A Few Good Menorahs
Local artists have been putting their spin on Hanukkah’s nine-light candelabra, incorporating seascapes, a unity symbol, even found objects. Find a new heirloom, or a brilliant holiday gift, among our picks, available through Portland’s Maine Jewish Museum.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY CLAYTON SIMONCIC
1. While she was experimenting with earthenware coils and slabs, Portland’s Elizabeth Ruskin saw a brick wall start to emerge. With its doorway and crumbling masonry, “it feels like the beginning of a more inclusive spirit,” she says, “mitigating the divisive uses of walls.” $850
2. “It brings me joy to take an object that is long forgotten and give it new life and meaning,” Portlander Tori Lambert says. Her menorah, comprising stones and an old ricer (typically used for processing potatoes), nods to Hanukkah latkes. $80
3. Gorham’s Karen Silverman turns vintage water-valve handles into “flowers” in her art. “The plumbers get really excited,” she says. “One dropped a bunch off at my house.” Last year, she began using painted handles to decorate menorahs, like this one in classic white and blue. $85.
4. The Maine-iest of our menorahs, Portland painter Rush Brown’s features a cloud-filled seascape on one side. On the other: a wide band of water at sunset. “I can’t say the two are related, but hopefully they form a pleasing tableau under the lights of the candles,” he says.
