Mezuzah painting & firing

We've been making Armenian pottery in Jerusalem since 1919, a deeply rooted tradition which started during the British mandate. The project of the Dome of the Rock ceramic tile renovation is what brought my grandfather to Jerusalem.

But making judaica items including ceramic mezuzah started with my father in the 1970's, when interest among the Israeli population grew in Armenian pottery. My father expanded his judaica offerings to include prayers, tehilim, milk and meat signs for a kosher kitchen, and other decorative ceramics with a judaica theme.

These days as the third generation of a family of ceramic artists, I still continue to make mezuzah in two sizes, and various colors. As you see in the video, each mezuzah is carefully hand painted, and the end result is seen when I open the kiln after the firing.

The process of painting and making mezuzah from beginning to end takes about a week. If you plan to visit Jerusalem, you can even come in and paint your own mezuzah. Just let us know a day before that you're coming.