How to Select a Gift for the Jewish Friend or Colleague Who is Religious

There are gifts that you just do not give to an Ultra-Orthodox (today referred to as Haredim - pronounced Harr-ai-deem) or traditional religious Jew.

There is, of course, much more freedom with the secular Jew, many of whom would appreciate a gift showing your sensitivity to, and understanding of, their culture. I will help you pick out gifts for secular Jews in a separate article.

You may be invited to share a meal with your Haredi boss or colleague, but any invitation to your home will be politely refused unless you are of the same Haredi denomination as he or she. This is because of the extremely strict dietary laws that mean that the very religious person can consume nothing but water served in a glass (made of glass) when the laws of kashrut (kosher) are not certain.

Haredim are very easy to distinguish as the men don the formal black suit of the European gentry from the late 1980s, a wide-rimmed black hat, beard and sidelocks; the women wear long dresses, stockings, long sleeves, high necklines regardless of the weather and married women wear head covering of some kind. This style of dress emphasizes the felt need of the Haredim to remain distinct from the surrounding communities and the high value they place on modesty.

In the Haredi home you will find little decoration and only that which represents religious belief and community belonging. The only photographs on display may be those of the Chief Rabbi of the denomination to which the family belongs. 

Photo by: Myshi (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Licence)

The religious man who is not Haredi dresses in modern clothing. He will usually wear a kippa (head covering) but some do not wear it when at work among non-Jews. You may or may not see four tassels hanging over their pants. These are part of the traditional undergarment the religious Jew wears. 

The religious Jewish woman will dress in modern dress but more modestly than many of her peers. The hem of her skirt will be at least to her knees, her sleeves will reach at least to or over the elbow and she will not have a low neckline. She may wear a scarf or other head covering, perhaps even a wig that is so natural you do not suspect that it is a wig.

Traditional Jews keep kosher. While not as strict as the Haredim, they nonetheless will not eat anywhere that does not follow the laws of kashrut. Similar to the Haredim, they will not work, use the telephone or any means of transportation on the Sabbath day (Saturday) nor on holidays during which work is prohibited. 

Traditional Jews mix more freely with non-Jews and secular Jews than do their Haredi peers. 

• Photograph, painting or statue.
• Wine or any other form of food or drink because each group has its own particular kashrut label and some will not partake of products overseen by another group.
• Religious books - you do not know what kind are acceptable to this particular person.
• Books on Israel - you do not know their attitude toward this sometimes contentious issue.

Made from mat polyester satin, it measures 21" by 18" and is machine washable. Simply hang to dry.

Gifts in this selection are less suitable for dinner invitations and more appropriate when it is a simple gesture of friendship, in thanks for help that was offered or at any other opportunity when an inexpensive gift is called for.

Since religious Jews look to Jerusalem as the center of their spiritual lives, you cannot go wrong with either of these gifts below - the mug has a photograph of the Western Wall, otherwise called the "Wailing Wall". And the mousepad is decorated with a brilliant drawing of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Both the tie-tack ($48.85) below left and the cuff links ($124.95) below right are created from hand-painted Israeli coins by artist, Manny Zeevi, who lives and works in the United States. The coins are real. They are painted by hand, following the design on the coin, a protective sealant added and then set into 14-K gold containers before finishing the product. Each one is unique.

Manny assures us that it is perfectly legal to alter these coins because there is no fraudulent intent involved; in other words, he is not selling you a coin that has been altered to appear rare and valuable.

The "Jew Jitsu" design can be found on a variety of products, such as stickers, key-chains, iPad covers, buttons, shirts, a hat, carry-all bags, notebook and more.

The mug pictured here is the only product so far to which the seller has affixed the "Old Jews Telling Jokes" design.

The designs on both the mug and binder below have been applied to a variety of different products. You can find the Star of David motif by clicking onto the artist's store (about half-way down the product page) and then clicking the "Religion and Spirituality" category, followed by "Golden Star of David".

Other products using the lovely gem decorated Star of David motif can be found on that artist's store website by clicking the "Holidays Traditional and Alternative" category, followed by "Hanukkah Apparel and Gifts".

Michal Negrin Designer Earrings
Dangling, stud or hoop earrings designed by Israeli artist Negrin and handmade in her studio in Tel Aviv are produced at a quality that is hard to surpass. Negrin's style is romantic and harks back to by-gone days but her jewelry is made with the contemporary woman in mind.