"Proclaim Liberty" Kiddush Cup

The Proclaim Liberty Kiddush Cup is dedicated to the celebration of the Kiddush as inspired by the freedom of religion that is a hallmark of the American dream.

The Proclaim Liberty cup was created in 2004 to commemorate 350 years of Jewish life in America, inspired by the freedom of religion which has always been a hallmark of the American dream.

Through centuries of Jewish observance around the world, wine has been ritually blessed by the recitation of the kiddush. When you celebrate kiddush with this unique cup, you also raise a glass to freedom!

This limited edition of 350 pieces was designed by American silver artist Meryl Sheetz, and produced in Israel. The design references the young country's flag, the American bald eagle, and the Liberty Bell with its stirring inscription
from Leviticus 25:10: Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof…

Materials: Sterling silver

Dimensions: The cup and base are two separate pieces.
Assembled, they are 5 inches high.
The cup is 2.75 inches in diameter.

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A message from Rabbi Lance Sussman of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, which commissioned the cup:

"The arrival of a French frigate in the harbor of New Amsterdam in September, 1654 marked the beginning of Jewish settlement in North America. Now, 350 years later, the Jewish community in the United States is the largest, most affluent, and most secure Jewish community in the history of the Jewish people. The first Jewish settlers in this land could never have imagined the life their descendants built in this place.


Most Jews were drawn to the colonies and the United States by the 'promise of America' with its combined hope of prosperity and liberty. Like all other groups who came to these shores, American Jews had to pick carefully both the material and spiritual content of their luggage and, equally, had to choose what materials they would use to build new lives for themselves and their posterity on this side of the Atlantic.


Aware of the many blessings the American Jewish community has enjoyed for the last 350 years, the Temple Judea Museum of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel has commissioned a special Kiddush cup which brings together Judaism's most heartfelt way of expressing joy and gratitude and the American blessing of freedom. Proclaim Liberty.... is a unique, appropriate and permanent expression of the nexus of our two beloved traditions, Jewish and American, the perfect symbol for American Jewish celebrations for today and tomorrow."

About the Artist: Meryl Sheetz, has been involved in the jewelry, silversmithing and design fields for nearly twenty years. She attended The School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, New York earning a B.F.A. in silversmithing, and went on to Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia where she received a M.F.A. in metalsmithing with a minor in printmaking. She maintains a studio in Stamford, Connecticut.

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