The dove that carried an olive branch to Noah on the ark, signifying the end to the great flood, has become a symbol of peace and spiritual renewal that crosses religious boundaries. In the Torah, the dove often symbolizes the Jewish people, especially in imagery that expresses spiritual yearning or calls to God for protection. … Continue reading
What makes a sewing project Jewish? I’m continually turning this question over in my mind. Hebrew phrases or Jewish symbols mark a project as Jewish, but what if you don’t use them? How do you give the object you’re designing a Jewish identity or imbue it with a Jewish idea? That was the question I … Continue reading
Answer: Somewhere between 18″ and 24″. Question: How big is a cubit, anyway? This week’s Torah portion is the story of Noah and the ark. And as you’ll recall, when God gave Noah the instructions for building the ark, God specified the dimensions in cubits: 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits tall. … Continue reading
When chai tea first became popular in the United States, I was living in Kuwait (and we only got a Starbucks the last year I was there). So when I came back to New York one summer for a visit and ordered a cup of chai tea off a menu board, the look on the … Continue reading
Get ready to make Jewish tradition your own! Update: Sew Jewish is now available in paperback as well as an instant download PDF. Wow–It’s been a long journey, and the Sew Jewish book has just been released! See all the details and get your copy today in the Sew Jewish Shop on Etsy. What’s Inside … Continue reading
Embroiderers through the centuries have turned to the chain stitch, especially folk artists. The stitch was a popular choice among Jewish mothers who embroidered Torah scroll binders to commemorate the births of their sons in 17th-19th century Eastern Europe. The embroidered chuppah scene above, created with chain stitches, is typical of scenes found on the … Continue reading
Probably the most popular Jewish good luck symbol today is the hamsa. It’s been around a long time–thousands of years. Here’s some background from the introduction to the hamsa project in the Sew Jewish book: Hamsa Your hand is strong. Your right hand, exalted. (Psalms 89:14) A tiny falafel shop I used to frequent in … Continue reading
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