Birkat Chaverim Blog

I have not yet written any posts yet about what we are doing this year in our chug (class), but I hope to start posting about that next week. In the meantime I wanted to post a few ideas for Chanukkah/Hanukkah crafts that can be found here, around the web or are simple enough not to need a tutorial.

Feltboard menorah with candles: Basically choose a menorah shape you like from your own imagination or using a clipart shape you can find. Cut out the menorah shape from any color felt you like. Cut out nine rectangles (I did white but given the variety of colors for Chanukkah candles one could use whatever colors you can think of)  and 9 “eye” shapes from yellow/orange felt. Use a rectangle shaped piece of felt as a backboard and you’ve got a Chanukkah felt board. Candles and flames could be reused for Shabbat candles.
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Everyone knows that on Chanukkah (Hanukkah or Hanuka- however you want to spell it!)  you eat oily foods. The oily foods most connected with Chanukkah are potato latkes (pancakes) and sufganiot (donuts.) This tutorial will show a very simple latke pattern.
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In honor of Chanukkah, I am posting a photo of a menorah. The menorah is a very popular motif in Jewish art “then and now.” However, the menorah represents the menorah used in the Beit Hamikdash or Temple rather than the Hanukkah lamp used during Hanukkah. Note the difference in the number of lights (seven versus nine.) There are lots and lots of articles on the web that speak about iconography of the Menorah in manuscripts, synagogue mosaics etc. This menorah comes courtesy of my mom who had the opportunity to visit Uzbekistan this September. The Menorah is cut into the drainpipe of the synagogue in Tashkent. Neat, no?

It is officially the Jewish month of Kislev, and that means Chanukkah is coming. I will post a post about craft ideas but in the meantime, I wanted to post about a new item I added to the Birkat Chaverim shop- a Chanukkah lighting accordion book.

I designed this a few years ago and assembled about 20-30 for a company to use as a promotional item (those included business identity information.)

I have also posted a variation on this design on Zazzle as holiday cards and as editable postage stamps. I am including the stamp image below:

Customizable Chanukkah stamps

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, as a post in the travel category as a resource. One issue that always seems to come up while travelling is staying in touch with loved ones at home. This can be expensive on both sides depending on your long distance options from home and what type of phone connection you have during your travels (roaming cell, local cell, hotel number etc.)

There are lots of options but here is a new and exciting solution- Zenofon.  This is a phone service that uses social media and a referral system which allows sign up by referral link only.
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I like the idea of the Areyvut Bnai Mitzvah Video Essay contest and thought it would be relevant to some of the blog readers. I like the idea of turning family celebrations into meaningful experiences which give back to the community. A while back I requested readers to let us know how they made their family celebrations meaningful. I felt that it would be helpful to others planning celebrations to see what other families have done (I’m still looking for submissions so feel free to comment or post on facebook.)

This contest is basically doing the same thing. Contestants are asked to submit videos of how they have or will incorporate the values of chesed (kindness), tzedakah (charity), and tikkun olam (social justice) in their rite of passage celebrations. The winning video will be posted on the Areyvut website. I like the idea and bet that there will be some interesting submissions.

The contest is open to grades 5 through ten and closes December 25th. See the Areyvut website for further details. Areyvut also has a database of over 200 Bnai Mitzvah mitzvah project ideas that can be incorporated into a Bnai Mitzvah celebration. This resource can be accessed here: Bnai Mitzvah mitzvah project ideas

Abraham and the angels mug by BC Annex

For this week’s parsha I thought I would post something I made a while back. I originally called it Abraham and the three angels, but the truth is you don’t see Abraham or Sarah, but only the three angels. Its sort of in a werkstatte style, turn of the last century. I originally made it as an 8×10 print, but here I’m showing it on a mug from my zazzle store.
The theme of the work is welcoming guests. In this portion, Abraham, according to tradition, is waiting for guests, despite being in pain, and Hashem sends three in part to fulfill the mitzvah of visiting the sick.

I am going to use both of these themes with my daughter for her mitzvah book. I have an idea for hachnasat orchim (welcoming visitors) but not yet visiting the sick.

Congratulations to George Daniel Frankel and Levi Orentliker who are the winners of our contest. George Daniel Frankel will receive the simcha logo design and Levi Orentliker will receive $18 off an order on the Birkat Chaverim website. Please be in touch to follow up about your prizes.

These winners were chosen at random. Originally, I thought it would be fun to use social media to have the numbers chosen. I asked on facebook for friends to select random numbers. Friends, however, responded that I should just use random.org so in the end, I did. It might have been cooler to have people choose the numbers at random, but the end result is the same!

Congratulations!