The number 18 translates to chai חי or life in jewish numerology.
Bar mitzvah gifts money in multiples.
Add to that the recipient is 13 an age when a person s interests and tastes are in flux and when anything an adult says or does can seem completely out of touch and uncool.
If you decide to give money as a gift consider following the common jewish tradition of giving money in multiples of 18.
With the perfect gift in hand of course.
For children looking to give a great bar mitzvah gift the thought obviously counts more than a significant financial contribution.
It is a jewish custom to give monetary gifts in increments of 18 thus symbolically blessing the recipient of the gift with a good long life.
Finding the right bar bat mitzvah gift can be tricky.
A once in a lifetime rite of passage.
Money the bar bat mitzvah boy or girl will love receiving money.
Giving money in multiples of 18 is symbolic of giving chai or life so it s quite common for people to give bar mitzvah gifts in the form of cash or gift cards.
A general rule for bar or bat mitzvah gift giving is to take the amount you would normally spend on a birthday present and give 1 5 times that amount in a multiple of 18.
Instead of 100 give 108 and so on ok but how much should i give exactly.
You should give the bar mitzvah money in multiples of 18.
People often give jewish money gifts in multiples of 18 36 54 90.
They just won t like the part where their parents take most of it away to put into a savings account for future use.
For starters there s the gravity of the occasion.
For example if you were going to give a present of 100 for that birthday you would want to give something in the neighborhood of 150 but in a multiple of eighteen so you could give either 144 18 times 8 or 162 18 times 9.
Bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah gift ideas.
Cash gifts for bar mitzvahs are typically given in multiples of 18 such as 18 36 or 54.
Essentially you re blessing the young boy girl with a long successful life.
Instead of giving 50 give 54.
Common amounts can include 36.
With this in mind the tradition of giving in multiples of 18 to represent chai still applies.
It expresses our prayer that the merit of the charity given stand in our good stead that we be blessed with life and prosperity.
When giving charity the number 18 has another significance.
The reason for this is because 18 in jewish numerology refers to life or chai so money gifted using that number is considered a blessing.
If you re giving cash or check the most common rule in jewish gifting is to gift in multiples of 18.