30 Days To Bar Mitzvah

Whether it's finding the right synagogue and selecting a mitzvah project or choosing party favors, this original new guide to planning a bar or bat mitzvah is filled with inspiring ideas.

CLICK HERE to download the first chapter from The Bar Mitzvah & The Beast * A light-hearted and hilarious memoir of an ordinary family’s extraordinary cross-country bike adventure * Kids fighting, equipment breaking, characters popping up around each turn -- all the good cycling material is here Amateur bike rider, father of three, and everyday public school teacher, Matt Biers-Ariel never dreamed of riding a bike across the United States. But then his hard-to-impress teenage son, Yonah, refused to have a bar mitzvah as he approached age thirteen. No dancing with grandma or chanting traditional prayers? Something had to be done to celebrate this rite of passage. So Matt, his wife Djina, Yonah, and little brother Solomon decided to saddle up for a physical ride of passage -- one that would take them 3,804 miles by bicycle from the waters of the Pacific Ocean, over the Rockies, through Midwest small towns, and all the way to Washington D.C. Armed with ibuprofen, several gallons of Gatorade, and one unpredictable tandem bike (the “Beast”), the Biers-Ariel family cycled across the middle of America, chatting with colorful characters along the way, roasting marshmallows at campgrounds, and quarrelling over the state of climate change, religious identity, and several flat tires. They also collected thousands of signatures on a self-made global-warming petition calling for the United States to undergo its own rite of passage -- one of energy conservation. The Bar Mitzvah and The Beast is a funny, thoughtful memoir of one ordinary American family’s extraordinary journey by bicycle, and an enlightening, warm exploration of the bond between a spiritual, nature-loving father and his ambivalent, computer game-loving son.

In Mazel Tov, celebrity journalist Jill Rappaport and photographer Linda Solomon offer an intimate glimpse of the bar or bat mitzvahs of some of the most talented people in entertainment, politics and business. This remarkable book brings together stories and never-before-seen family photos of a variety of public figures, as they look back on their thirteen-year-old selves and reminisce about the celebration that marked their transition into adulthood. The wonderfully candid interviews in Mazel Tov document deeply poignant, and often hilariously awkward, moments in these very public lives. Interviewees include Jeremy Piven, Senator Joseph Lieberman, Marlee Matlin, Richard Dreyfuss, Ronald Perelman, Howie Mandel, Gene Shalit, Harvey Fierstein, Judy Gold, Larry King, Donny Deutsch, Michael Kors, Charles Grodin, Josh and Andy Bernstein, and many others. Their experiences run the gamut: Kirk Douglas decided to be bar mitzvahed twice, while others, like Noah Wyle, always wanted one but never had the chance. There are stories of bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, confirmations, and the only documented "bark" mitzvah, held in honor of two beloved pets. Though the stories vary greatly in their detail, they all express a common appreciation for values and traditions that have been passed down through the generations. Illustrated with photos pulled from family albums as well as contemporary portraits, Mazel Tov is an appealing tribute to the enduring bonds of faith and family.

These days it seems that more and more people seek a satisfaction in their lives that goes beyond having a successful career, a comfortable lifestyle, and access to the latest high-tech gadgets and conveniences. For the answers they can't find anywhere else, they look to the spiritual world. But most have never been touched by an angel, and few have the patience for sweat lodges, the stamina to climb the Himalayas, or the fashion sense to wear crystals. It's one thing to draw inspiration from the books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, but quite another to become a spiritual person through one's own deeds. For these interested yet wary people comes the perfectly accessible program of 30 Days to a More Spiritual Life. This simple guidebook is designed to help readers find personal, comprehensible ways to tap into their spirituality in every aspect of daily life. Growing closer to God (or whatever Higher Power) means communicating not only through prayer and meditation but also through understanding and appreciating one's self and one's world. 30 Days to a More Spiritual Life guides readers toward creating holy moments in the day and discovering their spiritual sides in interactions with others, in conducting business, and even in expressing love. Based on Shana Aborn's very popular article on the same subject for Ladies' Home Journal, 30 Days will incorporate personal anecdotes from the men and women who have benefited from the 30 Day program. This plan will have people of all faiths, backgrounds, and experiences on the road to serenity, greater well-being, and renewed sense of purpose right from the first page.

A coming of age story that includes three generations, with love. Grandpa was never bar mitzvahed; it was wartime, and life was difficult. It's been a regret his whole life. Many years later, it's his grandson's time to go through the Jewish ritual of coming of age. The father suggests that they be bar mitzvahed together. They study together, recite together, and celebrate together.

Defines the distinctive field of Jewish cultural studies and its basis in folkloristic, psychological, and ethnological approaches.