Life Is A Celebration.

April 25. Says her mother, Beverly,
"The problem isn't burnout. It is how
similar the events are. If the parties are
at different places with different DJs,
it makes it easier to keep their inter-
est."
Kimberly, who will be bat mitzvah
at Adat Shalom, will have her party at
Cadillac Cafe in Farmington Hills so
that it will not be the same as her
friends. "I try to do my parties differ-
ently," says Mrs. Shindel. "I do them
in a place where there are pool tables,
video games, darts, air hockey and
other things to keep the kids amused
besides dancing."
Another key to surviving the year,
according to parents, is a good carpool
that rotates the driving. "It's really easy
to drop off at shul at 10 in the morn-
ing on a Saturday, but it is different at
12:30 at night. Everybody has to drive
their share," Shindel adds.
And then there are the gifts. "On
the average, we gave a check for $25,"
says Andi Katz. "For Emily's close
friends, of which there were 11 who
went to elementary school together,
we all went in together and bought a
Tag Heuer watch or a piece of jewelry.
It cost about $24 each, but the child
had a gift they would have forever."
Andi and her husband Bruce were
invited to some of the parties. In
those cases, they gave an additional
$100.
Beverly Shindel also gives a $25
check from Kimberly to friends.
Good friends received a gift for more
than $50, and for some of her closest
friends, she has spent $150 and up on
special keepsakes.
Lindsey Gershenson doesn't like
giving a check. "She is very specific if
she is going to purchase something,"
says her mom, Sherry "If she isn't sure
what to buy them, she likes to give a
gift certificate, usually to Somerset
Mall."
Hillel Day School has created a class
gift that is given to each bar/bat mitz-
vah. The gift includes a Chumash, a
menorah, two bonds, a mezuzah and a
tzedakah box. Parents have the option
to participate and pay for the gifts over
the course of the year.
"It's been great, because they get a
beautiful gift, and I do not have to
buy gifts each week," says Nancy
Schostak.

4

Live It Jewishly
Find that special gift for:

Bar/Bat Mitzvah, wedding, birthday, anniversary, a new baby, etc.

Available at: TRADITION! TRADITION!

Call Alicia R. Nelson for an appointment (248) 557-0109

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30855 Southfield Road, Southfield, MI 48076, (248) 644-5330