by Leslie Margulies

Blessing Shields

Artist Leah Lynn Rosen of “Yetzirah Pottery” has created a triptych entitled, “Warzone / Blessing Shields.” After losing a dear friend to breast cancer, Rosen writes that, “I thought about areas that need our blessings and protection.” The breast plates memorialize the struggle against AIDS, homophobia and breast cancer. In discussing the breast cancer shield, Rosen stated that it seemed ironic that “Shaddai,” a word meaning “my breasts,” whose imagery is one of nurturance and life-giving has become for so many women a place of struggle and illness.

The artist wants to honor, through her work, women’s battles with breast cancer as well as other illnesses. “The breast plates should send a clear message to the medical community that women will use their collective energies to fight for recognition and repair.”

Ms. Rosen includes images of ovaries, wings, and breasts in her work. She explains her use of tzizit in the blessing sheilds as, “a powerful meditation on God’s oneness and our covenant, that can be reclaimed by Jewish women.”

The shields which can be used for personal ceremony or display, can be made to honor specific people, events and rites of passage.

For more information contact; Yetzirah Pottery, 2427 A Tenth Street, Berkeley, CA 947I0, (510) 204-9282.