Birkat Chaverim Blog

I made a small change to how the Bnei Akiva benchers are listed on the website. Up until now the store had an additional option in the order options to order a “Custom Order.” Our intention there was that if someone did not want to use some of the existing designated designs or provide their own artwork, they could choose a custom designed logo option for a fee. This logo could be used for invitations and the bencher.

Some customers thought that if they upload their own design then they needed to pay a custom logo fee. I have since, added a description of the custom logo option, as well as changed how the custom logo option is referred to in the line item.

In addition, recently someone ordered a bencher with an existing border design but asked whether it would be possible to add another design from our design options above the text. You can find the new combined design in the cover design section in the Birkat Chaverim shop.

I’ve been working on this for the past few days and some of you Toronto readers may be interested in attending- Simi Peters will be giving a lecture on “Abraham Breaks the Idols Not for Children Only” July 14th and July 13-15th there will be Beit Midrash style learning focusing on Bilam and Bnei HaElohim. For more information email cfnishmat at gmail.

In honor of Yom Yerushalayim I wanted to talk about some projects I have been working on that are Jerusalem based.

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This is an old design that I used for Purim cards one year and also decorated wooden and metal boxes with. This has a Canadian influence, or rather Inuit design influence. I find it cheerful and simple. For those celebrating today or tomorrow Purim Sameach!

Chodesh Tov and happy new year. Before you wonder what thats about, yesterday as I was walking with my daughter and husband a large group of people of Chinese descent walked by with Israeli flags waving. They were saying “Shalom! Happy New Year!” and handed out red envelopes with dollars inside for Chinese New Year. They were apparently an evangelical Christian group from around the world, which is certainly not unusual, but I never thought I would get a Chinese new year greeting in Israel. Toronto, most definitely, Jerusalem, not so much.

It has been crazy busy- I’m revamping a website, creating identity material for a realtor, working on some small projects (for a synagogue and others) as well as the usual things that go on. On the bencher front we have gotten our first orders for use in Chicago and Montreal and my chug (class) has been growing lately. I have alot of projects to post but I haven’t had time to post them. I also want to post some Purim related posts and will try to get to that this week.

In the meantime here is a project made by a chug participant- a siddur (prayer book) cover using felt and buttons.

I’ve always loved the themes related to the Exodus, in particular the splitting of the sea. I have a few works related to that.

The first one is rather Moshe focused. Below are two more one is more people focused and the last one is Miriam and the women focused. Continue reading »

This weeks parsha is one of the places where the concept of sanctifying the first born comes up. Many years ago I was excited to have an opportunity to go to my first Pidyon Haben (although ironically  I ended up being able to attend three over a period of about three months.) Because I was studying Jewish art, I knew that the platter the baby is placed on, was in the past decorated with the Zodiac and Akedat Yitzchak (sacrifice of Isaac.)

I decided to make a Zodiac pillow case, but with a little humour since it was intended for a family who liked (and still like) penguins.
The text included is the first verse in this weeks parsha and some text from the Pidyon HaBen ceremony.

Pidyon Haben’s are not so common, I don’t remember any particular customs from the three that I attended. However, a recent Pidyon Haben in the family has revealed some Chasidish customs which include draping the baby in jewellery and serving garlic and sugar. Sugar apparently is a segula for something or other. I’m guessing that the drapping the baby in jewellery has something to do with the fact that in the past the jewellery drapped were actually amulets. Ashkenazi and Sephardi families did attach amulets to babies in the past and I would imagine this ceremony would be one where familes would want to avoid ayin hara (evil eye.) The garlic and sugar seems to be related to having lots of guests and wanting to have enough food for everyone who wanted to participate. You didn’t really have to worry about those two foods spoiling.

I have been meaning to post about this book for a long time but the Tenth of Tevet is appropriate due to the name of the book and the connection of the Prophet Jeremiah to the period of seige and destruction of Jerusalem.

This book has a much happier subject. I found it at Shavua hasefer (book week) this past year and immediately bought two copies and showed it to my class (doll clothing) for inspiration.  The book is called Rechov Yirmiyahu or Jeremiah Street and is written by Libi Daon and illustrated by Lena Guberman.
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I know the title starts with Scarves, and I’m including one photo of a scarf at the top, but I am going to start with the updates. Now that Chanukkah/Hanukkah is over we can get back to other topics. I have been working on a variety of graphic design projects but most are identity related and I’m not going to post any at this time.
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In honor of Chanukkah, I am posting a photo of a menorah. The menorah is a very popular motif in Jewish art “then and now.” However, the menorah represents the menorah used in the Beit Hamikdash or Temple rather than the Hanukkah lamp used during Hanukkah. Note the difference in the number of lights (seven versus nine.) There are lots and lots of articles on the web that speak about iconography of the Menorah in manuscripts, synagogue mosaics etc. This menorah comes courtesy of my mom who had the opportunity to visit Uzbekistan this September. The Menorah is cut into the drainpipe of the synagogue in Tashkent. Neat, no?