Spring is coming — or just about here — in the northern hemisphere. It’s a time of flowers.
Flowers and floral motifs are frequently used in Jewish decorative art, in synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. They provide symbolic representation of life and joy — but also of death, and often are seen used on gravestones to represent lives lost at a young age. (It’s noteworthy that Jewish cemeteries are often referred to as “Houses of Life.”) Sometimes these flowers are being plucked; sometimes the stalks of the blossoms are bent or broken. Sometimes the floral decorations echo local folk motifs.
We present here a photo essay of floral motifs — both in Europe and the U.S.A.: some of the images are from the old Coming Street Jewish cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, which JHE diretor Ruth Ellen Gruber recently visited. The cemetery was founded in 1754 and is the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in the U.S. south.
4 comments on “Springtime Photo Essay: Flowers in Jewish decorative art both mourn death and celebrate life”
Lovely Idea, Ruth – thank you – as ever!!
Incredibly beautiful. Thank you.
Ruth,
Thank you for your beautiful photo essay : Flowers in Jewish Decorative Art, and for highlighting Coming Street Cemetery, the oldest extant Jewish cemetery in the American South.
Thank you, too, for all the work you do bringing light to long forgotten synagogues and cemeteries in Europe.
Regards,
Randi
The star of David looks like an abstract of a flower. The pomegranate.