Jordyn Hannah

The name “Hannah” means “grace”, and is shown here by a swan, the most graceful of all creatures.  This expresses the hope that  Jordyn Hannah will grow from a little cygnet into a lovely and graceful woman.

Beside the swans are three of the letters “yud”, superimposed on each other, and filled with waves.  Jordyn’s Hebrew name begins with a yud, and means “flowing”; the great-grandparents she was named for, Yetta and Yitzhak, also began their names with a yud.  May their love and shared history flow into her and help to shape her character.

Below, left, is a dreidel, for she was born in Kislev, when Hanukah occurs.  It shows the lucky letter “gimmel”, which means the spinner wins all.

Beside that are Sabbath candles, for the wish that she will know Sabbath peace and comfort.

Jordyn Hannah’s Hebrew initials are “yud” and “chet”, so we have the word “chai”.  This means “life”. She was also named for her great-great-grandmother Hannah, whose name is in the chet and whose love is in the yud.  “Chai” also has the numeric value of 18, which has become a lucky number in Jewish tradition.  November 18 is therefore an extra special day to be born.

Finally, the pomegranate is believed to have 613 seeds, representing each of the mitzvot.  It symbolizes the hope that Jordyn Hannah will lead a full Jewish life, with many blessings and great abundance.

quilling, cut paper, 8 x 8

Elan

This baby’s name is Elan, which in Hebrew means “oak” and also “strength”. The design features a sturdy oak, surrounded by its flowers and fruits. The lettering is in gouache, and the rest is quilling and cut paper. 8 x 10.

Ari Jacob

Jerusalem is the city of greatest importance to all Jews, and to Ari’s family especially, and he has a particular connection to it.  Ari was born on Shushan Purim, the 15^th of Adar.  It was decreed that all walled cities should celebrate Purim on this date, not on the 14^th of Adar, when everyone else celebrates it.  So his birthday is a special day in Jerusalem.

“Ari” means “lion”, and it is hoped that Ari will exemplify all of the noble characteristics associated with lions.  The lion is also a symbol of the tribe of Judah, and the Jewish people.  They face a large letter “aleph”, both for Ari’s name, and to recall his great-great aunt Ida.  The two lions are resting on small letter “alephs”, a reminder of two of Ari’s great-grandfathers, and the hope that he will draw support and strength from their memories.

Jacob rested his head on a rock and dreamed of a ladder with angels ascending and descending.  The three rungs of this ladder are three “yuds”,  a connection with his great-grandparents. The angels here are stylized versions of the  letter “aleph” written in script, and also symbolize the linking to past generations.

The chuppah represents the wish that Ari will grow to “chuppah, Torah, and good deeds” and that he should have a happy and long marriage.

It was traditional to plant a cedar tree when a boy was born.  In Torah, the cedar of Lebanon is considered the “king” of trees, a fitting symbol for Ari, the lion.

quilling, cut paper, gouache, 8 x 8