Customer Reviews

MitzvahChic: A New Approach to Hosting a Bar or Bat Mitzvah That is Meaningful, Hip, Relevant, Fun & Drop-Dead Gorgeous

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Five stars are not enough - Fifty stars would be more fitting! We are 3+ years away from my oldest daughters bat mitzvah. I've been dreading this time mainly because of the meaningless and costly party that I felt compelled to throw for the occassion. While I am not at all religious, I do have strong feelings for Jewish tradition, culture and history, and wanted the bat mitzvah to have meaning and not be just another over the top theme party.

Mitzvahchic is packed with ideas from centerpieces to mitzvah ideas. I felt such relief in finally finding someone who shared my opinions with long uncomfortable candlelighting ceremonies and the never ending video montage! Were you aware the candlelighting ceremony has no religious basis but was created by a caterer to liven up the party?! Gail Greenberg is chockful of ideas to include these elements but in a way which is meaningful and truly honors those who are meant to be honored.

If you are in the market for a new approach to your bar/bat mitzvah get this book. You will be overjoyed. Gail Greenberg will become your new best friend. In response to the one reviewer who gave the book one star - it's obvious this was not someone who was looking for a new approach or someone looking to keep mitzvah in the occassion. Party planners plan parties. They don't bring mitzvah or meaning as that's for you to do!

Order this book NOW. You won't be sorry!!

I have never written an online review before, but the benefits of this book compelled me too, as a Mitzvah in its own right. My daughter and I were at a "Bat/Bar Mitzvah" fair, where, in between caterers, DJs, and people selling flannel pants, sat Gail serenely with her book. I liked the pictures in the book, the physical quality of the pages and as Gail was offering an additional time line book mark with it, I figured - why not? It turned out to not only be the most significant information I picked up that day, but in fact the most significant information I have received for approaching the Bat Mitzvah as a whole. My daughter and I both read the book, and it really influenced our perspectives about how to approach this milestone event (and helped me to convince my daughter that a NY Yankees theme was not the most significant part of her religious identity - although we did manage to figure out how sports related to her Torah Portion in some way - courage, perserverance...a point of the book as well). Not only does the book help put things in perspective (with NO PREACHING), but also gives actual, useful, information to implement a beautiful, fun, and spiritual Bat/Bat Mitzvah. From information about the meaning of each Torah Portion (and how to integrate that into the Bat Mitzvah as a whole), invitations, to decorations, to advice on catering and location (which I took, and literally changed the venue we ultimately chose), to mitvah projects and bima speaches, this book covers everything in a sympathetic, funny, and incredibly practical way. It really did change our whole approach to the Bat Mitzvah. I very highly recommend it.

This book provides an inspiring, fresh look at the Bar/Bat Mitzvah process, which comforts, encourages, enlightens and informs in a concise and witty style. Her tone is conversational and very funny, yet the book is rich, intelligent and full of practical suggestions that can be used either as given or as a springboard for your own ideas. The author feels like your new best friend as you embark on this overwhelming feat of pulling off an American-style Bar/Bat Mitzvah without completely losing sight of it's deeper meaning. In addition to talking you through the whole process--from choosing a date to finding meaning in your Torah portion to designing a beautiful party that reflects this meaning--it provides many lists and charts and a timeline, all of which are extremely practical and easy to use. There are many money-saving tips as well...but the real strength and uniqueness of this book is that it revives an emphasis on the deeper meaning of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and takes that meaning well into the party. Beautiful photos, wonderful and artistic touches, clear and concise instructions. Her website does not seem to be "live" yet--I think the book was newly published at the time I'm writing this--but it looks like it will be a fantastic resource for information and products. I wish this book had been around when we first started planning my daughter's Bat Mitzvah, which is only a couple of months away.....!

I'm so sorry that another reviewer didn't find this book helpful, because to me it was essential. It was the first B'nai Mitzvah book I bought and I was so glad I did. It opened my eyes to a lot of options that I wasn't aware of, and will, in the end, make our Bat Mitzvah so much more meaningful. I was unaware that you could select your mitzvah date based on Torah parsha. When I was younger, you were just given a date close to your birthday. The author of this book categorizes and explains each Torah portion for you. After reading them, I handed the book over to my daughter and said, "Find something that is meaningful to you." She read each section and picked one that she connected most with. We let her select her Bat Mitzvah date, and as a result, she is more aware and involved than most kids are at this point, and we are still at the very beginning of planning. She intends to carry the theme of her parsha into her mitzvah project, her D'var Torah, and her party. Did you know that you could twin with a child of the holocaust and honor him/her at your child's B'nai Mitzvah? Did you know that you could support a Jewish family in Ethiopia for one month, just by buying a tallit bag that they embroider? This is the kind of thing that is detailed in this book. Be forewarned: although this book does touch (briefly) on day vs. night affairs and selecting a venue, this is not a "how to make a hockey stick entrance way for my kid's hockey-theme Bar Mitzvah" book. MitzvahChic transcends that and looks deeper into the messages of the ceremony and how it fits in with your child's jewish coming-of-age. It then takes those messages and ultimately carries them through to themes and centerpieces, etc. for the party. Our copy of MitzvahChic has been lovingly highlighted, dog-eared and is always close at hand. I am so glad I found this valuable resource and feel that although we still have some time to go, that this book has already elevated my daughter's Bat Mitzvah into something very special.

I've been a committed and identified Jew all my life, and have raised my children joyfully in the tradition. Yet MitzvahChic taught me things I had never known -- about the ceremony itself and about our heritage. Even for people who are not planning a bar or bat mitzvah, this is a wonderful resource. Compact synopses of the Torah portions, suggestions for all kinds of mitzvot you can do, and even a section helping the non-Jewish family members feel welcome and up the learning curve. In fact, that last section has been a good one for many of my Jewish friends who didn't know much about Judaism's history or practices. This is a gem!

Mitzvah Chic is a fabulous book. It gives great ideas as well as unique and creative ways to get away from the glitsy and overdone affairs which focus more on the party and not on the important part, the Jewish ceremony. It is a book all of those who are planning a bar/bat mitzvah should read!

This is my first e-review ever. I'm writing because I'm compelled to let other families know how much practical help and support they will find in this wonderful book! It has really excellent advice on both ceremony and party planning. It helps find a nice balance between the religious aspects and the party, without letting the whole celebration become overly sentimental. We had lots of professional help (florist, party planner, caterer); but MitzvahChic was great in helping us guide and communicate with our professionals. It sparked several new ideas with them, too. The enpowering tone of author made me do things myself that I wouldn't have considered otherwise. Our Rabbi let us write a tallit ceremony inspired by the book to honor a great grandfather! Our twelve year old used it to find ideas to discuss with us. Several guests commented that our speech during the service (written following the book's suggestions) was one of the best they'd ever heard! The resource lists alone are worth the price of the book! Overall, if I were to use just one B'nai Mitzvah planning book, this would be the one!

This book has been indespensible for me in planning my daughter's
Bat Mitzvah. It's very easy to read and the author will even email you if you have additional questions. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning or will be planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. It would also make a great addition to your temple's library!

MitzvahChic is the perfect book for parents who want the entire process of preparing for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah to be meaningful, individual, fun, beautiful and rich with Jewish heritage. As a mom planning her daughter's Bat Mitzvah in August, this book gave me a starting place to think about the purpose of a Bat Mitzvah, and the practical ideas to carry these thoughts into every aspect of planning for this wonderful occasion. Gail inspires you to think creatively, while keeping in mind what it's all about. I know that my daughter's Bat Mitzvah will be more meaningful and more reflective of who she is and who we are as a result of this book.

I never write book reviews either, but when I read the one below from LA, I just had to jump in! This book is the most amazing gift to the Jewish people. Bar and bat mitzvah ideas that put us back in touch with who we are, where we come from and how proud we all deserve to be. I guess having a top-notch party planner and a fabulous caterer REALLY means "I'm handing the whole experience over to someone else and that's why I can't enjoy or appreciate a book that tells ME how to have an incredible spiritual experience with my family." What a pity! You've got the "professional help" and you've still somehow managed to miss the boat.