Customer Reviews

500 Judaica: Innovative Contemporary Ritual Art (500 Series)

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While reading the frontispiece of 500 Judaica, Innovative Contemporary Ritual Art, I found a clear way of understanding what this magnificent book is all about.
For one thing, the pieces within this soft cover volume are "more than purely artistic". They are meant to be used in the practice of Jewish ritual. To quote and also paraphrase the frontispiece:
"If there is one thing these works have in common," writes juror Daniel Belasco, "it is the ongoing faith that creativity and ritual go hand in hand ... to keep Judaism a living and ever-evolving tradition."
The book is split into three sections: Craft (essentially contemporary Judaica combined with folk style), Modernist ( this sort has an affinity for the use of metal, and places an emphasis on essential forms in the piece), and post Modernist, which reflects the increased awareness of the artist to include social content to expand the references of Jewish ritual objects to reflect the sacred to everyday life.
These three sections are further explained in David Belasco's excellent, concise foreword.
500 Judaica was authored by Ray Hemachandra, the Team Lead for the Jewelry & Beading team at Lark Crafts, and Daniel Belasco, who is Henry J. Lehr Assistant Curator at the Jewish Museum in New York City.
Additionally, there is a helpful glossary included defining the basic ritual objects.
Now that I have explained the basis of this remarkable book to the reader, I feel compelled to remark upon my reaction to this beautiful testimonial to faith and to creativity combined. I was moved so strongly that there were times I felt like crying while viewing the wonderful ritual art pieces.On a smaller scale, it could be construed as similar to the uplifting feeling I get when I see a glorious building which has been created to honor an important religious concept.
When humanity strives to put into concrete form the spiritual drive which most of us keep our hearts open to, the results are more than just artistic. They are brilliantly and intensely reaching out to our passion to understand and honor that which we perceive as greater than we are.


This exquisitely photographed, supremely enthralling book, 500 Judaica, offers many reasons to draw the reader to it. It is incredibly worthwhile to purchase as a gift, to mark an occasion, or for the collector of wonderful art books. As a chronicle of faith, shown through contemporary Judaic art form, it manages to be specific to the religion it is addressing, and as well also to the profound passion which all religion engenders in humanity. The photos are incredibly varied and each one is completely worthy to be showcased in this amazing book.
A part of the Lark 500 series, it is an extraordinary distillation of modern offerings from of one of the very first monotheistic religions(one which is over 3000 years old). This covenant of religious beliefs and traditional practices is now expressed in the 500 contemporary art pieces in 500 Judaica. The word Judaica, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is "literary or historical materials relating to Jews or Judaism", and yet there is so much more to this book. Instead of narrowing the view of this specific religion and and the celebration of it through art and Judaic art pieces, the book shares with everyone who reads it the powerful feelings which inspire artists when they are creating work derived from spiritual concepts.
I would like to address the cover of the book as an example of what the reader will find to appreciate within 500 Judaica. The cover depicts a contemporary Menorah, used at Hanukkah. Hanukkah is the eight day Festival of Lights commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE. In Wikipedia, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, I found this:"From the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration", Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Temple after its desecration by the forces of the King of Syria and commemorates the "miracle of the container of oil". According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days. There is a ninth branch for a so-called "helper" candle, called the Shamash.
I felt the power of the photo on the cover drive its way right into my heart. The Festival of Lights is represented by the colors of silver and blue. This beautiful, inspiring Menorah is silver and blue and has a soaring sense of energy and glory finely suited to its function. The bottom, which is the blue part, looks like a Shofar to me, A Shofar is a horn (usually a ram's horn) used in Jewish religious services.
All in all, I consider this an exquisite and moving piece of modern ritual art.
Please consider this extraordinary book for your own collection, or to commemorate an important occasion such as a Bar Mitzvah or a Bas Mitzvah. It is appropriate for Jewish weddings, or for a bris, or for any sort of time when Jewish people gather to celebrate their traditions. It would make a fine gift for a "thinking" art lover and collector, who is might be a part of any sort of religion whether Jewish or not.
I know.
I am Catholic.
I am honored to have this remarkable volume in my library.

--jean

Judaica is meant to be useful: ritual art as part of ceremony, as part of the home, as well as an expression of devotion to G-d. The five hundred photographs displayed in this beautiful, passionate book capture a diverse range of exquisite traditional and contemporary Judaica objects from leading artists and craftspeople, who dedicate their talents in objects made for the home, the synagogue, weddings, holidays, and celebrations. I still have the inexpensive menorah my family used when I was a child, as well as a silver Tree of Life menorah I purchased as an adult. I light both with my son. The emotion that wells up in me even as I type that is similar to the emotion you'll feel turning the pages of this book, seeing the beautiful artwork, and reading some quotes from the artists about their art, their families, and G-d. 500 Judaica is a very special keepsake that art collectors and families--both Jewish and non-Jewish--will treasure.

The great thing about this book is in showcasing some amazing artists who are able to look at the old in a whole new way. The craftspeople manage to take the ancient and make it look like something the world has never seen before. The artists take glass, ceramic, silver, and other materials and turn them into something that would beautifully grace any home.

If you can't afford the original renditions of things old made new in this book, you can at least buy this well produced and lovingly illustrated volume. It belongs in any home, Jewish or not, which appreciates the thought and skill which went into creating each item. This book would look great on the coffee table. It will look even better as you flip through the pages. I will one day have a copy for the Vilnius Jewish Library here in Lithuania.

I'm a big fan of Lark's 500 series, and this gorgeous book may be the best of them, or at least the most powerfully resonant. Leading Judaica artists from around the world--and especially from the United States and Israel--are showcased, with their works grouped together and sometimes coupled with quotes about what making Judaica means to them.

It's an amazing cross-discipline collection, displaying the depth, breadth, and passion of makers of Judaica in the world today. The ritual objects include menorahs, mezuzahs, Seder plates, tzedakah boxes, Torah pointers and much more in metal, clay, paper, fiber, glass, and wood. The book, juried by Daniel Belasco of The Jewish Museum, includes many of the most renowned Judaica artists working across the globe today. Ray Hemachandra, the book's author, has put together some of the loveliest entries in Lark's 500 series, including 500 Vases: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Form (500 Series), 500 Art Quilts: An Inspiring Collection of Contemporary Work (500 Series), 500 Cabinets: A Showcase of Design & Craftsmanship (500 Series), 500 Chairs: Celebrating Traditional & Innovative Designs (500 Series), and 500 Tables: Inspiring Interpretations of Function and Style (500 Series)

Judaica is a major category for art galleries, and this book will appeal to art devotees, as well as craft fans, and of course many Jewish families will want a copy of this book in their home. I can't imagine a better present for Hanukkah ... or for any other time of year!

I purchased this as a present and my friend loved this beautiful book. The pictures are sharply done and it is quite a blessing to see these interesting interpretations of Judaica. We are both gentile believers the Lord is bringing back to our Jewish roots, and it was not too surprising we purchased similar gifts to give to each other. Makes a great gift I was happy to give.

This book is filled with some of the most beautiful examples of Judaica today. It is very refreshing to see artistic interpretation of traditional items. Love the book. Very inspiring.

I purchased 500 Judaica as we had been notified that our Parochet was displayed in the book. I am not sure I would have purchased it otherwise, but after looking through it, I feel it is well worth owning. The items displayed are magnificent. There are many examples of all forms and styles of Judaica and it was interesting to see modern interpretations of traditional items. I think everyone interested in the appearance of Jewish ritual items should have this book on their coffee table or library.