Grateful Israel - Built to Last
Riffing off of that long time connection between the Grateful Dead and its many Jewish fans, we created a design based off the classic and final studio album, "Built To Last".
The object of the design meant "to last" being the state of Israel of course. To tie the two themes together we used both Jewish and Grateful Dead iconography. For Israel we used the map and the millennia old bricks of the Western Wall. For the band we used their quintessential "dancing bears", but we put our own twist on it and made them dancing lions (of Judah)! We also included staple Dead symbols - lightning bolts and roses.
The connections between the band and the Jewish people run deep. Their drummer Mickey Hart grew up in Long Island where he had his Bar Mitzvah. As a member of the Dead he would bring his Judaism on tour with him. If touring over Passover he would host Seders and invite crew and fans, even passing out Grateful Dead Kippahs! He’s also the only member of the band who ever performed in Israel, playing the Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival in 2013.
On to my personal favorite connection of the Jewish/Dead connection. Their original promoter who gave the band their big break was the legendary Bill Graham affectionately known amongst the initiated as “Uncle Bobo”. This was an amazing man with an even more amazing life story. He was not only considered the father of the modern concert and festival production, he also had a harrowing and incredible holocaust survival experience. I find it both beautiful and chilling that one man could survive unfathomable darkness and yet turned his life into something that continues to bring so much joy and light into the world.
Beyond personnel, this description wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the “Jews for Jerry” subculture that grew out of the Dead touring scene. This manifested itself with things like “Shabbat on the lot” (Shabbat ceremonies that would take place before Friday night shows in the parking lots) and a variety of themed Tshirts and bumper stickers visible around the lot scene. Additionally regular discussions amongst the members about this being their parallel experience to that of the traditional Jewish life. Whether it was comparing a weekend of shows to that of a Shabbaton, life on the road following the band to wandering the desert, or how their obsession with Robert Hunter’s cryptic lyrics and dissecting of concert setlists metaphors traditional Rabbinic debate and text study.
All in all, just a playful design for the many Jewish Dead fans who want to express the two passions together with pride!
If you found any of this information fun and interesting, check out the external links below with expanded material on the subject, really fun reads!
Here's a great article written by Rabbi Saul Grife on the connections between Jews and The Dead from the iconic Relix Magazine. Relix ironically is owned by concert promoter Peter Shapiro, the closest thing we have today to dear "Uncle Bobo". And of course, he too is a Jew! Gotta Love the Jews!
Another fun article - this one from The Times of Israel, covering the ongoing legacy between the Grateful Dead and it's Jewish fans.
Here's a mini-documentary of the super fun and cool story how Bill Graham helped some orthodox Rabbis get a massive Hannukah Menorah erected in the center of San Francisco.