Judaica

Judaica is any object or text used to practice and observe Jewish commandments, or celebrate and portray its customs, philosophy and way of life. In the spirit of fulfilling a Mitzvah with grandeur and splendor, also known as "Hidur Mitzvah", artists have created magnificent works for Jewish ritual practices and themes that express their love for the beauty and richness of the Jewish tradition.
The vast array of Judaica objects are interwoven into the fabric of two fundamental Jewish cycles; the Jewish cycle of life and the Jewish cycle of the year.
The Jewish Cycle of Life celebrates those momentous occasions in a person's life when he passes from one stage of life to another and which is accompanied by great joy and celebration by family and friends.
The Jewish Cycle of the Year encompasses the Sabbath, a major key to Jewish survival throughout the centuries, and the Holidays, which mark the collective experience of the Jewish people throughout the generations of their history and the seasons of the year. These occasions are festive occasions eagerly awaited for as family celebrations, both by attending the synagogue and by assembling around a beautifully set table. The Sabbath and the Holidays, rich in tradition and meaning, are filled with symbolism and observance that express our relationship to the Lord and to our fellow man.
A major part of this Judaica collection, features Jerusalem Stone, (a form of limestone found in the Judean Hills) as well as architectural glass and archeological glass, All the work is completely hand made.

A case in point: To create one of the Jerusalem Stone Mezuzahs featured here, a piece of stone is cut from a larger block mined in the Judean Hills, then transformed into a cylinder on a lathe and split into two halves. Material is then removed from the back to provide a cavity for the scroll. Before being carved with its own exquisite design the Mezuzah is polished by hand to almost a mirror finish to bring out the stone's natural beauty.

One ground breaking design, now emulated by others, is inspired by the artists' fascination with archeology. A mouth blown replica of an ancient glass amphora is set against a carved Jerusalem Stone tile to create an exquisite Mezuzah (or business card holder) providing a fine example of their unique approach to design, and of their ability to think "out of the box".

With all their apparent disparity these items seem to fit very comfortably into the same collection with some of the more funky designs, such as the architectural glass Hanukias or Mezuzahs embedded with crystals.

A fresh departure from their previous body of work, soon to be featured on this site will be in the form of multicolored anodized aluminum Judaica, such as the "YAD" or Torah pointer that is previewed here. The personalized Torah portion in the form of a scroll that can be incorporated into the piece makes this a perfect Bar Mitzvah gift.