Jewish Home Blessing
If you have Jewish friends or family who are moving into a new home, you might be wondering about what type of gift you can get them, or how you can help with a Jewish house blessing.
Food Gifts for the Home
One of the traditional Jewish housewarming gifts is a gift of wine, bread, and salt. It is believed that this came about as a Russian folk custom. Many years ago, the emperor and empress would visit a village, and as they made their way through, the merchants and upper class would give the leaders bread with salt, which was seen as a sign of hospitality. Additionally, peasants who were newly married would also be gifted with bread and salt, as it showed that they would always have life’s necessities. People also believe that salt and bread are two parts to any meal, as is wine, especially for Shabbat, or the Sabbath.
Today, the bread, salt, and wine tradition is very popular, and if you do this, you should understand that you are essentially bringing a blessing to your Jewish friends or family. To Jewish people, food is always a welcome gift for any occasion, especially when they move into a new house. Some of the most popular options are Challah, cookies, cakes, wine, rugelach, chocolate, babka, candy, and nuts.
Other Gifts for the Home
In addition to food, there are other beautiful gifts that you can bring to your Jewish friends and family when they move into a new home. For example, a gorgeous clay plaque with a new home blessing makes a gorgeous gift.
Wall plaques are very popular to bring to a Jewish friend or family member who has moved into a new home. Typically, these plaques feature a blessing for the home, and you might see elements such as a hamsa hand, which is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Choosing handmade, unique plaques featuring a house blessing will be a gift that your recipient will remember long into the future, and when they look upon it, they will think of you.
A plaque for a new home doesn’t need to be fancy. For instance, you might choose a simple clay plaque that simply says “Bless this Home.” Other’s might be a bit more ornate with unique artwork and symbolism, such as pomegranates, which symbolize fruitfulness, something that everyone would want in their new home.