Tallit for Women
Mountain Tallit (left) and Whimsical Jerusalem Tallit (right)
As a professional Judaica artist and as a woman, I create my tallit designs very much with the ladies in mind. Women, please don’t hesitate to check out my “wearable art” tallit collection and let me know if a particular design speaks to you!
A tallit is a traditional prayer shawl which stems from the commandment to wear tzitzit. What are tzitzit you ask? Tzitzit are fringe tied in a special way that you often see observant Jews wearing under their clothes. The tzitzit are meant to remind the wearer of the commandments. Traditionally, tzitzit can be attached in the four corners of any garment. This is where a tallit comes in. A tallit is a garment worn over your shoulders or neck, like a shawl or scarf. In the Orthodox Jewish world, tallits (tallitot in the plural in Hebrew) and tzitzit are only worn by men, but in modern Jewish denominations such as Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism, tallit are proudly worn by women as well. I am proud to offer a line of colorful, artistic tallitot that reflect the diversity and vibrancy of contemporary Jewish life.
What to Look for in a Tallit for a Woman
Flowers Tallit (left) and Fall Leaves Tallit (right)
I love to think of tallit as a garment that does double duty. First and most importantly, it is a meaningful ritual item. A woman or Bat Mitzvah girl wearing it makes a powerful feminist statement about the importance of women’s rights and of women being able to participate in every part of Jewish custom. In addition to that, a tallit can be quite a fashion statement. I designed my line of painted tallitot to be head-turning pieces of wearable art. My tallit line features a variety of styles and designs. From my Fall Leaves tallit, a vibrant collection of leaves in orange, read, brown, and shiraz with splashes of blue, to my Mountain Landscape Tallit, to the Sunflower Tallit which draws inspiration from the strength and beauty of Ukraine (where I was born. Every design in my wearable art tallit collection is thoughtfully curated to compliment the fashionable synagogue-goer.
Why Buy a Tallit for Women?
A tallit for women makes a beautiful gift for a variety of occasions. First and foremost, a tallit is a traditional Bat Mitzvah gift. A tallit gifted to a girl at the time of her Bat Mitzvah is a memorable and meaningful gift, which becomes a treasured family heirloom and is often passed down generation to generation. A tallit is also a beautiful and thoughtful gift for a female rabbi, especially at the time of a rabbinical ordination – you know the newly ordained rabbi (who worked so hard to get to this moment) will appreciate the significance, treasure her gift, and definitely get tons of use out of it. Another wonderful time to gift a tallit for a woman is on the occasion of a special honor, such as being honored for community service work, becoming a temple president or board member, or a conversion to Judaism. Gifting a tallit for someone choosing to be Jewish by choice is an especially thoughtful and meaningful and beautiful welcome to the community. Finally, a tallit makes a beautiful Jewish wedding gift. In many Jewish weddings, the bride and groom will stand together under a tallit to symbolize their shared commitment to building a Jewish home in which they keep the mitzvot in the way they consider important. Some rabbis like to have a tallit held over the bride and groom as their chuppah, while others have the bride and groom wrap a shared tallit around the couple as part of the ceremony. Either way, matching tallitot for the bride and groom are a gift the couple is sure to treasure for the rest of their life together.
How Are the Wearable Art Tallits Made?
Making my tallitot is a fairly involved process. First, I hand paint each design on watercolor paper. Then I digitize it and design the tallit. Next I transfer the design onto Dutchess Satin Fabric using dye sublimation. Finally, I work with a small local sewing house here in Los Angeles whose hard working team sews the tallits, matching bags, and matching kippot for me by hand in small batches. It is truly a labor of love.
Shop my entire Tallit Collection Here!
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