Party planning can be tough, especially when you have varied guests to please. The Avi Maza Orchestra takes pride in providing music for disparate audiences, all along the religious and age spectrum, with discerning tastes. Founded by Avi Maza in 1998, this eclectic group of talented musicians, DJs and other entertainers,

Imagine walking into a bat mitzvah and on every table there are big, fluffy tutus. You would probably think, “Hmm. Interesting choice of centerpiece…” Then you would walk up to your table and read the little pink card explaining that the tutu and the other assorted dancewear on the tables are being

(BPT)Patriotic celebrations, Labor Day bbqs, neighborhood block parties, graduations, bridal showers and family reunions—whatever your late summer soiree, a creative theme can elevate any gathering from fun to fantastic. If you’ve done the usual—luau, ethnic and red-white-and-blue—and are looking for

There were so many excellent books out there this year for the Jewish reader.

I picked four of the most recent selections I’ve had the privilege of reading. Each one of them “spoke” to me personally and helped me with a better understanding of the parsha,

It’s not about the limit of what you can do, it’s about doing what you can. Such is the philosophy that drove a young resident of Bergenfield, New Jersey, to start a fundraiser based on selling kippot to raise money for United Hatzalah in Israel. Out of nothing, young Aiden Sausen raised over $500 in a short

The Rutner family of West Orange traveled

to Israel in June in honor of their son and brother Jacob’s bar mitzvah. Jacob is one of five Rutner children, and was joined by four of his siblings and his parents on his tikkun olam venture. After traveling to Israel

Review of ‘Emunah with Love and Chicken Soup: The Story of Rebbetzin Henny Machlis, the Brooklyn-born Girl Who Became a Jerusalem Legend.’ By Sara Yoheved Rigler (2016). Hardcover. 576 pages. ArtScroll Shaar Press. ISBN-10: 1422618358.

Okay, you’ve heard all the clichés,

Most women and girls can think of a time when they chose style over comfort when dressing for a simcha, and suffered through the evening with pinched toes and sore feet. But a recent trend in weddings and bat mitzvahs shows that some have come up with a creative solution. Instead of the usual ballet flats

Review of ‘Yemima Mizrachi Speaks: Words of Torah. Words of chizuk. Words you have to hear.’ Adapted by Shiffy Friedman. (2016) Hardcover. 440 pages. Artscroll Mesorah Publications. ISBN-10: 1422618404.

Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi has become a

The shrilling noise crept into her consciousness even as Ruthie Somerfield wanted to ignore the sound. She tried covering her head with her pillow, but the alarm just kept wailing.

It was six thirty. Time to get up and start her day. Except Ruthie wasn’t in the mood for school. Going

Both religious and secular celebrations take vast amounts of time and effort. But as a Jew there’s the extra concern about the Three Weeks, that chunk of the summer that would otherwise have been perfect for a big summer party. During the Three Weeks it’s forbidden to get married, although engagements are permissible,

When I first started seriously learning Talmud a few years ago, I was still somewhat intimidated by the multi-tome text, which spelled out many of the roots of Jewish observance. In a language I hadn’t encountered since high school, in a cadence that was simultaneously familiar and unknowable, I wanted to penetrate the text, but