R's Bat Mitzvah Part 2: Shabbat Leining

Conceptually I had always thought that it would be nice if R had an opportunity to lein (chant from the Torah) for her Bat Mitzvah but initially neither me or R really took much initiative to make it happen. When R saw a friend lein last October she got the bug and decided that that she also wanted to lein. We contacted Paula Gantz and Adena Berkowitz who run Women's Tefilla on the Upper West Side and they got the ball rolling. I can't tell you how much time both Paula and Adena put into this Bat Mitzvah and I will be forever grateful to them.

We could have picked anytime to do it but we wanted to do it as close to her 12th birthday as we could. We decided on Feb 4th, Shabbat Shira. That gave us about 3 1/2 months to learn the trope (melody and notes) and as much of the parsha (portion of the Torah) as possible. With the help of our amazing teacher Leora R managed to learn almost half of it. Most kids take about a year to learn the full parsha so R really did a great job in such a short period of time. At the Bat Mitzvah Leora, Paula and one of Adena's daughters P graciously leined the rest of the parsha for us.

In typical me fashion I picked what turned out to be the logistically worst Shabbat possible at our shul. Some one had already rented the ballroom for lunch and there was a choir that day in the sanctuary in honor of Shabbat Shira so we could not do our speeches there. We had to figure out how to make the upstairs work for our service, speeches and kiddish and thanks to Deborah Riker (Rabbi Mark Wildes assistant AND A party planner) we pulled it off.

As those of you who know me know organization is not one of my strengths. Deborah kept me focused and on task. She  helped with everything from picking a great caterer who was not obscenely expensive and had delicious fresh food to not letting me order anything else whenever I was overcome with the fear that we would not have enough food! (She was also a huge help with the kids party!).

Since  we were doing a Women's Tefilla service only women and close male relatives (J, Z, 2 Uncles and 2 Grandfathers) were invited to come for the service. The rest of the men were invited to the speeches and kiddish. In order for a Woman's Tefilla sevice to be kosher there can be no more than 9 men there. If there was a minyan (10 or more men) you then run into problems halachically (Jewish law wise).

I have always "believed" in Women's Tefilla but I have to admit that this was only my fourth Women's Tefilla service. I felt a little disoriented as the service began (of course it could have also been that I have not been to the beginning of a Shabbat service in almost 16 years!). I had been so focused on the logistics of the day that I was not prepared for how I felt when R began to lein. I was transported. Her voice sounded beautiful. I still can not put words to how significant it was to hear my daughter lein. All I can say was that I felt just like I had when I gave birth to her when she was finished, complete with the adrenaline rush that left me sleepless for the next few days. I still can't stop thinking about what she sounded like.

T , who was very cute, did a great job closing up the service. When we were done we had a short break. J made Kiddish (the blessing over the wine) and we had some cookies and cake before we started the speeches, which we kept brief (there is nothing worse than having to sit through an hour of speeches at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah!). After the speeches we went next door for what turned out to be a beautiful and low key kiddish lunch. Since we had limited time to set up and limited space we put out a bunch of cocktail tables and everyone either found a seat or just milled about eating and talking with friends. I could not have been more pleased with the way that everything turned out.

So many of my friends who came to the Women's Tefilla service have told me how meaningful they thought that the Bat Mitzvah was and I can not agree with them more! I really believe that leining has been an incredible growth experience for  R. It is another way for her to connect with G-d and be actively involved in Judaism and her community. I also feel like I have had the opportunity to grow spiritually. It reminded me realize how important Synagogue services are and how they help ground you in G-d, Judaism and your community. I can't think of a more significant way that we could have celebrated her Bat Mitzvah and I am excitedly anticipating T ans D's.

R's Bat Mitzvah Part One: The Kids Party

When we first started to think about what we were going to do for R's Bat Mitzvah we figured that we would have her learn something and have a siyum (a celebration of completion). We had discussed the option of leining (reading from the Torah) at a Women's Tefilla service but R was initially not  interested in doing it. However, after she saw a friend lein at her Bat Mitzvah, R decided that she did in fact want to lein. So we changed our plans.

We decided that it made the most sense to do a kids party and have a kiddish after the Women's Tefilla  for our family and friends. At first I was a little uneasy about having two parties because it seemed a little excessive. When I thought about it though, I realized that it was actually the wisest thing to do. R's friends from school live in many different communities and if they came to the leining on Shabbat then we would have had to deal with feeding and putting up all the girls. That would have been a major undertaking both time and money wise.

One of the things that I don't love about Bat Mitzvah parties (and even Shabbat leining) is the emphasis on "The Dress". Bat Mitzvah girls tend to become hyper focused on what they are wearing and so do their guests. It occurred to me that if the girls wore pajamas to the party we could avoid that problem. When I first brought it up R thought that I had lost my mind!

When she brought it up with her friends they all thought it was a fun idea and got really excited about it so we decided that we would have a slumber party theme and the girls would all wear pajamas. I sent a note out with the invitation telling the moms NOT to buy new pajama's for the party. The girls were all so adorable when they showed up in a collection of flannel PJ's, fluffy pants, sweatpants, robes and tee shirts.  It was definitely the right move. There was a vibe at the party that would not have existed had the girls all had party dresses on.

Since this was a kid's party the party was all about the kids. We hired a great DJ (he was so much fun!) and gave out fake mustaches (which made for some hilarious pictures) and glow stick necklaces. We also we had airbrush tattoos and a green screen photographer. Since there were only about 60 girls at the party (All the girls in her grade, plus camp and neighborhood friends) the girls got the chance to take a ridiculous amount of pictures and get a ridiculous amount of tattoos! It was a little bit like being let loose in a candy shop.

At each Bat Mitzvah the Bat Mitzvah girl's friends really take the time to make her feel special. There are always personalized songs written, memory bottles made and because this was not on Shabbat the girls also made videos for R that we were able to show at the party. It was so sweet. These girls understand that a Bat Mitzvah really is a significant point in a Torah observant girl's life.

The girls all had a great time and we were so pleased with how the party turned out. T is now excitedly planning for her own pajama party in 2014!

The sign in "pillow" which is now proudly displayed on R's bed

The mandatory chair lift

Hula hoop contest which T won!

Dancing!

More dancing

The DJ played this hilarious game where the team that put the most blown balloons in the giant tee shirt worn by one of their team members won.

The "Stuffed" Girls

D didn't stop dancing all night

The little ones all had a great time

The only decorations that we had were balloons and center pieces. For the center pieces we filled up small glass vases with pink Hershey's kisses and stuck in hot pink toothbrushes that said "Ravi's Bat Mitzvah Party" in silver on them (those were our giveaways!)

Mandatory Coke and Pepsi game!

                                   

Below are some of the green screen shots:

Ah Paris. This one could be my favorite one.

The Cheetah Girls

Me, D, J R and T on a tropical get away

T and G on American Idol

Coleslaw

I love coleslaw but I don't like commercial mayonnaise. This is my mayoless version that I make it at least once a week. It works just as well for a weekday dinner or for Shabbat lunch (It goes really well with cholent!). It is super easy to make and everyone always loves it.

Cabbage sliced thinly
Shredded carrots
Chopped scallions
Apple cider vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

1. I have no exact measurement I just cut as much cabbage as I need and then add shredded carrots and chopped scallions.

2. Add the apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. I use about a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and oil.

2. Add salt to taste and then toss.

3. Taste and adjust the salt and dressing if necessary.

Wikipedia

We love Wikipedia around here and use it often. This amazing resource is free and also free of advertising. How do they do it? By having a volunteer staff and by relying on donations. Below is a message from founder Jimmy Wales that I think that anyone who has used Wikipedia should read. I have also included this link if you decide to take the plunge and make even a small donation.

From Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales

Google might have close to a million servers. Yahoo has something like 13,000 staff. We have 679 servers and 95 staff.

Wikipedia is the #5 site on the web and serves 470 million different people every month – with billions of page views.

Commerce is fine. Advertising is not evil. But it doesn't belong here. Not in Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is something special. It is like a library or a public park. It is like a temple for the mind. It is a place we can all go to think, to learn, to share our knowledge with others.

When I founded Wikipedia, I could have made it into a for-profit company with advertising banners, but I decided to do something different. We’ve worked hard over the years to keep it lean and tight. We fulfill our mission, and leave waste to others.

If everyone reading this donated $5, we would only have to fundraise for one day a year. But not everyone can or will donate. And that's fine. Each year just enough people decide to give.

This year, please consider making a donation of $5, $10, $20 or whatever you can to protect and sustain Wikipedia.

Thanks,

Jimmy Wales 

Wikipedia Founder

Holiday Links

Here are a few of the things that I have seen around the web this holiday season. I hope you will enjoy them. Happy holidays!

1. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a major breastfeeder. I love The Tonight Show's version off eight maids a-milking . It starts at 1:52.

2. Check out Eat In Good Health a cooking show produced through the Yiddish Forward. It's in Yiddish with English subtitles. I love that the hosts are not little old Bubbes or Chasidic!

3. These are the cutest potato latkes I have ever seen.  I have always wondered if you could make latkes with yukon gold potatoes. They can be found at Shiksa In The Kitchen.

4. I love garlands and I love felt so of course I'm a fan of these felt Hanukkah garlands on Felt So Cute 

5. Emily from Flowing With My Ducklings made this very Waldorfy menorah with her son Yoav from a wood block and part of a fallen bay laurel tree.

Potato Latkes 2011

Potato latkes are not just for Chanakah around here. I make them for dinner throughout the year and serve them with a big green salad. I posted a recipe for potato latkes two years ago but noticed that my recipe has changed a bit. Remember that if you are going to freeze them to serve at a later date fry until the are just beginning to turn golden. They will continue to brown when you heat them up. This recipe makes about fifteen three inch latkes.

Equipment:

1. Food Processor

2. Fine grating blade. This does not usually come with the food processor so you will need to buy one. I used to grate the potatoes by hand and it was a big pain. The fine grate makes the latkes closer to the hand grated potatoes than the standard size grater does.

3. Unbleached cheese cloth

4. Frying pan and spatula

Ingredients:

5 lbs Russet potatoes

5 eggs

1/3 cup of sprouted flour (you can use regular flour or another starchy substitute. you are gluten free)

1 large onion

lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Palm oil or refined, expeller pressed coconut oil

1. Grate the onion in the food processor and put it in the mixing bowl

2. Squeeze some lemon juice into the grated onion and combine.

3. In the bowl that you will be putting the potatoes after they have been shredded scramble the eggs and put it aside. 

4. Peel 1 potato and cut it into large chunks. 

5. Shred the potato in the food processor and immediately add it to the onion and lemon mixture and mix it up. This will keep the potatoes from turning brown. Continue til all the potatoes are shredded

6. Put half of the potato mixture in a piece of the cheesecloth and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can and put it in a clean bowl. Add them to the scrambled eggs and toss. This will again keep your potatoes from turning brown before frying. Repeat with the second half of the potatoes.

7. Add flour, salt and pepper and mix until it is combined. I like to use my hands!

8. Heat the oil in the frying pan on a medium flame.

9. Fry latkes until they are golden brown on both sides and drain on paper towels.

10. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce 

Holiday Gifts for Kids

Hanukkah has been on the back burner this year because much of my extra time has been spent planning R's Bat Mitzvah. We are having a party on January 22nd and on February 4th she will be leining (chanting from the Torah) at a women's tefillah (prayer) service. We are all very excited. I did, however, want to post some things that I think would make nice holiday gifts for kids this year.

             

Etsy is one of my favorite places to finds gifts and if you have not checked it out you really need to. This wool blend felt food is from Becky M's shop. Felt food is so much nicer than plastic and I find that the kids prefer playing with it. Molly, our dog, also likes felt better than the plastic and has unfortunately eaten our chicken leg!

                                

All of the girls have are having lots of fun with The Kids Book Of Creative Lettering. I love all of the creative cards, signs and pictures they have been making using the ideas from the book.

I just ordered the Artterro Art Doll Kit and the Wool Felt Bug Kit for the girls and have not yet received it. I still wanted to write about these kits because they really look great. I've been wondering when someone would put together a more eco looking craft kit. I will update you when my kits arrive but I'm sure the girls will have lots of fun with these.

   

We have had Jenga since Z was little and it is still one of our favorites. I can't remember when Z started playing it but D was 5 (even though it says for 8 and up). Even I like playing this game and I don't like to play alot of games!
          

Z is a huge soccer fan and Arsenal London is his team. If you have a soccer fan that you need to buy a gift for then Eurosport is the place to go. They have everything that a soccer fan would want in youth and adult sizes.
                                   
R is obsessed with her friend Ts RipStik. It's not like a regular skateboard. You have to do this twisty motion to get it to move and it's a real workout. They like to ride it on Shabbat in T's basement that has lots of long halls. I just ordered R one for her birthday.

                
We give our kids one 5 dollar bill each night of Hanukkah no matter what their age is. It's more than enough for them to buy themselves something nice but it's also not over the top.

So there's this years list. Do any of you have some gift ideas that you would like to share?