Gates of Gold

My journey of self-discovery is one that takes place gradually over many years. It’s only looking back, that I can connect the little points in time that bring me to this place where I am now. 

When we first moved to Jerusalem 10.5 years ago, I felt very unsure of where and who I was meant to be. I was very young ( I got married at 19, had my first kid 1.5 years later), and was just trying to figure out who I wanted to be as a person.

I felt lost and overwhelmed for years in this city. According to Kabbalah, Jerusalem’s element is fire. Fire is overwhelming, it consumes everything in its path.

When we would go to Tzfat for Shabbat to visit my mom, I would feel the difference in my body physically, light as air in the city of Tzfat. And as we would drive up the hills back towards Jerusalem, the choking sensation would return to me.

The feeling followed me for years as I tried different career paths in an attempt to find my passion. I was looking for something that I could contribute to the world.  

There was a  moment when I realized I had reframed the fire that I found in Jerusalem and the way that it affected me. It happened innocently in conversation with a friend. I realized I had learned something else about the nature of fire. 

Fire has the ability to give without diminishing. I found fire within myself; I had learned how to share of myself, care for my family, and listen to others without diminishing my own light. 

My art is a physical manifestation of my journey and growth. Of learning how to change my perspective and learn acceptance. Internal acceptance, and openness of others around me. Learning how to find my center in order to be able to share what I have inside. Learning to rid myself of the fear of being consumed by the intensity of my world and my many responsibilities.  

I started off by photographing the intricate and varied doors of Jerusalem. 

I wanted to capture that magical quality of the city; the whispers in the air that draw you in, encouraging you to seek the truth in yourself, to bring out your highest potential. 

I wanted to show how even though we all seem different, we can still find commonality with each other. 

I wanted to capture the golden hue that shines as the sun rises and sets each day, the shine that gives Jerusalem that extra sparkle. 

I wanted to show the ancient beauty of the city and how it still lives on, fresh in modernity. 

A city that all types of people can connect to; one where everyone has the ability to find inspiration in the energy of ever-renewing potential. 

To me, the doors represented the fact that throughout all the centuries of being away, we still daven to return home. 

Working with Israeli and Jerusalem craftsmen to create each piece of laser cut gold leaf art, I wanted to recreate the feeling of Jerusalem’s special qualities, in your hands. I want my pieces to carry the inspiration of Jerusalem wherever you go. 

All my art is inspired by real doors found here in Jerusalem, because I wanted to give you a doorway back home. 

These doors are like an invitation to discovery. Through starting this project, I realized how important it is to have the power to reframe our own situations. The external circumstances may not change, but that doesn’t mean we can’t change the way we experience them. If we’re afraid, a door is a venue of escape to safety. In a calm centered space, a door can represent opportunity and a chance for growth. 

A door represents opportunity for safety and growth. Jerusalem for the Jewish people has always been a portal in which we connect to the highest parts of ourselves, our past, and our future. The door to Jerusalem is the door that leads us home.  

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