Shabbat candles, and the candles we light for Jewish holidays, are a fixture of Jewish life and Jewish design. They feature especially prominently on challah covers, and are used here for a tzedakah jar. But why do we light Shabbat candles? Early rabbinic teachers derived the practice from the prophet Isaiah’s call to make Shabbat … Continue reading
A reader recently asked about stripes on a tallit, so I thought the topic would make a good blog post. A tallit, Jewish prayer shawl, does not have to have stripes. You’ll often see tallits with stripes in Ashkenazi communities. In Sephardic Jewish communities, however, the tradition is for the tallit to be plain white. … Continue reading
When you’re writing a book about sewing, you get some of the most insightful questions from editors who don’t do a lot of sewing. And if you’re writing a book that touches on Judaism, you get some of the best questions from editors who don’t know a lot about Judaism. Enter my friend Ann, who … Continue reading
Sew Jewish 