Apology

I have to apologize for not being much of a blogger in recent weeks. Laziness may account for some of it and a partially responsive computer may be the other.

That being said, I want to share something today that will interst the scrapbookers and paper artists in our midst. A rather pretty collection of papers and such in a Pesach theme. Much of the Judaic scrapbooking material that is out there does not excite me (and I have not picked up my acid free/lignin free glue in YEARS) but this collection is rather attractive. It looks a lot like some of the older SEI papers.

The threads that bind us.

Carol Perlmutter does beautiful work with cloth including tallit and chuppot. This is what she says about her work.

I was a journalist, and a non-religious rationalist, from my teen years through my mid-thirties. I started quilting a decade ago to save my sanity during a long illness. Completely unexpectedly, quilting became something more than a distraction. It became a powerful vehicle for developing my spirituality, and exploring my Jewish heritage.

Quilting has a power to enrich people's lives on many levels. Not least is that it can be a form of prayer or meditation. Even while the cabinets fill with fabric (!), the creative process empties and focuses the mind, Grasshopper, which allows us to make higher connections---to memory, to our best selves, to others, and maybe even to G-d. (Also, to e-bay, for more stuff, and to i-kea, for bigger cabinets.)

Both the process and the product of quilting dovetails beautifully with Jewish ritual and history. As in most cultures, Judaism involves an abundance of beautiful and thought-provoking textiles, whether for daily use, holidays, or lifecycle milestones. Learning about the history and meaning of these textiles has been one of the most fascinating and fun parts of my journey.

A SECOND CHANCE

In this week's Torah portion we have a very interesting predicament. On the first anniversary of their liberation from Egyptian slavery, the Israelites are bidden to once again celebrate the Passover Seder to commemorate the freedom that they had attained. The main ritual consisted of slaughtering the Paschal sacrifice on the eve of Pesach, and eating it that night with matzah and marror (bitter herbs). The sacrifice had to be slaughtered and eaten in a state of ritual purity.

Some individuals came to Moshe (Moses) to complain that they had been fulfilling the commandment of caring for the deceased, either by carrying the coffin of Yosef (Joseph) for eventual burial in the Holy Land or by attending to the burial of an unidentified corpse (mayt mitzvah). They asked why they should be deprived of performing the commandment (mitzvah) of the Pesach sacrifice because they had been engaged in a different mitzvah which rendered them ritually defiled.

Upon inquiry to the Almighty, God tells Moshe that these individuals should indeed have the opportunity to celebrate the joy of their Pesach deliverance through the performance of the Passover Seder one month later. (Indeed, in remembrance of this fact, one month after the beginning of Passover, on the 14th day of Iyar, we commemorate Pesach Shayni, the Second Passover, by customarily eating matzah and refraining from reciting the penitential prayer in the service.)

What is significant is that these individuals were given a second chance. All too often, either because of some ritual defilement or because of our own laziness or lack of interest or even lack of knowledge, we miss the opportunity to perform a good deed or to say the right word or to offer any compliment that could enhance interpersonal relationships. Our tradition teaches us to never give up hope. If at first we do not succeed, try again! If we cannot make the first Passover, there is a second opportunity. Our faith is a positive one. Inherent in our religion is the opportunity for reconciliation and repentance and righting a wrong, or correcting a mistake, or overcoming a neglect.

Another group of people who were allowed to bring the second Passover offering were those who were too far away from the Sanctuary at the time of the proper Pesach observance. It is never too late to catch up and to try to bring ourselves nearer to the Almighty and to our fellow human beings, even if the journey seems to be a long one or if we have been detached and distant from our religion. If we but set out on the right path, we will get to the proper destination, but it must be done with a sense of faith, love and compassion. "Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart."

With a belief in God, we can overcome adversity and go on to succeed, even if there seems to be a momentary stumbling block in our way, or if we had been on a different path. We know that God is here to help us find our way, but we have to ponder our steps carefully, and it may take time! Otherwise, we will be like the little girl who was dressed in her Shabbat best, and running as fast as she could to the synagogue so as not to be late for Junior Congregation. As she ran she prayed, "Dear God, please don't let me be late! Dear God, please don't let me be late!" As she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running once more. As she ran, she again began to pray, "Dear God, please don't let me be late...but don't shove me either!"

If not a shove, our tradition sometimes gives us a "nudge" to move in the right direction. We will eventually get there, as long as we stay on course and find fulfillment and strength in the teachings of our faith! Rabbi Doniel Kramer

I fell in love with this mezuzah this week. It is from Ruth Tarragano of Israel- mother and polymer clay artist.

Shabbat Shalom Umevorach -- a peaceful and blessed Sabbath.

Why is this seder plate different?

The seder plates I shared with you recently have had soft edges- whether from ceramic or metal. These two plates from the married couple Brian and Alice Bergner are square and encorporate glass in them. Actually both seder plates- like the artists who made them- are a marriage. In these seder plates a marriage of two materials- glass and mother of pearl or glass and Jerusalem stone. I love the combination of the man made and the natural elements.















The couple live in Caesarea, Israel and say this about how their home influences their art: Living as we do on the shore of the Mediterranean, the quality of our life is determined to a great extent by the sea and all it represents. My family spends as much time as possible combing its beaches, and we are lucky enough to have a bird's eye view of it from every window of our home, including our studio. Willingly or not, our moods and inspiration are in tandem with the mood of the sea. Our work, inevitably organic, is a homage of sorts, a salute to its life and debris.

Geometry for Jews

I offer a range of Seder plates to accommodate your Passover, as well as a modern alternative set for a more inclusive celebration. I make Seder sets in two different patterns, so the first step is to choose which design you want and in which colors. Click on any of the images below for an enlargement of that pattern and a price. Then choose whether you need 6 or 7 Seder minis from the link below. The images at the top of this page are also clickable. For an exciting action photo of our eco-feminist Seder plate in use at my sister's home look to the above left.

Seder plates are used in the celebration of Passover by the Jews, which we have been observing for the past three thousand years. Every year we commemorate the flight of our ancestors from slavery in Egypt and our birth as a free people in the desert. We use the Seder plate to help us tell the story of Passover and there are special places for symbolic items.

While yesterday's seder plates from Shagra Landesman and today's from Paul Barchilon are traditional, the former have more of a modern coolness as a result of their being aluminum. The colors of the glazes on Barchilon's ceramics exude a warmth. I also love the geometric designs reminiscent of the mandala. The Israeli artist Ofira Oriel features the Star of David in her mandala paintings.

Margaret Starbird wrote the following about the Star of David as mandala in her book The Woman with the Alabaster Jar (very much NOT a Jewish text). As an archetypal symbol for the sacred union of the opposite energies, it (the Star of David) is the yin-yang of western civilization. Formed by the intertwining of the fire and water triangles (the male blade and the female chalice) this symbol represents the masculine and feminine principles in perfect union, the sacred marriage or hieros gamous of the ancient world....The message of the Star of David in the heavens is undoubtedly peace on earth. But it is more than that. It is a reminder that we are not alone--that we are part of a whole and that the Living Force of the Cosmos is with us. Equality, mutuality, community and wisdom are all summed up in this beautiful mandala whose ultimate archetypal meaning is harmony in diversity.

Ki Tisa

The Torah portions of the last two weeks were less than exciting... but here in Exodus 30:11–34:35 the action returns. At the start of the parsha, Moses remains on Mt. Sinai and the Hebrews grow restless and fearful. Out of the their anxiety they encourage Aaron to find them a god... and thus the golden calf is molded. Moses returns from the mountain, he smashes the two tablets he had spent weeks transcribing and destroys the calf as well. God is angry and wishes to destroy the Hebrews but Moses defends the good Hebrews. Those who do not repent for their sins are killed; the rest are forgiven. Moses returns to the mountain for another forty days... but when he returns to the camp, he is different. Aaron and all the Israelites saw that the skin of Moses' face was radiant; and they shrank from coming near him. (Exodus 34:31) It is from this series of verses that the light eminating from Moses comes, and the misinterpretaion that Jews have horns also arises.


In Exodus 34:18 we find You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread — eating unleavened bread for seven days, as I have commanded you — at the set time of the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you went forth from Egypt. And thus the commandment to observe the holiday of Passover or Pesach is given to Moses for the Jewish People. This year, the first night of Passover is Monday April 2. Many of us are planning our seders so I will be introducing some Judaica over the next few weeks which may grace your family's table.


The centerpiece of any seder is the seder plate. While my most treasured seder plate is the one created by my older son in preschool, there are many variations on the plate which are available. Made of glass, ceramic, plastic or metal each has a separate space for the required items.
Shraga Landesman a designer of jewelry and judaica in Israel creates biblically inspired seder plates. They are from cast aluminum and I find them beautiful.