Gifts
Continued from Page 19
WEDDING LATE-IN-LIFE B’NAI MITZVAH
“My Soul Loves” Laser-Cut Paper
JudaicaWebStore.com $129
If you’re looking beyond the regis-
try for a more personal wedding gift,
check out this laser-cut paper from
Israeli artist David Fisher. It includes
an image of a pair of deer set among a
pomegranate motif with a verse from
Song of Songs: “Matsati Et Sheahava
Nafshi” — “I have found the one whom my soul loves.” It is avail-
able in blue, green or bordeaux and with the text in either English
or Hebrew.

Yarmulkes for a Special Occasion
MayaWorks $19
These kippot were handmade by Mayan
artisans in Guatemala. The gold threaded through-
out the kippah or as a band around it give it an
elegant look, but if these are not quite your
friend’s style, MayaWorks has a variety of other
handmade kippot available in tuxedo black and
white, psychedelic rainbow and floral patterns.

Where It All Began Throw Pillow
Personal Creations
$45.99 Everyone could use more pil-
lows in their life, and this particular
throw pillow can add a personal
accent to any new married couple’s
home. Customize it with the cou-
ple’s name, how they met and date of their wedding, and show how
much you really know and appreciate them in your life.

A Tree in Israel
Jewish National Fund
$18 You might be buying a gift for someone who missed out on a
Bar or Bat Mitzvah when they were 12 or 13, but that doesn’t mean
they need to miss out on some of the gifts associated with a more
traditional ritual. That includes planting a tree in Israel in their
honor through the Jewish National Fund, which has been making
the desert bloom for more than a century. Older B’nai Mitzvah
would also certainly have a greater appreciation for this gift than
a teenager. ❤
szighelboim@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0729
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MARCH 21, 2019
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Unexpected Moments From the
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Chronicles
ANDY GOTLIEB | JE MANAGING EDITOR
B ar and Bat Mitzvahs oft en are positioned as a highlight of
childhood (and a bridge to adulthood), but they just as oft en
have some sort of traumatic element as well.

Whether it’s severe stage fright, technical diffi culties, a sud-
den family squabble, a drunk relative embarrassing everyone or a
wardrobe malfunction, a picture-perfect event can be kind of rare.

Although nobody on the Jewish Exponent staff had a horrifi c
experience, some less-than-positive memories do exist, even at
events other than their own — although everything did tend to
work out for the best. Here’s a sampling, starting with my own day.

HOPING FOR RAIN ON MY BIG DAY
As my Bar Mitzvah day (June 30, 1979) approached, I became an
ardent follower of the late Action News weatherman Jim O’Brien.

Every day, I watched the news to catch the weather forecast,
fervently hoping that something would change and the predicted
sunny skies would give way to downpours of rain.

My Bar Mitzvah confl icted with the Newtown-Edgemont Little
League championships — and my team, the Indians, was playing
for the championship. I was the left -handed starting second base-
men on my team; I was a lousy hitter, but I could fi eld and run.

Anyway, I was praying for rain, hoping the game would be
postponed a day so I could play.

It turns out O’Brien’s forecast was spot-on and the weather was
beautiful. My Bar Mitzvah went off without a hitch — and my
team lost 6-0.

But there were even ramifi cations at the luncheon following
the service.

As this was my last year of Little League eligibility, I missed the cer-
emonies for the “graduating” players. One of the things the departing
players got to do was stand on home plate and try to throw a baseball
into a barrel angled where second base normally was placed.

While I couldn’t leave, my friends did — “I’ve waited fi ve years
for this” one told me — so I had a depleted crowd at the luncheon. I
can’t say I wasn’t a bit jealous that I didn’t get a chance at the barrel.

See Unexpected, Page 22
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