Shoe Recycling Project

Anna wrote in today to let me know about her son's bar mitzvah tikkun olam project - he set up a shoe recycling program. What a great project! Anna put information about her family's efforts in shoe recycling along with links to companies that collect and recycled shoe on the Green Talk blog.



Click here to be connected to her post.

Free Bar Mitzvah Preparation Software

Sometimes getting motivated to study is hard and it helps if you can do most of the work at home. While browsing on line today I saw that The Israel Catalog is offering FREE Bar Mitzvah preparation software for beginners, which includes:

-All blessing transliterated into English.
-Learn how to wear the traditional Tefilin and Tallit.
-Learn how to recite the blessings of the Torah and Haftarah with the musical notes.
-Features visual and auditory learning methods.
-Understand the Laws and Customs for being called up to the Torah.
-Learn the musical notes of the Torah and Haftarah.

They also offer a Complete Bar Mitzvah Guide for students (for $49.95) and a complete package (for $99.95) that includes the weekly Torah and Haftara readings for the entire year's Torah portions, which looks great for families living in remote areas and people interested in becoming tutors.

If anyone decides to use this software - write in and let us know how it worked for you!

It's in the bag

Last month Sammy Fries e-mailed me about his bar mitzvah project idea. It was such a good one I wanted to share it.

Sammy is involved with Operation Noah, an organization that delivers stuffed animals hospitals. He sent me the following e-mail asking for help.

Message: I am looking for a way to get sponsorship for reusable bags and would like your help. We bought some shopping bags at the store and have been reusing them ever since. We even got some for friends to thank them for bringing over dinners while my mom is battling cancer. I have learned that there are numerous reasons why we need to start to use a reusable bag.I would like to share this knowledge at my upcoming Bar Mitzvah and each time we deliver stuffed animals. I am having a go green great outdoors theme for my January 3rd Bar Mitzvah. I would like to give everyone a bag so they do not have to use plastic ones when they go shopping. I was hoping you could sponsor this. Or know someone who could. I could help design the bags and we could put your logo on it. Please e-mail me and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks you,

Sammy Fries

Reply

Hey Sammy -

This is a great idea. Although I cannot personally sponsor you I will post your question and see if any of my readers have ideas for you. That said, I recently found this company that offers a lot of eco-items that can be personalized. You can buy reusable organic bags for about $2 each. I suggest you make a logo for Operation Noah (if you don't have one already) and use these as favors.



However, I think they require you to buy a minimum of 150 bags. If you need a smaller quantity I have put a link to a company that sells individual organic totes for $2.95 each on the look book favors page. You can then add the graphic of your choice using iron-on transfer paper.



Hope this helps!

All the best,

Kate

If anyone else has suggestion please leave your comments below. Let's help Sammy get his dream off the ground!

Going green - it's a piece of cake!

Here's a fun eco-friendly idea - cupcakes! The picture above is a cupcake tier made by Pink Cake Box in New Jersey for a bar mitzvah. Why are cupcakes eco-friendly? Here are three reasons I can think of off the top of my head:

1. They do not have to be plated and you do not need utensils to eat them (= less paper and plastic waste)
2. They are easier to take home and easier to send home with multiple people
3. Once a cake is plated it is hard to un-plate (if that is a word), but uneaten cupcakes are fair game

You can make your cupcakes or cake even greener by asking your baker to use organic flour, sugar and eggs. If they are concerned about the cost offer to purchase these items yourself and negotiate a price reduction. You can find many organic baking products at Wholefoods and most large supermarkets these day so it shouldn't be hard and the more people ask the more likely bakers are to offer organic options.