Blue and White

A customer in the US, who found me through the Facebook group Israeli shops to purchase from, ordered my Shalom papercut. In the centre of the piece is the word "Shalom" in English and below that, in Hebrew. Shalom, like many Hebrew words, has more than one meaning. Shalom means peace and is also used to both greet people and to say goodbye. But it means much more than peace, hello or goodbye. Shalom is rooted in the word שלם (shaleim) which means wholeness, completion, wellness, perfection. When we are "at peace" we feel a sense of "wholeness."

My papercut is embellished with pomegranates and flowers. In the Jewish faith, pomegranates are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) because it has 613 seeds, which coincide with the 613 commandments of the Torah. Furthermore, the pomegranate represents fruitfulness. We use them in our Rosh Hashanah meals as a positive omen.

My papercut is drawn and cut entirely by hand. It can fit an American 10x8inch frame or an A4 frame (21x29.7cm) here in Israel or the UK. I backed the white papercut with a dark blue backing paper. The national colours of Israel are officially blue and white, as seen on the flag of Israel. An early Zionist poem explains that the colour white symbolises great faith; blue the appearance of the firmament.

The flag of the State of Israel was adopted on 28th October 1948, five months after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. It consists of a white background with a dark sky-blue Star of David, the widely acknowledged symbol of the Jewish people and of Judaism, in the centre. There are two horizontal blue stripes at the top and bottom. The blue stripes are intended to symbolize the stripes on a tallit, the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. The Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Tanach, or Hebrew Bible, mentions in 15:38 that the Israelites were commanded to put fringes on the corners of their garments, and to put a cord of blue border upon these fringes.

My customer was very happy to receive the papercut. "It's gorgeous." she wrote. "Thank you."

On Sunday night we will mark Yom HaZikaron, Israel's Memorial Day, the day when we remember Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. Since losing Gadi this day has become a personal day of remembrance for me and I no longer celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut, Independence Day, which begins the the following evening, the minute Israel's Memorial Day ends. It seems so strange to have this heavy day of mourning followed by such a joyous holiday but the message of linking these two days is clear: Israelis owe their independence - the very existence of the state - to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it.
Since the start of the war between Israel and the terror group Hamas, 615 soldiers and police officers have been killed. Over 800 civilians have become victims of terrorism, and 132 Israeli hostages are still being held in Gaza. Yom HaZikaron feels more important than ever.

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Thinking Out Loud Thursday and Thursday Favorite Things.