“Many are overusing exercise and focusing only on its aesthetic values,” she adds. “I use Torah values for all my clients, whatever their background. It’s all about motive with exercise. What are we doing it for? Yes, we want muscle gains at all stages of motherhood. But we want the strength to enjoy life. Aesthetics are a side benefit.
“I want to show my family that you can do whatever you value and prioritise, but not all at the same time.”
Chaya Mellinger[Missing Credit]
Suri Ehreich, 18, began selling her hand-painted siddurim after seeing similar art ventures on Instagram.
“It started off as finding a way to incorporate my love for art. I love painting something that could be practical for other people to use,” says Suri. “I love art, I love tefillah, I wanted to intertwine it with something else people could enjoy and use. And I really enjoy it.”
Hand-drawn illustration by Suri[Missing Credit]
Suri is among the numerous Gen-Z female entrepreneurs running small businesses.
“I’ve heard of a lot of young women starting businesses. One of my friends partnered up with someone selling lip glosses, and now she’s selling them,” she says. “I had help from my mum. She bought the paints sets I use. I made a poster, we advertised it, and I printed some stickers for people to use.”
Hand-drawn illustration by Suri[Missing Credit]
Customers reach out to Suri over WhatsApp to commission her handmade gifts. “I mostly do floral designs. People seem to really like that and people have sent me requests. So, if it’s their bat mitzvah, I’ll paint their bat mitzvah logo,” she says.
“I ask whether people already have a siddur they’d like me to use. If not, I can provide one and include it in the overall cost. The price may also vary depending on custom requests, such as having their name written or choosing a more intricate design.
Suri Ehreich[Missing Credit]
“I’m hoping to just continue and grow. I don’t want to be stopping any time soon. I’ll be at university in the next couple of years, so I’ll find some time then,” Suri adds.
Hendon-based nutritional therapist Dina Bharier, meanwhile, is the founder of The Sprout Crew, an online support system for parents of fussy eaters. Dina, 29, previously worked to help adult clients address food cravings. After becoming a mother, she decided to focus on children’s nutrition.
“Picky eating is a common struggle, so I decided to create my brand to help other parents,” Dina says. “As a nutritionist, I wanted to create books to help mums.
“The Sprout Crew came from that, because it was a book series: one for fussy eating and one for bedtime struggles. I decided I’d love to help parents with anything nutrition related, as I love working with kids.”
The books – Maya and the Rainbow Plate and Maya, Leo and the Moonlight Mission – were praised by parents for turning nutritional eating and bedtime routines into imaginative adventures.
“At the moment, I’m only operating on social media. I have a nutrient guide for parents that’s free to download,” Dina says.
“I’m also working to get my services out so parents can have a 30-minute chat with me, and I can create a tailor-made plan for their kid based on what they’re struggling with.”
Looking to the future, Dina hopes to publish another book and spread the word about her free-to-download nutrition guide, which educates parents on spotting childhood nutritional deficiencies.
“I’ve got two little ones. It’s challenging, but I’m hard-working. So, we’re getting there, bit by bit,” she says.
Zehava Birnbaum[Missing Credit]
“The amazing thing about working for myself is I’m in control of my own schedule,” says Zehava Birnbaum, the 33-year-old founder of Enchanted Murals.
The Hendon-based mother-of-three worked as an interior designer until she was pregnant with her youngest son.
With her children now at school, Zehava has deployed her design experience to paint custom murals for Jewish nurseries, homes, and businesses.
“We lived in Gibraltar last year. I was working in a nursery and there were lots of white walls,” Zehava says.
“I’ve always painted and I was doing weekly art sessions in Gibraltar. I offered to paint them a mural and then it turned out very nice, and the parents and kids loved it and said it made a difference.” It was her first mural and remains her favourite today. “It showed me what I could do.”
Zehava Birnbaum's first mural in a nursery[Missing Credit]
When the family moved back to London, she decided to continue painting for nurseries, gaining customers through magazines and fliers.
“For schools, murals are a fantastic source of learning that are constantly there,” she says. “I want to help encourage children to use their imagination and to play.”
Zehava Birnbaum's mural in a dentist's office[Missing Credit]
She has since been commissioned for homes, office spaces, a dental clinic, and an occupational therapy clinic. Her daughter is also showing an artistic streak. “She’s amazing at painting, but I’m biased,” Zehava jokes.
“I’m looking at ways to scale the business up,” adds Zehava, who is now preparing a mural for a women’s-only gym in Temple Fortune. “It’s a lot of work, but very rewarding.”
