Judaica
Circus (Hanukah menorah for Aviv), is a Hanukah menorah made up of birthday candle holders created for my son, Aviv, for the first nine years of his life.
Jewish ritual objects hold the essence of Jewish life and culture. Creating contemporary Judaica allows me to examine contemporary issues through the Jewish tradition. It is not a religious interest that draws me towards making Judaica, but a cultural interest and an interest as a silversmith in creating work that has a ritual function. Through making Judaica I bring together my interest in academic research of religion and my interest in creating functional ritual objects. I am drawn to functional objects because of their interactive qualities. The people who use these objects, understand them both visually and tactilely, and relate to them on a personal level. I enjoy searching for the psychological "why" of religious practices. Some of the ritual objects I create are based on this research, while other pieces draw from the wealth of visual cultural history present in the tradition of Judaica.