this is my first jewish papercut! jewish papercutting is a folk art once done by many jewish communities that has largely been lost due to the Holocaust. a large number of the surviving papercuts are from Galicia, which is where some of my own family comes from, and i've been wanting to continue the tradition and join the modern artists working to revive the art.

i decided to make a mizrach, hung on the eastern wall of a home to indicate the direction of prayer, which is toward Jerusalem. for me, when i hang the mizrach and look to the east, it will serve as a reminder that 'Never Again' means never again for anyone, including the Palestinian people in Gaza at immediate risk with nowhere to go, who have already lost so much.

in the Ashkenazi tradition, there are often four symbolic animals used in papercuts: the lion, the deer, the leopard, and the vulture/eagle. here i decided to use the Palestine sunbird, the Palestinian mountain gazelle, as well as the watermelon and pomegranate, mixing together some symbols Jews and Palestinians share and some that are unique to us as a show of my own solidarity and love for the Palestinian community and my own Jewish community.

i have said it before and i will say it again! Jewish safety is *with* our Palestinian kin. We are mishpacha! i hear and see your pain and i want you all to live in freedom, peace, and dignity, the same as i want for jews and all people.

Tribute to my late grandma who was born in the year of the dragon. It’s my first Chinese New Year without her and I miss her so much.

When my parents divorced and essentially abandoned me for their new families, it was my grandma and grandpa who made sure I still felt loved. Without their care and guidance I probably wouldn't be here today. 

Thank you, Grandma, for everything and more.