Five reasons why you should throw your daughter an off-the-hook Bat Mitzvah

12 is a big deal.

Or, at least for your daughter, it is. Your daughter’s twelfth birthday is a momentous event, where she will start crossing the bridge between childhood and becoming a young woman. To add on, if your family is Jewish, this marks the year she takes her place in the Jewish community–an even bigger deal.

Establishing oneself in Jewish law is a milestone celebration. But how big does that celebration need to be? Is a Bat Mitzvah the new Super Sweet Sixteen? Throwing an over-extravagant party isn’t necessary, but creating a meaningful, memorable one is. Here are five reasons why your daughter’s Bat Mitzvah should be a big celebration:

One: Your goal as a parent is to give your child a better childhood than yours.

Loving parents work hard to ensure their children have a good, warm, and sentimental childhood. Whether or not you are fond of your own childhood memories, we can all agree that we want a better upbringing for our children. Give them the gift of a memorable experience. A Bat Mitzvah is one of the last chapters in a girl’s childhood. Make it a special and grand one.

Two: Turning 12 is a very important year for your baby girl.  

These are her middle school years. There’s a change in school and life dynamics, with new friendships, hardships, learning lessons, and environments. It is a time when she learns how to handle things on her own–how to handle good and bad exchanges with classmates, how to hold herself accountable for assignments and projects, how to manage stress, and how to overcome obstacles. It’s also a time for her to determine who she cares about, what kind of friends she has, and what kind of person she is. Throwing her a big Bat Mitzvah party gives her the chance to invite the people most important in her life right now, which is a huge support system during this metamorphic age.

Three: Teach her an important lesson in Judaism.

Your daughter will be turning an age that signifies the transition from depending on others for help to helping others. Putting together a big-time Bat Mitzvah means she now has a big-time responsibility to the Jewish community, other mitzvahs, and the world. She will choose her mitzvah project and separate the challah. She will start really considering those that she can help, how she can make this world better by her actions. And the bigger the party, the bigger the actions.

Four: Bring your family together in a happy celebration.

It’s funny how we really only see our entire extended family for weddings or funerals, two occasions with polar opposite emotions. It’s always important to bring family together, and outweigh the good with the bad occasions by inviting extended family to your daughter’s big Bat Mitzvah.

Five: It’s an excuse to party.

If there is any reason to party, your daughter’s Bat Mitzvah is a great one. This is a celebration of coming-of-age that can be celebrated by any age. Your daughter can take pride in an extraordinary party dedicated to her, and attendees can celebrate with her and for her. Partying isn’t just fun, it’s meaningful and unforgettable.

Your daughter will only turn twelve once, and if your family is Jewish, you have a huge opportunity for a huge Bat Mitzvah. Don’t let that opportunity slip away; give your daughter the gift of a happy, unforgettable memory.

If you’re daughter’s Bat Mitzvah is quickly approaching, or if you’re looking to hire a professional event planner in the San Diego area, Gisele Chalhoub’s work is seen in the gallery below. While she specializes in weddings, the other events she coordinates are unforgettable and unique experiences for her clients and her clients’ guests. Check out her website to learn more about the second-to-none services she offers.