Gifts of Jewish art From the Jewish Heartland

JEWISH JOURNAL
By Michelle Chabin

From left: Israeli artist Avner Moriah illustrates weekly Torah portions as bar or bat mitzvah gifts and Dvora Black, an Israeli artist who lives near Jerusalem, creates bar- and bat-mitzvah photo frames with a dedication in Hebrew. 

As bar and bat mitzvah celebrations have become more sophisticated and often more costly over the years, so, too, have many of the gifts. While many 12- and 13-year-olds continue to welcome fountain pens or jewelry, it’s not unusual for a celebrant to request an iPod or contributions toward a tablet or new computer. Those wishing to give a more personalized gift with Jewish meaning have more to choose from than at any other time, but it’s still difficult to find items created specifically with bar and bat mitzvah kids in mind. That’s started to change in Israel, where Judaica artisans have begun to design affordable items for this niche market. [link]