An Aliyah-Themed Card

A customer asked me to design a card for her mum, who was celebrating her birthday in October. Since her mum hopes to move to Israel soon, her daughter suggested an Aliyah theme for the card.

The Hebrew word aliyah literally means ascent or rise, but for generations it has been used to mean "moving to Israel". Jewish tradition views travelling to the Land of Israel as an ascent, both geographically and metaphysically. The opposite action - emigration by Jews from Israel - is referred to in the Hebrew language as yerida (descent).

I decided to show my customer's mum waving the blue and white flag of Israel. The flag has a blue Star of David placed between two horizontal blue stripes, all on a white background. This flag was chosen to represent Israel when the country was formed in 1948. The design was inspired by the tallit, which is a traditional Jewish prayer shawl. These shawls are often white with blue or black stripes. This connection makes the flag deeply meaningful to many Jewish people.

Behind mum is the Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the Rock appears in almost every image of Jerusalem, Israel's capital city. It is the city's most recognizable landmark and a central site of religious significance for Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike.

I also added an Israeli passport, known in Hebrew as a darkon, to the card. Its navy blue cover features the Israeli national emblem - a temple menorah surrounded by an olive branch on each side - at the centre. Above the emblem appear the inscriptions "מדינת ישראל" and "STATE OF ISRAEL" in Hebrew and English, respectively. The words "דרכון" and "PASSPORT" are inscribed below the emblem, and the biometric symbol is inscribed at the bottom. The passport's inner pages are also decorated with olive branches and the temple menorah. Although the passports are written in both Hebrew and English, the direction of the page order (right-to-left) is dictated by Hebrew.

The final touch on this Aliyah-themed card was an authentic Israeli falafel! Often considered Israel's national dish, falafel can be found on nearly every street corner. These deep-fried balls of seasoned chickpeas are typically served in a pita with fresh salads, tahini, and other dips. They are a true staple of Israeli cuisine, and I'm sure that my customer's mum, as a soon-to-be new Israeli, will be enjoying one (or two) herself!

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Craft Schooling Sunday and Happiness is Homemade.