Jewish Gifts
There are lots of gifts designed specifically for followers of the Jewish faith for weddings. You may consider giving a keepsake wedding dreidel with the couple's names or favorite numbers inscribed in Hebrew on the sides. Challah boards are also popular gift choices. These attractive bread boards are used in Shabbat ceremonies, the Jewish day of rest during which three meals are eaten. The center of each meal consists of two loaves of bread -- hence the Challah board! Decorative Challah bread covers are also attractive Jewish wedding gift choices.
For those looking to stay with the Jewish theme, Shabbat candle holders and Kiddush cups provide other beautiful options which are sure to become steeped in family tradition and ritual. Wedding glass mezuzahs can also make for great gifts. To culminate a Jewish wedding, the bride and groom drink a toast of wine, and the groom then steps on the glass, symbolizing the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem (or perhaps the last time he gets to put his foot down). These shards can be gathered and saved in a decorative keepsake, known as a mezuzah.
Other Jewish-Inspired Gift Ideas
Beyond the more ritual-inspired gifts one might choose for a Jewish wedding gift, there are lots of other light-hearted options which may suit a younger couple, or which could even serve as gifts for guests or the bridal party. Blessings for home and happiness wall-hangings, in either Hebrew or English, can make for attractive keepsakes. Likewise, Hands of Miriam (or khamsas) can be given for use as wall hangers. These ancient symbols of a hand with three raised fingers are thought to represent the protecting Hand of God, helping to ward off the evil eye. These protective amulets may also be inscribed with personalized prayers and well-wishes for the happy couple.
You might also consider a classic consumable gift -- a kosher gift basket! These attractive cornucopias can be filled with caviar and crackers, cake and cookies, coffees and teas, chocolates, and many other delectable sorts of Kosher-friendly eats and drinks. Afterward, the baskets can make for lovely and useful keepsakes for friends and family.
More Gift-Giving Inspiration
Still stumped for the perfect gift? Take a moment to further reflect on the significance of Jewish weddings. Beyond the culmination of two lives through a blissful union, the day of marriage is also considered a personal Yom Kippur for Jewish brides and grooms. This means that it is a day for the forgiveness of past sins and mistakes. How can you incorporate your own form of forgiveness into their day? Forgiveness is often times the key to a deeper love between individuals -- how can you remind your beautiful friends that this will be one of the bedrocks of their marriage together?