‘Eve in the Garden’ is the only Judaica represented

By Sharon Wisch-Ray
July 31, 2026

For Rabbi Elyssa Joy Austerklein, creating a mezuzah is more than making a work of art — it is an opportunity to beautify a mitzvah.

That philosophy is on display this summer at ArtCentre of Plano, where Austerklein’s bronze mezuzah, “Eve in the Garden,” was selected for the juried Texas Sculpts V exhibition. The piece is the exhibition’s only work of Judaica among sculptures by 24 artists from across the state.

“I am honored to present something which fulfills hiddur mitzvah,” Austerklein said, referring to the Jewish concept of beautifying a commandment. “Beautifying the commandment of marking the doorposts of our homes.”

The exhibition, which opened July 11, continues through Aug. 29.

The 4-inch solid bronze mezuzah was created using the lost-wax casting process, in which Austerklein first carved the design in wax before a mold was made. The wax was melted away and molten bronze cast into the cavity, preserving every detail of the original carving.

The inspiration for creating mezuzot began more than a decade ago when Austerklein was searching for one for her infant son’s room.

“I was looking for the perfect mezuzah and just couldn’t find the right one,” she said.

Her grandmother Rosalie, z”l, an artist who worked in many media, had left Austerklein her metalworking tools. Using them, she created her first mezuzah — featuring a cat, an elephant and the Hebrew letter shin formed by a nest of birds — and discovered a new artistic passion. She has since continued creating mezuzot and sterling silver jewelry through lost-wax casting.

For “Eve in the Garden,” Austerklein envisioned the Garden of Eden as a lush tropical landscape. Eve gazes upward in contemplation of her Creator while the Hebrew letter shin, representing one of God’s names, Shaddai, emerges from the surrounding foliage as a reminder of God’s presence and protection.

Although displayed in the gallery without a scroll and not mounted on a doorway, the piece was designed as a functional mezuzah and can be used in a home in the traditional way.

While sculpture has earned her recent recognition, Austerklein considers herself “primarily and foremost a painter.”

The paintings visible in her artist portrait were completed this year and reflect themes she has been exploring since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Her work examines Jewish identity, the natural world and the idea of indigenousness — subjects she said have taken on deeper meaning in conversations about the Jewish people’s connection to the Land of Israel.

“As a Cuban Jew, exploring indigenousness is also interesting to me and how we can absorb surrounding culture in even one generation,” she said.

One recent painting depicts Israel’s national bird, the hoopoe, surrounded by anemone coronaria, Israel’s national flower, as a symbol of hope.

“Hope and resilience are very powerful tools which I believe are embedded in the experience of creating art,” she said.

Austerklein said her artistic journey has unfolded alongside her roles as a rabbi, wife and mother. She and her husband, Hazzan Matt Austerklein of Congregation Anshai Torah, are the parents of two children. Although family and congregational responsibilities have sometimes left less time for creating art, she said she and her children have always made art together.

 During the past year, she has exhibited work in an Ohio gallery and participated in two juried Texas exhibitions, experiences she says have helped her rediscover her artistic voice.

“It reminds me that many people are full of talents that they don’t always pursue and that at any moment we can reignite our passions and share them with the world,” she said.

In addition to her visual art, Austerklein teaches and leads services at Congregation Anshai Torah. She recently led a Tisha B’Av text- and arts-based workshop, “Fracture and Growth,” and will begin a five-session course on the mysticism of the Hebrew letters this fall, combining Jewish text study with hands-on art projects.

Texas Sculpts V is on view through Aug. 29 at ArtCentre of Plano, 902 E. 16th St.