Photography by Lisa Mandel
Article by Arina Lanis
Having a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah is a milestone in the life of a Jew and a magnificent event. As an important rite of passage, it is an occasion not only for celebrating with family and friends, but also for focusing the participant on the duties and responsibilities of becoming a Jewish adult. Abby felt her obligations as an adult included being a good steward of our planet by taking care of it for future generations. Taking the extra step to make sure she didn't create unnecessary waste was a small sacrifice and actually turned out to be an exciting and rewarding challenge. By planning a "Green" Bat Mitzvah, Abby blended traditional and personal values, creating a beautiful ceremony and a truly joyous party.
Working as a team, Abby and her mother Rachel started their Bat Mitzvah journey with a plan to work together and create an unforgettable eco-friendly event. Rachel did most of the legwork to research ideas for the luncheon and decorations, bringing them to Abby for final decisions according to her personal taste. The creative invitations were printed on recycled paper chosen from the wide variety available at Art Mart, a local art supply store in Brentwood. For the decorations, they started collecting the magazines and catalogs that arrived in the mail over the course of a few months. Faced with an ever-growing pile, Abby and her mother hit upon the idea of using the pages to create origami. Devoting a slice of time every day, they folded and folded until they had made a total of 320 paper flowers. No small feat, even for a team of two! Continuing with the eco-friendly design, they also made "straws" out of the magazine and catalog pages, which were then glued together to make unforgettable and colorful centerpieces on the bimah (front stage) of the synagogue.
However, the origami was just the beginning. Inspired by the famous universal recycling symbol, Abby designed a logo which was printed on reusable bags that became party favors in addition to being given to out of town guests upon their arrival in St. Louis. Rachel and Abby collected information on St. Louis attractions, some sweets, nuts, energy bars, water, and St. Louis root beer. The logo was also prominently featured on biodegradable plates, cups, and napkins. Abby's handouts were printed on recycled paper and tied with raffia ribbon. The boys' yarmulkes (kippot or skullcaps), crocheted from straw and dyed by hand, were found at an online shop.
The centerpieces, which incorporated the beautiful origami flowers, were placed inside recycled wine bottles of different sizes which had been filled with sand to keep the centerpieces secure.
For Abby's celebration, a group of 20 girls was invited on "Abigail's Mystery Tour" which took them to a local cooking school for dinner and cooking demonstrations.
On the whole, the process of planning this event went smoothly, despite the challenge of being restricted to environmentally-friendly products. Designing and making practically everything themselves turned out to be a wonderful shared experience. The centerpieces have even been reused for other Bat Mitzvahs and as home decorations — a perfect "green" ending.
