PESACH PUNK

Meet Pesach Punk, my newest costume / character project. She's my wearable interpretation of Passover's Angel of Death, inspired by the aesthetics, attitude, and sound of early London punk. My version of this divine figure, traditionally associated with murder and loss, is a rebellious, feminist, passionately anti-Zionist leftist activist. Angry, righteous, and determined, Pesach Punk is pained by many of the broader Jewish community’s actions and beliefs, as well as her outsider status.

The Angel of Death, in the Passover story, visits the homes of non-Jews in Egypt and slaughters each household’s firstborn son, as one of God’s ten plagues designed to punish the Pharoah for keeping his Jewish population as slaves. In imagining my version of the Angel, I thought of the horror of her having to complete this brutal, bloody, cruel task, and the rage she must have felt being assigned such a dreadful job. The punk movement, with its inherent rebelliousness and anger, felt like the only right option for this character.

it took me nearly a year to construct the headpiece, make dozens of punk paper flowers, design the full look, and adorn the jacket and pants with hundreds of spikes and studs, each one attached by hand. Note the matzo print fabric on both the crown and pants, and the custom designed t-shirt. The choice of green for the mohawk references both the traditional color of that punk style, and Passover’s marking of the beginnings of spring.

I directed and starred as Pesach Punk in a short musical film, titled “Die(ayenu).” It’s a dark, ragefull, leftist take on the classic Passover tune. I’m thrilled to announce Die(ayenu) had its word premiere at the 2025 Philly Jewish Film Festival, and will screen in the 2026 XXIII Punta del Este Jewish Film Festival

Want to rock a “Next Year in Jail” T-shirt yourself? Great news! Thanks to HEEB Media, you can now pre-order this shirt, in your preferred size. CLICK HERE to see the size options and grab yours! 70% of each purchase will go to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, a wonderful NGO offering free medical care to injured and ill children in Gaza and the West Bank.

Buying this shirt not only offers the chance to publicly express your rage at Bibi, but also does real, needed good for the most vulnerable victims of Israel's ongoing violence. I hope you'll click the link above to add it to your wardrobe. It's a mitzvah!

All portraits photographed by Emily Teague, with makeup by Alicia D’Angelo. T-shirt Graphic design by Jenna Koen.