PAPERCUT DESIGN
For Charity and Peace

Papercuts were hung inside Jewish homes in Europe from before the Middle Ages, when superstitious amulets were considered important charms to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. Amulets which included any of the names of G-d carried the most powerful Jewish magic, giving special meaning to charms written on paper. Especially popular written amulets were mezuzot, affixed to the doorway of a house to keep evil spirits from entering, and papercuts which were hung inside a home particularly to protect women in childbirth and young children.

This papercut draws on designs from Pueblo Indian pottery, elements of Sephardic (Spanish) and "Santa Fe" style found throughout the southwest, and traditional Jewish symbols.
Across the heavens are the sun, moon and stars of the universe, held aloft by a rainbow arc, a powerful symbol for the covenant which spreads a canopy of peace over the earthly world below. Below the arch is a pattern of sacred mountains, forming a symbolic boundary between earth and heaven and representing one of the resting places of the Holy Spirit. They rise up from two different half-hidden symbols of the Star of David, enclosing squash blossoms/pomegranates, symbols of fertility and abundance. Flanking the mountain peaks, doves, a universal symbol of peace and holiness, are striving upwards towards heaven.
The words in the center of the design -- . -- spell out the obligation "To have more peace, do more Tzedakah." The words are intertwined by overflowing grapevines, symbols of joy, abundance and hope, nourished by flowing waters which quench the parched desert.

Below is the open Torah scroll, with its constant call to meet our obligations both to community and to G-d. The 7-branch menorah, the oldest symbol of our heritage, represents the Tree of Life, another name for the Torah. It lights the words of the scroll reinforcing the message that the path to peace, , depends on fulfilling the commandment of .

These are framed by spiral posts of a gateway carved in Southwestern style, which is both reminiscent of the Torah ark and represents the mystical threshold that separates the earthly world from the divine. Together, these symbols remind us that when we work for peace, we are worshipping G-d and recognizing all the wondrous creations of the world.

Nan Rubin
4/99

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