A home made craft project with a cutout shape for each day in the progression of awakening, awe and celebration. Do five or do them all, and then show the world!
beautiful. There is plenty to think about, and you can try to incorporate, or just meditate on, these many ideas on the other days as well. The Hamsa has been around for a long time; it has been here in many different ways.
HERE FOR GOODNESS It is a positive symbol. Many associations and beliefs are connected to it, and all of them are positive - warding off the evil eye (hence an eye is often drawn onto it), receiving of blessings, or an open gesture of protection.
HERE FOR COLOR You will often find the color blue associated with the Hamsa symbol, as it is in other places within Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures (doors or gates are often painted in blue for protection; and anyone who has travelled to Greece will find the “mati” evil eye amulet, a circular stone with blue and white rings). Color is extremely important to me as an artist, and here we have a wonderful and positive way to incorporate a
Here For Creation
creation, even if it’s quick - and then on the day of the Hamsa itself, spend some extra time to make it even more
Meditations and Thoughts
do the single day of the Hamsa. However, I encourage you to try and leave time every day for a moment of
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This week we have one main shape, plus the shapes that lead to it and from it. If you want, you can choose to just
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WEEK TWO: Opening Our Hands
traditional color into our lives. Think how you can incorporate blue into your creation.
HERE FOR CHARITY It is impossible to stress how important giving is. Whoever created the High Holiday liturgy and laws, thought so too. Tzedaka (righteous giving) is mentioned everywhere, so I feel I had better mention it here again. It is so easy to give, and the reward for you and for the world is so much greater than the value of what you gave. Do it, on any scale and in any way possible.
HERE FOR FEMININITY The Hamsa is definitely a feminine symbol, a very clear place where women exist within tradition. It is referred to either as the Hand of Fatima (Mohammad’s daughter), the Hand of Mary, or the Hand of Miriam (Aharon and Moses’ sister). It’s comforting to me to see such a ubiquitously present and positive and uniting symbol that is also clearly associated with women.
HERE FOR TRADITIONAL ART There have always been crafts and creativity, and the Hamsa has been created out of every possible material, in every possible time period, and across the world. As you create your own, think of yourself both as making something new and also adding your Hamsa to the long line of those that have been made,
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along with the hopes and prayers that accompanied them.
The name of this month, Elul, is an acronym for a verse in the book of Esther associated with community and giving: .יש לְ ֵר ֵ֔עה ּו ו ַּמ ּ ָתנ֖ ֹות ָ ֽל ֶא ְב ֹיו ִ ֽנים ׁ א... ִ֣
...gifts to one another and presents to the needy. The Book of Esther, Chapter 9 Verse 22
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Day 8, Friday August 28th OneTable.org // @onetableshabbat // herefor.com
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Day 9, Saturday August 29th OneTable.org // @onetableshabbat // herefor.com
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Day 10, Sunday August 30th OneTable.org // @onetableshabbat // herefor.com
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Day 11, Monday August 31st
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Day 12, Tuesday September 1st OneTable.org // @onetableshabbat // herefor.com
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Day 13, Wednesday September 2nd OneTable.org // @onetableshabbat // herefor.com
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Day 14, Thursday September 3rd OneTable.org // @onetableshabbat // herefor.com
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