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Page 1: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

Weddings

Page 2: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

t THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2016B2 [ W E D D I N G S ]

Fontana Primavera is the new standard for exquisite food andservice fused with opulence. Our magnificent new facility includes:• Kosher Kitchen• Five luxurious banquet rooms• Capacity to hold up to 1,000 guests• Hotel-style bridal suites• Lush outdoor gardens to host wedding ceremonies• Cocktail events or pre-function receptions

77 Woodstream Boulevard,Vaughan, Ontario, L4L 7Y6905.265.8100 | 905.669.6141F. [email protected]

Fontana Primavera a premier choice for any functionSPONSOR CONtENt

I t’s a gem of an event centre sitting in the heart of Vaughan.

Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor-porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and other gatherings.

With four luxury banquet halls that can be separated or put together for a larger function, there are options for any sized event at Fontana Primavera.

Fontana Primavera can host anywhere from 20 to 1,100 guests, with dividable luxury ballrooms and large lavish bridal suites.

Bringing 45 years of experience, Fontana Primavera staff has mastered the art of banquet hospitality.

Phil Aiello says, “We have a fresh and modern architectural look. There is no fa-cility that looks like this.”

Elegantly landscaped lush gardens with gazebos and water features are perfect for wedding photos. The facility includes a large tent perfectly equipped for cere-monies and receptions.

What sets Fontana Primavera apart is its extravagant, lavish facilities including underground parking and exceptional

white-glove service from its uniformed staff.Elite, unique with a reputation for fine

international cuisine, Fontana Primavera Event Centre prides itself on being a five star experience.

“We offer savoury tables, stations for sushi and lamb, and you can quench your thirst with your own signature martini

from our flowing Prosecco display.“We offer a variety of delicious desserts

ranging from chocolate fountains to fresh fruit displays and sweet tables,” Aiello said.

Fontana Primavera specializes in inter-national cuisines including Italian, Portu-guese, Greek and Russian.

Come for a complimentary consultation with our knowledgeable creative staff, led by Frank Fuoco and Phil Aiello. n

Visit our website at fontanaprimavera.com for more details. You can also email us at [email protected] or call us at 905 -265-8100.

Page 3: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

ELLA BURAKOWSKICJN STAFF

The collective gasp could be heard through the room as all our heads turned to see a row of professional-

ly dressed, white-gloved servers entering the dining room carrying trays filled with white teapots, a cloud of thick steam es-caping from each spout to create a magic-al mist floating above as they entered the room. The band played, as one by one, the teapots were placed in front of each guest. What an entrance for mango sor-bet, which perfectly cleansed our palates in preparation for the next course. And all this after we had already been treated to one tantalizing course after the next.

From mouth-watering hors d’oeuvres, to the salad, which was presented like an exotic floral arrangement, to the succulent main course whose heavenly aroma could be sensed before it was placed artistically in front of each guest, this meal from start to finish was nothing short of a culinary experience.

Applause Catering has set the bar in kosher catering to a level that’s unreach-

able for others. Every course engages all the senses as each plated masterpiece is set down in front of each guest. Every mouthful is a celebration and a burst of unexpected flavours that would please the most discerning palate. There were as many photos taken of the food as there were of the bride and groom.

What’s the secret of this innovative, up-scale kosher caterer?

Roshan Wanasingha, award-winning chef/partner of Applause Catering has never felt limited by what’s available in the local market, and he doesn’t let the restriction of being kosher limit his im-agination when it comes to creating the perfect meal. His innovation and creativ-ity have put Applause at the forefront of kosher catering.

Cary Silber, a partner in Applause Cater-ing has many years of experience and understands the needs and desires of his clients. “We’ll source products from around the world to make things differ-ent,” he said. “We don’t put ourselves into a box, we work outside of the box,” he ex-plained. “We’ll use almond milk, soy milk, or other pareve ingredients that make it

kosher. We can make a cream-based sauce pareve. We can do a pasta bar at a meat function where we give you good-tasting cheese and a creamy sauce.”

David Silber, also a partner in Applause Catering and representing the next gener-ation, brings his expert knowledge of the event industry to Applause Catering. He imparts his passion and attention to de-tail to ensure excellence. When it comes to evaluating what’s popular in terms of food choices, you can trust David.

His brother Ryan Silber displays a zest for perfection and innovation with his research and knowledge of the most up-to-date trends, coupled with his fresh ap-proach to what’s new and possible.

“The experience that I have, I bring with me,” Cary said, “and these guys are young and are foodies. We put those factors together and end up with a company of experienced foodies.”

He enjoys being able to share this ride with his sons and has been able to fuse his 30 years of his experience with his sons’ avant-guard contemporary visions.

“I’m able to impart a lot of my experi-ence to them, so that when they’re talk-

ing about catering or doing events, my experience comes into play,” Silber said. “So even though they’re young, their ex-perience is rich. They started to work for me as dishwashers and worked their way up. They understand the business.”

The beautiful wedding we attended is one I will not soon forget.

Applause Kosher Catering was the per-fect complement to an enchanting even-ing at Beth Tzedec Synagogue in Toronto. Its culinary vision and expert execution of each and every detail captured the essence of the evening and added to the perfection of the simchah, creating a spe-cial memory that stayed with every guest in attendance. The bride and groom had their dream wedding and Applause Cater-ing played a big part in that magical even-ing. ■

To book a consultation with Applause Catering for any function, you can email Cary ([email protected]) or David ([email protected]),or give them a call at 416-628-9198or check out their website athttp://www.applausecatering.ca

Applause has set the bar in kosher catering

SPONSOR CONTENT

THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS TFEBRUARY 18, 2016 B3[ W E D D I N G S ]

Page 4: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

t THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2016B4 [ W E D D I N G S ]

YOUR DREAM DAY

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Can bridal fashionista turn Israel into the dress-up nation?KArEN MCDoNougHJNS.oRg

It’s already known as the “start-up nation.” But can bridal fashionista Berta Balilti turn Israel into the dress-up nation?

Balilti, owner of Berta Bridal, presides over an internationally successful busi-ness, creating luxurious and glamorous wedding gowns sold worldwide. From her fashion house in the southern Israeli port city of Ashdod, she exports gorgeously detailed gowns to boutiques and stores in more than 20 countries.

This isn’t your mother’s wedding dress. Balilti is known for her shapely modern de-signs with signature daring bare backs, dra-matic trains, and intricate lace and tulle.

She has certainly found her place in the multi-billion dollar wedding industry – $60 billion a year in the United States alone. And with the worldwide appeal of her de-signs, Balilti’s spot as a high-end wedding gown designer has helped place Israel at the top of bridal haute couture fashion.

“There’s nothing like Berta’s dresses,” said Renata Kukielka, the buyer for L’Fay Bridal in New York City. “She has brought something unique to this market, classic and sexy designs. Brides try her dresses on and most are in disbelief, they feel so gor-geous they don’t want to take them off.”

Balilti’s success may have seemed un-imaginable just a generation ago. Born in Cairo, Egypt, she emigrated at age three with her parents to Israel just prior to

1967’s Six Day War, which had devastat-ing consequences for Egyptian Jews. Years earlier, some of her family migrated to Paris with the help of the Jewish organiza-tion HIAS before coming to America.

Growing up in Israel, Balilti found her flair for fashion and dreamed of designing the ultimate dress for a woman’s most im-portant day. After graduating from Ramat Gan’s Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, she worked during the day as a seamstress, and later, as a junior designer at a ready-to-wear company in Tel Aviv. At night, she sketched and sewed wedding gowns at home, determined to make her dream come true.

In 1995, she opened her first bridal sal-on, La Belle, a small shop where she was the sole designer and had a staff of about 25 people working for her. From the be-ginning, her business has been closely held, with family members helping out. Her daughter is one of her models.

Less than a decade later, in 2004, Balilti expanded – moving her operation into a larger space, turning her boutique into a full-fledged fashion house, and taking on the name Berta Bridal.

“We had reached a point in which I felt like the place became too small for my needs, in terms of production and the level of service I expect my team to grant my brides,” Balilti told JNS.org. “Then we decided to move to our new place.”

By 2005, the company had 15 retailers, and a year later more than 30 stores were carrying the Israeli-made gowns. A few years later in 2012, when her son-in-law Nir Moscovich joined the team, he took the company international, overseeing its global operations.

“Everything happened really fast in the international scene,” she said. “We were constantly getting inquiries from brides and many retailers all over the world who wanted to carry my line.”

Today, her gowns are sold at more than 60 retailers in close to two dozen coun-tries, including in the U.S. department store giants Saks Fifth Avenue and Nord-strom. Though she has made her dream come true, Balilti isn’t complacent.

“I still chase my dreams,” she said. “I’m grateful for all I have achieved so far, but there’s much more ahead, and I have no plans of taking a break.” n

Page 5: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS TFEBRUARY 18, 2016 B5[ W E D D I N G S ]

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Page 6: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

T THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2016B6 [ W E D D I N G S ]

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Those looking to find items to en-hance their upcoming weddings and simchahs, will find quite the treas-

ure hidden in an industrial part of Thorn-hill, looking most unassuming.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary later this month, The Israeli Source shows no inten-tion of resting on its laurels.

“Last year we reported a doubling in op-tions available to customers looking to or-der kippot for their simchahs,” says Chuck Elnekave, proprietor of The Israeli Source.

“Since then, we’ve almost doubled again.” With an absolutely jaw-dropping

500-million-plus kippah options, The Is-raeli Source’s team of experts is well-versed in the various options available.

“Different fabrics, linings, shapes and sizes – so many options, there’s just no reason why anybody can’t have something unique,” Elnekave elaborates. “One couple might be happy with the ubiquitous black suede kippah for their wedding. It’s formal, reserved, and something that guests will likely use for years.”

He remembers, however, a couple who came in wanting something different. “They showed me their wedding colour

scheme, and they left with magnificent chocolate brown linen kippot with a minty green lining – it looked like someone had taken a bite out of a peppermint Aero bar! I absolutely love working with someone with an abundance of creative energy.”

Kippot are not the store’s only focus. Ketubahs and benchers are also a huge part of its repertoire.

“We work with most of the ketu-bah artists, big and small,” says El-nekave, “and our commitment is to provide their works – the same pieces one can get from a fancy gallery – at the price for which The Israeli Source has become famous. With a large array of artists, The Israeli Source’s roster of ketubah design-ers features some of the most sought-after, in-demand artists in the market today.

“And The Israeli Source is definitely the go-to spot for benchers,” Elnekave says.

He proudly boasts of his work with the Birkat Hamazon booklets given out at many simchahs. “Not only are we competi-tive in pricing, and offer a great selection, we can offer turnaround times that would have been unheard of a few years ago.

“But ultimately,” says Elnekave, with a grin on his face, “what I’m most proud of, is what we can accomplish in terms of social and community benefits.”

The vast majority of the kippot The Israeli Source offers are made in Israel. “With the situation the way it’s been the past few months, we hear from studios in Israel how stores there suffer from a lack of tourists and that trickles down to a drop in produc-tion for them. So we’re thrilled to be taking orders that give them work to do.”

What advice would Elnekave give to those with upcoming simchahs? “As soon

as you’re ready, place your orders. We’ve seen, unfortunately, a rise in prices be-cause of the weak Canadian dollar. Most articles from the foreign exchange experts seem to agree that the situation will get a bit worse before it gets better. Given that just about every kippah, bencher, and ketubah comes from suppliers who sell in U.S. dollars, it’s best to place orders before prices jump again.” ■

The Israeli Source is located at 60 Doncaster Avenue in Thornhill, and can be reached at 905-482-2025.

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Israeli Source has 500-million plus kippah options.

Page 7: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS tFEBRUARY 18, 2016 B7[ W E D D I N G S ]

Herecomes the

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ELAINE COHENSUpplEmEntS Co-oRdinAtoR

W ith so many things to do be-tween planning a wedding and settling down after the honey-

moon, couples may be tempted to put off sending out thank-you cards. Opinions vary on the content of the messages or the means of communication, however, everyone agrees it is courteous to express gratitude without undue delay.

In the digital age, couples tend to set up wedding websites soon after they an-nounce their engagement. These sites invariably include photo galleries, blogs, videos, links to bridal registries and other news. The celebrants may opt to email invitations to prenuptials and organize web posts to make announcements and acknowledge good wishes.

Although some people use online com-munication for everything connected to the occasion, many continue to order personal wedding stationery and send out stamped, addressed formal invitations and RSVP cards. In addition, they com-plement the order with thank-you cards to have on hand.

Author Peggy Post, an institute spokes-person for The Emily Post Institute, re-nowned for setting standards for eti-quette practices in North America, sets three months as the maximum grace per-iod before sending out thank you cards. She lauds personalized thank-you notes. She does not advocate shortcuts such as phoning and emailing. Moreover, purists lack enthusiasm for thank- you cards con-veying the same message to everyone on the list.

Retired social worker Ann Gold, 68, moved to Montreal from New York in the ‘60s. “Between my children, grandchil-dren, former colleagues and friends, I’m invited to lots of simchahs. I send lots of gifts and I don’t complain if recipients thank me by email or phone. Of, course, I prefer a handwritten personal card but even if it’s an impersonal printed one, as long as I’m alerted that they received the gift, I’m satisfied.”

Graduate student, Avery Levy, 26, advo-

cates scrapping printed invitations, thank you cards and sending anything by regular mail. “It’s the 21st century, online access is simple, free and quick.”

Gold and Levy wish more celebrants would express thanks within a month af-ter they received gifts. “In one instance, I couldn’t place the name of the bride and groom on the thank you card because so many months had elapsed since the wed-ding,” Gold said. “Fortunately, I made the connection a few weeks later when I was seated near them at a relative’s bar mitzvah.”

Levy and Gold have learned not to as-sume that gifts sent out automatically ar-rive in the right hands. “I was in a rush and parking was tough, so I left the gift, which was clearly addressed, with the doorman in the condo lobby,” Gold said. “The next day, I saw the couple at the supermarket and asked if they received the gift. Evi-dently, the doorman had neglected to in-form them it had arrived. Luckily, it had been safely locked away and they were able to retrieve it. Now, I make sure to check right away.”

Experts offer the following tips on how to effectively acknowledge wedding gifts.

For starters, make a list of everyone invited to prenuptials and the wed-ding. Leave plenty of space to add names when unexpected gifts arrive from social or business acquaintances who were not on the invitation list. Note full personal and, if relevant, business names and co-ordinates. Describe the item, the source and date it arrived. Include a column to check off when thank you cards have been sent out.

Recipients of handwritten messages appreciate the personal spin on each ac-knowledgement. “It makes me feel spe-cial,” Gold observes, “especially when people write something complimentary about the particular gift I sent them. If it’s monetary, some even indicate what it is going toward.” n

Thank guests personally for their gifts

Page 8: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

T THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS FEBRUARY 18, 2016B8 [ W E D D I N G S ]

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ANITA SZABADI-GOTTESMANSPECIAL TO THE CJN

Honeymoon choices can take newly-weds to far flung destinations from Bali to Barcelona, but for couples

looking to stay a little closer to home while experiencing history, charm and time for relaxation, Québec City fits the bill.

Referred to as the crown jewel of French Canada by the travel experts at Lonely Planet, Québec City is a short car, train or plane ride from many Canadian cities. The drive from Montreal, at a distance of 255 kilometers, will get you there in just under three hours on highways 40 or 20.

As the capital of the province of Québec, Québec City’s roots trace back to the ex-tensive travels of French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1535 and the establishment of an official colony in New France by Samuel de Champlain in 1608. With its origins in the fur trade along with the logging industry, Québec City saw many battles between the English and French within its walls par-ticularly on the Plains of Abraham, now a beautiful park enjoyed all year long by lo-cals and tourists alike.

Québec City’s Vieux Québec, (Old Town) is the only remaining fortified city in North America outside of Mexico. In 1985, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today’s Québec City successfully blends old architecture from the 16th and 17th centuries with modern office and govern-ment buildings, which straddle the majes-tic north shore of the St. Lawrence River as it intersects with the St. Charles River heading towards the Atlantic.

As a major centre for French culture, the city is brimming with many museums in-cluding the Musée de la civilisation, and the Centre d’Interpretation Place-Royale, a historic museum featuring a dress-up cos-tume room. The Fine Arts Museum show-cases the largest collection of Québec art in Canada.

The Québec Winter Carnival has taken place every February since 1954 with a full roster of activities for young and old. For a ski honeymoon, Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham ski centres are a short drive away. Romantic, fully appointed accom-modations are plentiful, from the famed Chateau Frontenac with a view over the river basin, to familiar chain hotels and

unique bed-and-breakfast choices. Dining is an art featuring exceptionally

well prepared French cuisine along with more and more ethnic choices and locally sourced wines and cheeses. Famed French joie de vivre is evident everywhere along the walkable cobblestone streets of Vieux Québec through to the modern shopping centres located not far from the city centre.

A side trip to the famed Montmorency Falls is a must in the warmer months where the cable car takes you close up to the falls allowing for jaw dropping views of the St.

Lawrence River and surrounding moun-tains. Hop up on a restored cannon, or ride the funicular from lower town to upper town for special honeymoon photo mem-ories. Take a romantic caleche ride to learn more about this historical city.

Shabbat services are held at the city’s Beth Israel Oheve Sholom Orthodox Syna-gogue. Chabad house is situated on the city’s Université de Laval campus. Kosher catering services are available through the synagogue with delivery to many of the city’s premium hotels. ■

Honeymoon in Québec City

The uniqueness of Québec City with its walled fortifi cations has earned its name as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site. ANITA SZABADI-GOTTESMAN PHOTO

Full Service & Day of Event packages available. For a Free consultation please call:

905-738-5030 www.heidig.ca

Heidi Gruenspan& Associates

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Page 9: Weddings - Canadian Jewish News · the heart of Vaughan. Fontana Primavera specializes in ko-sher weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, cor - porate conventions, seminars, fundraisers and

THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS TFEBRUARY 18, 2016 B9[ W E D D I N G S ]

BAYVIEW VILLAGE (BAYVIEW & SHEPPARD)416-590-7311 • TOLL FREE 1-877-591-1115

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To book your special day and to learn more, please contact Edmund Duarte at 416.636.9000

Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue 100 Elder Street, Toronto ON M3H 5G7 | www.beby.org

Uptown Gourmet Catering ...always the perfect choice.

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Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue1955-2015

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Choosing the perfect KetubahSPONSOR CONTENT

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Finding the right Ketubah for your wedding can feel overwhelming. If you type “Ketubah” into Google, you

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What is your style?Contemporary or traditional? Vibrantly colourful or quietly subdued? With lots of Jewish symbolism or none at all? If you like the idea of owning a true classic, con-sider an authentic historical reproduc-tion of a centuries-old Ketubah from New York’s Jewish Museum – updated with your names and preferred text. You can find your style from a wide range of Ketubahs on the market today, including papercut,

gold leaf, 3-D and Japanese washi paper.

What size fi ts?A Ketubah is most often displayed in the living room, dining room or bedroom. Ketubah prints are available in a variety of sizes. Do you envision a Ketubah that’s big and bold, classic-sized (about 18 in. x 24 in.) or small and understated?

Which text is right?To ensure smooth sailing at your wedding, you really do need to consult your rabbi or officiant about any text requirements they may have. Your Ketubah provider should offer a variety of possible texts for every wedding type – or you can write your own!

What’s your budget? It’s common to spend one per cent to two per cent of the cost of the wedding. In most cases, an heirloom-quality, limited edition print or lasercut Ketubah should cost $300-$500 (Cdn) all in. If you have a larger budget, enhanced options such as stretched canvas or gold leaf are worth

considering. With less to spend, a budget ketubah may be just the thing.

Planning tip:If considering ordering from the United States, beware of the hidden costs. The prices tend to be similar – be-fore you take into account the exchange rate – and you may be surprised with a big extra charge upon receipt for taxes and customs clearance. (And happily, the largest selection of Ketubahs is right here in Canada).

What’s your timeline?Ideally, your Ketubah should be ordered two to three months before your wed-ding. If your timeline is a bit shorter, no problem, although your options may be more limited. In a pinch, a reputable art-ist or ketubah company should be able to provide a Ketubah in as little as a week. When shopping online, look for a “Time to Door” calculator that specifies the

timing for each Ketubah. If your wedding is this weekend, phone a local company that has in-house printing and discuss your options with a live person.

Bio:Michael Shapiro is the founder and CEO of Ketubah.com, a Toronto-based com-pany, celebrating 20 years online and out-standing “real person” customer service. ■

For more help finding your perfect ketubah, visit ketubah.com online or call 416-963-9191.

Authorized reproductions of historical

ketubahs from The Jewish Museum.

COURTESY OF KETUBAH.COM

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“Im eshkachech Yerushalayim, tishkach yemini.” If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

Boom. Crush. Crackle. The final step of a Jewish wedding’s chupah cere-mony is the moment that the groom

steps on the glass to shouts of “mazal tov!”There are countless interpretations for

the tradition of breaking a glass. Some see it as a reminder of the destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem. Others say it is meant to remind us that marriage is as fra-gile as glass. It also has been interpreted to demonstrate how life is so fragile that the couple should enjoy every day as if it were their last together.

“Can you imagine – you can take a per-fectly formed object and smash it.…We are so perfectly formed as we stand under the chupah. It is true that life is fragile and sometimes fragmented, but HaShem [God] responds to a broken heart,” says Chana Perelman, director of Judaica.com.

Whether progressive or traditional, reli-gious or secular, Jewish weddings almost always include the breaking of a glass.

At some weddings, and certainly his-torically, people used light bulbs or wine goblets wrapped in cloth napkins. Today, however, there are many artists designing vibrant, trendy, and often hand-blown Jewish wedding-breaking glasses, and ul-timately imaginative keepsakes in which

to keep their shards.Perelman says it was artist Gary Rosen-

thal who popularized selling beautiful breaking glasses. She highlights the break-ing glasses of artist Sara Beames, who produces two different lines of glasses to smash – eight colours in hand-blown glass and five that come in an embroidered “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” (Hebrew for “I am my be-loved’s, and my beloved is mine”) silk or-ganza bag.

Yet Perelman says the real joy comes not necessarily during the moment of the breaking, but when the couple decides to keep the glass.

“Assign a reliable person – family mem-ber or friend – to take care of getting the glass from under the chupah. The last thing you want is for it to get swept away by the hall,” says Perelman.

What can you do with those shards? Here are seven ideas:

Box it upIf you choose a dynamic breaking glass in a vibrant colour, simply boxing the shards in a Lucite or glass box can be a real attrac-tion. The box can sit on a bookshelf or be displayed on a countertop. The box can be purchased at a craft or jewelry store. Keep-ing such a box around, says Perelman, re-minds the couple of that happy “mazal tov moment.”

Bag itShari Klein created a keepsake to help en-gage her to-be step-children in the wed-

ding ceremony. Today, it beautifies her new home. It was a do-it-your-self project. She purchased an off-white muslin bag with a drawstring and fabric crayons. The children – two boys, ages six and eight – were asked to draw what they felt depicted the special day on which their dad would marry his new wife.

Continued on next page

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“When we brought it to the chupah, the rabbi was able to acknowledge it, and it made the boys feel good and included,” says Klein, explaining that now they are planning to frame the drawing with the glass and put it up in their house.

Use it for a mitzvahArtist Faye Miller tells JNS.org that among her most popular keepsakes are mezuzahs and kiddush cups. Beames says tzedakah boxes are among her hot-

test buys. Broken glass from a wedding can be incorporated into any of these items.

“My personal favourites are keepsakes that help you perform a mitzvah,” notes Perelman, who says these types of wed-ding keepsakes sell well on Judaica.com. She says a couple can place the tzedakah box by their candlesticks and give tze-dakah as a family every Friday evening, collecting from their children as the family grows.

Design a piece of jewelryThe bride can take a piece of glass and commission a keepsake piece of jewel-ry. A search on Etsy.com reveals a lamp-work necklace from the broken glass of a Jewish wedding, created by Sari Glass-man, who explains on the product page that she melted the pieces from the broken glass in the flame and added to them a 22-karat gold leaf.

“Do you know a woman who wants to get married? This necklace will bring her

luck,” writes Glassman though it will also be a piece to cherish for a woman who has already married her soulmate.

create potteryPerelman recommends embedding wed-ding glass shards in a piece of pottery. One can visit a paint-and-glaze store and ask to use the glass as part of a mosaic pottery project, or commission an artist to create their ideal piece.

Search for another craft idea, or come up with your own!

Pinterest is an excellent platform for finding creative ideas for what to do with your broken wedding glass shards. Put “broken glass art” in the search bar and you’ll find everything from mirrors, to mosaics, to glass bottle collectibles, to garden stepping stones.

Faye Miller says it’s a joy to work on breaking glass keepsakes.

“I think the glass shards themselves are beautiful, and the fact that they harken back to the earliest days of the Jewish people is very meaningful,” says Miller. “How won-derful to have a piece in your home that evokes memories of our people as well as the special moment when you became hus-band and wife. I love my job and consider it an honour when brides and grooms select my art for their wedding glass.” n

creations of artist sara Beames, who produces hand-blown glass, to break at jewish weddings, and tzedakah boxes. SARA BEAmES PhotoS

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