The Midwives of Israel – Eco Tote Bag

Description

This work is quite dense in meaning. First of all, the title refers to the 3 women here: Shifra and Puah, the Hebrew midwives who fooled the Pharaoh in Exodus, and Miriam the Prophet (Moses’ sister), who is often associated with the 2 midwives, and who is considered a metaphorical midwife to the nation of Israel’s “birth.” In fact, the crossing of the sea is a giant birth metaphor, with Miriam at the end acting as a guide and a midwife – including providing the Israelites with water in the wilderness.

As for the scripture, these are verses that talk about Judaism’s relationship to abortion. Even the most stringent Jewish opinions allow for abortion of the fetus to save the life of the mother, because her life takes precedent.

The scene is the split sea, with the column of fire at the end of it in the form of “tzedek tzedek tirdof” with the verses that tell of the midwives resisting the Pharaoh when he told them to kill the male Hebrew babies. They stand at the back end of the composition, with Miriam at the front end. At the bottom, flanking the NCJW logo, is that phrase in Hebrew and English each on either side.

On the border, the floral ornamentation is by no means random. This is Common Rue, which is not only a known abortifacient herb, but also has history as a protective amulet in Kaballah. This second meaning is a coincidence. I was looking for an abortifacient herb to use as the ornament, and common rue has not only been studied and shown to have those properties, but was visually really interesting and easily adapted to a border. That it has a presence in Jewish folklore is a big bonus.

60% of profits benefit the National Council of Jewish Women and the Jewish Fund for Abortion Access.

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Say goodbye to plastic, and bag your goodies in this organic cotton tote bag. There’s more than enough room for groceries, books, and anything in between.

• 100% certified organic cotton 3/1 twill
• Fabric weight: 8 oz/yd² (272 g/m²)
• Dimensions: 16″ × 14 ½″ × 5″ (40.6 cm × 35.6 cm × 12.7 cm)
• Weight limit: 30 lbs (13.6 kg)
• 1″ (2.5 cm) wide dual straps, 24.5″ (62.2 cm) length
• Open main compartment
• Blank product components sourced from Vietnam