THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 22, 1984
15
DN E S
and at the conclusion of the cere-
mony, unbeknownst to Lara, the
cake flew open and fake snakes flew
out of the top.
Barbara maintained, "I wanted
a party that everyone could enjoy and
I think I accomplished that. All but
six of the almost 200 guests attended
in costume and everyone seemed to
have a wonderful time. A few people
were stopped crossing the border, but
that just added to the fun."
Dale Morgan of Silk and Morgan
Party Designers says she has told
people they can't do more than they
are already doing without reaching
the proportions of bad taste. One tra-
ditional party she remembered
adhered to the strictest, time-
honored customs.
There were booths set up to give
the appearance of a European
market-place serving traditional
Jewish foods.
"The dinner gave the feeling of a
beautiful Shabbos dinner in some-
one's home, with elegant tablecloths
and antique silver pieces on each ta-
ble. It was a beautiful party and very
traditional."
One person recently attended a
bar mitzvah done in an Egyptian
motif with Sphinxes abundant in the
decor. Party themes today run the
gamut from circuses with clowns and
rides to Broadway shows.
New and innovative places to
host the party are springing up. Res-
taurants such as Nifty Norman's in
Walled Lake which boasts a ham-
burger bar, are booked years in ad-
vance. Local hotels, discos and even
bars such as the Traffic Jam on Cass
Avenue serve as party sites.
Many, such as Esther and De-
nnis Beneson of Farmington Hills,
still prefer the old-fashioned affair at
the shul or temple. The Benesons are
members of Temple Israel, yet chose
to, have daughter Melanie's bat
mitzvah at Cong. B'nai David to have
kosher food.
"It cost us more money," said
Esther, "but we wanted to pay. It was
important to us to have a traditional
party. I think it's hypocritical to have
a bar/bat mitzvah and serve shrimp
and ramaki. No one is ever offended
by kosher food — everyone will eat it.
Yet those who keep kosher will find it
(non-kosher food) offensive.
She is quick to add, however, "I
think it is up to whoever is making
the party to do what they want. We
wanted kosher and that's what we
had."
Mark Stein of Mark of Excel-
lence catering (Temple Israel and
Temple Beth El) claims he hasn't
served kishIca in years. "I make
matza balls once a year for seders. We
get more calls for tri-colored seafood
mousse than kreplach. The food
choices are much more exotic than
ever - before. Strawberry soups, sal-
.4 O.
;.
slet
rtiiciArni
At right, Steve Jasgur, dressed as the
ringmaster, enters his circus-theme bar
mitzvah party in an electric car.
Below, Ron Jasgur gets back in the saddle
at his Western-theme bar mitzvah.
mon stuffed with lobster mousse in
puff pastry are in demand.
"Eighty to 90 percent of the bar/
bat mitzvahs we cater are oriented
toward a theme or particular interest
of the child. At a recent party the bar
mitzvah boy and two of his friends did
a ten-minute breakdancing routine
that emulated Michael Jackson. At
one party, the parents hired a
Japanese pantomimist who danced
blindfolded and blew candies in the
shapes of dragons and unicorns and
other animals. They had seen him at
Epcot and were so impressed they
flew him in for the party.
Jeff Blackman of West Bloom-
field chose a baseball theme for his
bar mitzvah and is happy he did.
enjoyed having a baseball theme be-
cause it made the party seem like an
extention of me and more personal." -
Paul Kohn of Quality Kosher
Caterers (Cong. Shaarey Zedek and
B'nai David) maintains that, meal
for meal, kosher can compete
pricewise with non-kosher. "We are
competitive," said Kohn, "and al-
though the prices vary . on the inci-
dentals the final cost of the affair will
be the same.
"We can do innovative and excit-
ing kosher meals today as fun and
tasteful as anywhere. We make a
ramaki from pastrami and chicken
liver and a tidbit that people mistake
for shrimp. At a non-kosher affair,
the bar bill may be high and more
than make up for the slightly higher
price of a kosher dinner, but the bot-
tom line is that both affairs will ulti-
mately cost the same."
Most partieS according to both
kosher and non-kosher caterers run
from $5,000 to upwards of $30,000
depending on how elaborate one is
willing to become.
Mark Stein feels the rise in the
price of catered affairs is in keeping
with inflation. "Twenty years ago
you could make a catered affair for
$3,000 or $4,000, but you could also
buy a car for that much. Today a car
may be $8,000 and up, but you can
still make a nice party for $5,000."
Dr. Jack. and Karen Singer of
Southfield divided their son Danny's
recent bar mitzvah into two parts — a
traditional Sabbath dinner and a
children's party.
They felt, "A Shabbos dinner at
Temple Israel with the service after-
ward was in keeping with the spirit of
the bar mitzvah. Danny had a kid's
party at the Ramada Inn for 60 of his
friends because that's what he
wanted."
Harriet and Bob Jasgur of West
Bloomfield, owners of Detroit Pop-
corn Co., feel making a bar/bat
mitzvah should be a family affair.
They never hire a florist and do all
the planning and decorating them-
selves with help from other family
members.
Their first son, Ron, chose a
western theme for his bar mitzvah
because he never liked to wear any-
thing but jeans. They supplied cow-
boy hats and bandanas for all the
guests to get into the mood of the
party.
"By the second party (a circus
theme for son Steve), most people
came in costume by themselves," said
Bob.
At the circus party the Jasgurs
used a 16-horse working merry-go-
round as the focal point of the party.
Balloons were dropped from the ceil-
ing with prize cards to be redeemed at
a special booth and the entire social
hall of Cong. Beth Achim was deco-
rated as a circus.
The Jasgurs love to follow a
theme completely from food to dress.
At daughter Becca's soon-to-be-held
bat mitzvah, everyone will dress in
Oriental costume and eat kosher
Chinese food. The focal point of this
party will be an eight-foot rikshaw
Harriet tracked down and had ship-
ped here.
"At each affair, no matter what
the theme, we serve kishka," said
Harriet. "There is very little, if any-
thing, you can't get kosher. Kosher
adds a different atmosphere to a
party. After all, a bar/bat mitzvah is
a religious reason for a celebration."
Rabbi A. Irving Schnipper of
Cong. Beth Abraham Hillel Moses
will not attend a party in a treife es-
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