Sefirotic Shabbat / Havdalah Shleimut (wholeness) Set
7 pieces include:
- two candlesticks and wine cup for Friday night
- wine cup, spice holder and Havdalah candlestick for Saturday night
- and a dish
Each wine cup exceeds the 4 ½ fluid ounce Halachic requirement.
- Cast bronze
- Pieces range in height from about 7” to 8”
- Each piece has 3 sides, each side is about 2-1/4” wide
- Dish has a 6-3/4” diameter and is 1-1/2” high including the legs.
Each piece increases in height to form an upward spiral, from the Shabbat candlestick to the Havdalah candlestick, to express the fulfilling experience of Shabbat.
I created the Sefirotic Shabbat / Havdalah Shleimut (wholeness) Set to emphasize the integrative experience of Shabbat. Instead of a distinct Shabbat set and Havdalah set, I saw an opportunity to design the sets as one to convey the feeling of wholeness. The triangular shapes are influenced by traditional notions as common as the three Patriarchs and as esoteric as the Kabbalah’s Sefirotic system imagined as three sets of three plus one. The triangular pieces stand on their own as evocative forms and also nest nicely demonstrating the integrative quality of one.
Susan Shender, a native of Chicago, lives in St. Louis, Missouri. She is a retired architect and had a practice for over thirty years. Susan started Sukkah Soul with the design of the sukkah kit in response to the study of Jewish texts and sources. For Susan, text study leads to visual and spatial concepts and interpretations. Various Judaica designs along with a pendant series based on Jewish sources and photo-Hebrew are the result of study. Travel and study continue to inspire more projects. Susan honors her design teacher, Professor Leslie Laskey, with her work.
Susan Shender is based in St. Louis, Missouri USA