LET US CREATE
celebrate
YOUR EVENT
. . .
a guide to simchahs
Personal Touch
ONE BITS Al A TIME
Custom benchers for any celebration.
Ronelle Grier
R
I
Contributing Writer
eciting the grace
after meals, or
or explanations of the
prayers and practices,
such as the bencher
Lewis created for the
wedding of Aaron
Konvisser and Hailing
"Diana" Huang. While
the bride had converted
to Judaism, most of
her family members
were not familiar with
Birkat HaMazon,
is a time-honored Jewish
custom, especially at cel-
ebrations such as wed-
dings and b'nai mitzvah.
Prayer booklets known
as benchers, from the
Yiddish word "to bless,"
Joe Lewis
have become common
accessories at these events, helping Jewish wedding customs, so Lewis
included explanations of the chup-
guests to follow the service and
serving as a keepsake of the occa-
pah (wedding canopy) and other
4010
SC H
., lt000
CliAAi rtipIt S( I CATERING
sion.
Joe Lewis, Oak Park resident and
lifelong scholar of Jewish tradition,
is known for creating customized
benchers through his home-based
company, the Singlish Publication
Society.
734.546.8277
simplyscrumptiouscatering.com
info@simplyscrumptiouscatering.com
"certified Kosher available under the supervision of Kosher Michigan
A
KOSHER MICHIGAN
KOSNE0. CERTIFICATION AGENCY
Lewis, who started his business
25 years ago, said he began mak-
ing his own benchers to accom-
Hold your next simcha at Beth Shalom!
Tteeant
)
41^
modate family members who were
uncomfortable with the traditional
books because they did not read
Hebrew.
"Sometimes you have people
coming to a Jewish experience, and
they feel out of place because they
d un
0 0 11
don't know what to do," Lewis
said. "We show them what to
expect and what to do."
His prayer books feature a three-
column format with Hebrew, stan-
dard transliteration, and an English
translation written by Lewis.
"The translations make the
prayers sing-able, so everyone can
follow along," he said.
Some books include footnotes
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is the One!
Our beautiful social hall can
seat up to 350 comfortably.
Adjacent patio suitable
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Reasonable rental fees
Friendly, flexible staff
14601 Lincoln Road • Oak Park, Michigan 48237
Grace After Meals •
couple's ketubah.
"It was a perfect way to blend
the two cultures in a book that
everyone could understand,"
said the groom's mother, Zieva
Konvisser of West Bloomfield, "and
the way he translates things is
really so beautiful."
Marcia Tilchin, the cantor at
Congregation B'nai Israel in Tustin,
Calif., had no time to spare when
she contacted Lewis one month
before her daughter Sheindl's bat
Psalm 126
11717
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Sing Psalm 126 on Shabbat, festivals and other festive occasions
All kosher caterers welcome
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33
traditions.
"You want to welcome your
guests, and you don't want to
leave them scratching their heads
and feeling out of place," Lewis
said.
The bencher for the Konvisser-
Huang wedding included childhood
photos of the bride and groom,
words of devotion written by the
couple, and greetings from both
sets of parents, translated into
English and Chinese. The cover
artwork, designed by an artist in
San Diego, was also used on the
i.
41
In mourning though they sow their seed,
Hazorim bedima
In happiness they'll reap their yield.
berina yiktzoru.
To sow the seed, bowed with grief
Haloch yelech uvacho
The plowman plods his weary way;
no'se meshech hazara,
His heart will surely feel relief
bo yavo verina
Bringing in the sheaves on harvest day.
no'se alumotay.
"Then will-be-filled with joy our mouth, and our tongue with joy."
shade Added sometimes I
5efk
thr Prayer I ing ti 71 Scripture 1- 1 t77.177 Torah
Portions of a bencher page showing the Hebrew, English and transliteration.
1904000
C 4 4
celebrate! I March 2014