As Jewish people around the world sit down for Passover seders this week, they may be using treasured ritual objects such as seder plates and wine goblets. But taking a more careful look at the tableware might reveal these items were made not by Jews, but rather in factories in industrial cities in China or India. These plants churn out orders of kippot, mezzuzot, Stars of David necklaces—and definitely the finger puppets kids use to count the 10 plagues. This outsourcing of Judaica to Southeast Asia or the Far East has become a common phenomenon, even while some independent gift store owners in Canada and around the world, try to support original Jewish artists as best as they can, while also selling the mass produced products. Does it matter where your Judaica comes from? Does it make your grandfather’s tallit or a cherished kiddush cup any less meaningful if it isn’t made by Jews? On today’s The CJN Daily, we hear from the owner of Israel’s The Judaica Centre in Thornhill, Jodi Segal, along with Judaica artist and scholar David Tzvi Kalman with the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America.

What we talked about

Find Judaica products from Canada, Israel, China and India at Israel’s The Judaica Centre
Browse David Zvi Kalman’s Haggadah products on his website Print-O-Craft Press.com
Meet the Canadian inventors of the “Kosher Lamp” and other Judaica products in, The CJN.

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.

Is it OK if your seder plate is made in China?