Welcome New Artist Patrick Meyer! Spotlight on Pomegranate Judaica!

On behalf of Jewish Gift Place, I am very excited and pleased to welcome a new artist, Patrick Meyer, and to highlight one of his stunning pieces, the Pewter Pomegranate Kiddush Cup!

I absolutely love everything about this cup.  The detail and craftsmanship is extraordinary.  The sumptuous pomegranate looks as if it were picked straight from the garden, with its leaves and branches clinging to the stem of them cup.  I love artwork based on objects found in nature, especially when they are as meaningful and symbolic as the pomegranate.  To learn more about the  symbolism of this ancient fruit, please see our informative article, “Symbolism of the Jewish Pomegranate in the Bible and Pomegranate Gifts.”

In college, I studied medieval literature and was fascinated with life in the Middle Ages – the artwork, the music and culture, the occupations, everything intrigued me and still does.  To me, this beautiful Kiddush cup – the way the pewter stem and base contrast with the clear glass cup – is reminiscent of a royal medieval drinking vessel.  The weight and the workmanship are amazing and worthy of being set at a king’s table!

In terms of craftsmanship, the organic lines and details bring the pomegranate to life.  The base is not a true circle, but is slightly irregular in shape with hammered detail, enhancing the handmade, Old World appeal of this cup.  The stem is not straight, just as a plant stem in nature would not grow perfectly straight.  This Kiddush cup truly is a work of art and could be the centerpiece of any significant or important occasion.  We also carry the matching Patrick Meyer Pomegranate Shabbat Candlesticks, to round out and complete your holiday table as well as a fabulous collection of pomegranate judaica just in case you love pomegranates as much as we do!

There is something about pewter that always catches my eye and there is a reason that it has survived throughout the centuries, prized for its workability, value, and beauty.  Please take a look at all we have to offer in our new collection from Patrick Meyer, proudly handmade in California.

Arnold K. 1920 – 2010, Holocaust Survivor, and the Words of Elie Wiesel

With Yom Hashoah this past Sunday, May 1, 2011, I wanted to pay tribute to my husband’s uncle who died in November, 2010, at the age of 90.  Arnold was a Holocaust survivor.  He participated in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and was imprisoned at three concentration camps – Madjanek, Auschwitz, and he was liberated from Buchenwald.  His brother, George, survived, but he lost his parents and sister.  The number 128103 was tattooed on his left arm by the Nazis.

On Sunday, my family attended the Yom Hashoah program at my synagogue, Temple Beth Sholom, in Roslyn, NY.  It was a beautiful program.  On a big screen, there was a scrolling list of  the names of family members of synagogue members who were killed in the Holocaust.  It was haunting.  It had the name of the person, the relation to the synagogue member, the age, and where the person was killed.

In the program handed out, were the words of Elie Weisel, spoken at the dedication of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed.  Never shall I forget that smoke.  Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.

Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.

Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live.  Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust.  Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never.