SUSTENANCE: Al Shlosha Devarim

It is a basic tenet of Judaism that the world is sustained by three things...

The study of Torah;

Doing service;

Performing acts of human kindness

I hope by my work on this blog, I am completing the first two in some small way... and in the rest of my life- I hope I manage to perform the the third. Likely not enough, but I try.

A friend of mine introduced me to a website where I could perform the third while perhaps learning about the world and providing sustenance to people.

Are you familiar with FREERICE.ORG? On this website while challenging your brain with vocabulary quizes, geography lessons or multiplication tables you can earn grains of rice. When you play the game, sponsor banners appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these banners is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people! I have been challenging myself with the vocabulary and the geography while my 8 year old is practicing his multiplication (his goal is 1000 grains per day). So if you are not reading JJ or one of the websites of my artists, then hop on over to FreeRice.ORG and earn some grains to sustain someone.

From the artist Becca Licha

My ceramic creations (Like the AL SHLOSHA DEVARIM above) are Raku fired vessels with cut outs and rings. They are vase forms, first thrown on the potter's wheel and then hand manipulated. I embellish the vessels with special cut out designs like curving lines, Hebrew letters, or symbols. Most of my pieces are also adorned with one or more ceramic rings, which represent my interconnection to the piece, as well as acting as a signature. The ring, along with the cut out draws you into to interact with the vessel. I finish the surface with dynamic glazes, like copper luster or white crackle. The nature of the Raku firing process is unpredictable, so I never know where the cracks will happen or if the luster will dazzle. The art of Raku is letting go and allowing the piece to come into its own.

And watch out for a Chanukah series, beginning tomorrow running for eight days... it is never to early begin thinking about the festival of lights!!!!