With Passover behind us, next week begins the month of Iyyar, and that means we’re already on the next set of holidays and observances, known in Jewish day school circles (and elsewhere) as “the Yoms”:

• Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day (27th of Nisan, this year falling on April 24, yesterday)
• Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day (4th of Iyyar, this year falling on April 30)
• Yom HaAtzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day (5th of Iyyar, this year falling on May 1)

So, on the topic of your community’s upcoming Yom HaAtzma’ut celebration, I’m going to showcase yet another item I never would have guessed would become a cornerstone of my Etsy shop… custom printed temporary tattoos in Hebrew.

In 2022, I had already been creating tattoo designs in Hebrew for several years, mostly as custom work, and I posted a couple of successful designs in my Etsy shop as digital downloads only. Then in 2023, after fielding multiple requests, I started offering a Custom Hebrew Tattoo Design as a digital product, where I would translate your desired phrase and supply it in your choice of typeface, and that was that for a while.

Then one week, I had two different buyers say “Gee I thought I would receive a temporary decal, how am I supposed to get this on my body?” I’m like “er, with needles and ink, I assumed?” but then I thought, well, is this something I can offer?

So I looked into it, and it turns out you can buy laser-printable tattoo paper on Amazon. I bought a couple different brands to test out, but they all seem to be essentially the same: a sheet of paper that you print on, and a sheet of plastic-backed adhesive film that you peel off and apply to the decal paper.

Tips and tricks for creating the decals:

• Important note: your desired image has to be mirrored, meaning flipped horizontally, before you print it! I’ve wasted many sheets by forgetting this crucial step.
• I cut the sheets in half before I print them. This makes it easier to print small batches without wasting any space, but it also makes the adhesive sheet easier to apply without skewing or flopping around.
• Print-it-yourself tattoo paper doesn’t come out exactly like the temp tattoo decals you can buy at Party City or whatnot. You can see the clear film of the adhesive around the edge of the printing. It’s best to trim the decal with scissors fairly close to the design before you apply it. After application, you can dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently “erase” the edges; this is also good maintenance once it begins to look dingy around the edges after a few days.

Directions for application (this is what I send to buyers with my decal orders):

1. Peel off the clear backing.
2. Place the tattoo image face down on your skin in the desired position.
3. Moisten the backing paper of the tattoo with a wet cloth or sponge until it is fully saturated.
4. Apply gentle pressure for 30 seconds.
5. Slide the backing paper off slowly.
6. Rub the finished tattoo with your finger to improve adhesion to the skin.

Your tattoo may last up to a week with normal bathing. To remove sooner, wipe with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball or tissue. Don’t scrub it off, it isn’t necessary and just irritates your skin. (obligatory Jewish mom warning)

Besides the custom Hebrew temporary tattoos, I have added a number of stock phrases for sale as either digital downloads or temp tattoo decals, since they are commonly requested:

• Am Yisrael Chai (the nation of Israel lives) – available as a straight line of text or some more decorative layouts
• Eitz chayim hi (it is a tree of life – a well-known phrase referring to the Torah)
• Gam zeh ya’avor (this too shall pass)
• Gam zu l’tova (this too is for the good)
• Hakarat ha-tov (gratitude)
• Hineni (here I am)
• Od nirkod shuv (we will dance again – a rallying cry after the October 7th massacres in Israel)
• Tikkun Olam (repairing the world)

One of the interesting things about this venture is that I get as many Christian customers as Jewish ones. Most people don’t identify themselves outright as one or the other, and I don’t make my assumptions based on their names (although sometimes the names are pretty unambiguous!), but rather by the wording they use and the phrases they ask for. If you ask for “tikkun olam”, “zachor” or “l’dor va-dor” – pretty obviously Jewish or Jewish-adjacent. If you ask for “family”, “freedom”, “light the darkness”, or “never forget” – 99% likely Jewish. If you ask for “shepherd”, “redeemed”, or “daughter of the king” – Christian. I’ve also had a number of buyers identify themselves to me as Christians but fellow travelers supporting Israel or finding meaning in Hebrew texts, and I’m all for that. Either way, friends, I will do my best to help you out!

PS: It is commonly known, or at least asserted, that Jewish law prohibits tattooing. The halachic status is actually a bit complex, so I urge you to consult your local rabbi if you have questions. I’m not giving or denying permission to anyone, I’m just creating artwork for people to use as they see fit. However, as far as I know there are no Jewish religious restrictions on the use of temporary tattoo decals, so order away on these!

PPS: Boston friends, as you read this I’m getting on an airplane to attend a bar mitzvah in Cambridge for Parshat Shmini… either I’ll see you there, or please let me know where else I can see you!