The conversation with me about booking a DJ, MC, or event manager typically begins: "We want a proper party, everyone on the dance floor, quite informal, something a bit different, nothing too over the top, pure fun, all about our kid."
A year or two later there's a simcha party that can cost 10s of thousands to throw, bring in thousands more worth of gifts, and necessitate countless people travelling in often from abroad.
And for what? 4 hours of frivolity after 30 minutes of laining or a d'var Torah, and a speech, a dozen or so lessons, and maybe even a worthy project?
No way, dude!
That's blowing more than a grand's worth of party for each hour your kid's exerted themselves. You'd have to be a FTSE 100 boss to warrant that kind of reward! Or a famous YouTuber.
Full disclosure
Now, I couldn't care less how much you spend on your simcha. Seriously. IDGAF.
Got £100k to treat your nearest and dearest to a razzmatazz party? I say, "Go for it!"
But I gotta tell you: I don't deal with fat cat b'mitzvah brats who's parents care more about the the meals than the feels, more about commotion than emotion, the presents than the presence, appearance than reverence.
For me to stand on (yes, on) my mixing desk, shake the dance floor, get to know you all, and go all out throwing every ounce of my being in to DJing, MCing, and organising your simcha, my heart, soul, and spirit has got to be genuinely in it and on it. And that only happens because you, my clients, are prepared to go beyond all the frills, and recognise what your b'mitzvah's really all about.
So what's your b'mitzvah really all about?
Well, that does depend on you. But the magic ingredients are all about the journey. Your b'mitzvah is a milestone event.
In your child's first 12 or 13 years, you'll all have experienced many of the ups and downs of life. In all likelihood, your child will have experienced trauma - maybe a serious physical health issue or injury, a family break up, a close bereavement, learning difficulties, upheaval because of a parent's issues, bullying, disappointments at school, anxiety, depression, or indeed any number of scrapes and challenges.
Who hasn't been to a simcha where the speeches haven't included the choked yearning for a deceased family member who is so painfully missed and who would've been so proud on this special occasion.
The b'mitzvah milestone also commemorates all the achievements, the trials, the successes. By this time, your child's probably learned a thing or two about life! They'll have overcome obstacles at school, contributed in some way to society, performed good deeds, comforted a mate in distress, taken part in a team activity, conquered a personal challenge or hardship, won somewhere, earned something, gone somewhere, learned something. They'll certainly have gained some appreciation of the meaning of life and their place in the world.
And you - their parents - have been part of that journey, too. Through your connection to your child, you'll have experienced all these things, with them. So have their siblings, grand parents, cousins, uncles, aunts, friends, your friends, your neighbours, your work colleagues, teachers, medics, trainers, therapists... hundreds of people, a fraction of whom - the very closest to them - will be part of the marking of this milestone. You and all those in the immediate universe of your child's life will have contributed in some way.
So your b'mitzvah really is NOT just a celebration. It's a publicly recognised, cherished milestone in your child's life journey. Sure, have unbridled fun. But get the full life experience, embrace the very essence that's made your child into the person they've become, and share it with the people who've made the most valuable impact.
Bless ya!
If you want it...
If you want it, we got it. Phone me or message me now if you want a no-pressure chat about how to get the most meaningful and fulfilling experience for your b'mitzvah.