An Arab-Israeli design student has won a prestigious competition to design a mezuzah for a new £100 million Magen David Adom building.

Muhammad Saadi, 23, who is in his final year at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, beat 14 other contestants to have his design placed in the entrances of MDA’s state-of-the-art Marcus National Blood and Logistics Centre in Ramla.

The mezuzah, made from blown glass, is in the blue and white colours of the Israeli flag, with the colour blue also representing the sky and heaven.

Mr Saadi told the JC: “According to the Jewish religion, the mezuzah’s purpose is to always remind those of faith of the constant presence of God, and the understanding that He provides his protection over us as well.

“Based on this understanding, I was inspired to design a mezuzah that maybe gave the feeling of heavenly protection over us all.”

cut Screenshot 2022-10-11 at 12.33.34

The winning design

Following advice from a rabbi, Mr Saadi’s original design in the shape of an eye — representing God watching over all those who enter the Blood Centre — shifted to a more abstract resemblance.

Mr Saadi, who comes from the Arabic village of Iksal in northern Israel, moved to Jerusalem to pursue his passion for art and design. He said: “The art culture barely exists in my hometown, so choosing an unconventional field to pursue a career in wasn’t easy.

"But the Bezalel Academy is very diverse. My religious background has implanted beautiful values in me which are portrayed through my work”

Last month, Mr Saadi attended a high profile event hosted by the Bloomberg media company at MDA’s London headquarters.

“This was my first time entering a competition and my first opportunity to display my work outside Israel. To be acknowledged in this way, feels really wonderful,” he said.

MDA UK chief executive Daniel Burger said: “When Michael Bloomberg opened the MDA’s Jerusalem station in his father’s memory, he praised MDA’s ‘spirit of volunteerism and its unwavering commitment to treat all people equally’ regardless of race or religion.

“Now, a decade later, that is being evidenced through the work of Muhammad Saadi.”
The new centre in Ramla opened in May and, according to its website,“will guarantee Israel’s blood supply in the face of rapid population growth, the ongoing threat of terrorism and the increasingly complex risks of cyber-attack”.

Mr Saadi’s art can be seen on Instagram at m.saadi_glass and at saadimohmad1.wixsite.com/saadiglass