The Art of Hiddur Mitzvah

by Kendra Walz

I have recently been inundated with wedding invites and pregnancy announcements from my friends. For me, this means carefully planning out handmade gifts, from crochet bags to quilts. Crafting is a rich tradition found in the cultures and identity of many ancient peoples, and the Jews are no exception. Hiddur mitzvah has inspired generations of Jews to add beauty to Jewish ritual objects, which has led to an ancient tradition of handmade crafts that represent all corners of the world in which Jews have found themselves over thousands of years.

Last year I visited the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts and came upon a quilted piece by an Israeli artist, Gisha Wogier. This led me to an article by the Jerusalem Post about Israel’s quilting scene. It described a project where Israeli quilters came together to make quilts for survivors of a Kibbutz that were displaced following October 7th. Quilts not only provide warmth and protection, but are also a mode to tell stories and convey emotions. This is part of hiddur mitzvah; infusing creativity and personality into every day items, tools and things we need to create and use no matter what but choosing to make art out of them as well. 

 

Gisha Wogier, Kfar Yona, Israel Earth. Water. Fire. 2014

Hand-dyed and commercial fabrics
Log cabin and free form pieced; raw edge fused appliqué, machine pieced, and quilted

In the artist’s words:

The ancient Greeks believed that everything was made up of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. This theory was suggested around 450 B.C. We are made of fire, earth, air, and water. Electrical impulses zap throughout our bodies to stimulate our muscle cells and fire our neurons.

Our carbon-based bodies are built from the very same building blocks as stones and soil. We can only go three minutes without air, and our body weight is a high percentage of water. As we tend to the four elements, we start to balance ourselves with nature. And when we become more aware of the elements in our daily lives, we build the resources and energies needed to contribute to our friends, family, and community.

 

 

Israeli quilters came together to make quilts for survivors of a Kibbutz that were displaced following October 7th.

Outside of quilts, we see menorahs, Seder plates, Shabbat and havdalah candles, prayer books, kippot, tefillin bags, challah covers and many more items that are artfully crafted and personalized to represent the homes the items belong to. One year I took my silver Hanukkiah I didn’t quite like and customized to represent me more- I painted it white, added pink bows to the branches and pearls. I love seeing how other people’s judaica is customized to represent themselves, and it is also fascinating to see how Jewish communities from all over the world enact hiddur mitzvah through their creations.

In Rabbi Ishmael’s famous comment on Exodus 15:2 he says, “Is it possible for a human being to add glory to his Creator? What this really means is: I shall glorify Him in the way I perform mitzvot. I shall prepare before Him a beautiful lulav, beautiful sukkah, beautiful fringes (tzitzit), and beautiful phylacteries (Tefillin).” Every Friday Chai Mitzvah posts Shabbat Shalom, and every week the post includes art by a member of our Chai Mitzvah family. We have fine artists and craftspeople of all ages who contribute.

To all artists: You are invited to showcase your Shabbat and holiday-themed artwork. All media welcome, including children’s artwork. Email info@chaimitzvah.org with your image and the caption you would like included!

Kendra Walz has a background in non-profit management and grant administration. She holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Hartford. Kendra volunteers with multiple Jewish organizations in the Greater Hartford area and Israel, and has been published in the Jewish feminist magazine, Lilith.