Mini roller-coasters, Ferris wheels, monorails and zip lines are just some of the over-the-top attractions at birthday parties for Rio’s privileged under-10 set — including the overwhelming majority of Jewish kids.
Parents often pay several thousand dollars for lavish themed decorations and amusement-park style attractions for DJ-hosted parties for 100-plus friends of the birthday boy or girl — often as young as 3.
“It’s a millionaire market,” said businessman Fernando Fajngold, 46, one of the pioneers of the $100 million party industry. “Parties are spectacles where parents ask for foreign [cartoon] characters, magicians, mimics, caricaturists, Japanese food and whatever else you can imagine. Some of these super productions may cost nearly the price of a popular car.”
But in a sign of Brazil’s flagging economy, and a growing sense of modesty among many families, some Brazilian Jewish families are beginning to cut back on the birthday extravaganzas. Latin America’s largest nation and the home of some 120,000 Jews is facing what is considered the most severe economic crisis in a century — even as the Summer Olympics are set to open in Rio on Aug. 5.
In 2015, a record 500 Brazilian Jews moved to Israel seeking a better life for their families, including quality public health care, education and job opportunities. For many, moving to Israel is also seen as an escape from snobbery and one-upmanship.
Michelle Diamante Wajntraub, a native of Porto Alegre who lives in Rio, believes the economic crisis is changing attitudes among her peers. She remembers inviting 150 guests to one of her daughters’ parties, but now she prefers small get-togethers.
“It’s too much money for a four-hour party and the child won’t even care if the mother did it or hired someone. All they want is to play with friends and sing ‘Happy Birthday,’ ” she said. “When kids are little, their big parties mostly end up being for the parents.”
Psychologist Aline Fridman said her children, Kurt and Charlotte, ages 7 and 5, prefer parties held at their spacious apartment near Copacabana, the Rio neighborhood where most middle-class Jews live.
“Music, theater, books and toys, that’s how we do our parties at home,” Fridman said. “Kids choose what to play with. Last time I bought a pie, candies and food and that’s it. It’s cozier and we save money to travel and for cultural activities. We know many couples who are used to doing the same.”
Deborah Khodari, the co-founder of Zukie, a fancy children’s clothing store popular among Jewish moms in Rio, has noticed signs of change among mothers who buy presents for their children’s friends.
“Kids attend an average of four to six parties every month,” said Khodari, a mother of two. “Our shoppers used to pay $30 for a present, but now the average is nearly half of that.”
To be sure, Brazilian Jews continue to host extravagant parties, just as many North American Jews throw lavish bar and bat mitzvah galas despite calls from rabbis and others to scale back for the sake of modesty and spirituality.
Many of the air-conditioned entertainment shrines where such parties are held are in Botafogo, where Brazil’s largest Jewish day school, Colégio A. Liessin, is located.
Mariana Zagury’s twins, Daniela and Gabriel, attend kindergarten at Liessin. Some 200 guests attended their third birthday at one of Rio’s ritziest party houses, Existe Um Lugar. Typical for such events, families brought nannies dressed in impeccable white uniforms to look after their kids.
And yet even here the couple tried to make the day more meaningful. Zagury and her husband, Eduardo, who serves as cantor for Jewish weddings, chose the venue for its innovative educational approach, healthier food, open-air environment and the greenery surrounding the playground.
“Everyone, including Jewish couples, have been seeking more meaningful parties,” Mariana Zagury said. “I have the best memories from my childhood when my mother made most things alone without professional aid. I guess it’s a trend once again.”