AHYIN Archives - Smashing the Glass

How to Experience the Spiritual Side of a Jewish Wedding (when it so often gets lost in the madness of putting the wedding together)

23/08/2018 by Karen

This is a guest post by Micaela Ezra (Micaela on her wedding day above)

The days leading up to my wedding were some of the most beautiful yet stressful of my life. One thing was certain – the experience of the ceremony was as essential to me as the reception, and I wanted the guests to feel something special.

Identifying this early on, was the lifeboat that kept me in the right place when things went array (like a freak hurricane in the California desert on the day of an outdoor wedding type of chaos).

Truth, love and all things eternal

There is something otherworldly that happens on a wedding day. We are moved to tears more easily, we get goosebumps, there is a surge of joy, of optimism and adrenalin for everyone.

I believe it’s because we are tapping into an absolute truth – the power of LOVE – and because through that truth we are connecting to a realm beyond the physical world. A realm which is eternal.Continue Reading

5 Ways to Incorporate Jewish spirituality into your wedding and home – with Micaela Ezra, founder of AHYIN

01/07/2018 by Karen

This Monday July 2, we are going live with the incredible Micaela Ezra, founder of AHYIN, to talk about how to incorporate Jewish spirituality into your wedding and home.

As brides, we spend so much time thinking about the aesthetics and logistics of our big days, sometimes it’s easy to overlook the spiritual element of your Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding — and of the home you’re building together.

That’s why I’m SO thrilled to be going live with NYC-based Micaela Ezra, the powerhouse designer behind AHYIN, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous line of contemporary Judaica that we on Team STG are absolutely OBSESSED with.

You’ll learn all about:

– How to incorporate spirituality in the lead up to your wedding

– How you might want your wedding to “feel” as opposed to material elements

– What spiritual Jewish path you might want to embark on with your partner

and so much more!

There’ll also be an exclusive gift from Micaela for everyone who watches… you won’t want to miss this!

We welcome any questions you may be – either comment live during the broadcast, or you submit a question in advance by emailing karen@smashingtheglass.com

Bringing Spirituality into Your Jewish Wedding and Your Home with Micaela Ezra of AHYIN

21/06/2018 by Karen Cinnamon

Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

That’s why I’m so thrilled to be talking today to Micaela Ezra, the powerhouse designer behind AHYIN, a jawdroppingly gorgeous line of contemporary Judaica that we on Team STG are absolutely in love with. Micaela’s designs – she’s best known for her stunning challah covers, which bring together traditional Jewish symbolism and the embroidery traditions of the craftswomen of Hilando Mexico, a collective whose members hand-embroider each and every AHYIN piece.

Meant to start conversation around the Friday night dinner table, Micaela’s designs reflect her belief in the relevance of Jewish ritual to our contemporary lives, and equally in the fusion of spirituality and beauty.

Micaela’s wedding — Photography: Joe Buissink | @joebuissink

AHYIN’s pieces are intended to be handed down through the generations as heirlooms, and what a beautiful symbol of the beginning of your life together as a family. Even for those of us who are not exactly at the beginning of our lives together – I know I’m adding a few of these beauties to my own wishlist!

What makes Micaela so inspiring is that she really embodies her commitment to tradition and modernity, ritual and aesthetic, not only in her work but also in her life – as she detailed when talking to us about everything from her journey from fashion design to Judaica to how she incorporated spirituality into her own wedding. There’s so much more I could say about this fantastic lady and her art, but I’ll let you read it in her own words.

Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

STG: What inspired you to create AHYIN?

Micaela Ezra: Actually a childhood friend from Australia asked me to design her a challah cover in the traditional Mexican Otami embroidery style (I am a designer and artist). The request prompted a creative journey into an industry I had never even considered. I serendipitously came across a community of talented artisans in Mexico and suddenly I realised that this work was the meeting point of so many life passions for me – textile design, Jewish spirituality and social change philanthropy.