Down the Rabbi Hole

Each design shines a light on some aspect of the Jewish people worth celebrating. The "Down the Rabbi Hole" blog for each selection is an expanded commentary on that design along with additional external resources to further educate on the subject. We encourage feedback or questions on any of the subject matter found within. Thanks!

Exodus — Jewish Roots Rock Reggae
Exodus — Jewish Roots Rock Reggae
This is one of the more interesting mashups I've worked on: the overlap between reggae, Rastafarianism, and Judaism. It starts with Exodus itself, arguably the founding event of the Jewish... Read more...
Zion over the Rainbow
Zion over the Rainbow
More Than a Daydream.  Few songs are as beloved, or as instantly recognizable, as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Voted the number one song of the 20th century, it's the kind... Read more...
Yetzer Wars!
Yetzer Wars!
Jedi Mind Tricks. As Obi-Wan teaches, "Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin. They betray you." Only when you can master the self-awareness of both inclinations can you live a virtuous... Read more...
The Big Lebowski - Walter the Convert
The Big Lebowski - Walter the Convert
Three Thousand Years, from Moses to Koufax. The centerpiece quote comes from Walter's epic response when the Dude accuses him of "living in the past" for still being observant despite... Read more...
This is HaLacha - The Mendelorian
This is HaLacha - The Mendelorian
It turns out the connection between Mandalorians and Jews runs a lot deeper than a clever translation. A Galaxy Not So Far Away. It's no surprise that the creator of... Read more...
Still Standing
Still Standing
The Antisemitic Wall of Shame Twenty-seven names, one Star of David, standing in its center, and like the people it represents, bold and undeterred. This design maps over three thousand... Read more...
Popeye the Sailor Mensch
Popeye the Sailor Mensch
Popeye was created in 1929 by Elzie Crisler Segar, a cartoonist from Chester, Illinois. While some sources claim Segar had Jewish roots, others claim differently, and it's impossible to know... Read more...
Phishing for Queen Esther
Phishing for Queen Esther
Deep-Sea "Gefilte Phishing". First, some background. Esther was a Jewish commoner from ancient Persia who became queen and, once in power, was able to sway her king from a planned genocide... Read more...
Mt. Rushwitz - The Chosen of Chuckles
Mt. Rushwitz - The Chosen of Chuckles
A Nose for Humor.  Around here we usually try to keep the Jewish boasting to a humble brag, but with a subject like comedy, who could blame us for getting... Read more...
Member of the Pride
Member of the Pride
Lion of Judah.  Curious how the lion became the symbol of the Jewish people?? Check out this piece from My Jewish Learning on how a blessing from Jacob to his... Read more...
Love Israel - Not Fade Away
Love Israel - Not Fade Away
A Song's Long Strange Trip.  "Not Fade Away" started as a 1957 Buddy Holly B-side, got a hard-charging cover from the Rolling Stones a few years later, and somewhere along... Read more...
King David The Original Renaissance Man
King David The Original Renaissance Man
Moving On Up.  Long before he was a king, David was just a boy tending sheep in the fields outside Bethlehem, the youngest of eight brothers. When the prophet Samuel... Read more...
Jewish Magic and Mysticism: An Ode to Creation
Jewish Magic and Mysticism: An Ode to Creation
The Design.  Every symbol in this piece circles back to one idea: creation. Here's what's actually behind each one. The Tree of Life.  At the top right sits the Tree... Read more...
The Struggle Israel
The Struggle Israel
A Different Era. The impact of the attack really can't be overstated, it changed everything. Not since the Yom Kippur War over 50 years ago has Israel felt so vulnerable.... Read more...
Grateful Israel - Built to Last
Grateful Israel - Built to Last
The Design.  Built to Last was the Grateful Dead's thirteenth and final studio album, released in October 1989. It's a fitting title to reapply to something that's actually managed to... Read more...
Kugel to google
Kugel to google
The People of the Book.  From kugel to Google — two small pieces of a legacy that spans millennia. When you see a small, persecuted people keep punching up and... Read more...
Curb Your Atheism
Curb Your Atheism
Larry Legend.  I thought this design jabbing at atheists could be a fun little jump off point for a closer look at a personal topic of interest, "Can science and... Read more...
Ahavas Yisrael - Love of the Jewish People
Ahavas Yisrael - Love of the Jewish People
    One People, One Love.  Lubavitcher Rebbe, arguably the most consequential Rabbi of the last century taught that to not love your fellow Jew was to not fully love... Read more...