Laura Cowan Modern Judaica

Shabbat Shalom Challah Board

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Shabbat Shalom Challah Board

To rip or to slice? That is the question.
This is a common discussion within our family when it comes to cutting up the challah. It’s a result of those endless debates at our Shabbat table that I was inspired to create the Shabbat Shalom Challah Board. Designed with a detachable wooden board, you can use it in whichever way you prefer to break up and divide your challah.

This is my very first challah board design and I experimented with some new techniques when designing it. Instead of using the traditional silversmith’s technique of soldering the different sections together, I employed hidden neodymium magnets. This means that both the steel salt dish and waves are detachable.

The piece is designed using my signature style of contrasting polished and matte metal, and the steel waves – which have been curved by hand – are engraved with the words Shabbat Shalom. The steel tray and wooden board compliment one another to create a stylish, modern piece to adorn your Shabbat table or make a perfect gift.

Shabbat Shalom Challah Board is available to order now from the Laura Cowan Modern Judaica Online Store.

Modular Magnetic Matzah Plate Redesign

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Modular Magnetic Matzah Plate - modern Judaica by Laura Cowan

For this Pesach, I have given my Modular Magnetic Matzah Plate a redesign.

This Matzah Plate with a difference is created in high quality shiny stainless steel and brushed anodized aluminum. It is unashamedly modern, and everything about it is different from the design to the production techniques.

The original inspiration for this sculptural Matzah plate was the view of the sea in Tel Aviv and yachts on the ocean.

Instead of the traditional plates where the Matzah is lying down, here, they become part of the design. But even when not holding Matzah, the plate makes a striking centrepiece all of its own. And in addition, can also be used as a napkin holder.

Instead of the conventional silversmithing technique of soldering to join the pieces together, I experimented and perfected a new technique that uses magnets. The steel top pieces are hand curved to form gentle waves and in the fresh re-design they are now straight for an even sleeker appearance. In addition, the base metal has now been changed to aluminium. The sails attach to the anodized base with hidden neodymium magnets which creates a modular design so you can choose how to place the waves to change the look of the piece.

Modular Magnetic Matzah Plate is now available to order now from the Laura Cowan Modern Judaica Online Store.

Moon Path Seder Plate

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Moon Path Seder Plate - Modern Seder Plates from Laura Cowan

One of my favourite design challenges is creating Seder plates: combining the traditional elements required by Halacha together with my contemporary ideas.

For this Pesach I wanted to produce a unique design that would also work as a modern centerpiece for the Seder table. I love experimenting when working on new creations, my studio is full of sample pieces of metal of all shapes, sizes and colors. The design is waiting for me in the metal – I cut, carve, bend, file and polish until the right aesthetic appears.

As so often happens, one idea can lead to further inspiration. And that’s exactly what happened after I designed the Moon Path Trio Tray. Looking at the design, I realized that I could expand on the concept and use the idea to produce a Seder Tray Design.

The result was the Moon Path Seder Plate. The design is especially relevant for the first night of Pesach due to its Hebrew date, the fifteenth of the month, when there is a full moon.

Each Moon Path Seder Tray is individually made of aviation quality aluminium, highly polished to a mirror finish, and by nature of the hand stamping method no two are the exactly the same. I personally sign each single piece.