Arts&Life

woodworking

30 | SEPTEMBER 10 • 2020 

Wooden Judaica

Rochester Hills artist transforms wood into usable Jewish art.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
D

aniel Bucksbaum did not 
know much about his 
late great-grandfather 
until he started transforming 
wood into art objects. Then, he 
remembered learning about the 
artistry of Louis Sher, a tool and 
die artisan whose woodworking 
hobby brought about the ark still 
displayed at Congregation Shir 
Tikvah in Troy.
In a family of known fabric 
and print artists, Bucksbaum 
ventured into woodcarving last 
fall, when he wanted to make 
a commemorative gift for his 
grandmother, Barbara Gash, 
who had recently traveled to 
Israel for the first time. He 
carved a menorah in the shape 
of Israel. 
“We have a few of my 
great-grandfather’
s pieces, bowls 
and cutting boards, around the 
house,” said Bucksbaum, 24, 
of Rochester Hills. “
After I got 
into woodworking, I started to 
appreciate his abilities more, 
and my grandma has since 
taught me a lot about him and 
loves that I’
ve inherited his 
interest.”
Bucksbaum, a political 
science graduate of Western 
Michigan University, had been 
looking for a job that reflected 
his academic studies when he 
found temporary work with 
a handyman who taught him 
carpentry. With that training 
and a home workroom of repair 
tools used by his dad, David 
Bucksbaum, he decided to try 
building the menorah. 
“I soon got the idea to make 
more of those kinds of meno-

rahs, thinking I could sell them,” 
said Bucksbaum, whose artis-
tic instruction came through 
area wood artists and YouTube 
videos. “Then I added Shabbat 
candlesticks to what I was doing 
because I thought there could 
always be a demand if I played 
it right.”
After buying precision tools 
from internet sellers and finding 
unique woods through local 
traders, Bucksbaum established 
a customer base by displaying 
his projects on social media and 
opening a store on Etsy.
“I’
ve been focusing on meno-
rahs of exotic woods and more 
interesting designs,” Bucksbaum 
explained. “I love using my saw 
to make Hebrew letters out of 
wood, and I’
m trying wall art. 
I’
ve been making cutting boards 
lately, and I’
m going to be 
doing them in larger numbers. 
Another project I’
m getting into 
is challah serving boards with 
Hebrew words.”
Mezuzahs and seder plates 
will be next on his creative list.
Bucksbaum’
s interest in 
Judaism developed in college. 
Although his family celebrated 
Jewish holidays and involved 
themselves with Jewish culture, 
they did not attend synagogue 
or become active with religious 
organizations. He did not have a 
bar mitzvah.
“I got involved with a Hillel 
chapter immediately after enter-
ing college and loved having 
Jewish friends,
” said Bucksbaum, 
who was elected to various 
Hillel offices and chosen chapter 
president in his senior year. “I 

joined Hillel to have a sense of 
community.
” 
Those feelings of community 
directed his political attention to 
Middle East studies with Israeli 
interactions at the center of his 
curriculum.
“I became more serious about 
selling my work in February 
and March,
” said Bucksbaum, 
a Stoney Creek High School 
graduate. “In March, when I 
was forced to stop working for 
the contractor because of the 
pandemic, I tried to put as much 
time as possible into what I 
thought I should do when every-
one was forced to stay home.
“That’
s when I was able to get 
my Etsy store up and provide 
myself a small income, but this 
is becoming my main source of 
income. As I expanded my prod-
ucts with more diversity, I got 
to see what my customers liked 
and what routinely sold, and I 
focused on those.
”
Bucksbaum roams the web 
looking at various kinds of 
woodworking approaches 
and creatively adapts them 
using Jewish themes and ritual 
objects. He saw some beautiful 
candlesticks with crosses and 
decided to carve very different 
candlesticks with Stars of David. 
He also accommodates custom 
orders, religious or not.
“I like creating things that 
other people can enjoy,
” he said. 
“For example, when people buy 
my candlesticks, use them for 
Shabbat and say they love them, 
I have great satisfaction knowing 
that something I made is part of 
someone’
s home.
” 

details
Daniel Bucksbaum’
s 
wooden artistry is 
available through Etsy at 
WoodcraftingByDaniel.

Daniel Bucksbaum

COURTESY OF DANIEL BUCKSBAUM

