Tag Archives: Judaica gifts
Kabbalah jewelry: Your radiant connection point between body and soul
The Kabbalah is the Jewish occult knowledge passed on for many generations. The last decade Kabbalah lessons have become more and more popular among people in Israel and all around the globe due to the unique wisdom that envelope them. Next to the increasing theoretical interest, another field that caught the masses’ attention is the meticulously made Kabbalah Jewelry. You might be thinking right now: what does Kabbalah have to do with Jewelry? The answer is: once the jewel is used as a special kind of amulet, the combination is actually very natural to begin with. Here are some examples for Kabbalah Jewelry that by definition mean much more than just pretty things we put on our bodies:
The Red String
The simplest and one of the most popular Kabbalah jewels is the red string: a red bracelet that protects its wearer against the evil eye. The custom of wearing a red string on our left wrist echoes a very ancient Jewish tradition connected with the red string that once surrounded the grave of Rachel, one of the biblical mothers who symbolizes maternal protection and care. It’s possible to make one ourselves or buy one which is attached to a small silver or gold Hamsa hand or fish, that are also used as a protective means against evil eye.
Kabbalah Jewelry featuring Hebrew letters
If you show your Kabbalic Jewel to your Hebrew speaking friends they will probably say they don’t understand it. The reason is that Kabbalah Jewelry pieces do not depict whole words but powerful initials of prayers and special ciphers that are believed to possess certain meaningful merits. The most renowned Kabbalic cipher system is the 72 names of God, which are 72 names, consisted of three letters each. Each name represents a different attribute of God, which the person who wears the jewel wants to intensify in his life. Here are some examples:
אלד (Alef Lamed Dalet): protects against evil eye and jealousy.
לאו (Lamed Alef Vav): Purifies and expels negative influence.
סאל (Samach Alef Lamed): Brings success and fortune, luck and financial satisfaction
עלמ (Ain Lamed Mem): Helps concentration, brings calmness and protects against fear and danger
כלי (Kaf Lamed Yod): Enhances fertility and creativity
Once you put the amulet on, its energy becomes one with you and guides you through your daily routines. Therefore, many people who look for jewels, whether they are Jewish or non Jewish, seek for energetic pieces that will also help their wearers improve their lives, purify their spiritual toxins and feel renewed and protected. Looking at the various Kabbalah Jewelry around, finding a spectacular jewel that also matches your inner process has never been easier. Good Luck!
Recommended places to find unique Kabbalah jewelry:
Most Original Red String Kabbalah Bracelets and More..
Judaica7 Judaica 7 – Red string & Kabbalah Products
Kabbalah72 a wide selection of handmade Kabbalah jewelry by HaAri Jewlery
Magical Judaica books by Israeli artist Jack Jaget
Jewish artist Jack Jaget is a native American who now lives and works in Israel. Jack Jaget has become widely known for his artistic designs of Judaica books. Take a closer look at his works and you’ll be amazed!
Jack Jaget’s Judaica books : Middle Ages is back in fashion
Jaget is a graduate of Music and Art High School and the Cooper Union Art School of New York. Jack Jaget has designed books for major publishing companies in the US, winning many awards. One of the awards is the prestigious Best 50 Books.
Jack Jaget’s Judaica books are encased in handcrafted covers of precious woods, leather and gold-plated metals. Meticulously hand-painted with fine lacquers and gold leaf, these fine materials are treated to look as if they are from the middle ages. Jack Jaget’s Judaica books often come with full-color illustrations.
Jack Jaget – Judaica books and much more!
Jack Jaget’s Judaica books include the Bible, book of Psalms Siddur and more. Each is meticulously handmade at his studio. These designed editions make great gifts for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.
Jack Jaget’s designs also cover a wide range of religious articles including Mezuzah cases, Tzedakah box and Torah pointers. You can find many of Jack Jaget’s artworks at Most Original- Handmade Judaica Online!.
honey dish – can make your year a little sweeter
A honey dish is a very popular Judaica item. The honey dish is placed on the cneter of the table during Rosh Hashanah festive dinner. A honey dish makes a wonderful addition to Rosh Hashanah ritual meal. Many Jewish people purchase a honey dish as a gift for their friends or themselves. Judaica artists have created a wide selection of honey dishes in assorted styles and materials to fit any personal style or needs.
Why do we eat honey on Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the New Year according to the Jewish calendar. The festive meal held a t the Rosh Hashanah eve includes different kinds of symbolic foods. After reciting a blessing, we eat apples sweetened with honey and bless each other. “for good and sweet year (Le’shanah Tova Ve-metuka). Instead of dipping Challah in salt like we do on Shabbat service, we dip a piece of Challah in honey. The slice of Challah bread represents mannah, the sweetened bread that was sent to the Israelites by God to feed then on their journey to the land of Israel. On Rosh Hashanah we eat sugary foods such as apples, raisins. The honey plays the leading role in Rosh Hashanah menyue, since we believe that what we eat will reflect on the year to come. In old tradition, honey is also a sign for prosperity. And so, the sweet honey is a metaphor for our constant wish for a sweet, pleasant and prosperous year, and we bless: may our year be as sweet as honey.
Honey dish on Rosh Hashanah table
The sweet honey is often placed in a special tray known as honey dish. Honey dish is usually a plate with a removable bowl that allows the user to easily hand-wash for reuse. A honey dish usually has one or two designated spots, each is dedicated to a traditional food that has symbolic significance in relation to the Rosh Hashanah holiday. The foods that are placed are usually apples dipped in honey or pomegranate seeds. It is customary to eat ripened pomegranate seeds at festive dinners during Rosh Hashanah. Pomegranate seeds can be placed in one bowl, and apples and honey in the other.
Honey dish usually incorporates traditional Rosh Hashanah motifs such as the pomegranate. You can find many honey dishes shaped as a pomegranate or decorated with pomegranates drawings. The honey dish might also include appropriate Hebrew inscriptions, such as Shana Tova (happy New Year) or Shana Tova Vemetuka (happy and sweet year).
Both decorative and practical, the honey dish has become a popular gift for Jewish people all across the world. The honey dish adds festivity and color to the table on a holiday that celebrates the beginning of the year.
Israeli Judaica artists design original honey dishes in many sorts of styles and shapes. These artists skillfully combine modern influences with traditional motifs, and so, you can find honey dishes in metallic colors or more traditional designs.
Several Israeli’s leading Judaica artists who specialize in honey dish designs include Shraga Landesman, Annat Orlizki and Dorit Klien.
The Kiddush – the border between heaven and earth
One of the Jewish people’s most renowned customs is the Kiddush.
The word “Kiddush” in Hebrew means “sanctification” and it signifies the act of sanctifying the Shabbat (or one of the holidays), appreciating its distinction compared to the rest of the week in a special ceremony, rooted way back in the past, which precedes the festive and plentiful meal that welcomes the Shabbat.
Whether Orthodox, Reform, Secular or outside of any religious definition, keeping only some of the Jewish traditions, Jewish people from the wide spectrum of Jewish identities celebrate the Shabbat every Shabbat eve (what others would call Friday night) by saying the Kiddush blessing over the wine. This blessing is meant to observe one of the requirements asked in the ten commandments: to remember the Shabbat (“Shamor”) and acknowledge its uniqueness.
The Kiddush cup – a one purpose only cup
For the love and respect for the Shabbat’s holiness, Jewish families use a special cup for the wine which is drank after the Kiddush. This cup is designated for the purpose of the Kiddush alone and is used only in Shabbat, holidays or Bar Mitsvas. Since Jewish artists couldn’t flourish in figurative art due to religious restrictions, they found other ways to navigate their creative energies, one of which is designing spectacular, breathtaking kiddush cups from various materials, including different engravings related to Jerusalem, the Shabbat, biblical verses etc.
If you are looking for a meaningful gift or you still don’t own a Kiddush cup of your own, or if you would like to renew your bond with the Shabbat using a new hand-made Kiddush cup, you should take a stroll in the Kiddush cups section and pick the one which is right for you.
Here’s an example for one of the finest pieces. This Kiddush cup is handmade in Israel, available at Israel Catalog:
Hadad Sterling Silver Kiddush Goblet – Basket Weave Band
Basket weave patterned band encircles this elegant Kiddush Goblet and its foot. For those interested in a matching set, the matching sterling silver saucer is also available for purchase.
The cup holds the Shiur [halachic amount] of wine required for Kiddush and the Four cups of the Passover Seder.
As only Jewish artists created this item, there is no need immerse it in a Mikvah.
The Kiddush prayer
Once you have prepared everything- you wore your best clothes, made a heavenly meal, placed the Hallot under a splendid white cloth and bought yourself a marvelous Kiddush cup, you will have to say the prayer over the wine.
Here’s the Shabbat eve Kiddush prayer in Hebrew, which you are welcome to save and print for yourselves:
For those of you who still don’t master Hebrew, here’s the English translation:
[Evening became morning]: The sixth day. And the heavens and the earth and all that filled them were complete. And on the seventh day God completed the labor He had performed, and He refrained on the seventh day from all the labor which He had performed. And God blessed the seventh day and He sanctified it, for He then refrained from all his labor – from the act of creation that God had performed. Permit me, distinguished ones, rabbis, guests and colleagues: Blessed are You, the Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. (Amen) Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and hoped for us, and with love and intent invested us with His sacred Sabbath, as a memorial to the deed of Creation. It is the first amongst the holy festivals, commemorating the exodus from Egypt. For You chose us, and sanctified us, out of all nations, and with love and intent You invested us with Your Holy Sabbath. Blessed are You, Sanctifier of the Sabbath. (Amen)
Shabat Shalom!
Shraga Landesman – the renaissance of innocence
Israeli-native Shraga Landesman is one of the most productive Jewish artists who work today in the field of Judaic art. Landesman’s artwork is a unique mix of modern style and ancient motifs, that have the rare ability to fill the viewer with genuine peace and warmth.
Based in Haifa, Landesman graduated a renowned Israeli art school . It was then that Landesman has started to create religious items that express his admiration to his Jewish heritage.
When asked about his spiritual sources, Landesman considers his inspirational sources to be the Bible and the images of the lost world. In his own words: “my spiritual sources are the Bible and the ancient cultures that lived in the region. A disappearing world that I miss which does not exist anymore. I confront this world my way, trying to decode familiar cultural codes from those magic objects that these cultures left behind “.
Landesman’s artworks beautifully depict scenes and images of the ancient Israeli and Canaanite era , while using clean, simple lines and metallic colors. Landesman’s Judaica art is often embossed with Hebrew text from the holy scriptures in biblical-styled script.
Landesman’s unusual style has fascinated world-audiences all around the globe. His creations are exhibited in museums, galleries and shops across Europe, Israel and America. Now, thanks to modern technology, there is a wide array of contemporary Jewish artworks accessible everywhere around the world, to everyone’s satisfaction.
Celebrating lost world – Shraga Landesman’s Biblical Forest menorah
This Hanukkah menorah which was made by this distinct artist well exemplifies Landesman’s unique style. Using innovative technology, the Menorah is made from pewter and aluminum.
Hanukkah menorah is one of the most popular Judaica artworks produced by contemporary Israeli artists. As many of his artworks, this piece creates strong feelings of longing to the primal world of “Bereshesit” – which lies right on the border between void and existence.
When the world was God’s lap
This inspired piece takes us back to the artist’s serene childhood: spending evenings on the Sea of Galilee and Herons, sitting quietly under the eucalyptus trees watching for fish and frogs. On this piece we can see how one’s personal childhood, those secure days of no worries, merges so effortlessly with a whole region’s days of innocence – when the world was closer to its simple nature, resting in God’s protecting hands. Take a good look, inhale deeply and close your eyes — now you will feel the greatness of Landesman’s beautiful and thoughtful artworks.
