Je suis Charlie

In light of the tragic shooting at the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris on Wednesday, I have decided to defer this week's scheduled post and instead share a few of the responses from cartoon artists around the world:

Illustration by David Pope

Illustration by Ruben L. Oppenheimer

Illustration by JM:o

We are with you Paris. Keep your pens handy and pencils sharpened.

UPDATE

It has come to my attention that famed French cartoonist Albert Uderzo has come out of retirement to pay tribute to the victims of the Charlie Hebdo shooting:

This gesture struck a particularly sentimental chord with me as I grew up reading the Asterix comics (in English translation, of course), which Uderzo created with writer René Goscinny. He said:

Charlie [Hebdo] and Asterix have nothing to do with each other obviously. I simply want to express my affection for those designers who have paid with their lives. Young designers are on hand now and I wish them courage.

My proposed response? Like Charlie Hebdo on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. If you're a francophone, subscribe to their weekly magazine and increase their global audience. Spread the work of their fallen artists, and the myriad of talented cartoonists who have responded to this attack on freedom of speech, freedom of ideas and freedom itself.

My deepest condolences to everyone who was affected by these unspeakable acts of cruelty, both the Charlie Hebdo massacre and related kosher supermarket shooting which followed two days later. Je suis Charlie. Je suis Juif.

Illustration courtesy of Charlie Hebdo

Happy Hanukkah!

It's now past sundown, which mean Hanukkah has officially begun in my timezone. Here are a few of my favourite finds for a style-savvy Festival of Lights:

This silver-plated brass menorah from Ricci Silversmiths is available at Barneys for a steep $650. It definitely isn't in my budget this holiday season, but is breathtaking nonetheless.

Modern Tribe's glazed porcelain "mountain" menorah ($225) is a bold and modern alternative to the traditional candelabrum.

Ombre hand-dipped tapers from Target ($12) add a contemporary touch to even the most ancient of celebrations.

For better or worse, no Hanukkah celebration is complete without gelt. These organic, Fair-Trade chocolate coins from Mama Ganache ($8.50) leave their waxy, tasteless counterparts in the dust. Bonus: the dark chocolate edition is 100% vegan!

Hanukkah is a way bigger deal stateside due to its proximity to Christmas and the desire of North American Jews to have something of their own to celebrate come December. In Israel – where I lived for a couple years – it's a much smaller holiday that's more about doughnuts (or "sufganiyot") than anything else.

These DIY doughnut hole pops from Tammy Mitchell Designs would translate beautifully into a Hanukkah-themed dessert spread – just swap out the red Christmas-y ribbon for blue, gold or silver and you're good to go!

Luc & Lilah Events had the charming idea of adding a circular "snow ball" tags, the perfect place to alternatively scrawl a Hanukkah greeting like "Chag sameach!" (Hebrew for "Joyous festival").

This "dreidel-tooth" bow-tie by Geltfiend ($39) is equal parts dapper and festive.

If you're planning to exchange eight nights of gifts, you'll a solid supply of wrapping paper to carry you through. Being a major fan of whimsical illustrations, I went a little nuts over this potato latkes gift wrap from Paper Source ($5.95).

Get little ones in the holiday spirit with Hanukkah fun wrap from LolliLink ($10). I would have been all over this as a kid.

This beautiful card by Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. ($4.50) struck a particularly sentimental chord with me because I grew up in an interfaith household where both Christmas and Hanukkah were celebrated (and still are, as a matter of fact!) The menorah adorned in coniferous foliage makes for a convincing Hanukkah bush or Christmukkah tree, but more importantly merges imagery from two traditions into one joyful illustration.

Another notable tribute to the shared holiday season, Art Speigelmann's iconic New Yorker cover ("Twas the Night Before Hanukkah") has been translated into a boxed holiday card set by the Jewish Museum ($14).

This cheeky "Menorah Blanik" holiday card from Modern Tribe ($16) would make for a wonderful addition to any fashion-forward Hanukkah celebration.

Chag sameach!