Allon's Bar Mitzvah

Some of my customers send me a list of two or three hobbies when they order a customised card. Others keep it really simple and ask for just one theme. This lovely customer sent me a great long list of things that her son enjoys and, though I knew there was a lot to fit in, I enjoy a challenge!
My customer wanted a special card for her son who was shortly going to become Bar Mitzvah. She already knew how I work and sent me some pictures of the young man, along with photos of some of the things that he likes. These included his newest toy, a DapoStar, a picture of his saxophone and a picture of the stuffed dog he has had for years. He is a fan of the Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team, she told me, he loves riding his skateboard and playing table tennis, and he has a big collection of military stuff. There was more, she said, but thought that this was perhaps enough. Um, yes it was!

I have shown the blue-eyed Bar Mitzvah boy wearing a red Hapoel Jerusalem scarf around his neck. He has his DapoStar in one hand and his saxophone in the other. His biggest dream is to have a dog, Mum told me, so I put a dream bubble above his head... with a little picture of the stuffed dog he has had for years in it. I think Mum was teasing him.
He loves riding his skate board so I added a picture of his red Pro-Tec Classic Spitfire helmet, along with a table tennis bat and ball. Finally, I cut out some tiny swords and some of the military badges he collects. It took some juggling, but I got everything in there!
The Hebrew greeting on the card says " To Our Alloni, Congratulations on your Bar Mitzvah".

Mum was already sure that she was going to love the card. She had high expectations.
"Thanks very much. It's beautiful. I love it and I'm sure Allon will love it too" she wrote to me when she received the card.

The same customer asked me for a selection of smaller Bar Mitzvah cards, presumably for her son's friends. I created a mix of cards, some simply with the number 13 on them, the age a Jewish boy becomes Bar Mitzvah, and others with a Star of David, a Sefer Torah and tallit prayer shawl.

My favourite design for Bar Mitzvah cards, below centre, shows the tallit, a kippa (skullcap) and a Sefer Torah (a long scroll containing the entire text of the Five Books of Moses: the biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). On the first Sabbath of his thirteenth year the Bar Mitzvah boy is called up to read the weekly portion from the Torah. He wears the tallit and kippa whilst reading, so I included all these elements on the Bar Mitzvah cards.

* This post has been shared on The Good. The Random. The Fun., Pictorial Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday at Create With Joy, Wednesday Blog Hop, ABC Wednesday, Wow Us Wednesdays and Wordless Wednesday.