We’ve Updated Our Ketubah Signing and Ketubah Personalization FAQ
Your Guide to Ketubah Personalization and Signing
| In order for your ketubah to be valid, it must be filled in with your names, your parents’ names (more on that later), and the date and location of your wedding — a process known as “ketubah personalization.” Some couples begin to fret when they learn about the preparations necessary to have their ketubah filled in. This guide is here to help you simplify the process and relieve your ketubah jitters. | |
What Is Ketubah Personalization?Do I need to purchase personalization, or can my rabbi fill in my ketubah?A ketubah, or Jewish wedding contract, is usually offered with several pre-written text options. These ketubah texts contain “blanks” that must be filled in with your personal information: your names, your parents’ names, and the date and location of the wedding. You generally have two choices when deciding how to have your ketubah personalized:
When you purchase ketubah personalization from us, your personal information is filled in in a style that matches the print on the document. (Keep in mind that there are a few ketubah artists who do not offer ketubahs without personalization — rather they can only be purchased with your information already filled in. If the ketubah you choose does not have “No Personalization” option, then this is likely the case for that ketubah.) Talk to your wedding officiant about his or her preference about filling in your ketubah. |
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Filling Out Your Ketubah Personalization WorksheetWhat if I don’t know the Hebrew spellings, or someone doesn’t have a Hebrew Name?If you’ve decided to purchase personalization — the most common choice — you need to write all of your personal information on a ketubah personalization worksheet. To download the worksheet, simply browse your chosen ketubah’s product info page and click the button that reads “Click Here for Worksheet and Instructions.” See an example of a ketubah product info page here.
If your wedding will be conducted in an Orthodox or Conservative environment, you will need to work with your rabbi or wedding officiant to confirm the accuracy of the information, especially the Hebrew spellings.
If your wedding will be conducted in a more liberal environment — such as Reform or Reconstructionist — we are happy to help you with Hebrew spellings. If you are marrying in a liberal environment, and you don’t know the Hebrew spellings, or someone doesn’t have a Hebrew name, you can simply request on your worksheet that the name(s) be “transliterated” from English into Hebrew. This means that the English pronunciation will be spelled out in Hebrew letters. For example, if the groom’s father’s name is “Reuven,” then you can simply write “Reuven” in English in the appropriate location, and check the box or write “transliterate” to indicate this request. (Checking the box or writing “transliterate” depends on which artist’s worksheet you are using.) Similarly, if someone doesn’t have a Hebrew name, just write the name in English, and request that it be transliterated. For example, if someone’s name is “Charles” or “Julianne,” this can be written in Hebrew letters.
You will need to look your worksheet over carefully — and if you are being married by an Orthodox or Conservative wedding officiant, it is highly recommended that you obtain their approval of the information before you submit the ketubah worksheet, in order to avoid any errors in the ketubah personalization. Once you have completed your ketubah personalization worksheet, please either fax or scan and email it to us. |
The Art of Giving It Away
Metal worker Gary Rosenthal trades profits for mitzvot
by Bob Cullen
Reprinted with permission from The University of Virginia Magazine.
Click to see the original article, published in 2006
Photo by Luca DiCecco
There is, of course, no typical graduate of the Darden School of Business. But if there were, it would probably not be someone who:
a) paid for his M.B.A. degree by making and selling sculpture
b) after graduation developed a successful business in religious art
c) is presently engaged in cheerfully giving away much of that business’ profit.
Those three points, however, encapsulate Gary Rosenthal (GSBA ’84), who in midlife has discovered that the business he most wants to be in is the creation of mitzvot. In case your Hebrew is rusty, that is the plural of mitzvah, which can mean blessing, or good deed.Rosenthal, 52, is a slender, almost elfin man with graying hair and a neatly trimmed mustache. At work, he wears khaki trousers and open-collared shirts. And though he manages a business with 30 employees, he still, on a regular basis, can be found with a welding torch in his hands, shaping metal.
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It was a welder’s torch that gave him direction in life. A lapse of motivation in Rosenthal’s undergraduate studies at Cornell found him taking a hiatus from school and helping out in his father’s business, a stove and refrigerator repair shop in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. He learned how to operate a torch to melt and repair broken stove grates. “I lit a torch and took up a piece of broken cast iron and it’s been a love affair ever since,” Rosenthal recounts, sitting behind a battered desk in his small, cluttered office. “I love working with fire and I love creating things.”He started making things and kept on doing it after he went back to Cornell, although he got no formal art training. “My roommate’s brother was an architect, and he said, ‘Gary, if you can’t make something good, make it big and people will think it’s neat.’ Someone else told me to make sure it looks good over someone’s sofa. So I followed that.”He showed some of his early work to the late Jason Seley, a well-known sculptor who was on the faculty at Cornell. “He looked at my work and said, ‘Gary, you don’t have any sense of aesthetics, color, form, light or shape. But you know what? People are going to love your work and you’re going to sell like crazy.”Rosenthal shrugs. “There’s no rocket science to what I do. I make things people like to buy. We try to make a lot of it.”
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His first sculpture was a huge construction of welded nails that, indeed, looked impressive over a sofa and did, indeed, sell. He was selling about $100,000 worth of his work annually when he decided to go to the Darden School. Throughout his time there, he commuted to his studio in D.C. and made sculpture on the weekends, which he then sold to pay his expenses.At Darden, Rosenthal recalls, “They opened their arms to me, even though I wasn’t a good fit because I’m a free spirit and basically unemployable. Darden is a great place to go to school, even for people like me.” Among the most important things he learned there? “How to separate the important from the unimportant and finish the job. That’s because they give you more work than you could physically do.”At that moment, Rosenthal’s mother, Ann, who works in the firm as her son’s doorkeeper and “opens the envelopes with checks in them,” sticks her head in the door. “Getting an M.B.A. made a businessman out of him,” she says. “He does wonderful marketing.”Soon after leaving Charlottesville, Rosenthal put those new skills to work developing a niche market. Late in the 1970s, he had made his first menorah, a candelabrum of glass and metal used in the celebration of Hanukkah. It sold immediately. He began making more. He branched into other traditional Jewish religious items, like the mezuzah that the devout place in doorframes. Rosenthal soon figured out that American Jews of an earlier generation, living in the shadow of the Holocaust, had tended to keep their religious articles in their closets. But the coming generation, feeling more secure, wanted to celebrate and display its faith. “Judaica became the hottest market segment of the 1990s in the crafts industry,” he says. He was at the center of it.
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By the mid-1990s, the Gary Rosenthal Collection was perhaps the nation’s leading designer and purveyor of Judaica, selling in about 1,000 stores. Gross annual revenues began to approach $2 million. The firm, which also creates corporate gifts and awards from metal and glass, has done items presented to presidents and famous artists. (It recently did a menorah, with blue and orange glass, that the University’s Hillel Club presented to U.Va. President John T. Casteen III.)Just as his business hit its stride, Rosenthal discovered something that excited him more than melting metal. He is not a devout man, in the formal sense. He says he chooses to “go through life as if there is a God, whether or not he or she exists.” He believes in the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, making the world a better place. He discovered that he truly enjoyed giving money away.At first, philanthropy was almost an accident. Rosenthal was asked to help judge some fundraising efforts by campus Hillel groups. The project he liked best, involving a giant matzo ball and feeding the homeless, did not win the award. So, anonymously, he put up $10,000 to finance any campus Hillel chapter that would undertake the same project. Very quickly, his giving snowballed.Rosenthal likes to enlist corporate partners in his charity projects. He decided a couple of years ago that he would like to fund a program to teach magician’s skills to inner-city kids. They would get a skill that might help them make some pocket money at birthday parties. They would put on shows for senior citizens. “It’s a win-win,” he says.
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So he called the Theatre Lab of Washington, which teaches dramatic arts to at-risk city kids. He called the Calvert Group, a firm that specializes in “socially responsible” investments. He cut a deal in which he custom-made holiday gifts for Calvert’s clients and donated his share of the profits to the Theatre Lab for the summer program in magic.“Gary is a visionary,” says Deb Gottesman, co-director of the Theatre Lab. “His vision was magic. It helped young people feel they had the answers.”“He’s one of a kind,” echoes Barbara Krumsiek, CEO of the Calvert Group and chair-elect of the Washington Board of Trade. “Our community is very fortunate to have him.”Nowadays, it’s hard to walk around Rosenthal’s shop without seeing mitz-vot. It begins with his people. Rosenthal has jobs for people with autism. He has jobs for émigrés from the former Soviet Union. It extends to dozens of philanthropic projects, large and small. At a table in the shop recently, a woman named Patricia Barrientos, recently arrived in the United States from El Salvador, sat learning how to make sheets of fused glass. Eventually, the sheets will become earrings that will be sold to raise funds for a program called Linkages to Learning, which helps the immigrant community in the schools of Montgomery County, Md. At a desk in Rosenthal’s office, a woman named Jennifer Polkes talks about her search for corporate partners in a Rosenthal endeavor called The Glass Ribbon, which helps victims of breast cancer. Rosenthal has sponsored concerts for the Jewish community in post-Katrina New Orleans. He makes grants to school libraries with the proceeds from bookmarks sold in craft stores.If pressed, Rosenthal will estimate that he donates nearly a tenth of his company’s gross revenues either in cash or in kind. In fact, the company has been losing money for the past couple of years, and he recently sold the building in which it operates in Kensington, Md., to raise cash. “I don’t want to be a nonprofit,” Rosenthal says. “I need to make money.” He is hopeful that in the next few years he can both boost the company’s revenues and find partners to take some of its charitable programs nationwide.But for this Darden graduate, profits are clearly secondary to the satisfaction of the mitzvot. “On a good day, this is like Camelot and you feel like you’re King Arthur and the people around you are the Knights of the Round Table,” Rosenthal says. “On a good day, you feel like you can do anything.”
Dressing the Jewish Bride
by Bridget Mora
If you are a Jewish woman planning a wedding, you may be unsure about what is appropriate to wear for your wedding ceremony. Different denominations of Judaism will have varying guidelines on bridal attire - possibly even from one synagogue to another. This is a guide to what to look for in a bridal gown for a Jewish wedding.
The restrictions placed on wedding attire will vary from one denomination to the next. Each rabbi or congregation may have their own particular customs, so it is important to speak with your officiant before buying your gown. Some synagogues are more conservative than others when it comes to what the bride and her bridesmaids are permitted to wear, and you wouldn’t want to make a gaffe and inadvertently insult the rabbi on your wedding day!
As a rule of thumb, Reform synagogues will not have strict guidelines on what a bride may wear. That said, a bride being married in any house of worship should strive to be appropriate. Very revealing or sexy styles that might be perfect for a beach or Vegas wedding just do not fly for a religious ceremony. Even if your officiant permits you to walk down the aisle, you will surely set tongues to wagging among the guests, some of whom will find risque bridal attire to be disrespectful. It is best not to chance it.
For brides being wed in the Conservative branch of the Jewish faith, there are likely to be some specific guidelines about what is acceptable attire. At the minimum, your gown will need to cover your shoulders, and you should avoid any gown with a plunging neckline or low back. Some rabbis will let you get away with a small cap sleeve, while others will insist on a true short sleeve. This is why it is important to speak to your officiant before ordering your gown. Keep in mind that many wedding gowns can be ordered with design changes. If you fall in love with a cap sleeve gown and your synagogue requires sleeves to just above the elbow, for instance, you may well be able to order your gown with the appropriate sleeve length.
Of the three largest denominations of Judaism, it is the Orthodox that has the most regulations on what a bride may wear. The word to keep in mind is demure. Sleeves must be either three quarter or long (depending on your particular synagogue), necklines should be high and modest, skirts must be at least to the ankle, and the back needs to be covered. Look for gowns with bateau necks, jewel necks, or even high lace collars. Such high necklines are hard to pair with necklaces, but you can find beautiful bridal jewelry in the form of special earrings and unique bracelets.
It can be challenging, to say the least, to find modest bridal gowns in the sea of strapless, halter, and spaghetti strap dresses that are out there. Your best best is to speak with a bridal consultant when making your appointment to visit the salon and inform them of your needs. That way, they will have time to research which gowns can have necklines raised or sleeves added and point you in the right direction. You can also do what so many brides do these days, which is to wear a traditional gown for the marriage ceremony and then change into more of a cocktail style dress and festive bridal jewelry for the reception.
If two gowns is too steep a price to pay, think about wearing a jacket or shrug over a strapless gown for your ceremony and then you can remove it for dancing at the reception. And of course, remember that final finishing touch that all Jewish brides should wear: a lovely bridal veil. With these guidelines in mind, you are sure to find a wedding gown that is both respectful and that makes you feel gorgeous.
About the Author
Bridget Mora writes for Silverland Jewelry about wedding planning, style, and jewelry. Add your own personal style to your wedding gown with special and unique bridal jewelry.
Bat Mitzvah Invitations: The Search Begins For the Right Bat Mitzvah Invitations
by Jeff Fain
When you first get online to look for Bat Mitzvah invitations, it can be a little intimidating on where to start. Much like selecting your daughter’s synagogue or prom dress or the perfect necklace as a wedding present, the options are just overwhelming. Not only do you have over 10,000 online stores, but each has their own selection, and, if that’s not enough, you can customize the individual cards themselves. Any probability math major will tell you that there over a million combinations.
As with all online stores that sell greeting cards of any kind, you can select a design by theme, filter it down by category, choose an image or background you really like, and input the text for your event. The custom cards are sent to your door and back out again to your friends.
Floral patterns, butterflies, girlie imagery of all sorts are available. But, more importantly, consider using Jewish imagery. Splice the two into a cohesive whole and choose a light pastel accent to touch it off. Make the final presentation a stunning depiction of your daughter’s spiritual enlightenment and girlish demeanor. Make it appear as though she is expressive of her Jewish roots and also of her feminine nature. Any card should let it boil straight down to those two elements.
Let your daughter choose embellishments. Ask what she thinks about silver lettering or letterpress paper or embossed Stars of David or a picture of Jerusalem.
Bat Mitzvah Invitations are the first thing your friends see when they hear about the celebration so they would prefer it looks nice and serious and worth attending. A light, airy greeting card might be what you think is funny, but if it’s a frivolous greeting card, it might offend. People are very serious about their Judaic roots and heritage, and it’s best not to trample on that, even subtly, with an inappropriately-presented card, especially for such a big event as a Bat Mitzvah.
Cards that announce celebrations of death and growth like funeral invitations, wedding invitations, and Bat and Bar Mitzvahs need an element of seriousness because change is always scary, even if it’s for the better. Include the best of all possible worlds in your card, and integrate feminine appeal, serious spiritual nature, and Judaic imagery. Your Bat Mitzvah Invitations will be the pick of the litter.
About the Author
Jeff Fain is an author for Dependable Printing. Please visit Dependable Printing for a great selection of wedding invitations, wedding anniversary invitations, baptism invitations, bat mitzvah invitations, and much more.
The Importance of a Proper Jewish Picture Frame
by Kathy Page
Jewish weddings and bar mitzvahs are special events that produce many wonderful images. This is why photographing of such events is far more than merely capturing a visual recording. Unique photographs capture the heart, soul and symbolism of these celebratory events. The sentiments that are captured in these photos are forever retained for the future. Actually, that is a hope we have that sometimes becomes overlooked.
Often, when we look at older photographs during present days, we sometimes do not see the complete spectrum of the specialness in the photo. This can happen when we look over the photos in a cursory manner. But, if we stop to look at the photos and truly take in their visual imagery, a sentimental feeling that underscores the significance of the event will come over you. It is then that you realize the importance of properly displaying the images captured from a bar mitzvah or wedding. From this, you may also come to the realization that the way you display the images is a critical factor in how this specialness is presented. This is where Jewish wedding picture frames and bar mitzvah picture frames prove so very helpful.
Yet, while most understand the importance of capturing photographs of Jewish weddings and bar mitzvahs, they may neglect the importance of how the pictures are displayed. This is no minor point as even a fantastically composed photograph will lose much of its essence if it is not properly displayed. Thankfully, the selection of high quality picture frames can present a photograph in a manner more akin to the appreciative display it deserves.
When a picture frame is properly crafted it can present an elegant display of the photographs it holds. This is due to the high level of craftsmanship used to devise these frames. High quality picture frames do not look like they were produced on an assembly line. Many of these frames embody an artistry that allows the photographs placed inside them to be as visually appealing as possible.
Then, there are also many Jewish wedding and bar mitzvah picture frames that follow a particular theme. In some instances, the themes are whimsical. For example, a young boy who loves sports could have his photos placed in a frame with a sports theme. And, for those that would prefer a more serious approach, many frames are crafted to present imagery from the early biblical days when the origins of Hebrew wedding ceremonies first developed. So, no matter what type of theme you are interested in, there is a picture frame that could suit your own individual needs.
For those looking for something truly unique, procuring an engraved picture frame is a fine option. The words on the engraving are completely up to the person that purchases it. Some may wish to engrave a biblical quotation; others could engrave a treasured family saying; and some may simply add a special, appreciative phrase. Really, there is no limit what you can engrave on the frame. As such, one can add whatever memorable comment is appropriate and conveys the meaning of the event captured in the photograph.
Keep in mind that displaying the photos from these events allows the events to remain honored. This is why the rituals have endured for many thousands of years. Special commemorations of these events help keep the traditions relevant and alive. Yes, when you are properly displaying the images from these ceremonies, you are not just honoring your own family. You are also honoring all the families that have taken part in them. As such, these displays become a symbol of the unique cultural heritage of Judaism. This is why the proper presentation in bar mitzvah or Jewish wedding picture frames is so important.
About the Author
Kathy Page runs a website that seeks to help home and business owners decorate their spaces innovatively using picture frames and albums to express their own style and creativity. Come visit at http://greatpictureframes.com/jewishframes.html and see a variety of distinctive frames.
Some Jewish Wedding Traditions
by Sarah Williams
The Jewish faith is one that is deeply ensconced in tradition. A traditional Jewish wedding follows a number of beautiful traditions that date back for thousands of years. The traditions include the signing of the Ketubah, the use of the chuppah as well as traditional dances that are performed at the wedding. The rings exchanged during a Jewish wedding also have traditional connotations.
The signing of the Ketubah is the traditional start to a Jewish wedding ceremony. The Ketubah is a written agreement that not only asserts that the bride is not already married but also outlines the expectations that the couple hold for each other in the marriage. This ornate document can later be framed and prominently displayed in the couple’s home as a reminder of their commitment. After the bride and groom have signed the Ketubah, the groom takes one final look at his bride before lowering her veil and beginning the wedding procession. This tradition has biblical roots and recalls the story of Jacob who married the wrong woman because she was veiled and he did not realize his mistake in time.
The wedding party traditionally precedes the couple in the wedding procession. The bride and groom then proceed down the aisle together accompanied by both of their parents to symbolize that their union includes the union of both families and not just the bride and the groom. The couple ends their procession under a traditional canopy called a chuppah. This canopy symbolizes that God is present and that he is sheltering and protecting the couple.
After the couple exchanges their wedding vows, a rabbi reads 7 traditional blessings. After the blessings the groom steps on a wine glass to break the glass in a symbol of human frailty and the suffering that members of the Jewish faith have endured and this with a final blessing from the rabbi concludes the ceremony. Unlike other traditional weddings, there is usually not a receiving line at the conclusion of a Jewish wedding. Tradition holds that the couple spends a few minutes alone immediately following the wedding so many members of the Jewish faith honor this tradition by leaving the ceremony immediately and waiting until the reception to offer their well wishes to the couple. This togetherness time was traditionally an opportunity for the couple to consummate the marriage but in modern times it is more of chance for the couple to reflect on their wedding ceremony and the start of their life together before the chaos of the wedding.
Even the rings that a couple exchanges during a Jewish wedding have traditional values. Tradition holds that the couple exchange very simple rings that are devoid of gems, engravings or other distinguishing marks. With nothing to distinguish the beginning or the end of the ring, it is a beautiful symbol of a love that endures forever with no clear beginning or end. This symbolizes both the couples love for each other as well as God’s love for his people.
A traditional Jewish wedding reception features many dances. An energetic dance called the Hora is performed at many traditional Jewish weddings. In this dance the bride and groom hold a handkerchief between them while they are seated in chairs and hoisted into the air by their guests. This dance is a celebration of the bride and groom and recognizes the significance of their union. If this wedding represents the last son or daughter of one of the parents to be married there are a few more traditional dances that may take place. If the bride was the last in her family to be married, she and her sisters may honor their mother in a tradition known as Krenzi. The mother is crowned with flowers and her daughters honor her in the form of dance. Also, if either the bride or groom was the youngest to be married both of the parents will be honored through the Mizinke dance. In this tradition all of the guests circle the parents and shower them with flowers and praise.
The Jewish faith is a faith that is full of history and tradition. Many couples and their guests choose to honor these traditions by incorporating them into their wedding ceremony and reception. Many of these traditions are the defining moments of the celebration and they lend an atmosphere of historical significance to the wedding.
About the Author
Ex Wedding Planner Assistant Reveals How Anyone Getting Married Can Put At Least $2474.11 Back Into Their Pockets…
Jewish Wedding Ceremonies
by Pepper Montero
As a contributor to www.bridalblog.info, there are frequent questions that arise by people attending weddings, not just planning them. Often times, people are a bit nervous when they go to a wedding ceremony that is of a different faith than their own. To that end, I have contracted with www.bridalblog.info to do a series of articles discussing what guests can expect when attending wedding ceremonies of various faiths.
Although there are many similarities between Jewish and traditional Christian ceremonies, there are some important differences. These differences need to be acknowledged, appreciated, and embraced by those planning and attending a Jewish wedding ceremony.
When looking at the setting of a Jewish ceremony, one will notice an arch over the place where the bride and groom stand. This arch is known as a “chuppa.” There are several meanings of this object. A chuppa symbolizes the home the new couple will soon share, the new life the bride and groom will share, and the consummation of marriage. Some brides and grooms chose to have people hold up a chuppa. In this situation, the chuppa symbolizes a life supported by people rather than material things.
Before a Jewish wedding ceremony, the groom signs a Ketubah. It is a contract of sorts signed by the groom and witnessed by two Jewish males who are not related to the groom. This tradition began as an attempt to protect the rights of Jewish women. The contract states the responsibilities the groom has towards the bride in regards to the marriage itself as well as death and divorce. The Ketubah is presented to the bride during the ceremony.
During the Jewish wedding ceremony, the bride and groom drink from the same cup, as is done by many Christians during a wedding communion. In the Jewish tradition, the groom then breaks the glass. Again, there are several meanings behind this custom. The action reminds the bride and groom to remember the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple even in times of joy. In addition, breaking the glass demonstrates that the union of the bride and groom is unique, as is the glass that is broken and never used again. Finally, the sound of the breakage is intended to ward off evil spirits.
Another tradition during the Jewish wedding ceremony is known as the seven wedding blessings. At this point in the ceremony, the bride walks around the groom seven times as prayers are being said.
A final Jewish wedding custom is shouting “Mazel tov” at the end of the ceremony. Perhaps the most commonly known tradition, it could be the most fun. It involves not only the wedding party, but the guests, too. It is almost a cathartic moment for everyone. The ceremony is over; let the party begin!
Pepper Montero
About the Author
Pepper and her husband run a wedding coordination business in the Upstate of South Carolina. They have been coordinating weddings for the last two years. This article may be reprinted freely as long as all links remain active. http://www.bridalblog.info http://www.travelblogger.info http://www.thewebllama.com
What Is Jewish Art?
by Reeva Shaffer
What is Jewish Art? I have attended many a lecture and course on this exact topic and still don’t know the answer. Is it art done by a Jewish person? Is it art on a Jewish theme? Is it artistic movement — since dance is also art — based on a Jewish topic? My favorite example of this dilemma was given by Ori Soltes — the former director of the B’nai Brith Klutznick Museum in Washington. He showed us a painting done by Mark Rothko. It was a totally black canvas with a vertical white line about two inches wide vertically placed down the middle. He asked, “Is this Jewish art? It is painted by a Jewish artist…” My first impression was no — it is color and allows us emotion in interpretation but I wouldn’t call it Jewish art. Ori then continued to tell us that it is a painting about the first day of creation. The white line is the creation of light out of darkness. We then saw something different in the white line and the black — the image had not changed, but our perception of it was entirely new. This was definitely Jewish art.
Just as the physical elements of Jewish art tend not to stray from the materials of any artist’s trade, so the process of creating Judaic art tends toward established techniques. We take a brush, or a sewing needle, words on a computer, some paint or some fabric, or even our bodies. These are all physical, touchable items, really just objects until we emote something into them that allows others to have a reaction to them. A blue blob on a piece of paper reminds the artist of the sky, the sea — and further, a wonderful time we had at the ocean with our family, when our youngest daughter… and so we go on into something which makes us feel good. The person who put that blue blob on the paper is in awe — at least when it is me — that something the artist does causes such a wonderful reaction in others. But that is what all artistic endeavor does — it allows us to feel something about ourselves because of what others feel about it.
But here is where my experience as an artist becomes more specifically Jewish. I cannot count the number of times that someone will enter my exhibit booth at a Judaic convention and begin to talk about “my tallit” — whether she made it herself, it was made by a special relative or friend, it was given to her by someone in her family — that person’s eyes seem to glaze over and they are lost in reverie, reliving that wonderful time. Just by being there I have allowed people to remember touching times in their lives and to feel great for a brief moment as they explore their personal Jewish histories.
And to further remind myself what is truly Jewish about my art, I need only think of an experience I had tying the tzitzit with one particular family. The grandfather was a holocaust survivor. He cried as he was trying to tie the tzitzit, and remarked that he never thought he would experience tying the tzitzit on his grandson’s tallit. His hands were arthritic and he and “grandma” tied one side together. She held each knot and the strands tightly so he could maneuver the strings more easily. There was not a dry eye in the shop.
Or of a time when a 9-year-old sibling of an almost-Bat-Mitzvah girl was watching as the family was tying. The mother told the son that he couldn’t help, since he didn’t want to have a Bar-Mitzvah and refused to go to Hebrew school. I don’t know what he experienced sitting there watching, but it transformed him. He announced when we were finished — after having said not a word the entire two hours — that he would like to do that for his tallit. His mother reminded him that he was not having a Bar-Mitzvah and therefore would not get a tallit. He told her there and then that he wanted one and would start Hebrew school. She called two years later to tell me that he was continuing with his studies, that they had set the date for his Bar-Mitzvah, and they would be coming to my shop to design his tallit next year. In moments like that, my questions melt away and I know what Jewish art is.
Reeva Shaffer is a designer of fine tallits, huppas, torah mantles and wall hangings. She is owner of the design company Reeva’s ‘Ritings With Ruach. Her work is displayed in the permanent collections of the Spertus Museum in Chicago, the Baltimore Jewish Council, Wilshire Blvd. Temple in Los Angeles, the Hebrew Union College Gallery in New York, and Liberaal Josdse Gemeente in Amsterdam, among many others. Click to see Reeva Shaffer’s Men’s Tallit and Women’s Tallit collections.
Welcome to Our Blog!
Welcome to our first post on our brand-new blog! Here at our art gallery on Westwood Blvd. in Los Angeles, we have spent the last 25 years not only helping our clients purchase beautiful Judaic art, but in the process teaching about the Jewish traditions in which these pieces play a part. Our goal for this website has been to re-create that learning experience online, and to that end we have created this personal, interactive experience!
Here you can read our posts on Jewish art and tradition, then join the community by letting us know your thoughts. Feel free to ask questions in our “Comments” area, or contribute information to a topic we’ve covered. Our blog is all about learning, teaching and expressing ideas about Jewish practice, Jewish thought, and the art that helps beautify them.
Stay tuned for our upcoming post about women’s tallitot — see you then!