Kosher Symbols [1–148] is a printed catalog and formal exploration of collected kosher certification symbols from around the world. Kosher symbols arose as a direct result of the industrialization of food production in the early twentieth century. This new reality created a need for independent organizations to oversee the food production process to ensure that kosher dietary laws were observed in a factory setting. This gave rise to hundreds and then thousands of graphic icons that, when placed on food packaging, indicate the approval and supervision of a specific kosher certification agency. Taken individually, these symbols symbols can seem arbitrary or mundane; yet when viewed as a collection, themes begin to emerge that reflect a collective consciousness about how Jewish designers have chosen to formally represent the values of their culture.
Kosher Symbols [1–148] brings into view how symbols themselves originate, how they are shaped and transformed over time, and the processes through which they are distributed and reinforced. By studying this unique relationship between religion, culture, graphic design, industrial production, and history, the catalog reveals a story that at its core asks: how do a culture’s designed artifacts represent its values? Humble and meaningful, the collected kosher symbols exist as “an archaeological record of the Jewish psyche.” (Ellen Frankel, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols)