72 | MARCH 31 • 2022
A
chuppah, or marriage
canopy, is the focal
point of a Jewish
wedding ceremony. It sym-
bolizes the first home the
couple will share. Biblically
speaking, the chuppah, with
its draped fabric open on all
sides signaling hospitality to
guests, also represents the tent
that was the first Jewish home
of Abraham and Sarah.
To further adorn the chup-
pah, a pair of artists, one
from Michigan and one from
Tennessee, collaborated to
add a new twist to the chup-
pah tradition by creating a
wooden overhang to adorn
the entrance of the canopy. A
unique keepsake gift bearing
the Hebrew words Ani L
’dodi,
v’dodi Li (I am my beloved’s
and my beloved is mine), it
can then be installed over the
entrance of a doorway or a
fireplace mantel to serve as a
reminder of the couple’s wed-
ding day long after the wed-
ding day is over.
The designers of the chup-
pah topper — along with a
line of colorful, whimsical
wooden Judaica pieces —
are Amy Sternberg of West
Bloomfield and Shannon
Brown of Chattanooga, Tenn.
The artists found each other
on Etsy, a creative artisan
online marketplace platform,
and have put their creative
energies into Judaica artwork
for about two years.
With her eye for color and
design, Sternberg customizes
and hand paints gifts such as
children’s furniture to desk
accessories and sells them on
her website, Artworks by Amy.
A few years back, she also
began to create Judaica when
her daughters, now grown
and one a rabbi in New Jersey,
asked her to design pieces like
a Shabbat board with tealight
candle cutouts.
“I am always doodling; that’s
how I relax,
” Sternberg said.
Wood-cut chuppah topper becomes a
keepsake for the couple’s home.
Chuppah
Adornments
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMY STERNBERG
Shabbat plate with tea light can-
dle cutout
Ron Lieberman Photography
Andrea Solomon
Wedding and Event Planner Perfection made simple
(248) 535-0402
andrea@andreasolomon.com
Day Of - On Site Management
Invitations • Candy Tables
Place Cards • Calligraphy
Napkins • Guest Towels
Favors • Gifts • Kippas
Hotel and Amenities Baskets
Ron Lieberman Photography
www.andreasolomon.com
andreasolomon2554@gmail.com
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