Mizrach which means “east” in Hebrew, has traditionally hung on the wall facing Jerusalem which is the direction that Jews pray towards. Mizrach is an acronym for Mi-tzad Ze Ruah Hayyyim meaning “from this side comes the spirit of life.

Shviti is the first word of the passage in Psalm 16:8, Shviti Adonai Le-negdi tamid which means “I have set the Lord always before me”.  Shvitis often hung in synagogues, but were also used in homes to mark the direction of prayer.

I have combined both traditions and carved these words surrounding the Tetragram, the four letter name of God, which remains central to the carving.

The center of the carvings each feature a traditional Jewish symbols such as the Star of David, the seven species, the 10 Commandments and the Torah Crown.

All of these Mizrach/Shvitis are hand carved on a 12 inch round wooden plate using a hand held knife. They are stained, dyed or tinted and finished with a combination of shellac, polyurethane and wax.

 


Seven Species

Academy for Jewish Religion Star of David Logo

This Mizrach/Shiviti features the Star of David Logo of the Academy for Jewish religion. It was donated to AJR in Honor of Barbara Paris, student organization president and rabbinic student.

Ten Commandments Star of David

 

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