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