing, but Jewish-themed gifts are not a bad idea. If in doubt ask the parents. 

In Orthodox and Hasidic communities, there is no Bat Mitzvah ceremony, as women do not participate in the religious service, but parties are sometimes held marking the occasion. In Reform and some Conservative synagogues, girls participate in just the same way as boys.

We have many items such as Jewelry, Tallit Clips to be worn with the Tallit (Prayer Shawl) and other items which make perfect gifts.

 MEZUZAH

There are two centers of Jewish life; one is the synagogue and the other is the Home. The home is in fact the heart of Jewish life. Practices like the Havdalah ceremony (See our Ceramic Havdalah Set) at the end of Sabbath and the Festivals are more often practiced in the home than in the synagogue. The Mezuzah signifies the sanctity and blessing of the home. It is a case attached to the right hand upper part of the doorpost in a slanting position. Inside written on a scroll is a passage from Deuteronomy "And you shall write them on the doorposts of your home and your gates."
It is customary upon entering or leaving a residence to touch the mezuzah.

This reverence acknowledges the belief in the declaration of faith which expresses the
unity of God, the duty of loving and serving Him with our whole being and our obligation to observe the Mitzvoth (Deeds) in and out of the home.

Because it presents basic principles of faith the Mezuzah is our responsibility to visitors as well as to us. We have a wonderful collection of mezuzahs that are gift boxed with a copy of the scroll included. They are perfect gifts for a new home, new business, wedding, or bar/bat mitzvah.

WEDDING DAY

One Life Cycle event that is very sacred is the Wedding Ceremony. It is filled with a lot of symbolism. Jewish wedding ceremonies have two parts, the betrothal, and the nuptials. The first part announces to the community that the bride and groom are for one another, the second part gives them to one another. This day is considered a personal Yom Kippur for the chatan (Hebrew for groom) and kallah (bride), for on this day all their past mistakes are forgiven as they merge into a new, complete soul. As on Yom Kippur, both the groom and bride fast (in this case, from dawn until after the completion of the marriage ceremony). And at the ceremony, the groom wears a kittel, the traditional white robe worn on Yom Kippur.

Jewish tradition likens the couple to a queen and king. The bride will be seated on a "throne" to receive her guests, while the groom is surrounded by guests who sing and toast him.

At this time there is a tradition for the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom to stand together and break a plate. The reason is to show the seriousness of the commitment -- just as a plate can never be fully repaired, so too a broken relationship can never be fully repaired.

Next is the badeken, the veiling of the bride by the groom. The veil symbolizes the idea of modesty and conveys the lesson that however attractive physical appearances may be, the soul and character are paramount.

The groom accompanied by family and friends, proceeds to where the bride is seated and places the veil over her face. This is an ancient custom and signals the groom's commitment to clothe and protect his wife. It is reminiscent of Rebecca covering her face before marrying Isaac (Genesis ch. 29).You may perhaps have seen a Jewish wedding where the bride and groom stand under a canopy called a chuppah. The canopy symbolizes the couples new home.The chuppah is usually held outside, under the stars, as a sign of the blessing given by God to the patriarch Abraham, that his children shall be "as the stars of the heavens"(Genesis 15:5). The groom and bride wear no jewelry under the chuppah (marriage canopy). Their mutual commitment is based on who they are as people, not on any material possessions.

Under the chuppah, the bride circles the groom seven times. Just as the world was built in seven days, the bride is figuratively building the walls of the couple's new world together. The number seven also symbolizes the wholeness and completeness that they cannot attain separately.

Wine, a symbol of joy in Jewish tradition, is associated with the Kiddush, the sanctification prayer recited on Shabbat and festivals. Marriage, which is called Kiddushin, is the sanctification of a man and woman to each other.

In Jewish law, a marriage becomes official when the groom gives an object of value to the bride. This is traditionally done with a ring. The ring should be made of plain gold, without blemishes or ornamentation (e.g. stones) -- just as it is hoped that the marriage will be one of simple beauty.

The groom now takes the wedding ring in his hand, and in clear view of two witnesses, he declares to his wife, "Behold, you are betrothed unto me with this ring, according to the law of Moses and Israel." He then places the ring on the forefinger of his bride's right hand. According to Jewish law, this is the central moment of the wedding ceremony, and the couple is now fully married at this point. If the bride also wants to give a ring to the groom, this is only done afterwards, not under the chuppah.

Now comes the reading of the ketubah (marriage contract) in the original Aramaic text. In a Jewish marriage, the groom accepts upon himself various responsibilities which are detailed in the ketubah. His principal obligations are to provide food, shelter and clothing for his wife, and to be attentive to her emotional needs. The protection of the rights of a Jewish wife is so important that the marriage may not be solemnized until the contract has been completed.

The bride’s father does not give her away because she is not her father’s property; you have two individuals uniting not only each other but families uniting as well. Our unique Pottery, Mezuzahs, Jewelry, and Hamsas also called Chamsas will solve that age-old question of what to get the newlyweds.

Another very familiar part of the ceremony is when the groom breaks the glass at the end by stomping on it with his foot and the guests shout Mazel tov! This serves as an expression of sadness  at the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and identifies the couple with the spiritual and national destiny of the Jewish people. A Jew, even at the moment of greatest rejoicing, is always mindful of the Psalmist's injunction to "set Jerusalem above my highest joy."

The Hand of God or CHAMSA or Hamsa amulet symbolizes the protective "Hand" of GOD! The Hand is an old and still very popular Protective Ornament designed to avert evil  for protection. For centuries the Hand has been used as a symbol of Good Luck. Originating in the Middle East the Hand represents GOD' "Protective-Hand" and the blue eye on it shields its owner from the curse of the evil eye. The Hand's positive energy draws happiness, riches, and health. We offer a great collection featuring many with very attractive traditional designs with Jewish symbols that make ideal gifts for new homeowners, weddings, and holidays.

HANUKKAH Chanukkah) is one of the best know Jewish holidays however, it is not one of the major Jewish holidays. Because it is so close to Christmas many people incorrectly think of it as a Jewish Christmas.

The festival is celebrated on eight successive days beginning on the 25th day of Kislev, the third month of the Jewish calendar, corresponding, approximately, to December 25^th in the Gregorian calendar. It is also known as the Festival of Lights.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem by Judas Maccabee in 165 BC after the Temple had been profaned by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, king of Syria. Antiochus had outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews' 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. 

The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig, activities forbidden to Jews. The officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, then another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias' family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever possible.

Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the holy Temple, and were saddened that many things were missing or broken, including the golden menorah. They cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when they were finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony. For the celebration, the Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit. Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, thus commemorating the eight-day miracle.

Today many Jews have adopted many of the Christmas customs, such as elaborate gift-giving and decoration. As stated, Hanukkah is not a very important religious holiday. The only religious observance related to the holiday is the lighting of candles. The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah  that holds nine candles: one for each night, plus a shammus (servant) at a different height. On the first night, one candle is placed at the far right. The shammus candle is lit and three blessings are recited. After reciting the blessings, the first candle is then lit using the shammus candle, and the shammus candle is placed in its holder. The candles are allowed to burn out on their own after a minimum of 1/2 hour. Each night, another candle is added from right to left just as Hebrew is read. On the eighth night, all nine candles are lit.