Every day, religious life and natural beauty in Israel, the holiest country on earth in the Jewish religion, inspire numerous Israeli artists and designers.
Israel is the holiest country on earth in the Jewish religion. For this reason, Israeli artists and designers work is often inspired by the natural beauty surrounding Israel, such as the color blue found in the Dead Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Jordan River, and Lake Kineret. The color blue, in addition to being one of the national colors of Israel as represented on the country’s flag, was also one of the colors worn by the High Priests of Israel during their special ceremonies in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.
Due to the prominence that the color blue holds in the natural landscape of Israel, Israeli national identity, and in the Jewish faith, a lot of Israeli jewelry, especially Hamsa’s and Star of David necklaces, will include blue or turquoise colored stones. Ancient Jewish symbols, such as the Mezuza and the Chanukkiah, also feature prominently in Israeli artwork and sometimes will also utilize the color blue.
The Mezuza is traditionally placed on the doorposts of Jewish homes, in remembrance of the Exodus story, where blood was placed on the entrance of Jewish homes in order to protect its inhabitants against the Plague of the First Born Sons. In modern times, instead of placing blood at the entrance of Jewish homes, Israelis place beautifully decorated Mezuzas that contain blessings inside of them. Israeli artists will often make mezuzas with Jerusalem or other Jewish religious themes engrained into them.
Chanukkiah’s are used to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Chanukkah, during which the Jewish people were liberated from oppressive Greek rule. The Greeks had sought to force the Jewish people to abandon their religion. Chanukkah celebrates the Jewish peoples’ victory against those who sought to force them to abandon their heritage. The Chanukkiah is lit to remember the miracle that occurred in the Jewish Temple, where oil that was supposed to last for only one night ended up enduring for eight nights. Israeli artists today create beautifully decorated Chanukkiah’s featuring Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people, as well as Jewish familial life and Israeli natural beauty.
One Israeli man, Nachman Klieman, is working very hard in order to market Israeli art and designer clothes such as those mentioned above to the global community. Via his U-Boutique website, women’s hair coverings, Chanukkiahs, tallits, jewelry and Jewish paintings that are all created by Israeli artists and feature the natural beauty, colors and heritage of the State of Israel are showcased. Every product that he markets is actually produced within the Holy Land itself, not in China or other developing countries. This means that people who purchase his products are assisting Israeli artists directly, some of whom live under qassam rocket fire near Gaza. For this reason, supporting his website has a noble purpose aside from purchasing beautiful Judaica items for one’s home.
Klieman emphasizes that he only showcases goods produced by Israeli artists and designers who are working to develop their small businesses. He claims that often young designers and artists who graduate from superb schools have extraordinary talent, yet require assistance in promoting and marketing their handicrafts and handmade creations, particularly abroad. U-Boutique offers these talented artists and designers the opportunity to display their work with a larger audience, thus granting them the opportunity to advance.
To experience art, design, clothing, Judaica and much more, that is all made in the Land of Israel, visit: www.u-boutique.com
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