I made this Bat Mitzvah pocket card from the same tutorial from the Hanukkah Card in my previous post.
Here's my 2007 Hanukkah Cards. The windows are made from Sizzix dies (I chopped the curvy top off). I usually put transparancy sheets beind the windows to look like glass, but we just moved a few months ago, and I can't find them :(
The stamps are from Stampin Up! called Festival Fun. I do believe this set is retired, but you can usually find it on Ebay every so often.
Olives: More than any other fruit, the olive symbolizes this continuity. The gnarled barks of the ancient olive trees on Israel’s terraced hillsides seem to exude a wisdom accumulated from witnessing centuries of human history. In ancient times, olive oil was used to cook, to light lamps and as soap and skin conditioner. Today, the olive remains a popular food and its golden oil is a coveted commodity. Moreover, olive oil has become more popular since the discovery that it lowers cholesterol. Olive wood, with light and dark grains, is popular for small decorative items, while the olive branch persists as a symbol of peace.
Grapes: During the parched heat of the late summer, the grapevines lend the countryside a welcome rich green hue as the vines bear their fruit. Wine has always been an integral part of the rituals of Judaism, as in the "kiddush" blessing on Sabbath and holidays. In ancient times, grapes were also used for seasoning and in vinegars. Today wine is a major industry, and over the past decade high-quality kosher wines have become widespread while nearly 100 "boutique" wineries have sprung up. Moreover, because grapes, especially dark grapes, are rich in iron, the fruit is recommended to ward off heart disease. Stuffed with meat and rice, the leaves of the vine make a popular dish. 
Wheat: With a cool and wet winter followed by a dry spring, Israel’s climate is ideal for wheat growing. Today the northern Negev is the bread basket of Israel. In winter the fields around Kiryat Gat are a rich green, turning a glorious golden color in the late spring before the harvest begins during the festival of Shavuot. In biblical times as today, bread was the staple of the local diet. The modern Israeli supermarket bulges with a choice of local breads like halla and pita as well as imported concepts like the baguette and standard sliced loaf.Barley: In biblical times barley was the poor-man’s staple - eaten as porridge and barley cakes. Cattle and other livestock were also fed barley. Today, the grain has become a marginal culinary ingredient used in soups and stews. Barley’s most common modern use in Israel is as the basic ingredient for beer, sold locally in bottles and cans and served in pubs from the barrel.
Barley stamps are harder to find. As soon as I get the chance I'll look up the names of the ones I have and list them here.
Figs: The fig tree — with its distinctive leaves, used as clothes by Adam and Eve - is a ubiquitous part of the Israeli landscape. In biblical times the fig was eaten fresh or as a seasoning, in addition to being used to make honey and alcohol. The fig itself, ripe in midsummer, is today an expensive delicacy. In fact it is best eaten straight from the tree in the late afternoon after being baked naturally by the sun. Dried figs covered in sugar are also a popular item.
Fig stamps are harder to find. As soon as I get the chance I'll look up the names of the ones I have and list them here.
Dates: Date palms are only found in the hotter inland rift valley. In biblical times they grew in the Jordan Valley, but with modern irrigation techniques the palms have also taken root near the Dead Sea and further south in the Arava. In the biblical era dates were made into honey, and many believe the notion of the "land flowing with milk and honey" actually referred to date honey. Today, dates are a popular sweet snack before or after meals and fetch premium prices for export to Europe.
Date stamps are harder to find. As soon as I get the chance I'll look up the names of the ones I have and list them here.
Pomegranates: Pomegranate trees are prevalent in Israeli gardens. The tree with its rich green leaves and red flowers becomes heavy with fruit for Rosh Hashanah (New Year) The plump red fruits are often plucked to decorate the succa during the feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). In biblical times the pomegranate was used for making wine and seasonings in addition to its function as a dye. Then, too, it was appreciated for its aesthetic qualities, particularly the crown near the stem. Tradition has it that a pomegranate has 613 seeds to represent the 613 commandments in the Torah (five books of Moses). Today the pomegranate is traditionally eaten on the New Year although rarely otherwise, and occasionally used for flavoring in cooking.
Although you can find them, you do have to search a little bit. I'll list mine as soon as I can.
Hiddur Mitzvah: (lit. “enhancement of the mitzvah” or
"beautification of the mitzvah); enhancement or meticulous observance of a mitzvah (divine commandment) beyond the formal demands of the law.
For observant Jews, the Hebrew word mitzvah literally means commandment, but in the Jewish tradition, it has also come to mean blessing or good deed. Hiddur means to make beautiful. The concept, then, of hiddur mitzvah can be interpreted as beautifying those objects that are used in rituals.
More about Hiddur Mitzvah:
www.yutorah.org/_shiurim/Hiddur Mitzvah.html
MyJewishLearning.com - Holidays: Holiday Art
The Value of Hiddur Mitzvah Bnai Keshet
Michaels
Yom Kippur:
This is the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar. It is definatley not a jewish holiday to send cards.
Most Jews spend the day in synagogue and pray to be written in the book of life for another year (see Rosh Hashana).
Tu B'Shevat
Tu B'Shevat, the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shevat, is a holiday also known as the New Year for Trees. Tu B'Shevat is the new year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing. See Lev. 19:23-25, which states that fruit from trees may not be eaten during the first three years; the fourth year's fruit is for G-d, and after that, you can eat the fruit.
There are very few customs or observances related to this holiday but I happen to like it mainly because of my attraction to trees and nature. One custom is to eat a new fruit on this day. Some people plant trees. A lot of Jewish children go around collecting money for trees for Israel at this time of year.
Some ideas for rubber stamping are:
Some common sentiments are:
More info about Passover and some card ideas at Hallmark.com -http://pressroom.hallmark.com/passover.html
Keep in mind that when your stamping Jewish - anything is fair game.
There are a few good companies out there that have a decent selection of Jewish themed stamps, but you have to admit that ther isn't the selection we'd like to have. This is where you just have to be creative.
For a while now, I've been searching the Christian Rubber Stamp websites for stamps I could use with my cards. You can find bibilical passages (psalms, proverbs, etc), biblical fruits (grapes, pomegranates, etc), and other appropriate stamps. (Keep in mind if they contain the word G-D, that most Jews keep to the thought that the page cannot be simply thrown away, and has to be "disposed" of properly - thus why some synagogues have huge storage areas for old prayer books etc - they aren't thrown away).
Here are some links to get you started:
I hope this helps you in your journey. Please let me know if it does or if you have additional comments.
Purim
This holiday is known playfully as the "Jewish Halloween" although has completely different meanings. The Jewish Halloween reference comes because kids and adults both get dressed up in costumes for this holiday.
Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Adar, which is usually in March. The primary commandment for Purim is to listen to the reading of the book of Esther. The book of Esther is commonly known as the "Megillah" which means scroll. It is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and rattle gragers (noise makers) whenever the name of Haman is mentioned during the service. The purpose of this custom is to blot out the name of Haman.We are also commanded to eat, drink and be merry. A person is required to drink until he cannot tell the difference between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordecai - though opinions differ from person to person how drunk that is. (A person certainly should not become so drunk that he might violate other commandments or get seriously ill). Recovering alcoholics or others who might suffer serious harm from alcohol are of course exempt from this obligation).
In addition, we are commanded to send out gifts of food or drink, and to make gifts to charity. It is also customary to hold carnival like celebrations on Purim, to perform theater, plays and parodies, etc.
To give you a list of things you could stamp:
Some common sentiments
Some stamp sets and companies to get you started!
Some ideas for cards from other crafters:
Here is a listing of Rubber Stamp sets and companies that can provide sets that would be appropriate:
Some example sentiments:
I made this Shalom/Peace card a few months back. The Shalom stamp comes from a great Jewish stamp company called Ruth's Jewish Stamps (http://www.ruthsjewishstamps.com). The Peace stamp came from one of my Stampin Up! sets I bought off of e-crack, err... Ebay.
I ended up masking off part of the Shalom stamp to just have the hebrew lettering. It's a very simple yet elegant card I think, that could be used for all kinds of occasions.
Hope you enjoy!
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