25 Years Ago, Grandma Sewed One-of-a-Kind Hanukkah-Themed Barbies for Her Granddaughters. Now They're Going Viral (Exclusive)
To make the doll, Lily Kravetz says her grandma used her old-school Singer sewing machine
Earlier this month, Lily Kravetz and her cousin Nina opened their phones to a text from their grandma Nancy, an 87-year-old painter and contemporary artist
The message contained an old photo of one-of-a-kind Hanukkah Barbies Nancy had created for her granddaughters 25 years ago
After receiving the text from her grandma reminding her of the Hanukkah Barbie, Kravetz decided to post a video of it. Since then, the video has gone viral, amassing more than 50,000 views and hundreds of comments
Lily Kravetz said it best: If you haven't seen this Hanukkah Barbie before, it's because there are only two in the world, thanks to her grandma, Nancy.
Earlier this month, the 30-year-old graphic designer who lives in Brooklyn, New York, and her cousin Nina opened their phones to a text from their grandma, an 87-year-old painter and contemporary artist. The message contained an old photo of Barbie dolls that Nancy had transformed into one-of-a-kind creations for the women 25 years ago.
"I know she always uses voice-to-text," Kravetz tells PEOPLE exclusively. "So when I get her texts, I can hear them because I know she's using voice-to-text. I just thought the opening line, 'Barbies are in fashion again,' was so cute because her understanding of these new pop culture references and how they cycle through time is really sweet and interesting."
Looking back, Kravetz, who grew up in Phoenix, says that she doesn't specifically remember getting the Hanukkah Barbie — or even asking for one. But for as long as she can remember, she knew it existed.
"I know it impacted my Jewish identity," she continues. "I didn't really have this conception of being 'other,' even though I was one of only two Jewish kids in my school in Phoenix. But I was very comfortable with and proud of my Jewish identity because my grandma made it so easy, with things like this doll and Shabbat dinners."
"I don't know where my cousin Nina keeps hers, but mine is definitely still at my dad's house in Phoenix," she adds of the dolls.
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To make the doll, Kravetz says her grandma used her old-school Singer sewing machine — the one with a built-in table — which she's been using for around 60 years.
With the machine, she made two outfits for the dolls: a cooking outfit and a party outfit, and also transformed the interior of the signature pink box with Hanukkah-related decorations, including a menorah and a customized tablecloth. The cooking outfit is a little apron with a Jewish star on it, and the party dress is a classic fifties cocktail dress with a Jewish star and menorah pattern.
"She told me the dress was harder to make than an actual adult dress because of how small and intricate it was," Kravetz says.
"She used to do little sewing classes with my cousins, and we made little pillows and stuff. The sewing machine was always purring," Kravetz adds.
Recently, Kravetz began sharing her grandma's artwork on TikTok. After receiving the text from her grandma reminding her of the Hanukkah Barbie, she decided to post a video of it. Since then, the video has gone viral, amassing more than 50,000 views and hundreds of comments.
"I love this so much 💙 nothing like a Jewish grandma 🥹👏," one user commented.
"Stop!! That is so well done?? The Hanukkah fabric is toooo cute💕," another person wrote.
Someone else said, "I could not tell that was homemade, it's so cute."
After the video took off, Kravetz showed her grandma, who was shocked by all the positive comments.
"She couldn't believe it," Kravetz says. "She's like, '50,000? That can't be right.' But she's just so excited, and honestly, she's so happy. She creates every day, and she'd be happy with or without her work in a museum. So she was just excited that people are interested in her creations and her story."
"I feel like Judaism is a huge part of her as a person and an artist," Kravetz adds. "She has a beautiful collage called Sabbath Bride that's meant to look like lace and incorporates different components of Jewish ritual items."
"I believe that everything my grandma made is going to appreciate in value over time because I think she's going to become a famous artist, and that's my goal," Kravetz continues. "So I'm definitely going to keep the Barbie in the family and pass it down to my kids if I have them."
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