Arbor Vitae Mezuzah Case

The mezuzah comes in a crisp new cotton filled gift box and includes a non-kosher photocopied scroll, stainless steel nails for hanging, and a twelve page mini booklet in English or Spanish with lots of information about mezuzahs.

I carve the Hebrew letter shin spontaneously, directly into the wood, according to the grain patterns and shape of the branch. and then paint it with high quality U.V. resistant black paint. These mezuzahs will last a long time (mine is over thirty years old and shows no sign of wear and tear) in a sheltered doorway. Exposed to the elements, they may develop a weathered look.

I will gladly refund or exchange any mezuzah for any reason, at any time, no questions asked.

There are many things you can learn by owning and using a mezuzah. If you were raised Jewish, in a secular way, as I was, it can teach you more deeply of your own tradition. If you are a practicing Jew, you already know that hanging mezuzot on the doorposts of your home full-fills one of the sacred obligations of Judaism; and if you are just discovering your Jewish origins, or want to come to Judaism, or simply want to share this one beautiful custom, the mezuzah will take you as far as you want to go.

My hope is that one of these mezuzah cases on your doorpost will remind you of your connection to nature, to Jewish tradition, to yourself and to me as the maker.

I have made well over a thousand mezuzahs from tree branches. No two are exactly the same. They vary one to the next like people’s faces differ one to the next, sometimes markedly and sometimes subtly. Maybe that’s why I never tire of making them.

When I started making mezuzot in 1990, I knew very little about them. I didn’t know that much about Jewish law either. All of my grandparents were Orthodox but my Jewish studies were very limited.

I started carving mezuzahs and immediately started learning.

First thing was the Hebrew letter shin. As I carved my first shin, copying it from another mezuzah, I began to feel the shape of it, the feeling of it. I learned there are many ways to represent the letter. But what did the shin represent? I learned that each of the Hebrew letters has its own meaning. I began to have a relationship with the Hebrew language I never had before.