When my husband Bryan and I and began building a home together, we found that the ritual objects already on the market didn’t fit our contemporary aesthetic (or a mechanical engineer and interior designer’s standards for quality)! To me, ritual objects are family heirlooms. And family heirlooms are not mass produced and sold in big box stores. They are made with materials that withstand the test of time and/or patina over time. Heirlooms are elegantly timeless. They may reflect a lasting aesthetic from a certain period in time (mid century modern, for example), rather than a blip of a trend that future generations may not recognize.

I’ve had countless conversations with friends about the absence of objects like these on the market today. And when I couldn’t find them, I decided to collaborate with my favorite artisans to create my own line.

This Fall’s collection will feature items that can be used for (but are not limited to) Jewish rituals, and are inspired subtly by my love of Japanese design. Each item is handmade, so no two items will look exactly alike. Since these objects are being made in very limited productions, once they are sold out, the exact design will never be available again. That’s the beauty of handmade, as opposed to mass produced. Only you, and a handful of other people, will gain ownership of these treasures.

I’ve worked with three of my favorite US-based artisans to create handmade heirlooms that reflect the Nourish Co. brand, are complimentary in style, and are guaranteed to be heirlooms for years to come. Here’s a little preview of what’s to come…

Seven Species Challah Cover
Artisan: Broiderie Stitch, a New England embroidery studio dedicated to preserving the craft of hand embroidery for generations to come. 
Materials: Irish linen and 100% cotton thread in matcha green, sakura pink, and wheat colors
Description: In this collaboration, we were inspired by the seven sacred species recorded as being grown and consumed during Biblical times: Wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. Jewish mystics have attributed spiritual energies to the medicinal properties of each of the seven species.

Shop the challah cover here.

Sakura Tray
Artisan: Tina Frey, a San Francisco-based sculptor and designer.
Materials: Resin
Description: How many times have you set your heirloom candlesticks or menorah down on a piece of junk mail or foil to protect your furniture from burning wax? In this collaboration, we’ve reproduced a tray in a design that has come to be synonymous with San Francisco-based artist Tina Frey. The custom color brings to mind the shade of sakura or cherry blossoms blooming that make our walks and commutes more beautiful for just one fleeting week in the spring.

Shop the sakura tray here.

Ritual Cup
Artisan: Tracie Hervy, a New York-based ceramicist inspired by the purity and simplicity of prehistoric vessels.
Materials: White gold, porcelain
Description: Ritual cups have been used in cultures and spiritual traditions spanning the globe for thousands of years. In this collaboration, we were inspired by the 500-year old Japanese art of kintsugi. In our modern interpretation, the lip of the cup is brushed with white gold.

Head to the new Nourish Co. Modern Heirlooms shop here.