The Sabbath Now

“The Sabbath Now” depicts common elements in modern celebrations of the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat, in Hebrew) on Friday evenings: candles, a Kiddush cup, a vase with flowers, a bowl of fruit, a blessed child, two loaves of challah bread, and a resting figure. These objects, along with the table cloth they rest upon, were meticulously crocheted and stiffened with resins. When artist Norma Minkowitz created this work in 2011, she also made a historically-inspired counterpart, “The Sabbath Then, ” which references ancient celebrations of the holy day. That work is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.