So she tried something new: “I went into drafting and tech design and in the beginning, I really liked it. That’s a job satisfaction level that Shoshanna didn’t have as a technical drafter.Īfter graduating from the Art Institute of Atlanta, she worked at several advertising agencies, but never found her niche. It reminded her of the life she shared with her husband.” For her, that mezuzah wasn’t just a piece of art. And when her father died, the woman’s mother said that whenever she looks at the mezuzah, it’s like he’s still there with her. “For this one mezuzah, the lady wanted it to look like her parents because it was a gift for them. Instead, her goal is to create a piece that “fits the person and has meaning for that person.” She’s not trying to create family heirlooms that will be treasured for generations, although she added that it “would be nice to think so.” Each piece is uniquely designed to have meaning for the individual who receives the piece.Īlthough she stocks a few off-the-shelf pieces, most of Shoshanna’s mezuzahs, seder plates, menorahs, and other pieces are custom creations. Her personal connection to ritual makes Shoshanna especially attuned to her customers’ needs when she creates objects for them. I found that the ritual was so much more meaningful when I made my own ceremonial objects.” “I started looking things up and creating Judaica to fit what I was learning. “My questions were along the lines of why do we have to do this and what is the purpose of that and why does it make a difference if you light a candle before or after this time?”ĭid the answers really matter? Should they affect her own Jewish identity? Shoshanna hit the books to find out. “While I was working on the drafting, I was also asking myself a lot of Jewish questions,” she said. Even if – or especially if – all three people are rabbis!”Īsking those questions of herself was the first step in Shoshanna’s career journey from NASA technical drafter to full-time artist. “Specifically,” she laughed, “I’ve found that if I ask three different people the same question, I get five different answers of why my interpretation is right or completely wrong. Huntsville artist Shoshanna (who prefers to only use her first name professionally) has learned a lot about Judaism and Jewish practices since she began creating custom Judaica almost 10 years ago.
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