Hanukkah gift art has one advantage over most holiday presents: it stays. The candles burn for eight nights and the wrapping paper is gone by morning, but a menorah painting keeps the light of the festival on the wall all year. This guide covers how to choose an original menorah painting as a Hanukkah gift, using the two menorah works in Chaya Koritz‘s collection as examples, and how to plan the timing when the painting ships from Israel.
Start with the date, not the painting
In 2026, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Friday 4 December, and the eighth candle is lit on Friday 11 December. Chaya Koritz’s original paintings are packaged and shipped from Israel, and the FAQ says delivery times depend on your location and the shipping method. There is no fixed delivery date to plan around, so ask first. Leave your contact details on the site, say where the painting needs to go and by when, and one of the studio’s art associates will contact you by phone or email to discuss the order.
If the painting cannot arrive in time for the first night, you can still give it on the night itself: a printed photo of the painting inside a card, with the original following later, is a gift in its own right.
Two original menorah paintings to start with
The Contemporary Menorah Art collection on the site lists two original paintings. Both are acrylic on canvas, and both treat the menorah as light rather than as an object.
Living Light: Contemporary Judaica Art
Living Light: Contemporary Judaica Art measures 90×80 cm (35×32 in). Chaya describes it as a painting of “not just a menorah, but the energy it radiates”: the candles glow and the brushstrokes move as if the flames were swaying. On the painting’s page she writes that the menorah represents for her “not only the miracle of Chanukah but the enduring inner light of the Jewish people”. It suits a living room, an office or a sacred space, so it works for a recipient whose home you do not know well.
Jerusalem Beneath the Light of the Menorah
Jerusalem Beneath the Light of the Menorah measures 70×90 cm (28×35 in). A great menorah rises above the skyline and casts a soft light over the rooftops and domes below. The palette is muted golds, pale blues and soft lavenders, chosen, in Chaya’s words, because the scene she imagined “was not dramatic, but deeply peaceful”. It is the natural choice for someone with a bond to Jerusalem: a family who lived there, a child studying there, or grandparents who visit every year.
If the menorah is not quite right
Hanukkah is about light, and several of Chaya’s Jerusalem paintings are built around it. In Golden Jerusalem – Strength, Spirit, and Sacred Beauty (80×140 cm, 32×55 in, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas) she used gold leaf across the walls and rooftops of the city to honour the golden glow of Jerusalem. It is a larger piece, better for a recipient with a wide wall above a sofa or sideboard.
Check the size against their wall
Chaya’s originals range from 70×90 cm to 100×150 cm, so none of them is a small object you can slip onto any shelf. Before you choose, find out roughly where the painting would hang. If that is impossible without spoiling the surprise, the two menorah paintings are among the smaller works in the collection and fit most living room walls. Our guide on what size painting suits your wall shows how to measure.
The FAQ notes that the studio offers giclee prints and hand-embellished prints of a curated selection of Chaya’s most popular works, but not of every painting. If you are considering a print, ask whether one exists for the painting you like. The differences are explained in Original Painting or Giclee Print?
Who a menorah painting suits
A few situations where this gift lands well:
- A couple lighting candles in their own home for the first time. Their first Hanukkah together is a moment they will remember, and the painting stays with them afterwards. Our Jewish wedding gift art guide covers choosing for a couple.
- Parents or grandparents who host the family every year. The painting hangs where the family gathers on every Hanukkah that follows.
- A family gift. An original painting makes a substantial present, and siblings or a group of friends can give it together.
Framing and care
For international orders, paintings and prints are shipped rolled, and the FAQ recommends framing in the recipient’s country. In Israel, the studio can offer framing. A painting can be sent framed, but that significantly increases the shipping cost. If the gift goes abroad, consider including a voucher for a local framer, or let the recipient choose a frame.
To care for the painting, keep it out of direct sunlight and high humidity, and dust it gently with a soft, dry cloth. Our guide on how to light Judaic art at home explains how to show the colours and gold leaf at their best without harming them. If a painting arrives damaged, the FAQ asks you to contact the studio within 7 days with photos.
Want something made for them?
Chaya also paints commissioned paintings for homes and for sacred spaces such as synagogues. A commission starts with a description of the space, the subject and the colours you have in mind. If you hope to give a commission for Hanukkah, ask the studio about timing before you promise a date.
To ask about either menorah painting or delivery before 4 December, get in touch with Chaya Koritz’s studio and tell us who the gift is for and where it needs to go.
