Ben-Zion David

Near East Israel

Year(s) attended: 2010, 2011

Jewelry

For hundreds of years, Yemenite Jews have maintained a closely-guarded tradition of jewelry-making using precious metals.

Their tools and techniques have been passed down as family secrets from one generation to the next, protecting a heritage and a livelihood that has constituted a special role for Yemenite Jews in spite of their low social status.

In his workshop and gallery in Old Jaffa, Israel, Ben-Zion David is seeking to revive this disappearing art form, which he learned from his father and grandfather.

David uses traditional tools to shape sterling silver, semi-precious stones, lava, coral and archaeological artifacts into filigree jewelry of all sorts, including ceremonial items that have been used for centuries by Yemenite Jews.

Today, this jewelry continues to play an important role in Jewish Yemenite culture, particularly in the elaborate, layered headdresses worn by Yemenite brides in Israel.