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Register for our FREE Make a New Jewish Bestie Challenge – starting this Sunday March 17!

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Do you need a new Jewish bestie?

It’s been a rough past few months out there, and a lot of us have realized just how important it is to connect with our fellow Jews. Between the atrocities of 10/7 and rising antisemitism, nourishing Jewish friendships, there’s something about spending time with people who just get it that feels so nourishing. 

That’s why I’m bringing back the Make a New Jewish Bestie Challenge, running from this Sunday, March 17 through Thursday, March 21

I ran the first-ever Make a New Jewish Bestie Challenge last November, and it was so incredibly heartwarming to witness the beautiful connections that blossomed – many of which have developed into deep real-life friendships! 

If you don’t have many Jewish friends, or a community who gets how you’re feeling right now, this challenge is exactly what you need to find your tribe. And if you’re lucky enough to already have strong Jewish friendships, you’ll want to join the Jewish Bestie Challenge to make even more! 

Although the new friends and deepened connections you’ll make are the real reward, for a little extra excitement we’ll also be giving away two STUNNING Magen David necklaces by Jewish jewellery designers and two copies of the Jewish Joy Journal! 

JOIN THE CHALLENGE FOR FREE

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An Alon Livne Bride for a “Bar Mitzvah for Adults” Jewish Wedding at The Gates on Roblin, Headingley, Manitoba, Canada

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We love that Erin, a labour and employment lawyer, and Daniel, a national partnerships manager,  described their dream Jewish wedding as “a bar mitzvah, but for adults.”

And between their bright color scheme and exuberant décor (don’t miss the flower clouds!), epic candy table and late-night McFlurries, custom temporary tattoos, glow sticks, and giant Horah heads featuring the bride and groom’s faces, Erin and Daniel absolutely succeeded in crafting a wedding overflowing with energy and fun – don’t miss the joyous photos and video from Picture and Poet!

We also love that Erin opted to wear an Israeli designer, Alon Livne, – and how elegant did she look?! – and we’re smitten with the couple’s beautiful papercut ketibah from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor ketubah.com.

We’ll let Erin take it from here…

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How We Met

Erin, the bride: We met in high school at a house party, and began our relationship as friends. Once we both graduated, we decided to start dating, something we both had wanted at different times throughout our friendship. We quickly incorporated the other into our families and we spent our early twenties travelling Europe, going to sporting events and growing up together.

After being together for five years we parted ways for two years and lived in different cities. We both knew that if it was meant to be, we’d find our way back to each other. Sure enough, after a long time of not crossing paths, we finally met again… on bumble when we were both back home in Winnipeg. We had each grown independently over our time apart but the only thing that had really changed between us, was the realization that now we knew for sure, that this time, it was forever.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

A Beachy Boho Jewish Wedding on the Mediterranean at Caesar Yam, Israel

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There’s something so special about getting married in Israel – and not just because of the sunny climate and stellar views. Cleveland couple Ophira, a therapist, and Jacob, a market research consultant decided to hold their Jewish wedding at Caesar Yam in honor of the couple’s strong collection to Israel, where Ophira grew up.

The whole day was a celebration of the couple’s blended American and Israeli roots, and the importance of Israel in their lives – how cool is it that Ophira and Jacob wrote their vows in both English and Hebrew?

We also love that Ophira wore her mom’s wedding dress from the ‘80s – and started a new tradition of family heirlooms too, with her multi-talented mom handcrafting her tiara and earrings!

The couple’s photographer, Yafit, and videographer, Dana of Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Colorfool, captured this joyous day so exquisitely. In Ophira’s words,

They worked really well as a team. We decided to work with them because they are each artistic in her own way, and we knew they would capture the genuine and intimate moments of our wedding.

And we can’t hand you over to Ophira without sharing her words of wisdom to newly engaged couples: “Consider getting married in Israel–it’s way more chill than the States, and more affordable.” Ok, now over to the bride…

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How We Met

Ophira, the bride and Jacob, the groom: We met through an online dating app–we both got struck by Cupid’s arrow and said “Ok!”. Our first date was at a local coffee shop, and we really hit it off.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Enter the Ring: Our Top Men’s Wedding Band Trends for 2024

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Engagement rings tend to get all the love, but wedding bands are more of an opportunity for self-expression than we give them credit for – and that’s true even for the guys! Long gone are the days when the only options for wedding rings were a narrow selection of the same old metals – and we’re all for celebrating your marriage with a symbol as unique as the love it represents!

To keep up with what’s trending in men’s wedding rings for 2024, we chatted with Thorum, a jeweler committed to crafting unique wedding rings since 2012. Founded by Caleb Martin and wife Steph in their garage, Thorum now boasts over 200 unique designs for men and women made from extraordinary materials like meteorite, whiskey barrel, and even ancient dinosaur bones. Based in Tampa, Florida, and shipping all over the world, Thorum’s rings are anything but but standard – and they’re on the pulse of what’s next in wedding bands. So with our further ado, let’s get to the trends!

Natural Wood

The Aloha

Natural wood has long been an unusual material in the world of wedding rings, but it’s becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. Wooden wedding rings are durable and lightweight, and Thorum has a fantastic variety of different (and conversation starting!) woods to choose from, like prehistoric oak, American walnut, Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrel, and California redwood.

The Aloha is inlaid with Hawaiian Koa, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful timbers in the world. This stunning, warm wood is paired with a brushed plumb black, beveled Tungsten carbide band for a sophisticated and unusual look. 

Rare Materials

The Gibeon

Unusual materials are trending in ’24, and Thorum has a truly fantastic selection (featuring everything from dinosaur bone to whitetail antler!).

We’re especially smitten with The Gibeon, featuring shards from the Gibeon Meteorite, which fell to Earth from space thousands of years ago and was discovered in Namibia in the early 1800s. With striations of grain on the rock running from highly concentrated nickel and iron through trace amounts of copper, wedding bands don’t get more unique than The Gibeon.

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