Kosher Symbols [1–148]

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. Thus 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 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] is Bentzion Goldman’s thesis project, completed during his senior year at Parsons School of Design. The project was overseen by YuJune Park of Synoptic Office.

The publication uses Druk Medium for the table of contents and for section headers. The indexing is set in Atlas Grotesk Regular. The body copy as well as section cross-references are set in Plantin MT.