Hershel Mutka Weiss, Albuquerque, NM - DISTINGUISHED MERIT Temple Sabbath Menorah 58 x 29 x 6 1/2 Woods: Goncalo alves, europa, and tsalam, Glass, Shellac and wax finish Hershel Mutka Weiss studied at the College of the Redwoods’ Fine Woodworking Program with world-renowned cabinetmaker James Krenov. He has exhibited in numerous craft shows around the country including: The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show; The Philadelphia Furniture Show; Baltimore American Craft Council Craft Market; and has won numerous awards. In 2000 he spent two months traveling in Spain, Greece, and Eastern Europe, studying old synagogues and investigating his Jewish roots. Hershel has been building one-of-a-kind furniture for fifteen years. Recently he has begun to design Judaica – both large-scale synagogue installations, and small ceremonial objects. I took a trip to Europe last summer to learn more about my heritage. This lamp comes out of my month in Spain visiting the old synagogues and other Jewish sites. My original idea was a literal transposition of some of the common motifs I saw, but the piece took on its own direction. This is one of the best parts of being a builder, following rather than leading the evolving form. In the end I found that I had absorbed and internalized a certain spirit and aesthetic, as the piece projects simultaneously a contemporary and ancient feeling, an extension of my own Sephardic heritage. This lamp is intended for use in a temple. I envision a pair of them, one on each side of the bimah. The construction is unconventional, displaying end grain rather than face grain, which we are used to seeing in wooden objects. Since there are no continuous lines of grain, a mosaic effect can be achieved. Subtle variations in color emerge in each square and the look is almost that of polished stone. I’ve used three species of wood, creating further gentle contrasts that allow the creation of repeating patterns, a technique used widely in Islamic influenced design in medieval Jewish Spain. The woods are known as "Lesser Known Species", tropical woods from Mexico and South America. Use of these woods takes pressure off overused and diminishing species such as mahogany, ebony, and rosewood. My woods are certified as coming from "well managed" forests adhering to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards in accordance with the principles and criteria of The Forest Stewardship Council. I like to describe them with Zalman Shachter’s term "eco-kosher". The glass candleholders are my design, built by local artist Bert Goodrich.