Did you know?

1.     History behind the 8 Days of Hanukkah:

The festival commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple that took place during the Second Century BCE. An army of Jews (named Maccabees) reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been converted into a pagan shrine by the Greek King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The Maccabees then built a new altar but found that the Temple’s Menorah had just enough oil to be lit for 1 day. Miraculously, it burned for 8 days. Hanukkah is celebrated for 8 days in commemoration of this miracle.

2.     The date changes every year:

The 25^th day of Jewish month of Kislev marks the beginning of Hanukkah. Each year, the festival starts anywhere between November 28^th and December 26^th and every Jewish home has a Jewish calendar to determine when it will fall out exactly.

3.     The Importance of Light:

Each day of Hanukkah one candle is added until all of the 8 candles are lit. The menorah used during the festival is called “Hanukiah” with 8 candle holders and a 9^th Shamash, which is the main candle that lights the others. 

4. Record Breaking Menorahs:

The world’s two largest menorahs are in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, both standing tall at 32 feet (the maximum allowed height for a Menorah under Jewish law).


5.     You can win chocolate coins (‘Gelt’) at the traditional Hanukkah game with a dreidel.

And if you are lucky, you can even win real coins!

6.     It’s a time of gift giving!

The name Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew l’chanech or chinuch, which means “to mold” or “to educate.” By spreading joy and giving gifts of money the gifts are meant to highlight how light triumphed over dark and how the spirit of giving lights up the lives around us.

7.     Hanukkah is also a time of eating lots of fried food!

As per records, about 17.5 million donuts are consumed just in Israel in the 8 days of Hanukkah! Of course, the latkes (potato pancakes) feature a close second! Sweet cream-cheese rugelach, honey dipping fried apple fritters, and cheese blintzes are some other festive favorites.

8.     Hanukkah is celebrated at the White House.

Although the US has never had a Jewish President, this festival is celebrated at the White House in Washington. Bill Gates was the first President to light the Menorah at the White House in 1993.

Looking for the perfect Hanukkah gift? Let us help you light up life with our festive collection!

Hanukkah Judaica

As soon as Hanukkah comes near, it’s time to find special Holiday Gifts for all the members of the family. Choose from a selection of Menorahs and Dreidels in timeless sterling silver or modern colorful aluminum.

Since there are 8 days to celebrate – you may need a few different Hanukkah gifts.

Order early to ensure your gifts arrive before the holiday!

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The Sukkah for Sukkot

Sukkot is all about living in and decorating your Sukkah, a non-permanent wooden hut, just like the Jewish forefathers. The Sukkah is a reminder of Heavenly protection, symbolizing the clouds of glory that protected the Jewish People in the desert during the exodus from Egypt. It also serves as a reminder of the transient nature of the world.

Make sure to be prepared and bring along a nice addition to gift and to love for your outside adventure:

Travel Candlesticks which can be used in the Sukkah and later for all your Shabbat journeys 

OR

Negal Vassa with Blessing for Ritual Hand Washing 

Lulav and Etrog

When we shake the lulav (a branch bouquet of palm, myrtle, and willow), one of the core traditions of Sukkot, it symbolizes sending out blessings to one and all and the unity of the Jewish people. The Etrog, believed to be our heart full of understanding and wisdom, is considered the most precious of all and is protected in a beautiful box.

Gift a premium etrog box to those you love:

Modern Etrog Box for the most precious of species – Protect your Etrog in style!

Inviting Ushpizin

During Sukkot, the seven founding fathers of the Jewish faith are said to visit the sukkah. Each supernal guest visits on a particular day and bestows his blessing and strengths. It is also customary to invite earthlier guests for every meal, including needy scholars. Maimonides remarked (Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Festivals 6:18):  “When one eats and drinks, one must also feed the stranger, the orphan, the widow and other unfortunate paupers. But one who locks the doors of his courtyard, and eat and drinks with his children and wife but does not feed the poor and the embittered soul—this is not the joy of a mitzvah, but the joy of his belly . . .”

Share the spirit of giving with this beautiful Judaica Gift:

A Luxurious Designer Wine Fountain Set with 8 Kiddush Cups 

Dipping Challah in Honey

Typically known as a Rosh Hashanah tradition, we continue to dip the Challah (bread) in honey throughout Sukkot to symbolize the sweetness of the new year. If you’ve already given honey pots as a gift, why not give a delightful plate for the honey dish? This also serves as a great décor accent for the table all year round!

Sterling Silver Honey Dish Plate

Simchat Torah 

At the end of Sukkot, we celebrate the completion of the annual reading of the Torah and begin reading the Torah anew.  This celebration, called Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of/with the Torah), falls out on the last day of Sukkot. It is accompanied by a lot of dancing and jubilation. To mark this special event, an elegant Torah pointer is a great gift.

Designer Silver Torah Pointer

A time of hope for the new year and of reflecting on the actions of the past year, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated by the Jewish community worldwide with beautiful traditions. The Shofar is blown early in the morning as one of the festival’s most important customs.

The Rosh Hashanah Meal

The Rosh Hashanah Holiday meal is traditionally eaten after sunset, by the warm glow of candlelight, lit to usher in the holiday. A fish head is placed on the table signifying the desire to be a ‘head’ and not a ‘tail’.  Round Challah (a round braided loaf of bread) forms a part of the festive meal. There are interesting connotations to the shape of the bread – some say it symbolizes the cycle of life while others call it a crown (reiterating that God is our King).

Freshly harvested fruit is a key element of Rosh Hashanah. Pomegranates, being one of the original species of the Holy Land and harvested during the time, is a key “New Fruit” at the meal signifying the hope for an abundance of good deeds in the new Jewish Year.

The most popular custom of the Rosh Hashanah meal is to eat apples dipped in honey. This is believed to set the tone for the rest of the year – that the new year be as sweet as honey.

Rosh Hashanah Gifts

The New Year is a time for all things new! People usually buy new things for their home, new clothes and jewelry for themselves and give gifts to loved ones. Jews all over the world excitedly prepare and plan thoughtful gifts for each other. To share the beauty and blessings of the holidays is important. Here are some beautiful gift ideas for Rosh Hashanah – you can get them for your home, for yourself or for family and friends!

Honey Dish

Honey Dishes feature high on the list of Rosh Hashanah Gifts for the home! Here is a hand-picked selection of sterling silver dishes from our collection:

Challah Board with Blessing

Rosh Hashanah Seder Plates

Personalized Rosh Hashanah Gifts

Personalized gifting is all the rage this year. It’s thoughtful, it’s personal and strengthens our important connections. Don’t we all love that warm fuzzy feeling when we glance at a meaningful gift given to us by someone close? An inscription makes it all the more special.

At Baltinester, we do personalized engravings on a wide variety of jewelry and Judaica. So, whether it is a blessing, a Hebrew quote, your names or a custom message, we can engrave it for you!

From all of us at Baltinester, we wish everyone a bright and happy new year – Shana Tova!

The Traditional Jewish Wedding

Whether you’re going to your first Jewish wedding or your 20th, you may still be unsure about what exactly is going on. There’s a lot of ancient rituals and traditions taking place with a lot of Hebrew thrown in. That’s why we’re here to help.

A Jewish wedding begins with spirituality and holiness and ends in an epic dance party. Before you head out to your next wedding, go prepared by reading below about every Jewish tradition you should expect to see. And don’t forget to check out our gift ideas for a memorable wedding gift they’ll love!

Badeken

The Badeken is traditionally the first time a bride and groom see each other at the wedding. The groom is escorted to the bride’s room where he lowers the veil over her face. This symbolizes his commitment to clothe and protect her and that he loves her for her inner beauty, not only the outer. The tradition comes from the Bible where Jacob was tricked into marrying the wrong sister because he had not been the one to veil her.

Chuppah

After the badeken, the groom is escorted by his parents to the Chuppah (the marriage canopy) where he awaits his bride. She is escorted by her parents and when she reaches the Chuppah, the groom comes out a few steps to walk her in. The chuppah is symbolic of their home together. It is open on all four sides like the biblical tent of Abraham and Sarah was open to welcome guests. The ashkenaz custom is to have the chuppah outside under the stars, as a sign of the blessing given to Abraham that his children will be like the stars in heaven (Genesis 15:5). After the groom brings the bride under their symbolic roof, it is customary for the bride to circle the groom seven times. By doing this the bride is metaphorically creating their new home, just as the world was created in seven days. The bride then settles at the groom’s right hand side.

Kiddushin (Betrothal)

The first of the two main parts of the wedding ceremony, Kiddushin is the sanctification of a man and woman to each other. The blessings of Kiddushin are recited by the officiating Rabbi over a cup of wine, which the bride and groom then drink from.

Giving of the Ring

In Jewish law the marriage is only official when the groom gives something of value to his bride. This is traditionally done with a simple gold ring. In the sight of two witnesses the groom proclaims “Behold you are betrothed unto me with this ring according to the Law of Moses and Israel!” He then places the ring on her right index finger. It is at this point that the couple are fully married.

Ketubah (Marriage Contract)

Next the marriage contract, previously signed by two witnesses, is read aloud to the crowd in the original Aramaic text. The marriage contract, or ketubah, outlines the groom’s responsibilities and commitments to his wife to provide her with clothing, shelter, food, and all her emotional and physical needs. It has the status of a binding legal document and is the property of the bride. The reading of the ketubah acts as a break between the betrothal (kiddushin) and the marriage (nissu’in).

Sheva Brachot (The Seven Blessings)

The Nissu’in part of the ceremony is a recitation of the Sheva Brachot (seven blessings) said over a cup of a wine. Each of the seven blessings are recited by a different rabbi or family member the couple wishes to honor. The blessings link the marriage to our belief in G-d as the Creator of man, the Bestower of love and joy, and the ultimate Redeemer of our people. At the conclusion of the final blessing, the bride and groom again drink some of the wine.

Breaking the Glass

The final event under the Chuppah is the breaking of the glass. The groom stomps on the glass, to symbolize that our happiness and joy will remain incomplete until the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The breaking of the glass is itself an intense and serious moment, which is immediately followed by shouts of “Mazal tov!”

Yichud

At the conclusion of the Chuppah the couple is escorted to the Yichud room amidst joyous dancing and singing. The Yichud room is a private room where the couple gets a few moments of seclusion. This signifies their new status as husband and wife and gives them a short time to be alone together to privately bond and rejoice.

Seudah (The Festive Meal)

The Yichud room doesn’t last long because meanwhile the guests are waiting to dance! The bride and groom reenter the banquet hall together for the first time as husband and wife. A festive meal with dancing and singing ensues! It’s a mitzvah to bring joy to the bride and groom, which many people willingly take part of with hilarious dance moves and fun props.

To learn more visit: https://www.aish.com/jl/l/m/48969841.html