Cut by hand, made with love: Noa Attias and the art of modern Judaica
Through intricate papercutting, Israeli artist Noa Attias transforms Jewish tradition, lifecycle and Jerusalem’s spirit into deeply personal works of Judaica.
For Noa Attias, papercutting is not merely an art form, it is a visual language through which Jewish life, memory, and tradition are preserved and reimagined.
Custom made Ketubah being displayed at a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony. (Courtesy)
Inspired by the Jewish life cycle, Noa’s intricate papercuts span from ketubahs and home blessings to challah boards, family trees, and ceremonial Judaica. Each piece bridges time-honored Jewish tradition with contemporary design, combining hand-cut precision, laser techniques, 24k gold accents, calligraphy, and watercolors to create works that feel both ancient and modern.
Noa’s artistic journey began more than 30 years ago while she was studying graphic design. For her graduation exhibition, she created a ketubah that immediately caught the attention of a visitor who asked to purchase it. “I was very surprised,” Noa recalls. “That was the moment I understood this was my calling.”
“I was very surprised,” Noa recalls. “That was the moment I understood this was my calling.”
Noa Attias. (Courtesy)
Following graduation, Noa worked in graphic design by day, while evenings were spent at home delicately cutting paper into complex, symbolic designs. Her devotion and craftsmanship soon gained international attention, drawing collectors, celebrities, and art enthusiasts from around the world. In 2007, she opened her full-time studio, dedicating herself entirely to the creation of Judaica that tells personal and collective Jewish stories.
Born in New York to a Zionist family, Noa made aliyah as an infant and grew up in Ra’anana and later Jerusalem, a city that continues to inspire her art. A mother of five, she lives near Modi’in with her husband, Yehuda, a volunteer paramedic and clinic manager at one of Israel’s largest urgent care centers. From her studio, Noa welcomes clients seeking original Judaica pieces or immersive papercutting workshops.
Jerusalem is a recurring presence in her work. Many papercuts feature the city’s skyline and iconic landmarks, including the Old City, the Western Wall, the windmill at Yemin Moshe, David’s Tower, and the Ramban Synagogue. Each year during Sukkot, her creations are featured in the main sukkah facing the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a testament to the deep spiritual resonance of her work.
‘Prayer for Israel’ in the map of Israel and the ‘Blessing of the Home’ including the landscape of Jerusalem and the seven species. (Courtesy)
Over her 30-year career, Noa has collected countless stories that reflect the emotional power of her art. She has been told by clients that her Challah board and Kiddush set are like “jewelry” for the Shabbat table. She once incorporated Arabic text into a ketubah for a Pakistani-American, non-Jewish couple who felt deeply connected to its meaning.
ketubah for a Pakistani-American, non-Jewish couple. (Courtesy)
Noa is sensitive to special requests. On another occasion, she included a couple’s beloved pets within their ketubah design. She also recalls creating a dramatic, one-meter-tall tempered glass artwork engraved with the words “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem” for a Jerusalem apartment, an installation that required multiple people to deliver and mount.
“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem” and a personalized Ketubah including pets. (Courtesy)
Noa’s art has universal appeal. Organizations commission Noa’s papercuts as honorarium gifts to world leaders, philanthropists, and public figures. Her pieces hang in private homes and public offices around the globe, serving as the cultural ambassadors for Jewish identity and Israeli artistry. Included among the organizations that have commissioned her work are United Hatzalah, World Wide Emunah, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Weizmann Institute, Haifa University, Artza and Lev HaOlam. A particularly meaningful moment for Noa was when her artwork was selected as a gift for the President of Germany.
Most of Noa’s clientele reside overseas, with her artwork shipped around the world several times a week. Despite the physical distance between them, Noa finds herself very close to her clients. She travels frequently to trade shows in the U.S. and conducts workshops worldwide. She says she sees her creations as more than just art. When she sends her pieces to clients, they function as ambassadors for Israel around the world. Each design has its own story and message that the recipients identify with. When it comes to ketubahs, Noa especially enjoys working personally with each client to choose the most appropriate text that reflects their unique story and religious beliefs.
Noa invites anyone interested in capturing their unique love story in a Ketubah, anyone seeking a modern piece of Israeli-made Judaica, or anyone interested in hosting one of her workshops worldwide to contact her personally. She believes every story deserves to be told and beautifully crafted into a work of art.
