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Five Essential Items for All Jewish Newylweds {with aJudaica}

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There’s nothing like surrounding yourself with beautiful Jewish ritual objects and art to infuse your home with a sense of spirituality. Especially as you begin building your new married life together with your partner, it’s the perfect time to invest in meaningful pieces the two of you both adore. 

And how much more special is it when those special Judaica pieces come directly from Israel? That’s why we love aJudaica, a fantastic online source for the best in Israeli products shipping around the world. Whether you’re looking to purchase some unique pieces for yourself or are putting together a Judaica wedding wishlist, aJudiaca’s got you covered with their outstanding selection. 

Oh, and did we mention that as a Smashing The Glass reader, you’ll receive a 12% discount on all purchases? Just enter the code “STG12”.

Read on for some of our very favorite Jewish home essentials from aJudaica…

Apollo Mezuzah Case by Laura Cowan

Mezuzah

Nothing marks a Jewish home like a mezuzah, a piece of parchment inscribed with two verses from the Torah, placed in a decorative case, and hung on doorposts. A mezuzah represents Divine protection and injects a drop of spirituality into the home right from the moment you enter.  It’s also an eloquent reminder of the importance of the Jewish home as a center for growth, love, and the building of beautiful relationships – So it makes a fantastic wedding gift. Today, there is a fantastic selection of mezuzah cases available – of every material, size, design, and price point. We’re loving this sleek contemporary take by Laura Cowan. Whichever option you choose, don’t forget that for your mezuzah to bring you Divine protection, it must be certified kosher with the parchment and handwritten text meeting certain requirements. So, here’s wishing you a home filled with blessing and protection!

Moon Path Trio Tray by Laura Cowan

Shabbat Candlesticks

Every Jewish home needs a pair of Shabbat candlesticks. Kindling the Shabbat lights before dusk on Friday evening is one of the most beautiful Jewish rituals around, and such a fantastic way to infuse some spirituality into your week. And how cool are Laura Cowan’s multi-purpose Shabbat candlesticks?! This bright young Israeli artist, hailing from England, has designed a gorgeous, sweet dish to grace your table all week long. Come Friday, exchange the candies for tea lights and welcome the Shabbat to your home in style.

       

Slide Magnet Hanukkah Menorah By Laura Cowan

Hanukkah Menorah

A menorah makes a fantastic wedding gift. Its glowing lights during the festival of Hanukkah, with one more kindled each day, are an enduring symbol of Jewish faith, spiritual strength, and the courage to survive.

These days, there’s such a vast choice of menorahs on the market. Whatever your style – traditional or modern, whimsical or minimalist – there’s bound to be a perfect fit for you. For a sleek modern style, we’re loving Laura Cowan’s Slide Magnet Hanukkah Menorah!

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Register for the Judaica of Your Dreams with the Jewish Museum Shop

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In Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club, we’re constantly fielding questions about where to register for beautiful Judaica that suits your style. Your bridal registry is a perfect opportunity to begin your new life together with unique and beautiful Judaica, and while there are so many options out there these days, it’s not always easy picking out pieces that work with your lifestyle and aesthetics – not to mention finding a one-stop shop where you can register for all the Judaica you might need to round out your collection.

Enter the Jewish Museum Shop. Located inside New York City’s Jewish Museum, on the Upper East Side’s Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum Shop specializes in Judaica and gifts that fit all tastes and lifestyles, from traditional, to contemporary; from formal for special occasions to casual and modern – and they offer international shipping, too. They also do gift cards, which are just the thing to give or get as wedding presents!

Their tastefully curated selection makes it a pleasure to pick out the pieces that are right for you – and the Jewish Museum Shop’s universal registry, which can by synced with registries from other retailers through MyRegistry.com, makes the process convenient and seamless. And best of all, every purchase supports the Jewish Museum – total win-win.

Shabbat Shalom

So what kinds of Judaica do Smashing The Glass couples love to register for? With the Jewish Museum Shop, the sky’s the limit, but items to enhance your Shabbat table are a much-loved place to start. Shabbat is a beautiful end to a busy week, and a meaningful way to bring Judaism into your home, and the Jewish Museum Shop has an incredible selection of candlesticks, kiddush cups, and challah plates, knives, and covers.

Gear Up for the Holidays

You can also make sure you’re covered for all of the holidays:

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Our Top Judaica Finds for Hanukkah 2019 and Beyond

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Hamsa Hand Watercolor Painting by BRITcolors

In honor of Hanukkah coming up in just a couple of weeks (yep, the first night is December 22 – mark those calendars!), we wanted to share with you some of the Judaica pieces Team STG is lusting after right now. 

Though we’re normally pretty narrowly focused on bringing you the best of the best when it comes to wedding-related goods and services, we’re always keeping an eagle eye out on the latest and greatest in Jewish art, design, and beyond (NB: if you’re into this, join our Smashing Life membership for life after the wedding) so we’ve put together this post as a snapshot of what we’re loving as we head into 2020.

The Chosen One Game

Whether you’re looking for an heirloom to pass down through the generations or just a fun last-minute Hanukkah gift, we’ve got you covered. 

Hanukkah

Acyrylic Oil Chanukiah by Apeloig Collection from Contemporary Judaica  | £245

How cool are these colorful acrylic menorahs from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Contemporary Judaica? You can even customize the placement of the shamash!

PSA to all you brides and grooms reading this: Contemporary Judaica offers wedding gift list services, either through their own site or through The Wedding Shop at Selfridges in London 

Delightful Dreidel by Melanie Dankowicz | $145

This magnificent stainless steel dreidel from Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Melanie Dankowicz, featuring the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, hey, and shin tucked in amidst the design, is a true work of art.

Hanukkah High-Performance Leggings from ModernTribe | $40
(Take off an additional 10% discount if you’re a member of Smashing The Glass Brides Club)

How cute (and cozy) are these leggings, adorned with menorahs, dreidels, and Stars of David? Even better, STG Brides Club and Smashing Life members get an automatic 10% discount at Modern Tribe. Not yet a member? Join here for Brides Club and here for Smashing Life!

Shoshi Dreidel Studs by Ariel Tidhar  |  From $36

This Hanukkah, dreidels aren’t just for playing with, thanks to these fun acrylic stud earrings, handmade in New York City.

 

The Ultimate Hanukkah Sweater by Sefira Creative  | $49

A Hanukkah sweater, but not cheesy. 

Shabbat

Farah Challah Cover in Gold Bordeaux by AHYIN | $350

Micaela Ezra of AHYIN creates truly stunning ethically crafted challah covers – each one is hand-embroidered by artisans in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. 

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

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AHYIN-MICAELA-EZRA
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.

ahyin-shabbat-table

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

ahyin-shabbat-table

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

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Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

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 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

Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

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.

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