Blessing Over the Matzah

Shoshana Spencer. 2021. Redemption. [Digital Collage]

Artist Statement: This digital collage was created from a photo I took in 2009 in Jerusalem, Israel. 

Matzah is a symbol of redemption, hope and freedom. At the end of the seder we optimistically exclaim, “L’Shana Haba B’Yerushalayim” or “Next Year in Jerusalem.” It is also a symbol of affliction and humility -- a reminder of our collective tribulations -- like the aging ruins of the temple in the Old City. By consuming the Matzah, we may come to embody these ideas more fully.

Artist Bio: Shoshana Spencer is a mixed media visual artist and art educator based in Brooklyn, NY. She received her BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Tufts University in 2013. A certified art teacher, she received her Master of Arts in Teaching from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2017. She teaches Digital Art full time to grades 6-12 at York Prep School in Manhattan, and is the Chair of the Art Department.


haggadah Section: Motzi-Matzah