A Colorful Kippa - from MayaWorks
by Michael HoffmanMonday, July 3rd, 2006
I am not spending a lot of time on the Bar Mitzvah circuit these days but as my oldest daughter gets to be of that age I expect to be at more of these events. One nice trend I have noticed here in the last year has been a blossoming of multi-colored kippot (yarmulkes) put out for guests. These woven head coverings are often put out on a table for guest who haven’t brought their own and I always make sure to grab a couple. These kippot are part courtesy and part mitzvah. Inside they usually say the name of the Bar Mitzvah boy or Bat Mitzvah girl and the name of the organization that supplied them, MayaWorks.
As it turns out, MayaWorks is a neighbor of ours in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. I had the pleasure of visiting them recently and their little warehouse/showroom. They are an example of a great, low overhead nonprofit that directly makes a difference in the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people.
What they do is organize groups of artisans in Guatemala into cooperatives that make traditional Guatemalan needlework products for sale in the US. This is an organization about women’s empowerment. It’s about products that are created outside the big corporate production machine that makes most of what we buy.
Most of MayaWorks sales are made through a network of 150 volunteers who host parties, usually once a year and often around the holidays. One of the things they are doing is bringing some of these artisans to Chicago for an event. Many of these women have never been to Guatemala City, not to mention being on an airplane. It should be a powerful experience for all those involved. I hope we will have a chance at some point to make a video for them showing the connection between these great products and the individuals who make them. In the meantime, buy something from them and you won’t be disappointed.
