While they make great bat mitzvah gifts, there are only so many delicate Star of David necklaces a girl needs. And you want to give something more personal than a check in multiples of chai. But where the hell do you even begin when it comes to gifting a tween? You could scour TikTok to see what the youths are into these days (have fun), or you can read on below for our take on bat mitzvah gifts that a 13-year-old will actually love—cash not included.
1. The Mamaleh Chutzpah Necklace
There's a reason we priced our Yidderish collection in multiples of $18—they're the perfect bar and bat mitzvah gifts. In particular, we love the Chutzpah necklace for this milestone. The bat mitzvah girl will be receiving lots of classic Judaica, so why not add something with a little twist to her collection? (And something she'll actually wear...) The Yiddish word for "extreme self-confidence or audacity," what 13-year-old girl doesn't need a reminder that it's cool to take up space and be loud and bossy? (Get your chutzpah on, girl.) This 18k gold-plated stainless steal bauble is both a slice of Jewish culture and a cheeky fashion piece that easily layers with other chains.
2. Custom Blinged-Out Crocs
Since Crocs have become fashion (still questionable but let's go with it), the race to out-Croc each other has been on overddrive. Kids are not only wearing regular Crocs to school, but they're also taking the trend to the next level with wild collabs and Jibbitz decoration. Maybe you can't get your hands on the Salehe Bemfury Crocs collab, but you can scour Etsy for some sick customs, like this unbelievable bedazzled pair from ShaCharmz. Pick colors and share the themes you're going for and you'll be responsible for one of the coolest bat mitzvah gifts of all time. (Pssst: Gift them early so the bat mitzvah girl can switch into them before she hits the dance floor).
3. “Nice” Jewish Girls by Julie Merberg
This new coffee table book from author Julie Merberg is a tribute to Jewish women who've made their mark. It includes 36 mini biographies of groundbreaking Jewish women—from Gloria Steinem to Sarah Silverman—who've led fascinating, unapologetic, and Jewish!, lives. The book also delves into how their Jewish heritage shaped who these incredible women grew up to become. Kinda a genius gift for a coming-of-age kid, huh?
4. Disposable Cameras
OK, we know that if you got a disposable camera for your bat mitzvah back in the day you'd be like...thanks...? But there's a novelty to the old point, shoot and wait for them to develop cameras that tweens get a kick out of. So if you know a 13-year-old who needs a break from instant gratification, this might be a cute bet. Add in a cute photo album to bring it full circle.
5. Telfar Small Shopping Bag
If you can think ahead and catch one of Telfar's Bag Security sales, you can score one of these compulsively sold-out bags. The cult-favorite Brooklyn designed Shopping Bag, dubbed the “Bushwick Birken,” comes in three sizes, but our favorite for the bat mitzvah is the small (aka tiny) option in a bright color like this highlighter yellow.
