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TRUNK
SHOW
iday, February 29
Saturday. IM,arch.
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• beautiful knits designed and manufactured in Israel
• novel styles with contemporary flair
• a luxurious product at an affordable price
50-75 %off
ellemanza
In Orchard Mall • 6 393 Orchard Lake Road
West Bloomfield, MI 48322
Mon-Fri: 10:00-6:00, Thurs. till 7.00. Sat: 9:30-5:30
248-737-2666
This astonishing documentary is filled with hope and artists of good will who over-
come the politics of hate. It also is filled with beautiful music. What a combination!
Knowledge k The beginning
Thursday, March 6, 2008 • 7:30 p.m.
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
Jimmy Prentis Morris Building • A. Alfred Taubman Jewish Community Campus
15110 West 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park, MI 48237
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Presented by the Jewish Community Center's 2008 MusicFest & the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival
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February 28 • 2008
Ann Arbor
L
ast year, our synagogue gave
us the date for our daughter
Gabby's bat mitzvah in 2009.
While I know that she'll roll her eyes
at me when she reads this, I
have to say it: Receiving that
date was a big moment for all
of us — our baby was grow-
ing up.
After recovering from this
exciting news (and the slight
shock it sent me into), we
began making arrangements
for her big day. I'm not a girl,
and I'm not even Jewish. If
I had to plan it by myself,
Kentucky Fried Chicken
would probably cater the
party; and the entertainment would
be the NHL playoffs on TV. My wife,
Bonnie, knows this and has graciously
taken charge. Fortunately for Gabby, her
mom is Jewish, had her own bat mitz-
vah and has a better grip on what needs
to be done.
One of the first things that my wife
told me we had to do was pick a theme
for the party. Then, we had to decide on
the tone of the party. I have discovered
that there is a ton of pressure to enter-
tain these middle school kids. They
want a party worthy of Snoop Dogg.
Nonetheless, in sticking with a style
that wouldn't scare off our relatives, we
picked a DJ and party leader who is
somewhere between Robin Williams
and a guy with a parakeet we saw on
www.myparentsarelame.com .
While hiring a total stranger to get
our guests onto the dance floor seems
odd to me, imagine what it has been
like trying to explain this system to my
Protestant side of the family. I've told
them that a bat mitzvah is something
between a birthday party and a wed-
ding. They usually just politely nod their
heads. I then tell them that we also have
to reserve a venue, hire a photographer
and find a florist. The more I think
It's Party Time
Photographers, party planners, florists,
calligraphers, deejays and video pro-
ducers will be on hand Sunday, March
9, as Temple Beth El Sisterhood hosts
its Party Planning Showcase at the
temple.
In honor of its 20th anniversary year,
the Showcase will feature a Bridal Expo
and Trunk Show featuring gowns by
local designers. Other exhibitors skilled
Thursday March 6, 2008 7:30 p.m. All seats $10. (MusicFest passholders FREE.)
Tickets at the door, or call 248.432.5577 ext. 7 or 248.967.4030 for advance seats.
TH. CENTER
Bat Mitzvah 101
,361
about it, this is getting a lot closer to a
wedding.
Making these types of plans seems
normal to my wife. Many times it's
the female who makes most of the
arrangements anyway. But what about
our interfaith family friends
where the mother is not
Jewish? I see these women
struggle, too. That's because
they are married to a guy. OK,
yes, he's a Jewish guy; but he's
still a guy. He may have had
a bar mitzvah of his own, but
he'll probably be just as lost
in how to plan as I am. These
families have it doubly hard.
However, even Bonnie
realized how daunting the
planning process could be,
especially when it comes down to the
wire. To keep her on track, she hired
Staci Kennedy of Who's Got the Time?
in Ann Arbor. Not only did Staci attend
her own bat mitzvah when she was 13,
but now it's also her job to help organize
for others.
Although getting ready for Gabby's
big day has been a bit overwhelming
for me, I feel that we now have a good
handle on the situation. We have a great
checklist of what has to be done and by
when. We know what the theme will be,
and we have reserved the venue. (Now,
if we can just get our daughter to prac-
tice her haftorah blessings.)
I understand that becoming a bat
mitzvah is a big rite of passage for
Gabby. This may be a lot for a Protestant
dad to grasp; but the only thing that
I really need to know about it is that,
when I see my daughter on the bimah, I
will be the proudest dad on earth. That
will require no planning at all.
❑
Jim Keen is a freelance writer and col-
umnist for lnterfaithFamily.com . He is the
author of Inside Intermarriage: A Christian
Partner's Perspective on Raising a Jewish
Family (URJ Press).
in making weddings picture perfect will
include florists, photographers, videog-
raphers, pastry chefs and musicians.
From 9:30 a.m. through 3 p.m., a gal-
lery of experts will present tips, demon-
strations and ideas for having a party.
Visitors to the free event can sample
foods and win prizes. All in attendance
will receive a directory of exhibitors.
For information, call the sisterhood
resource line, (248) 865-0617, press 2.