If you haven’t heard of Shraga Landesman yet, it’s about time. An award-winning Israeli photographer, sculptor, silversmith, goldsmith and artisan, Shraga has spend the past fourteen years applying his expertise and creativity to the practice of Judaica-making, and the results have been nothing short of astounding.
With this set of Hanukkah (also spelled Hannuka and pronounced Chanukah in Hebrew) menorah and dreidel, Hanukkah can be experienced totally differently this year.
Rich on symbols, none feature as prominently on Hanukkah as the Hanukkah menorah (also spelled menora, and also known as a Hanukkah Menorah, or Chanukkiah (in Hebrew), with the dreidel (in hebrew a sivivon) a close second.
On each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, the entire family gathers around for the lighting of the Hanukkah candles. On the first night, one candle is lit, and on each subsequent night a candle is added until on the eighth and final night eight candles shine together in harmony. It is also customary to play games involving the spinning of a dreidel, a top, in memory of the games the Jews would pretend to be playing when Greek soldiers came to arrest them for obeying their religious commandments.
This item combines a delightfully modern dreidel with a slightly more classical menorah design to form a dazzling holiday item. The eight holes meant to house the eight Hanukkah candles are formed in to a rectangular base which is connected to a sloping semicircle. A ninth, slightly higher hole is meant for the shamash, the ninth candle which is used to light the other eight and then displayed alongside them. The semicircular base features eight curving branches leading to the wholes, designed to resemble the design of the original menorah, from the Jewish Temple.
A hole intersecting with all the branches houses the dreidel, which can be removed. Instead of the traditional letters featured on the dreidel, this dreidel features intricate acrylic paintings – a small fish, bird, goat and pomegranate. Why? That question can be long debated and discussed, and is one of the intricacies of art in general and Jewish art in particular. Completing the elaborate design are the words “Shalom al Yisrael”, meaning “Peace onto Israel”, etched towards the bottom of the base, with a dove on either side.
Words simply cannot describe this unique item, which is rich on detail and obviously the product of great imagination and care. As a practical yet classically designed item, combing Israeli and Jewish art with Judaica making, this is a perfect Hanukkah gift, Bar/Bat Mitzvah gift, engagement gift or addition to any collection of beautiful Judaica. Made of cast aluminum and measures 20x13x3 cm (8 x 5.2 x 1.2 inch).
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