Modern honey dish - a popular gift for Rosh Hashanah

A honey dish is a very popular gift for Rosh Hashanah. The honey dish is probably the most impressive item on Rosh Hashanah festive table. Many Jewish people purchase a honey dish as a gift for their friends or themselves during the Jewish holidays. U sing their imagination and creativity, contemporary Judaica artists have created a wide selection of honey dishes in various styles and materials to fit any personal style or needs.

The honey is a main ingredient in Rosh Hashanah menu, since we believe that what we eat will reflect on the year to come. According to tradition, the sweet honey is a way to bless ourselves a sweet year to come.

The sweet honey is usually placed in a special tray known as honey dish. A honey dish normally has one or two designated spots. In each spot you can place apples and honey or pomegranate seeds. Pomegranate seeds can be placed in one bowl, and apples and honey in the other.
Honey dish usually incorporates prominent Rosh Hashanah motifs such as the pomegranate. You can find many honey dishes shaped as a pomegranate or decorated with pomegranates. The honey dish might also include appropriate Hebrew blessings such as Shana Tova (happy New Year) or Shana Tova Vemetuka (happy and sweet year).

More honey dish designs in modern style by Israeli artist Shraga Landesman:

Jerusalem comes to life - Israeli artist Yair Emanuel

Today I would like you to meet an extraordinary Israeli Judaica artist who lives and works in Jerusalem. Emanuel is a graduate of Israel's prestigious Academy of Art and Design. Yair Emanuel's stylish works are hand-painted in vivid colors that immediately capture the eye. Inspired by ancient motifs, Yair Emanuel mixes traditional with modern design, while adding his own imagination to create his unmistakable signature look.

Emanuel's unique works include Shabbat candlesticks, Seder Plates, Hanukkah menorahs, hand-embroidered Tallits and much more. Emanuel's Works make some of the mosty popular giffs from Israel. What I especially like about Yair Emanuel's works is the fact that they truely reflect the atmosphere of Jerusalem. Anyone who has ever been to the holy city will know what I'm talking about. With Emanuel's magic touch, the sights of jerusalem magically come to life. You just can't stay indifferent to his works, Each of Emanuel's religious object will make a colorful addition to any interior.

Jerusaem hand-painted Hanukkah menorah by Yair Emanuel.

Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li – special blessing makes special Jewish wedding gifts

The Jewish wedding ceremony takes place under a big canopy, called in Hebrew Chuppah. Under the Chuppah the happy bride and groom share a mutual promise by saying to each other: "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" or as pronounced in Hebrew -Ani LeDodi VeDodi Li (Song of Songs: 3:6). Song of Songs is believed to have been written by King Solomon. This psalm is traditionally interpreted as the divine love that God has given to the people of Israel. The people of Israel are seen as the wife, the beloved, and God in the one who blesses His beloved with eternal love. This promise also embodies the sacred relationship between a husband and wife in Jewish tradition.

Today, I would like to bring you several Ani LeDodi gift ideas that are perfect for anniversaries and Jewish weddings. Several of the most popular Jewish wedding gifts are ornamental objects that have symbolic significance. Judaica articles are very popular Jewish weddings gifts as they are both practical and decorative and have religious context. Shabbat candlesticks, Mezuzah cases and Hanukkah menorah are very appropriate gifts for Jewish wedding. A special gift jewelry such as a pendant or necklace inscribed with Ani LeDodi for the bride is another special gift idea. Below, Ani LeDodi Mezuzah by Israeli artist Yossi Steinberg, who has also designed the magnificent candlesticks above.
















Ani LeDodi pendant by Ester Shahaf with Hebrew inscription from the Song of Songs

Hebrew music makes a wonderful gift – it's food for the soul 365 days a year.

Hebrew music has a strong appeal to many Jewish people around the world. Hebrew is an ancient language as well as sacred, and it has a very unique sound to it. The use of Hebrew in music is more common these days. Looking back 60 years ago, it is astonishing to think that Hebrew wasn't used on a daily basis until Israel was established.

Popular Hebrew music often originates in Israel who has exported lots of talented male and female singers.

I have chosen to introduce you to Hebrew music that gives voice to the unique cultural diversity in Israel. Popular Hebrew music today includes western and eastern influences, often accompanied by traditional hymns and prayers. A great example would be The Idan Raichel Project . Today Idan Raichel and his fellow singers tour America and around the world. Watch the interview with Idan Raichel project.

The Idan Raichel Project is an example to how extremely different cultures merge together in Israel, and to how much soulful Hebrew music can be. Many of the artists who sing in these two projects are Israeli immigrants: Hebrew is their second language, they have learned it as they emigrated to Israel or in Hebrew school in their mother countries.





Gaya is an Israeli music group of Israeli newcomers from Africa, both East and West. Gaya's hit song "Yachad" which means together, has literally become a national anthem. Click here to listen to it, I assure you won't be able to resist their energies!
The famous and catchy chorus translates to: together, heart to heart, we will open our hearts and see the light in the sky, we will open our hearts to love".

This moving music expresses pain and optimism at the same time. Hebrew music unfolds the amazing story of Jewish people who have returned to Israel after two thousands years with many difficulties and lots of hope and dreams.

The Wailing Wall

The Wailing Wall or the Western Wall is one of the most sacred Jewish sites. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish people visit this holy site every year, crying, asking God to listen to their prayers. Many write down their wishes on little notes and shove them between the bricks of the Wall.


As the bible tells us, King Solomon built the first temple in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago. This sacred temple was destroyed by the Babylonians leaving only the Wailing wall intact. Miraculously, aftet the second temple was built the Wailing Wall has survived the destruction of the second temple as well. Since then, the Wailing Wall has become a symbol for divine protection and hope of the Diaspora Jews to return to the land of Israel.

In 1967 War, the Western Wall was liberated by the IDF.

The Wailing Wall has been a great source of inspiration for many Israeli Judaica designers. This beautiful mezuzah case is a great example. This mezuzah is made from genuine Jerusalem stone.

Wailing Wall inspried mezuzah case by Caesarea Arts

Modern Jewish Books – Jesse Kellerman's The Genius

I have to admit, I wasn't familiar with Jewish author Jesse Kellerman prior to reading The Genius. Having read the novel, I must say that Kellerman is one of the most intriguing Jewish authors today.

The Genius is an extraordinary piece in terms of writing, style, and plot.

Ethan Muller is a New York art dealer, young and ambitious. For Ethan, art is defined by its price tag. And who decides what art is? The art dealer. Indeed, Ethan is a self-centered, narcissistic protagonist. When Ethan receives a strange phone call telling him he must go to check a deserted art collection by an anonymous artist, he is astonished to discover a series of paintings that are extremely intense, psychotic even. At this point, Kellerman describes the drawings so vividly that you can literally feel their psychotic and compelling nature. The artist, Victor Cracke, disappears off the ground and no one knows of his whereabouts. Ethan starts to deal with the paintings as if they were his own. Soon enough, he begins to receive threatening letters. Ethan then receives another unexpected phone call from a retired NYPD cop who reveals to him a disturbing secret - an image of a boy in one of Cracke's paintings belongs to a victim of a serial pedophile rapist and murderer who was never caught.

Drawn into this wild realm, Ethan is about to discover buried secrets connected to his own family saga of the Jewish immigrant family that became rich and powerful.

Kellerman skillfully threads art, social criticism, and psycho-analysis with the history of Jewish immigrants bathed in romance and mystery. The Genius is a well-written modern (Jewish!) thriller that you will not be able to put down. This ambitious novel is a great gift for anyone who enjoys mystery books.

Celebrating Jewish feminism with Tallits for women

As I have reported on my Jewish news blog, The Optimistc Jew, there is now a first female African-American rabbi. According to Times, Alysa Stanton, 45, will become America's first female African-American rabbi in two months from now. Today she has completed seven years of rabbinical training at Hebrew Union College. Stanton will serve as the rabbi of Congregation Bayt Shalom, a synagogue in Greenville, N.C. Well, this is a big step for Jewish feminism. To celebrate that, I've decided to bring you here several Tallits (Jewish prayer shawl) that are specially designed for women. Tallit is usually worn inside synagogues and during the morning services.

on the image above- Tallit for women- Miriam and Deborah

As you might know, there is a strong disagreement in the orthodox community whether women should be allowed to wear a Tallit. In reform and conservative communities, by contrast, Tallit is worn by women as often as by men.

Different Jewish scholars have argued that wearing a Tallit by a woman is a sign of
vanity. However, many rabbis today permit this practice. Today, even in modern orthodox communities more and more women proudly wear their Tallits. No one can stop ongoing social changes.

Tallits for women often include biblical motifs that signify the significance of women in the bible. Miriam, Moses and Aaron's sister, took an active part in the story of Exodus and provided an infinite source of water for the Israelites in the Sinai desert (today this is celebrated through the use of a new ritual article- Miriam's Cup) . Deborah the prophetess was the only female leader of the Israelites.

These Tallits for women are designed by Israeli judaica artists, Yair Emanuel - one of the most distinctive artists who live and work in Israel today. Emanuel's artistic designs of colorful Tallits make great gifts for Jewish women that is both practical and symbolic.

Tallit for Women by Yair Emanuel- Miriam's drum