Jewish Art Today

On your first visit to your Jewish friends or relatives’ house you probably spotted the fact that every door frame in their house (except for bathrooms or small storage rooms) had a fixed rectangular case on it. For those of you who were silently wondering “what are those?” we’d like to reveal that the rectangular case that you saw is called “mezuzah” and  fixing it on the doorframes is actually a Jewish mitzvah which is usually kept even by those who aren’t religiously observant.

So…what is a mezuzah?

The case that you see is actually the shell to the pearl that lies inside of it: the mezuzah contains a piece of parchment (called “klaf”), marked with the Jewish prayer “Shema Israel”. The parchment is written by a “sofer stam”, a professional writer who has been trained to execute the writing flawlessly. These writers are devout believers, who do their work very carefully, watching every letter and line in great reverence.

You probably noticed that many mezuzahs have the letters Shin-Dalet- Yod written on them. This letter combination functions as both a word and acronym: as a word it means one of God’s names (“Shadai”), which symbolizes God’s trustworthy promises and as an acronym it means:  “Shomer dlatot Israel” – “Guardian of Israel’s doors”.

A mezuzah case – the ideal gift for every occasion

Each time we’re invited to celebrate the holidays with our friends or relatives, we soon enough become entangled in worries about the present we should get them. If your friends are Jewish, they will surely appreciate a beautifully designed mezuzah case. A mezuzah case doesn’t have to be a mere wooden box, it can be a true work of art. The variety is endless – mezuzah cases can be made of different kinds of metals, ceramics, stone and wood and have drawings or biblical verses inscribed on them.

My friend already has mezuzahs in his house. Should I choose a different gift?

Certainly not! The mezuzahs that people have in their homes are usually very simple and have no distinction what so ever. By buying your friend one or more Mezuzah cases you’ll bring more color and freshness to his or her home, as it will function also as a lovely eye pleasing decoration.

Check out  a wide selection of Mezuzah cases made by Israeli artists!

You’re very welcome to pick one of these fine Mezuzah cases for your friends and relatives at an Israeli on-line store – go to Canaan Online. If you wish, you can also add to your gift a special card with a Hebrew blessing, free of charge. All you need to do is ask!