If you want to buy high-quality handmade Judaica online, the single best place to shop is NadavArt. There are three main reasons why NadavArt should be the first place to visit when you buy Judaica.
- Every item of Judaica is handmade in Israel by expert craftsmen.
- Master silversmith Avi Nadav is a third generation Jerusalem artisan.
- NadavArt is one of the few workshops to produce modern Judaica to traditional standards.
When you buy Judaica online you need to be certain that you will get the quality that you are paying for. You also need to know that you’ll receive personal service and genuine customer care. NadavArt is one of the few Israeli companies that consistently achieves US and European service standards.
Why Buy Judaica Online?
When you buy Judaica in the US or Europe, it’s difficult to know the provenance of each item. A lot of Judaica products are made cheaply in Turkish factories and marketed as handmade Israeli Judaica. The Turkish factories churn out reasonable imitations of handmade Jerusalem Judaica, but the quality is not the same. It’s always better to buy from a trusted online store that belongs to a physical business in Israel. Even then, you’ll need to satisfy yourself that the Judaica products on sale online are genuine.
When you buy genuine Israeli Judaica online, your money goes into the Israeli economy and you’re creating employment for Israeli artists and artisans. You’re also buying better quality items, which the designers and silversmiths will be happy to personalize for you with engravings and other decorations. If you’re visiting Israel in 2022, you can buy Judaica in Jerusalem and even take a guided tour of the workshops. If you don’t live in Israel, or plan to visit Israel, you’ll need to buy Judaica online.
What is Authentic Judaica?
Authentic handmade Judaica covers a wide range of traditional and modern styles and all kinds of materials. Most Americans tend to think of Judaica as ornate silver ritual items from the synagogue, or grandparents’ display cabinets. Authentic Judaica definitely includes religious and ritual items like menorahs, megillah cases, Torah pointers, netilat yadayim, etrog boxes and havdalah sets. It also includes hand written parchments and scrolls, as well as mezuzahs. Much of the religious Judaica items are handcrafted in ancient styles and decorated with intricate Yemenite Jewish silver filigree work.
Authentic modern Judaica certainly draws on ancient Jewish traditions and heritage, but is influenced on some level by almost every design style in the world. Israeli designers and artists create contemporary Judica from an astonishing range of materials and constantly explore, experiment and innovate. You can buy modern Judaica online that’s made of gleaming 925 sterling silver, ceramics, polymer clay compounds, pewter, copper, and even cast concrete. Probably the most popular material after 925 sterling silver is anodized aluminum.
Authentic Judaica that’s easy to buy online includes:
- Religious and ritual Judaica for synagogues, yeshivas, homes and workplaces
- Tableware and home decor Judaica for all household needs
- Judaica for Jewish Holidays including Passover, Rosh HaShana and Hanukkah
- Special Judaica gifts such as Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah gifts, birthdays, wedding gifts, and romantic gifts of Judaica jewelry.
The definition of authentic Judaica covers a huge range of subjects, styles and materials. There are no correct styles, or hand and fast rules about traditional and modern Judaica or Ashkenazi, Mizrachi and Sepharadi Judaica. Even in the category of Traditional Judaica, there are dozens of diverse influences.
Jews spent many centuries scattered across the diaspora and borrowed extensively from local cultures. Contemporary Judaica is simply an artist’s expression of Jewish culture and heritage. The only real definitions of authentic Judaica are that it should be made with a love and passion for the Jewish traditions it expresses. If it’s handmade in Jerusalem by Israeli artists and silversmiths, that love and passion is a given!
How do I Buy Judaica Gifts from Israel Online?
If you want to buy Judaica gifts from Israel online, we recommend that you take your time and browse the entire 2022 collection. If you’ve been invited to a holiday dinner, it makes sense to buy a holiday gift like a Seder plate or matzos plate for Passover, or a silver honey dish for Rosh HaShanah. It’s actually easy to find a Jewish holiday gift that suits your budget and the recipient’s personal taste.
You can even find tasteful Judaica gifts to mark solemn events like Yom Kippur. Many men will be delighted to receive a gift of silver Tallit clips, a tefillin box, or a silver Torah pointer. Fun holidays like Hanukkah and Purim are especially easy to celebrate with Judaica gifts. Try a set of dreidels for the kids or grandkids, or a hanukiah for all the family to gather round and light candles.
Many online shoppers are surprised at the wide range of Judaica gifts that are on offer all year round. One advantage of buying online is that it’s easy to get a great deal if you need a small, but meaningful gift in a hurry. A handmade silver mezuzah from Jerusalem is a wonderful housewarming present. You’ll also find plenty of small gifts to celebrate the arrival of a new baby or for a college graduation etc.
If you already have online gift cards, you’ll be limited to the stores that accept the cards. If you want to buy gift cards for online Judaica, you have a much better choice. NadavArt offers online gift cards ranging in value from $100 to $1,500. It’s also possible to request unique high value gift cards, with special bonuses. When you buy Judaica online with gift cards, there are no limits on the products you can choose. A gift card is as good as a credit card or cash.
A Judaica gift card is a great way to get someone interested in Judaica and Jewish heritage and culture. It’s a perfect present for younger people who previously thought Judaica was “old religious stuff”. They’ll be amazed by modern home decor items and fine handmade jewelry from Jerusalem.
Plenty of Bat Mitzvah girls are happy to discover that gold earrings, or a personalized Hebrew name pendant also count as Judaica. While they’re browsing the site, they’re exposed to all kinds of other Jewish cultural items, as well as some of the finest and most exciting Israeli art and craft.
Can I Place a Judaica Custom Order Online?
When you try to place a custom order for Judaica online, you’ll immediately know if you’re dealing with genuine Judaica artisans. The best Jerusalem silversmiths (and designers) love to receive custom orders. Working with a client to create a truly beautiful item is the essence of their art, and how they built their reputations.
If you want to place a Judaica custom order, you need to be clear about your requirements. Do you want to take an existing product from an online collection and ask the silversmith to adapt it, or do you want to commission a unique item? A lot of people assume that commissioning a unique item of handmade Judaica will be prohibitively expensive. They also wrongly assume that it will take months for the craftsmen to complete the project. It’s worth exploring all the possibilities when you request a custom Judaica order.
For all our customized Judaica products Click here
A Few Examples of Our Customized Products
Top Tips for ordering custom Judaica online
- If the person you speak to online about placing a custom order for Judaica appears hesitant, or uncertain, don’t continue the process. A professional Judaica workshop regularly accepts custom orders and commissions. They will be happy to give you approximate price ranges and timescales.
- Don’t settle for dealing with an online rep or anonymous email contact. You should be invited to an introductory ZOOM meeting as soon as you express a serious interest in placing an order. You should also ask for a virtual tour of the workshop and get an insight into how your item will be crafted.
- The best Israeli Judaica designers and silversmiths speak fluent English. Don’t work with someone who doesn’t. Communication is essential when you work on a design project remotely.
- An experienced designer or artisan will quickly get a feel for what you want. You’ll be surprised how quickly an onscreen design will emerge. If you’re ordering custom Judaica jewelry, the jeweler may use CAD imaging to create images at each design stage.
- Listen to the experts, they have decades of experience and will quickly see any flaws or practical issues with your initial concept. They’re not trying to frustrate you or alter your ideas to match their preferences. The goal is to transform your original vision into an outstanding work of art. They also want to deliver a practical item that is robust, functional and enduring.
When you buy Judaica online, you need to deal with people who are passionate about their art. True silversmiths and artisans understand that they are honoring thousands of years of Jewish tradition with every item they create. You also need to buy from a professionally run business that understands how to provide top quality customer service. Precious Judaica items need to be carefully packed and shipments insured. Customer data and personal details need safeguarding.
Not every Israel online Judaica store meets customer expectations. When you decide where to buy Judaica online, check the reviews and don’t hesitate to send an email or call. You’ll very quickly get an idea of whether the online Judaica store is a good place to buy. One of the best ways to check is to see if the online store has a physical counterpart with a workshop or atelier on the premises. If it’s a well established family run business, you’ll probably be able to buy an outstanding item of Judaica, at a fair price, and get superb customer service.
For all our Judaica products that are designed in a variety of styles and materials, click here
