Picking the perfect judaica gift

The perfect Judaica gift will require as much thought and effort as any other you may consider giving. The range of Jewish gifts is endless; everything from beautiful books for children and adults to unique gifts and accessories for the home.

With the advent of the high holidays literally on the doorstep, now is the time to consider buying that special Judaica gift that reflects the sacred nature of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur and what they both represent to Jews everywhere.

Gifts should be appropriate and cognizant of the holidays and their significance, and should be selected with the recipient in mind. Food gifts should be kosher. Material gifts should be of an appropriate price range.




What is the significance of the Jewish High Holy Days?

The Jewish New Year commemorates the creation of Adam and Eve and is always marked with a celebratory feast in which a round challah is placed on the holiday table as a symbol of fullness and completion. The bread and an apple are dipped in special honey dishes, representing the collective prayer for a sweet new year.

Yom Kippur represents Moses’ personal plea with God to forgive the Jewish people; a prayer, which was answered on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. On this most solemn and important of holy days on the Jewish calendar, Moses brought the second set of Tablets down from Mount Sinai. Traditionally, Jews observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, spending most of the day in synagogue services.

A proud and noble tradition is honored and lovingly passed down like family silver through generations via that special Judaica gift chosen today for children and other family members to remember tomorrow. That perfect Judaica gift does not have to specifically relate to the holidays, as Jewish pop art is a very different and very cool gift to boot.

What criteria can you use to select the perfect Judaica gift for a loved one?

It is safe to say that the standards employed to select the perfect Judaica gift are no different than those imposed on the selection of gifts for anyone honoring any occasion. One should always consider the following:

1- Is this Judaica gift appropriate for the age of the recipient?
A book about the biblical interpretations about the High Holy Days, for example, would certainly not be appropriate reading for even a very bright child.

2- Will this gift truly gratify the recipient?
Are you picking a Judaica gift that you think the person will like or a gift that you KNOW the recipient will like because its selection is based on the recipient’s particular likes and dislikes?

3-Are you sure the gift you are purchasing is something the recipient doesn’t have?
It happened in my family that one holiday season all three women in the house bought the others a black half-slip resulting in nine slips (3 per person). In another instance, a book by a favored author (humorist, Art Buchwald’s last book) was purchased for a father of three children as the perfect holiday gift by all three children.

These questions are important, as "yes" answers are good indicators that you will pick the right Judaica gift for that special friend or member of your family.

Never shop without doing your homework first, whether you are looking for a bargain as a well-informed consumer or just trying to select a present that the recipient will love.

Take a little more time to shop, as it is the one investment that you can be sure will pay off every single time.

Happy Holidays!