A Yellow Star

actual size 1" x 2"

Just a bit of carving for an upcoming swap...yeah, that's right, I signed up for an actual LTC swap! This was a rather easy carve (stress-free!), and I used a bit of orange stuff floating around in my carving box - I forgot how lovely that is to carve. Took me right back to all those nights spent carving and subsequent days spent planting. Orange stuff mounted on black foam - cool!

I've decided that it is a lot easier on these aging eye to carve less-detailed stamps.  *smirk*

Chag Sameach!

I am having way too much fun with these 'scrapbook' pages for the Favorites project - just had to share another one. Since tonight is our Passover seder, this seemed most appropriate...

Happy Passover, everyone!

Out of the scraps...

Four new stamps for the Purim Carnival!

Still carvin' up what is left of my PZ Kut, this time pullin' out of the scrap bag. These stamps were carved for the Purim celebration and carnival last Sunday. The large one measures 2.25", while the three little ones are only about 3/4" in length - fun, huh?

And, just for fun, here are some photos of our celebration...

The Purim Carve

stamp size 1.75" in diameter

Purim, which is this coming Sunday, is a festival of fun, costumes, children, carnivals, sweets and drama. It is the story of beautiful Esther, her humble uncle and their cruel adversary. It is a time to remember persecution and glorify the G-d who saves.

I carved this stamp a couple of years ago, I believe, for Purim. In our congregation, we hold a carnival for the kids that is quite a memorable occassion for children of all ages. We create booths of fun games for the kids to play and win small prizes or candy. Each child carries a little passport card with them as they make their way through the carnival and get it stamped at each booth. As you may have guessed, I carve the itty-bitty stamps that represent each booth. The kids love it!

the inside of a 2009 Purim Passport

I have been carving these little booth stamps for years now...can you tell which ones are earlier carves and which are later? lol!

Dedication

Actual stamp size is 3" square; it is missing one of the outer lines...

probably as a result of too much celebrating!

The last night of lighting candles is tonite - it's been another wonderful week of friends, food and celebration as we remember the true meaning of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah means dedication and is a rememberance of the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem...

About 2200 years ago, Greek kings, who reigned from Damascus, ruled over the land of Judea and the Jews living there.

One Greco-Syrian King, Antiochus Epiphanes, forbade the Jewish people from praying to their God, practicing their customs, and studying their Torah. Antiochus forced the Jews to worship the Greek gods. It is said that he placed an idol of the Greek God Zeus on the alter in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem.

In response to this persecution, Judah Maccabee and his four brothers organized a group of resistance fighters known as the Maccabees. They fought against paganism and oppression.

The tenacity of the rebels, which came from their steadfast faith in one God, is one reason this military victory has been so celebrated by Jews in future generations. In one battle near Beit Horon, Judah's small army is intimidated by the size of the enemy army and Judah tells them to have faith that God is on their side:

But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said unto Judah: 'What? shall we be able, being a small company, to fight against so great and strong a multitude? ...' And Judah said: 'It is an easy thing for many to be shut up in the hands of a few, and there is no difference in the sight of Heaven to save by many or by few; for victory in battle standeth not in the multitude of an host, but strength is from Heaven. They come unto us in fullness of insolence and lawlessness, to destroy us and our wives and our children, for to spoil us; but we fight for our lives and our laws. And He Himself will discomfort them before our face; but as for you, be yet not afraid of them." (The First Book of Maccabees)

Against great odds, after three years of fighting, the Maccabees succeeded to drive the Greco-Syrians out of Judea. Hanukkah proclaims the message of the prophet Zachariah: "Not by might, not by power, but by My spirit."

The Maccabees reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. They cleaned the Temple, removing the Greek symbols and statues. When Judah and his followers finished cleaning the temple, they rededicated it. On the 25th day of the month of Kislev in 164 BCE, the Temple was purified and rededicated.

According to tradition, when the Maccabees entered the Holy Temple, they discovered that the Greco-Syrians had defiled the oil which was used to Temple's menorah. Only one vat of purified oil remained - enough for only one day. It would take the Jews a week to process more purified oil. Then a miracle occurred. The Maccabees lit the menorah and it burned for not one, but eight days, by which time the new, purified oil was ready. This is why the Hanukkah Menorah has eight candles (not including the shamash candle used to light the others) and one reason why Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days.

Hanukkah in Seattle

stamp size 2.5" x 3"

My own design featuring the Seattle Space Needle as the shamash candle! This stamp was carved a couple of years ago for the O Letterbox Tree hosted by two great 'boxers, Archimedes Screw and Cape Cod Lightning Bug, out in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts. I would have loved to stamp into all those fun stamps from all over the country!

You can never have too many Hanukkah stamps, I always say. Actually, I have been carving a new design every year for the 8-night festival. After several requests this year to send stamps to holiday letterboxing gathers, Padawan and I have created two traveling event boxes that are available by request. This year, they are both traveling, but will be available for events next year.

Candles, Dreidels & Gelt

(stamp size 2.5" x 2.75")

Hanukkah continues for "eight crazy nights"! Tonite is the night to light four candles on your menorah.


How to Play Dreidel

The Hebrew word for dreidel is sevivon, which, as in Yiddish, means to turn around. Dreidels have four [Hebrew] letters on them, and they stand for the saying, “Nes Gadol Haya Sham,”meaning “a great miracle occurred there.” In Israel, instead of the fourth letter "shin," there is a "peh," which means the saying is “Nes Gadol Haya Po”--“a great miracle occurred here.”

Playing with the dreidel is a traditional Hanukkah game played in Jewish homes all over the world, and rules may vary. Here's how to play the basic dreidel game:

1. Any number of people can take part in this great game.

2. Each player begins the game with an equal number of game pieces (about 10-15) such as pennies, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, matchsticks, etc.

3. At the beginning of each round, every participant puts one game piece into the center "pot." In addition, every time the pot is empty or has only one game piece left, every player should put one in the pot.

4. Every time it's your turn, spin the dreidel once. Depending on the outcome, you give or get game pieces from the pot:

a) Nun means "nisht"or "nothing" [in Yiddish]. The player does nothing.

b) Gimmel means "gantz"or "everything" [in Yiddish]. The player gets everything in the pot.

c) Hey means "halb"or "half" [in Yiddish]. The player gets half of the pot. (If there is an odd number of pieces in the pot, the player takes half of the total plus one).

d) Shin (outside of Israel) means "shtel" or "put in" [in Yiddish]. Peh (in Israel)means "pay." The player adds a game piece to the pot.

5. If you find that you have no game pieces left, you are either "out" or may ask a fellow player for a "loan."

The four sides of the dreidel, from right: nun, gimmel, hey, and shin

6. When one person has won everything, that round of the game is over!

7. We suggest that if you use money to play the game, ask players to donate part or all of their winnings to tzedakah (charity). You can ask parents to match these contributions. This way everyone wins and you can share the Hanukkah gifts with those in need!

Happy Hanukkah!

(stamp size 2")

Happy Hanukkah, everyone! Tonite is the night to light the first candle on your menorah.

The Hanukkah Menorah

Many people refer to the hanukkiah as a Hanukkah "menorah." Menorah is the Hebrew word for lamp, and specifically refers to the seven-branched candelabrum that was used in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. The Hanukkah lamp contains nine branches, though it is possible to find some antique European examples with 10 candle holders.

While eight lights are required on the hanukkiah, one to be lit each night of Hanukkah, it became customary for the Hanukkah menorah to have place for nine flames. The ninth flame is called the shamash ("the servant"), for its purpose is to light the others. The reason for the shamash probably derives from the legal principle that the Hanukkah lights themselves are not to be used for any purpose other than to "publicize the miracle." Thus, a "servant flame" is needed to light the other eight, keeping them from serving the pragmatic function of lighting another flame.

Rejoice!

The new lulav & etrog stamp, actual size 2.25" x 1"

It's time again to rejoice in the sukkah for the Festival of Booths, better known to us as Succot! If you are unfamiliar, it is the Biblical festival where we build temporary huts (or booths) and are commanded to dwell and rejoice in them for seven days. While we are rejoicing, we are to give a 'wave offering' of the produce of the Land (of Israel) - in our case, it's the lulav & etrog. The lulav consists of date palm, myrtle and willow along with the etrog from the citron tree. An etrog is a bright yellow citrus fruit (looks like an overgrown lemon, actually) that is grown in the Land that has the most delicious and unusual fruity-perfume-ish smell.

This is the stamp I carved for my Festival traditional letterbox, I'm guessin' back in 2006. It's even on crumbly stuff!


And, here we are last year in our shul sukkah...

Chag Sameach!

Yom HaKippurim

For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,
And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

Psalm 107:9

Mmmmm...Falafel!

(stamp size 2" x 1.75")

Mmmmm...my favorite! The absolute best I've had was at Zehava's in Beit She'an, Israel, but my friend Paulette makes some mean falafel, too. And when it's just right, it just takes me right back to Israel, that's for sure!

Just for fun, I googled Zehava's and lookie what I found! Another lucky visitor blogged of the delights found there:

"...however, driving time wasn't the real reason I opted to go through the Jordan Valley. You see, a little known fact (although I'm sure others will argue) is that the best falafel in Israel can be found in a little place in Beit She'an right next to the small parking lot that serves as the town's central bus station. Its name - Falafel Zehava - doesn't even begin to describe the culinary goodness that waits inside for those wise enough to stop in this furnace of a town."


"Falafel Zehava (which is run by two sisters, the younger of whom is named [surprise] Zehava) also has exquisite shwarma, world class shakshuka, and spiced meatballs in a tomato sauce that would make an Italian weep for joy. But the highlight of a visit to this place is the incredibly fresh, perfectly crisp/moist falafel. All of these treats are served with a welcoming intimacy that makes one forget literally hundreds of travelers step in out of the 100+ degree (F) heat to enjoy their food every single day. We also stopped there on the way back, and the sisters not only remembered us but asked after some of our friends who had stopped in to eat on our recommendation."

Oh man, that just makes me wanna go...NOW! lol!

Anyway, the little falafel stamp was part of a very fun little postal project called 'Potluck'. All the participants carved their favorite food items for the 'potluck' and then sent them randomly to the other participants. You never knew when you were gonna receive a very fun food stamp in the mail! And, when you got inspired to carve something else for the potluck, you just added it to the mix. As you can imagine, it continued for quite some time!

At sunset this evening is the start of Yom Kippur, so get your fill of yummy falafel before the fast starts! Hey, I suggest we all head for Zehava's...

Heritage

(stamp size 1.75" square)

As the Days of Awe are coming to a close with the arrival of Yom Kippur at Sunday sunset, I thought this stamp was a good one to feature. This stamp has traveled with me for a long time as a Personal Traveler. I like the primitive look of it - a look that I would be hard-pressed to duplicate now! I'm far to precise in my carving style this many years down the road, I have to say.

Rosh HaShanah

(actual stamp 3" x 2.5")

Chag Sameach and L'Shana Tova, everyone!*

Today is Rosh HaShanah, the 'head' of the Jewish year. Above is a stamp I carved in honor of the festival on crumbly stuff - can you believe it? - oh-so-long ago. As you can see, I was still trying to wrap my head around the positive and negative parts of an image. I ran into some problems trying to give texture to the beard and getting his face right. Wow, that was a long time ago...I'm thinkin' back in 05'.

He was carved for my Festival Letterbox - a traditional box which featured rotating stamps highlighting the upcoming Biblical festivals (and some traditional Jewish ones, as well). That box is still alive, surprisingly, and now features a beautiful stamp that my famous letterboxing friend Mama Cache carved for our visit in '08. It is certainly a treat for all who venture down to the shore to seek it out.

So, here's to a sweet year, my friends. *glass raised*


*Happy Festival and A Good Year (to you)

A Little Bit of Postage

(stamp size 1.25" x 1")

Carved for the World Languages swap a while back, these two cancellation marks from the Israeli Post Office were interesting to carve.

(stamp size 1" in diameter)

The LTC was actually a small envelope that contained a snippet from an Israeli newspaper and more Hebrew lettering. The postage stamp you see here was one of several I used in the swap; printed from images of old Israeli postage stamps found online. What a fun project!

World Languages: Hebrew LTC

The Calendar Sketch

A few years back, I was asked to contribute a sketch or artwork for our shul calendar. We have a number of artists in our congregation and I was honored to be included in their number.

Collage is my favorite design style, as far as sketching goes. I went around our synagogue and snapped pics of all the things I wanted to include in the sketch; artwork, worship pieces, musical instruments, and flower arrangements. I had a good time incorporating all the elements into the 8" x 10" finished piece. I added the prayers of our siddur (prayer book) into the design for added dimension. (Unfortunately, the original piece got kinda smudged hangin' around, so I scanned it in for safe-keeping!)

Shabbat Shalom!

The Kotel

(actual size 2.25" x 3")

In honor of Tisha b'Av, here is my carve of antique artwork of the Kotel, or the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Carved quite a while ago for a postal, then traditional plant, I somehow ended up carving two of them. I don't really remember why, but as it turned out, I have one of them in my stamp drawer.

What? You are not familiar with Tisha b'Av?

Tisha B'Av (Hebrew: תשעה באב‎ or ט׳ באב, "the Ninth of Av,") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day (Tisha) of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. It is a traditional fast that commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, which occurred about 656 years apart, but on the same date. Accordingly, the day has been called the "saddest day in Jewish history".

In our congregation, we will be meeting to read through the book of Lamentations and then we will take time to pray for Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May they prosper who love you.
"May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces."
For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, "May peace be within you."
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.

~Psalm 122:6-9

A 9-Stringed Lyre?

I have been kind of on a kick about the backsides of my LTCs lately and creating special theme-specific sig stamps just to add a bonus to my contributions. The above stamp was carved to grace the back of a new LTC that is in the works called Kinnor David. It is for the Instruments swap I just joined, hosted by Reebox. I wanted to carve my favorite trumpet player with his beloved instrument, but it was already taken (where was I when this swap opened??). So, I chose the kinnor, which is an ancient harp played by King David and in the Temple. I found the image online as clipart; I like the wreath around the outside, but am not so much a fan of the ribbon weaving through the instrument. (stamp size is about 2" square)

Learn more about this beautiful instrument HERE.

Back when I was in Jerusalem, I was privileged to visit the Temple Institute. The Temple Institute is dedicated to preparing all the implements that will be required for service in the Temple, when it is built. I well remember the displays of harps (sometimes called the 10-string lyre). Here is a pic from their website:

Kinnor David, or David's Harp

I managed to sneak a pic of the grand display of the Temple, as well, thanks to my tour guide. You are not supposed to take pics inside the Institute, but I didn't know and he let me get by with a couple before I was caught. Oops!



So, did you count how many strings my stamp has? It's supposed to have ten...think anyone will notice?

A Star Design

This is a retired personal traveler called Magen David, the shield of David. I carved it just because I liked the design I found online. I tweaked it a bit from the original to give it more interest as a stamp.

(actual size 2.5" square)

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Shabbat Shalom

The carving from yesterday. The discussion on the other side of the bookcase ranged from the vote for new shamashim (deacons), touring Israel and the change of theology of First Fruits of Zion (a Torah-observant ministry that has now gone haywire).

It was a good day for just focusing on my carving...*smile* I have no particular plans for this stamp; I found this image embroidered onto a challah cover I saw online and just liked it.

(actual stamp size 2.25" x 2")

The Rebbe

Since it's a day of rest today, I think I'll feature another of my 'Just an Inch' contributions. This time it's the Rebbe; I only carved his head, as the original image was his whole body. I particularly like to focus in on a specific part of an image, rather than try to include it in it's entirety. I like to see if I can capture the essence of the image with just a small piece.

I find this type of carving the most challenging for me. I'm much more comfortable carving a positive image rather than a negative.

The dove is smaller than an inch, only measuring 1/2" square. Carved years ago while singing along with Tim on the piano while we waited for the sun to set on another Shabbat. It says shalom in Hebrew, of course.