Gifts in the Jewish Tradition: Who to Whom, What and Why?
If you are wondering what you could buy as a gift to your friend who is Jewish or interested in Judaism, then here are some tips on what holiday, what gift you can give.
Wedding Gifts
Here you need to study the traditions, since wedding gifts are regulated by them. It is customary for the bride to give the groom a tallit, you can give him a Yevarheha bag for a tallit, or a Babylonian Talmud. The groom can give the bride as a precious decoration, for example, a ring, or a watch.
In the old days, the groom gave the bride a book with the plots of the Torah, set out in Yiddish. At that time, women, as a rule, did not know how to read, so it was difficult for them to read books in Hebrew. In our time, the groom can also give his chosen one a book of her interest. The main thing is that the gift has some meaning, and not just a thing.
If you are not getting married, but were invited to the wedding, then you can give the newlyweds money to help their initial family relations and compensate for the wedding feast. You can also give something related to Judaism. These are objects that are associated with Judaism and, as a rule, they are very beautiful and convey the culture of the Jews.
Birthday gifts
If it so happens that you go to a Jew’s birthday party, then remember that this is a serious date for them. This is an opportunity for a person to make sense of his life and change it for the better, or to make a decision about the future.
But at the same time, it is unpleasant to praise a person, since his birth is not his merit, therefore it is not necessary to shower compliments on the birthday boy. Therefore, you can not give a gift, it is not considered something mandatory. But if you want to make a gift, then it should also make sense. If this is a man, then you can give him a bag for a talith, because this is an integral part for a Judaist. If a woman, then you can also stop at the book.