When my sister was having her first baby, we all were so excited to throw her a baby shower. I couldn’t wait to lavish her and her baby-to-be with cute Jewish gifts and fawn over her huge belly with all of our friends around. I just love baby showers—it’s such a happy time and everyone is always in a great mood.

The baby shower was weeks away but I was already envisioning it: There would be green streamers (my sister doesn’t like the traditional pink or blue), the table would be covered in delicious homemade snacks for everyone to enjoy.There’d be a little kosher wine for the non-expecting ladies in attendance. The room would be illuminated with the laughter of the party guests, all surrounded by my sister as she opened her gifts. My gift would be her favorite, of course. I picked out a Little Tzadekes Bib from InternationalJudaica.com, along with two new mezuzahs for her home. The baby shower was a few months ago, and just as I imagined it was a hit. And so were my Jewish gifts!

A sculpture by Anish Kapoor.

Maybe you’re going to Israel for the high holy days, and if you’re not, maybe you should. The Jewish Museum has undergone major renovations, with fewer items on display, more room to view them and more explanations and information.

The museum has the original shofar, a set of bull horns about a million years old. The facelifted museum suggests the way Jews have thrived cultures in different cultures. For example, a Byzantine era exhibit shows a mosque, church niche and synagogue placed side by side. Archaelogical digs have been good to Israel, and now the museum has spacious halls to display the remnants of this ancient architecture.

There is more of a narrative now, the exhibits flow easily from one to the next. Installations and artworks by Mexican, Indian and Palestinian artists decorate the museum’s interior. Not to mention the expressionist art galleries have works of Francis Bacon and Pablo Picasso.

Also popular is an outdoor model of ancient Jerusalem. And of course, don’t miss the Dead Sea Scrolls, the world’s oldest copies of Biblical documents. The high holy days are coming up, and to celebrate the Jewish new year, there’s no better place to see how Jewish culture has influenced the world.

Most of these Jews were Eastern European, from Russia, Poland, and Germany. Because Jews were forbidden in Russia to till the fields, they became entrepreneurs and specialized in the clothing industry. One third of the Russian Jewish population worked in clothing manufacturing, and the L.E.S. was where most of the American industry centered.

But by 1900, the Lower East Side had been outsourced by Brooklyn and the Garment District uptown. With an influx of Italian immigrants, many Jews left this area of Manhattan and immigration laws left the influx of immigrants stagnant – the L.E.S. emptied.

With 2 million Jews in the 1950’s, they made up over a quarter of the city’s entire population.  While many lived in Brooklyn, Manhattan was still an important area. After many relocated to California and Florida, today there are about still about 2 million Jews, with almost twice as many living in Brooklyn than in Manhattan.

It is important to know our history as we close in on another Jewish New Year. The high holy days have long been celebrated in New York, and will continue to be. Happy Jewish New Year and l’shanah haba’ah birushalayim.

The Mishnah, the oral text of the Torah, refers to this day as the day of judgment. On this day three books record the respective fates of the wicked, the good, and a middling class. The wicked are doomed; their names are “blotted out of the book of the living.” The righteous’ names are written in the book of the living. The middling class has 10 days of repentance to become righteous.

Traditionally, when Rosh Hashanah was not on Shabbat, a shofar, or a horn made from a ram’s horn, was blown to symbolically wake everyone from their lethargy to become active and repent before the day of judgment.

This celebration marked the beginning of the harvest in Ancient times, which also was the beginning of the business season, and today remains the start of a new year for legal contracts.

If you need anything for the high holy days, now is the time. You don’t want to have to worry about lulav and etrog come September, so buy them now and relax.

The lulav, often accompanied by its buddy the etrog, is made of the “boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook” (Leviticus 23:40) and is used to rejoice that another year has passed. The willow, the palm and the myrtle are bound together and the etrog, a sweet citrusy fruit found in Israel, are all brought together to the synagogue. As Hallel is recited, the lulav is waved.

The symbolism of the etrog is related to its taste and smell, which represent learning and good acts. The palm possesses taste but no smell, symbolizing those who only have learning and do not act benevolently.  The myrtle has a smell, but no taste and represents those who perform good deeds, but have no learning. The willow has neither fragrance nor taste. We desire to be like the etrog, flavorful and fragrant, but in reality, the Jewish world is composed of all kinds of people. Because we should bring all Jews together, we bring all four species together.

There is an old story told to children, that the reason you place the bread covered on the challah board is so that it does not get embarrassed because  it is the last Shabbat item to get a blessing. It is an amusing tale told to wide-eyed youngsters, regardless of its flaws.

The story is derived from the Jewish hierarchy of blessings, which command that the blessing of the bread occur before the blessing over the wine. However, the wine is required to be blessed first, since it is necessary to sanctify the Sabbath. Therefore, in order to prevent “shaming” the challah, it is covered.

When converted into a children’s story, it becomes the tale of the jealous braided bread that needs to be deceived in order to feel important.

Additionally, the placing of the bread on top of a challah board and under a cover is said by some scholars to be a tribute to the manna Israelites ate during their exodus out of Egypt. The manna fell from heaven every day, except on the Shabbat. So two portions fell on Friday,and that is represented by the two challahs.

Like many aspects of the Jewish Faith, the Kiddush Cup has many rules and regulations. It is not just an everyday glass. Kiddush Cups must be at least 4.5 ounces. They must be whole, as a Kiddush cup that is chipped or broken is no longer Kosher. And they also cannot be made of disposable matter, meaning that paper cups cannot be considered for Kabalat Shabbat, the coming in of the Sabbath.

The kind of wine that can be used has rules and regulations as well. Obviously, the wine must be kosher, which means the wine wasn’t handled by gentiles (non-Jews). An exception for this rule is if it is a cooked wine.

Another rule is that the wine must be fresh. If someone has already sipped from the Sabbath wine, it is deemed unfit. However, this too has a loophole, as just a drop of untainted wine put into the unfit win instantly renders it acceptable.

Kiddush cups are also used during the Havdalah ceremony, a beautiful ritual used to symbolize the end of Shabbat and the start of a new week.

So what is a Mezuzah, why it gets smooched by people going in and out, and what is the meaning behind all of this?

Huh, that’s exactly why International Judaica Blog is here for.

A mezuzah is a small parchment scroll that is made from the skin of a clean animal or parchment rolled into scroll. The scroll contains two passages from Deuteronomy: 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 which make up the first two portions of the “Shema” prayer. The text is hand-written by a qualified scribe (or “sofer stam”) written in black indelible ink using a special quill pen. The mezuzah must be written in accordance with all the Halakhic requirements, which describes in detail how the parchment must be processed, how the letters must be formed, and many other details.

The scroll is then placed inside a decorated case and nailed or affixed to the right doorpost of an entrance to a Jewish home. One widespread custom to touch the Mezuzah when entering or leaving a building with one’s hand, and then to kiss the hand afterwards. The Mezuzah should be checked by a reliable scribe twice every seven years.

Mezuzah cases are available in many different sizes and materails ranging from brass and copper to glass, Jerusalem stone, silver, and aluminum. Children’s mezuzahs are available with fun and colorful bible scenes, sports themes, animals, and more.

Mezuzahs make a great blessing gift as a housewarming gift, celebration present or a Jewish gift any time. Mezuzahs are used throughout the Jewish world, even by non-observant Jews. This makes them an excellent gift for all occasions!

We have Judaica products to decorate your homes and offices on Judaica Gifts and throughout the year, as well as Jewish gifts, wedding gifts, and holiday gifts. International Judaica’s quality decorative items and gifts featuring Jerusalem motifs are designed to bless your home, enrich your spirituality and promote peace wherever they are displayed.

If you’re looking for Shabbat and Jewish holiday gifts, International Judaica has a wide selection of Matzah covers, Honey Dishes, Candlesticks, Kiddush Cups, Mezuzah Cases, Seder plates, Challa Covers and Boards, Washing Cups, Brit pillows, and Hanukkah Menorahs – and we have new items coming in all the time.

It’s easy to browse our online catalogue and shop online via our secure website at InternationalJudaica.com. Wholesalers and Judaica stores can also order products from us via our wholesale order form.

At International Judaica, we value all our customers and pride ourselves on providing an excellent level of customer service. If you have any questions about our products, please don’t hesitate to contact us via InternationalJudaica.com or call us on (845)-425-0604, and we’ll be happy to assist.

Thanks for taking the time to visit the International Judaica blog, and keep checking this site for information and gift ideas on Judaica products.