With the Festival of Lights just around the corner, it's no wonder so many brands are releasing Hanukkah collections in celebration of the holiday. Most recently, Susan Alexandra, a NYC-based lifestyle company, just released a new Judaica collection that's full of rich colors and quirky shapes.
"I felt there was a hole in the market for fun, vibrant, color-saturated Judaica, so I decided to fill it," Susan Korn, founder and creative director of Susan Alexandra, tells Hunker.
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The assortment includes vivid glass candlestick holders (perfect for Shabbat), bright mezuzahs, fruit-shaped dreidels, and of course, a glass menorah in the shape of a watermelon.
"Watermelon is my signature fruit. I adore everything about it: the taste and the aesthetic," explains Korn. "I've dedicated many products to the watermelon and when it came time to make my first menorah, it just made sense. Also, a menorah and a watermelon wedge look so similar."
While the brand was initially just jewelry, Susan Alexandra has evolved into the home space over the past couple of years. Korn's goal is to elevate experiences with the acknowledgement that everything in life should be dazzling, colorful, and spark joy. Particularly at a moment when anti-semitism is rampant, the Jewish community deserves to celebrate and be celebrated.
"Visibility is so important," says Korn. "Right now, when anti-semitism is so prevalent, it's a proud symbol of courage. I thought a lot about how during the Holocaust, Jews were forced to wear Jewish stars to make them visible to hate groups and how today, we wear those same stars with pride."
You can shop the full collection on the Susan Alexandra website or at its flagship store on Orchard Street in Lower Manhattan.