Not Only White

The second of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals provides an opportunity to enjoy moments of contentment in which we harvest the fruits of our labors and sit around a bountifully-laden festive table.

Being the whitest festival of the year, Shavuot is usually typified by wearing white clothes and an all-white festive table. This year, however, we decided to create something interesting and different. Something unconventional:

As a tribute to the Festival of First Fruits, we based our design on clean, simple white, and then took it one – or two – steps further. This from an understanding that we can be bold and introduce some variety to the table’s design by means of unconventional items and objects.

Many items can be found right under our noses and do not require too much investment.

For example: vegetation that blends with the different dishes, and provides a natural and somewhat bolder decoration for the table. Whether you live in an urban or rural environment, you can always find natural decorations in your surroundings – twigs, branches, flowers of different kinds.

In the design of the festive table, we placed emphasis on textures and layers that create a different and interesting look. Even the table’s division is unconventional – we spread the runners across the breadth of the table rather than across its length, as customary.

Additionally, we used different types of tablecloths, and the combination between them created a dramatic look that enables continuity. Placing the cloths in this way can also solve a practical problem that we often encounter: a tablecloth that doesn’t fit the extended table. By spreading the cloths in different directions, the table is covered in different layers, producing a very stylish look that seems entirely intentional.

Each item and object was meticulously chosen to blend with the spirit of the festival and Jewish tradition. The gold-colored trays, for example, are reminiscent of how the harvest was customarily offered in the temple, and they also create an attractive connection with wheat fields.

Sculptures, such as the cactuses and the deer (or any other animal you like), also blend in and provide an impressive presence.

The arrangement of the vases on the table is reminiscent of buildings, and the different types of vegetation around them, which brings nature into the home, blend together like a modern urban landscape.

Arranged next to the cheese tray are bowls of various sizes and materials (ceramic, brass, AV).