The Artist Who Created the Menorah Lit by the President: "It's Not Me, It's All from Hashem"

Those who followed the numerous menorah lighting ceremonies performed by President Isaac Herzog over the past week will have noticed that on Thursday, which marked Disability Awareness Day, the President joined visually impaired children from the School for the Blind to light a menorah. This year marks the 120th anniversary of the institution. For the grand event, the institution approached artist Avivi Shifris a month ago to create a menorah that incorporates as many distinct and tactile elements as possible, enabling the visually impaired children to feel them.

(Photo: President's Residence)

Shifris, who took on the project, noted it was a significant undertaking given the short time frame. "They asked me to make the largest and tallest menorah possible, resulting in a striking piece standing at 1.70 meters, as seen in the photos. Additionally, I built a platform so the children could stand to light the menorah. A small child and a visually impaired girl were chosen for the task, and it was tear-jerking to watch them climb and light the candles. Later, other visually impaired children approached the menorah, touched it, and were thrilled to recognize – 'Here are pomegranates, a Star of David, and flowers...' Only then did I realize the importance of creating a menorah with as many tangible elements as possible and how much we all need to be grateful for the gifts Hashem has given us, such as our senses and the ability to see life. During this Festival of Lights, we should express our gratitude for these indescribable blessings."

An oil menorah

A Child of Chanukah

Shifris is the son of two designers, his mother being the renowned artist Ora Shifris. His works are particularly focused on Chanukah, including dreidels and menorahs. Throughout the years, he has crafted dozens of unique menorahs, some displayed in famous venues like the Hurva Synagogue, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu's synagogue, and more.

"I came from a secular world," he recounts, "yet I connected with Chanukah from childhood. Following my military service, as I became closer to Judaism, I found myself increasingly drawn to Chanukah. 'Chanukah is my holiday,' he says with a smile. "I completely feel a special connection to it."

Star of David menorah

What led to this? How did it start?

"I recall as a child of six or seven visiting a museum and witnessing a glass bead workshop for the first time," he remembers. "They demonstrated how to blow glass, including creating glass dreidels on a lathe. Seeing this thrilled me. I was captivated by the ability to manipulate material, alter its shape, blow it up, and create something so unique. When I got home, I started working in the field, creating a small lathe and blowing glass using a special setup. I crafted more and more dreidels – starting with glass, then using other available materials. It simply fascinated me."

But why dreidels? You could have made anything else from the glass...

"The dreidel is inherently symmetrical and spins – these two features fascinated me the most. Of course, I diversified, and the dreidels I crafted were not identical. Later, I acquired additional equipment that allowed me to make larger dreidels. But everything revolved around dreidels; they intrigued me, and my friends knew that while they played with balls or passed time in other ways, 'Avivi was busy making dreidels.'"

By the fourth grade, he participated in a school menorah-building competition. "It was very exciting," he recalls. "I chose to create a menorah from a paper cut-out, tracing it onto plywood, sawing it, and finally dripping colored candle wax on it. The result was stunning, and despite competing against eighth-grade students, I won first place."

Since then, he discovered a passion for dreidels and menorahs, both of which accompany him to this day.

Looking at the Internal, Not the External

Throughout the year, Avivi works on creating menorahs and dreidels, dividing his artistic endeavors into periods before returning to faith and those after joining the religious world, which he attributes to art. "Every time I created something, I felt like it wasn't really me crafting it, but rather someone else pulling the strings and connecting the dots. Those were moments where I felt like I was discovering the truth – there's someone orchestrating my life, deciding what I create and do. I'm just part of a larger system. Step by step, I grew closer to Judaism and learned more about it."

Menorah in the Hurva Synagogue

"As I mentioned, Chanukah always spoke to me, it's a feeling that we have something from previous generations carried to our days. Even in my secular past, I read professional literature on menorahs crafted by artists from Bezalel. After returning to faith, my view on menorahs drastically changed – it's not just about the artistic aspect, but also the halachic theme, which I've delved deeply into. To this day, it pains me to see artists crafting menorahs that aren't kosher. The distinctiveness of the menorah lies in its adherence to guidelines. I see these as directives, not constraints. The beauty, in my opinion, lies when an artist resonates from within and creates with a connection to Jewish law and mitzvot."

Over the years, he has created menorahs from stone, glass, and various metals. "I'd like to note that since returning to faith, I feel I've been granted a special consistent divine assistance," he says enthusiastically. "Suddenly, creative ideas emerge that I hadn't thought of before. Suddenly, I realize the possibility of altering the placement of the shamash, putting a jug in the center, or creating unique holders for the oil cups. I truly feel that there's a great divine assistance here. One menorah I crafted is a folded piece extending in various directions, an extremely complex project, but when I began creating, I noticed how the gaps between folds became an additional creative space – everything's from above."

Oil jug menorah

He also claims the following: "When discussing Chanukah, the topic of Greece – beauty and outward appearance – becomes prominent against the backdrop of Jewish, spiritual culture. After all, Greece stems from Yefet, who focused so much on appearance. Our task, particularly during this holiday, is to learn to see the essence and inner content of things. Honestly and sincerely, even after decades of working with materials, what speaks to me isn't the material itself, but the idea within it. My ambition is to beautify the mitzvot and I feel Hashem assists me in this. I constantly receive new insights. When people sometimes admire my menorahs and I explain that 'it's not me,' they don't understand what I mean. But that's truly my sentiment – everything is from the Master of the Universe, only from Him."

Menorah made from Indian rosewood

Simplicity and Professionalism

How many menorahs have you designed so far?

"I'm not counting, but it's certainly dozens," Avivi replies. He's aware that some might be surprised, considering that in decades, one could produce hundreds or thousands of menorahs, but his approach is different. Firstly, it's a hobby carried out alongside other work for his livelihood, but mainly because each menorah represents individuals, aspirations, requests, and desires. He dedicates himself wholeheartedly, sometimes working on a menorah for months. "There's a lot of thought behind each menorah," he emphasizes.

"This year, besides the President's menorah, I also created a menorah from metal tubes. It started when I was invited as an engineer to fix some rehabilitation equipment at Tel Hashomer and saw the framework of pipes. This prompted me to consider their potential for crafting menorahs. I immediately began the work, and just before Chanukah, I completed the preparation and painting of another model."

Marble menorah

It's intriguing to see that on one hand, you create luxury menorahs, and on the other, menorahs from seemingly simple materials...

"That's true, but it's not exactly 'simple materials.' There's an interest in crafting menorahs from beautiful equipment, not from waste, so I'm restricted from using substandard materials. However, I certainly use low-value materials such as bottle caps, pipes, and sticks – materials anyone can easily find to create menorahs."

"Even the dreidels I make are very simple to craft. Often, I'm invited to conduct workshops with children, guiding them to make dreidels easily. Anyone can succeed with a bit of guidance and practice. Children thoroughly enjoy the process, and it's a particularly wonderful experience for those with attention and concentration challenges, as they're deeply engrossed in the activity."

You have been producing so much, for so many years. Aren’t you afraid of running out of ideas?

"I’m not afraid because the ideas aren’t mine. As I mentioned – I truly feel that when I start a project, I don't know how it will end, and Hashem alone guides me. My only concern is being unworthy of receiving inspiration, and I certainly pray for this daily."

In conclusion, Avivi wishes to convey the most important message: "If we pay attention, the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candle is uniquely performed from left to right rather than right to left. I heard a beautiful explanation – the left side represents the weaker side, and here we choose to illuminate the dark places, addressing the underprivileged and those at the bottom of the social ladder. That is our goal – to bring light even to low places, and if we succeed in doing so, the world will certainly look better and be more corrected."