Hanukkah Menorah

Babette Bloch (b. New Jersey 1956)
Bronze, h. 15 ¼ x w. 13 ¼, limited edition of 250
United States, 1985
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Melzac, 1990
B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum Collection, 2015.17.356

Hanukkah is a post-biblical festival that recalls the deliverance of the Jews from the tyranny of the Syrian-Greek government in 165 B.C.E. This triumph is the first time in recorded history that a people fought for religious freedom. As the Jews entered Jerusalem and prepared to rededicate the desecrated Temple, they did not have enough oil to rekindle the lamps whose light would signify God’s eternal presence with them. According to the apocryphal book of Maccabees, a miracle occurred; a small vial of oil lasted eight days, long enough to find more oil and keep the lamps burning continuously.

The struggle to liberate the Holy Temple and the victory of the Maccabees over King Antiochus and his troops are recalled during Hanukkah by lighting a hanukkiyah, or Hanukkah lamp for eight days; each evening one more light is lit, so that on the eighth day all the lights are burning. A ninth light, the shamash (servant) is used to light the others.

Sculptor Babette Bloch is a pioneer in the use of laser-cut and water jet-cut stainless steel in creating figurative works of art. She is also known for liturgical art and Judaica. For this hanukkiyah, or Hanukkah menorah, the artist was inspired by ancient floor mosaics found in Israel at the seventh-century temple of Maon, located in the Negev desert. Like the ancient mosaic, this menorah has a 3-footed base with incised lines suggesting toes—a stylized evocation of lion’s paws, symbolizing strength and eternity. The branches of the menorah feature stylized pomegranates—ancient Jewish symbols of productivity, fruitfulness, righteousness, and wisdom.

Bloch pursued both classical and modern training, including study with notable artists Deborah Butterfield, and, at the celebrated art department of University of California at David, where she received her degree, with Wayne Thiebaud, Robert Arneson, and Manuel Neri. She has received numerous awards, including those bestowed by the National Arts Club, Salmagundi Club and Museum, and the National Association of Women Artists.