Zissil - User contributions [en]

Tallis-and-Tefillin-Bags

2013-06-06T12:44:20Z

Tzaftisha: A tallis and a pair of tefilin are Jewish ritual objects which are placed in a suitable pouch bag when not in use. These tallis and tefillin bag sets are available in a variety of materials and designs and are priced accordingly.

{{Infobox
|title = Tallis and Tefillin Bags
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Tallis and Tefillin Bags]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = Wide range to suit all tastes
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = Simple to elaborate
|header5 =Description:
|data6 =There are a wide range of tallis and tefillin bag styles to suit all tastes and pocketbooks}}

A tallis and a pair of tefilin are Jewish ritual objects which are placed in a suitable pouch bag when not in use. These tallis and tefillin bag sets are available in a variety of materials and designs and are priced accordingly.

=Tallis and Tefillin Bags=
Tallit and tefillin bag pouch sets are used by Jewish observant men to keep these ritual items in good order and to protect them from damage both spiritual and physical. They come in a range of styles and materials from traditional velvet to cowhide fur. These pouch sets are often given as gifts for ceremonial rites of passage like a boy’s Bar Mitzvah or his wedding.
==Types of Tallis & Tefillin bags==
The choice of tefillin and tallis bags available ranges from luxury pouch sets, executive style bags suitable for the busy professional, or simple bags for the new Bar Mitzvah boy, making it difficult to choose. However all types of tefilin and tallit bags can be personalized, often with the man’s Hebrew name written in embroidery, so that they are easy to pick out from the crowd. With the many types of materials and styles available, many people choose to buy online from Israeli companies to support the economy.
===Velvet===
[[Velvet Tallit and Tefillin Bags|Velvet]] tefillin and tallit bags, often in a deep rich blue, are very traditional and easy to personalize. They enable the user to blend in in any synagogue and are reasonably priced. They are very popular and are often given as a gift for the new Bar Mitzvah boy.

===Suede===
[[Suede Tallit and Tefillin Bags|Suede]] is considered to be a luxury fabric at the high-end of the market and makes excellent pouch sets for tefilin and tallits. These types of bags are soft and flexible lasting longer than cloth but are more subject to staining, which means it is important to keep these sets in a protective cover.
===Leather===
Bags made of [[Leather Tallit and Tefillin Bags| leather]] also give a luxury high-end look and are extremely long-lasting. These pouch sets, especially those with handles, are ideal for the busy business man who needs to have an easy-to-carry smart bag to take on his travels.
===Needlepoint===
For the creative type it is possible to make a very unique gift – a [[Needlepoint Tallit and Tefillin Bags|needlepoint]] tefilin and tallis bag set. This ancient craft is also known as canvas embroidery. There are many kits available for the inexperienced, while the expert craftsperson can design and produce a needlepoint pouch set that is truly one-of-a-kind.

===Silk===
[[Silk Tallit and Tefillin Bags|Silk]], a natural fibre, is a fabric that makes for a high-end bag set for tallit and tefillin. Coordinated with a matching silk skull cap and prayer shawl makes an ideal gift for a chatan (groom), or for someone who travels a lot, as the combination is extremely lightweight.

===Cowhide Fur===
Raw [[Raw Cowhide Fur Tallit and Tefillin Bags|cowhide fur]] talis and tefilin pouch bags are very popular in the Chassidic world, as they have a smart appearance with the fur on the outside giving a look similar to the sable fur hats worn on Shabbat and other holy days. Raw cowhide fur is very strong, and long lasting, and of course each set is individual, as no two animal hides are the same.
==Tallit and Tefillin Bag Covers==
Putting tallit and tefilin bags into another bag may seem redundant, but many people chose one type of bag or another to protect their pouch sets from the elements and make them easy to transport.
===Plastic===
Clear [[Plastic Tallit and Tefillin Bag Covers|plastic]] covers for tefilin and tallis bags are very common and are easy to carry under the arm. They protect the pouch sets from the elements and can be cheaply replaced if they get damaged. These plastic covers are usually large enough to hold a prayer book or two as well as the tallit and tefillin pouch sets.

===Tote Bags===
[[Tallit and Tefillin Tote Bags|Tote]] bags are a smart professional solution for the Jewish observant business man to carry his tallit and tefilin bag set. The tote bags come with a choice of handle and strap and they are small enough to count as part of an airplane carry-on luggage allowance.
==Tallit and Tefillin Bag Standard Sizes==
In previous generations very small tefilin were common, while nowadays most tefilin come in a regular standard size. There are a couple of exceptions though. Rabbanue Tam tefilin, often worn by men in Hassidic groups in addition to regular (Rashi) tefilin is one, and Chabad tefillin, which tends to be slightly larger than typical tefilin is another. It is therefore important when buying bag sets to check which size or type of tefilin the person uses to make sure to get the right size or number of tefilin bags. Tallits also vary in size,depending both on custom and the person's height, so a larger tallit bag is a prudent choice.
==Tallit and Tefillin Bags Designs==
[[Tallit and Tefillin Bags Designs|Designs]] of tallit and tefillin bags range from extremely plain and simple, to very individual elaborate one-of-a-kind artistic pieces. With today’s manufacturing techniques even the simplest traditional design can be personalized, while modern designs often have matching tallit and kippot. The amount of choice available means that it is easy to choose something that even the most discriminating man about town will approve of.

===Chabad Tallit and Tefillin Bags===
Members of the [[Chabad Tallit and Tefillin Bags|Chabad]] movement have their own unique style and many choose to have a design of the movement’s headquarters building in Crown Heights, New York on their tallit and tefilin bags.
==Tallit and Tefillin Bag Manufacturers==
There are a number of tallit and tefillin bag [[Tallit and Tefillin Bag Manufacturers|manufacturers]], especially in Israel. They range from companies that offer individual hand crafted bag sets, to ones that use the latest automated technology to produce their goods. Many offer physical or virtual guided tours of their premises as well as enabling customers to buy in person or online.

Yair-Emanuel

2013-05-24T12:22:58Z

Tzaftisha: Yair Emanuel is a contemporary Judaica artist designer of a wide range of products, especially in raw silk, and his work is so popular it has been faked.

{{Infobox
|title = Yair Emanuel
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Yair Emanuel]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Kibbutz Shaalvim
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Jerusalem
|header5 = Jewish Artist:
|data6 = Commercial Judaica Designer
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = Produces popular contemporary Judaica working in decorated wood and textiles, especially painted silk.}}

Yair Emanuel is a contemporary Judaica artist designer who studied at Bezelel Art Academy and now works from his [[Emanuel Judaica Art Studio|studio workshop]] in Jerusalem. His work is so popular all over the world that it has even been faked.

==Background==
Yair Emanuel was born on Kibbutz Shaalvim, a religious kibbutz in central Israel. His orthodox family later moved to Jerusalem where he grew up. Even though he now has a more liberal perspective on Judaism, Yair’s religious upbringing still influences his art and design.

==Themes==
Yair Emanuel went to the prestigious ''Bezelel Academy of Art and Design'' to study art. Since leaving art school he has developed his own style, working mostly in wood and textiles, especially silk. He also paints on raw silk, using appliqué and embroidery to produce the effects he wants. He uses Jewish themes such as the biblical seven species:- wheat, barley, grapes, olives, figs, pomegranates and dates as inspiration for his designs. Yair Emanuel's designs are also influenced by his location - Jerusalem, the city of gold, the holy city.

==Wood and Textiles==
Yair designs both ritual religious objects in decorated painted wood such as Chanukah menorahs, Havdalah sets, Challah boards and Kiddush cups, in addition to regular tableware like bowls and napkin rings. His textiles, like his silk tallits, kippot in a variety of fabrics, and decorative tapestry wall hangings, have made him extremely popular. Yair Emanuel is now considered one of the foremost contemporary Judaic designers.
==Tallit and Tefillin Bags==
Yair Emanuel also offers a wide choice of tefilin and tallit bags that complement or match his tallits. Yair offers everything from his signature pomegranate designs in raw silk to traditional velvet pouch sets. These distinctive bag sets are available in machine or hand embroidery, appliquéd, and even quilted tallit and tefilin pouch sets in a range of materials, colors and choice of designs.
==Illegal Copies==
Yair Emanuel's work is so popular that it has been forged. In 2006 the Jerusalem High Court awarded Emanuel a substantial award, 140,000 shekels (approx $35,000) against a company that copied 27 of his Judaica items, thereby stealing his intellectual property rights.

==Studio Workshop==
Yair Emanuel is a designer and creative artist producing excellent modern usable Judaica from his [[Emanuel Judaica Art Studio|studio workshop]] in Jerusalem. According to tradition, a Jew is supposed to donate money to charity (tzedakah) and contribute to society. One of the ways Emanuel does this is by employing a variety of people in his workshop, manufacturing his unique Judaic designs, who might otherwise find it difficult to locate suitable employment. Many workers in his studio have mental disabilities or are new immigrants to Israel. Yair also gives a percentage of his profits to charity (tzedakah).

Aside from running his successful commercial business from his Jerusalem studio, Emanuel also has an online presence so that people world wide can see and buy his popular designs, knowing they are getting the real thing.

[[Category:Jewish Art]]

Galilee-Silks

2013-05-24T11:57:45Z

Tzaftisha: Galilee Silks hand-makes painted silk tallit with matching pouch and kippot as well as a variety of women's fashion in an atelier in Northern Israel.

{{Infobox
|title = Galilee Silks
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Galilee Silks]]
|header1 = Founded:
|data2 = 1992
|header3 = Founder:
|data4 = Shlomit Azati
|header5 = Designer:
|data6 = Hadara Zaks
|header7 = Location:
|data8 = Kibbutz Beit HaEmek, Western Galilee, Israel
|header9 = Award:
|data10 = Certificate of Merit - Kibbutz Movement
|header11 = Description:
|data12 = A woman run company that handmakes beautiful hand-painted silk Judaica as well as unique women's fashion.}}

'''Galilee Silks''', a multimillion shekel business, hand-makes painted silk tallit and kippot as well as a variety of women's fashion in an atelier in Northern Israel.

==The Company==
Galilee Silks is based on ''Kibbutz Beit HaEmek'' in the Western Galilee, in Northern Israel. It was founded by kibbutz member ''Shlomit Azati'' in 1992 as a small one-woman enterprise. Now a thriving business with an annual turnover of over 2 million shekels, it offers a wide variety of hand-painted and handmade traditional silk Judaica as well as women's fashion items. These individual fabrics range from tablecloths, Shabbat and Festival items including tallitim for both men and women, to floating silk jackets and scarves.

==Background==
Shlomit Azati originally worked in the kibbutz clinic as a nurse. Her background as treasurer in the ''Noar HaOved'' youth movement together with various business courses, gave her the foundation to run a successful business. Her desire to do something artistic came from her needing to travel regularly to Tel Aviv to visit her mother during her last illness.
Partly as a relief from being surrounded by sickness, Shlomit took the opportunity to take handicraft classes with ''Batya Uziel''. Uziel is one of Israel’s premier arts and crafts teachers, and many well-known Israeli artists studied with her including [[David Gerstein|David Gerstein]].

After her mother passed away, Shlomit Azati decided that she wanted to do something more creative. She then persuaded the kibbutz committee to let her take a small workshop on the kibbutz and turn it into a studio. Shlomit began to work with silk, designing and painting scarves, and very soon the business took off. Today she runs it together with ''Hadara Zaks'', a designer who graduated from ''Oranim Academic College''.

==The Process==
The Galilee Silks factory, which is more like a traditional ''atelier'' than a conventional factory, employs around 20 trained creative women artists who hand paint raw silk before turning the colored silk into beautiful products.

First raw silk is dyed white, before being stretched on a frame. The silk is then hand painted, processed and fixed before being left to dry for about two days. It is then cut and made into a wide variety of items. Since everything is hand-painted and handmade, no two products are exactly alike.

===Tallit & Tefillin Bags===
Along with their beautiful silk tallits, Galilee Silks produce excellent pouch sets to match. Like the rest of their products, these tefilin and tallit bags are exquisitely hand-made.

===Artisans===
Galilee Silks artisans are a mix of women members of the kibbutz, some of whom are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and Arab women from the neighboring villages.

==The Kibbutz==
Around 400 people live on Kibbutz Beit HaEmek which was founded in 1949. Like many other kibbutzim it is diversifying away from the traditional kibbutz format. Apart from the Galilee Silks company, it has another claim to fame. ''Sacha Baron Cohen'', the comedian, known for his various TV and film roles such as ''Ali G'' and ''Borat'', was a volunteer on the kibbutz in the late 80’s.

==Award==
Galilee Silks has support from ''The Fund for the Promotion of Overseas Marketing'', the ''Israel Export Institute'' and the ''Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor''. A few years ago Shlomit Azati was awarded a certificate of merit by the ''Kibbutz Movement Department for the Advancement of Women''.

Group tours of the kibbutz and the Galilee Silks factory are available by appointment. Galilee Silks products are also available in a wide range of international stores and online.

[[Category:Jewish Art]]
[[Category:Judaica]]

Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bag-Manufacturers

2013-05-24T11:02:59Z

Tzaftisha: Tefilin and Tallit bag manufacturers produce everything from a traditional velvet bag for a Bar Mitzvah boy to the ultra-modern tote style bag that is perfect for the busy travelling executive.

{{Infobox
|title = Tallit and Tefillin Bag Manufacturers
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Tallit & Tefillin Bag Manufacturers]]
|header1 = Location:
|data2 = Various
|header3 = Description:
|data4 = produce a wide range of tefillin and tallit bags from very simple affordable bags, to highly personal one-off creations by individual artists.}}

'''Tefilin and Tallit bag manufacturers''' produce everything from a traditional velvet bag for a Bar Mitzvah boy to the ultra-modern tote style bag that is perfect for the busy travelling executive.
==Manufacturers==
There are a wide variety of tallit and tefillin bag manufacturers, many of whom are based in Israel. These manufacturers usually offer other Judaica textile products like tallits together with their tallit and tefilin bags. This makes it very easy for people wanting to give chatan or bar mitzvah gifts to get the tallit, the pouch set and a kippa (skullcap) all to match. Many people choose to buy these pouch sets from Israeli companies in person or online to support the Israeli economy.
==Manufacturing Processes==
The main difference between manufacturers is how much of a mechanized process they use in the manufacturing of the material to make the bags. Some companies use only hand-woven material in craft workshops and personalized by hand, which make their products much more expensive than manufacturers that use automated machinery.
Other manufacturers use a variety of different materials to make their tallit and tefilin bags automating the process as much as possible. This enables the user to get a good quality bag set at a very reasonable price whether they prefer a traditional velvet bag or a more sturdy leather or cowhide fur set.
== Manufacturers of Hand-Made Sets==
Manufacturers of handmade tallit and tefilin bags in Israel include [[Galilee Silks|Galilee Silks]], [[Rikmat Elimelech|Rikmat Elimelech]], and [[Yair Emanuel|Yair Emanuel]] as well as a variety of high-end products made by individual textile artists. There are also a variety of kits available which mean that someone can make or personalize a pouch set as a gift.
==Tours and Online==
Many companies offer guided tours of their premises, explain the whole process, and enable these tourists to buy personalized products at the end of their visit. There are also virtual online tours, and of course you can order an individualized gift pouch set online.

Gallery-Alexander

2013-04-17T18:04:01Z

Tzaftisha: Gallery Alexander is an Israeli textile company which produces a wide range of Judaic textiles including tefilin and tallit pouches.

{{Infobox
|title = Gallery Alexander
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Gallery Alexander]]
|header1 = Founded:
|data2 = 1898, Poland
|header3 = Location:
|data4 = Israel
|header5 = Description:
|data6 = an Israeli textile company that produces a wide range of Judaica}}
'''Gallery Alexander''' is an Israeli textile company which produces a wide range of Judaic textiles including tefilin and tallit pouches.
==The Company==
The Gallery Alexander textile company which produces a range of Judaica was originally founded in Poland in 1898. It is now based in Israel and all aspects of production and design process is carried out locally by its dedicated small staff of fifteen. Gallery Alexander probably offers the largest selection of Judaic textile items produced in Israel from tallits and kippot to tallit and tefilin bags.
==Tallit and Tefilin Bags==
One of Gallery Alexander signature designs for a tallit and tefilin pouch set is an outline of the city of Jerusalem in a circular motif with the word tallit or tefilin written in Hebrew. This design is available in suede or velvet and is very distinctive. The company offers a wide range of other styles and themes to suit all tastes including one using a crown design which appeals to Cohenim known as the ''Kehunah (Priesthood'') series. As everything is made in Israel, a tallit and tefilin pouch set from Gallery Alexander also enables the purchaser to support the Israeli economy.

Rikmat-Elimelech

2013-04-17T17:55:40Z

Tzaftisha: The Rikmat Elimelech company in Israel produces a wide range of embroidered and handwoven Judaica including tallit and tefilin bags in unusual colors and designs.

{{Infobox
|title = Rikmat Elimelech
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Rikmat Elimelech]]
|header1 = Founded:
|data2 = 1949
|header5 = Location:
|data6 = Moshav Kfar Pines, Northern Israel
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = a company producing handwoven Judaica on a moshav in Israel}}
The '''Rikmat Elimelech''' company in Israel produces a wide range of embroidered and handwoven Judaica including tallit and tefilin bags in unusual colors and designs.
==The Company==
The Rikmat Elimelech company is located on the Kfar Pines moshav, which is part of the Menashe Regional Council in northern Israel, near Haifa. The moshav was founded in 1933 before the establishment of the State of Israel and is home to some 100 families. The company produces a wide range of hundreds of both traditional and modern Judaica products and offers tours of the plant to visiting groups. Rikmat Elimelech was founded in 1949 by Elimelech Shweitze who was an embroidery artist. Many of the company’s products have vivid colors and embroidery appealing to men and women alike.
==Tallit and Tefilin Bags==
Rikmat Elimelech produces handwoven tallit together with matching kippot and tallit and tefilin pouch sets. In addition to producing pure silk products, the company also uses a special combination of silk and wool to produce a strong woven cloth with a soft feel. Designs vary from traditional black or blue and white to softer more modern designs using gentle colors like grey, purple or pink. Rikmat Elimelech also produces tefilin and tallit bags made of silk or suede with a variety of designs embroidered on the top of the pouch. All designs can of course be personalized with the person’s name in Hebrew. With all products handmade on the moshav, Rikmat Elimelech offers visitors an opportunity to see how their tallit and tefilin bag are actually made before choosing a pouch set from the vast choice available.

Mishkan-Hatchelet

2013-04-17T17:47:46Z

Tzaftisha: Mishkan Hatchelet produces machine woven tallits in a variety of styles as well as matching tefilin and tallit pouch sets to match.

{{Infobox
|title = Mishkan Hatchelet
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Mishkan Hatchelet]]
|header5 = Location:
|data6 = Headquarters - Beersheva
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = an Israeli textile company that produces woven tallit and tefilin bags made in Israel}}
'''Mishkan Hatchelet''' produces machine woven tallits in a variety of styles as well as matching tefilin and tallit pouch sets to match.
==The Company==
The Mishkan Hatchelet factory based in Beersheva is well known for its excellent tallits, and has made the largest tallit in the world. Apart from several branches in Jerusalem, Mishkan Hatchelet also has branches Beitar Illit, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, and Elad. In its fully mechanized factory the company produces tallits to the highest standards of excellence and halachah and their products have approbation from all the main kashrut authorities. Mishkan Hatchelet tallits and tzititz are regularly tested for quality and offer a choice of design and halachic opinions. So that whether someone wants a modern design in silk or needs a traditional woollen Hassidic tallit there are plenty of designs to choose from. The company also offers guided tours for groups which explain the whole manufacturing process.
==Tallit and Tefilin Bags==
Mishkan Hatchelet also produce kippot and tallis and tefillin bags to match their tallits. Themes vary from peace motives in a variety of colors including of course blue and white, to designs illustrating the Ten Commandments. Tallit and tefilin bags are available in wool, silk, or acrylic and colors vary from a traditional black and white bag in wool to a more contemporary black and gold design in silk. Tallit sets which include a tallit, kippa, as well as a tallit and tefilin bag are available from $75 upwards, while tallit or tefilin bags are also available separately at around $17 each.

Chabad-Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bags

2013-04-10T07:54:18Z

Tzaftisha: Chabad, a Chassidic group in Judaism has many of its own customs and members often choose to have designs of their movement’s headquarters on their tefilin and tallit pouch sets.

{{Infobox
|title = Chabad Tallit and Tefillin Bags
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Chabad Tallit and Tefillin Bags
]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = Various
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = Chabad Headquarters Building at 770 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights
|header5 =Description:
|data6 = embroidered or embossed picture of Chabad headquarters building}}
Chabad, a Chassidic group in Judaism, has many of its own customs and members often choose to have designs of their movement’s headquarters on their tefilin and tallit pouch sets.
==770 Design==
Members of the Chabad Chassidic group, also known as Lubavitch, often choose a tefilin and tallit pouch set which incorporates a design of the organization’s headquarters building at 770 Eastern Parkway, in Crown Heights, New York. One of the customs of Chabad is to use two different sets of tefilin: - regular tefilin known as Rashi, and the other set, known as Rabbeinu Tam. This means that it is important to have two tefilin bags, and a large enough tallit bag to hold both sets of tefilin. Chabad tefilin are also usually slightly larger than other tefilin, so remember to specify this when purchasing pouch sets if they are for a member of Chabad.
==Rabbanue Tam ==
Rabbeinu Tam was the grandson of Rashi and he had a different opinion as to the order that the parshiot (small scrolls with biblical verses) should be put into the tefilin. Due to this difference of opinion, Chassidic group like Chabad, some Sephardim, as well as men who are particularly scrupulous to keep the mitzvoth properly according to the different opinions, put on each set of tefilin, one after the other. They usually keep them in separate tefillin bags so that they are not confused, because from the outside there is very little difference in the appearance of the tefilin.

Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bags-Designs

2013-04-10T07:48:27Z

Tzaftisha: There are a wide range of tallit and tefilin bag designs available from very traditional ones to ultra-modern to suit every pocket.

{{Infobox
|title = Tallit and Tefillin Bags Designs
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Tallit & Tefilin Bags Designs
]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = Various
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = from ultra-modern to traditional
|header5 =Description:
|data6 = there are designs to suit every taste and pocket, from simple to elaborate one-of-a-kind with prices to match. }}
There are a wide range of tallit and tefilin bag designs available from very traditional ones to ultra-modern to suit every pocket.
==Style==
There are a wide variety of tallit and tefilin pouch sets to choose from making it easy to find a design and style that suits the individual. A man who always attends the same synagogue might want a tallit and tefilin pouch set which is individual and stands out from the crowd. Business men often prefer to put their bag set inside a smart tote or briefcase style bag which they can take with them when traveling, while a Bar Mitzvah boy will probably want a set that is similar to those of all his friends.
Another thing to consider when choosing an appropriate style and design is how the bags close. Many people prefer bags with zips instead of tuck in flaps, while an older person may find Velcro easier to use. A lot of religious men also want a tallit bag that is large enough to accommodate a prayer book or two, and a Chassidic or Sephardi man who wears both Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam tefilin will want two tefilin bags, one for each set.

==Traditional Designs==
Traditional bag designs are usually very simple, with just the name of the person and tallit or tefilin machine embroidered in Hebrew in gold or silver thread. If they are given as part of a Bar Mitzvah present they may also have the Hebrew date of the Bar Mitzvah as well as the boy’s name. Another choice for a traditional designed pouch is an embroidered Star of David, or a Torah Crown. Other simple pattern designs include:-flowers and leaves, a Torah Scroll, an outline of the Western Wall (Kotel) or an outline of the Jerusalem skyline.
==Modern Designs==
Many modern tallit and tefilin bag patterns are very elaborate or abstract. They can incorporate applique, patchwork, metal, hand embroidery or hand-painting in a variety of combinations. Tallit and tefilin bag design makers also offer matching kippot (scull-caps) to go with their pouches. Hand-woven tallit makers may also offer tefilin, tallit pouches and kippot to match the tallit which makes for a very individual and unusual combination, guaranteed to stand out in the synagogue.
==Customized Designs==
With modern technology it is very easy to find companies that will make customized bag designs specific to the user at a reasonable price. It is easy to order these customized pouch sets online and manufacturers make it easy to select the different options from drop down menus.
The basic design of the bag will be the same, but with the variety of material, color combinations, threads, embroidery patterns and so on available, each pouch set will be individual and easy to identify, especially if the person’s name in Hebrew is incorporated into the design.
==Pouch Kits==
Another option is to buy tefilin and tallit bag needlepoint or other sewing kits to make a pouch set oneself. These kits enable someone to give a unique gift for a Bar Mitzvah boy or a Chattan, (groom), which is personal and individual without being too difficult for the novice to make.
==Choices==
With the wide choice of tallit and tefilin bags available whether someone likes very modern, abstract designs, or prefers something much more traditional is very easy to find a pouch set that will appeal. Prices also suit all pockets from modest sums for a simple, traditional bag, to very high prices for something very individual and handmade.

Tallit-and-Tefillin-Tote-Bags

2013-04-07T14:09:31Z

Tzaftisha: Tote bags are a new and ideal way to carry both tefillin and tallit pouches in one bag, look smart and professional and appeal to religious business men who travel a lot.

{{Infobox
|title = Tallit and Tefillin Tote Bags
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Tallit and Tefillin Tote Bags
]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = various
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = smart and professional
|header5 =Description:
|data6 = easy to carry bag with a choice of handle or strap large enough to carry a prayer book as well as tallit and tefilin pouches}}
Tote bags are a new and ideal way to carry both tefillin and tallit pouches in one bag, look smart and professional and appeal to religious business men who travel a lot.
==Tote Bags==
Due to the increased mobility of many religious Jewish men there is an increased need for a smart solution to carrying tallit and tefilin wherever they go. Apart from smart tefilin and tallit pouches made of leather or delicate material like silk which are often carried in protective plastic covers, many people are choosing to buy tote bags for these ritual items.
==Customized Tote Bags==
Tote bags can be custom made from a variety of materials from canvas, polyester, strong cotton, nylon etc. The material maybe waterproofed or rain proofed with a protective lining to protect the pouches inside. Purpose made tote bags also have space for a prayer book as well as the tefilin and tallit pouches and come with both a handle and a strap so that they can be easily carried over the shoulder or in the hand like a brief case. These tote bags can be personalized with the person’s name and the words tallit and tefilin in Hebrew or just left plain. A plain tote bag with no identifying details on the outside is often preferred by religious men who travel to areas or countries where being identifiably Jewish may cause them problems.
==Fundraiser Totes==
Many organizations, conferences and exhibitions like to sell or give tote bags away as part of their fundraising or marketing campaigns and they are seen as a nice ‘reward’ for employees and clients alike. With the wide choice of tote bags available, customizing tallit and tefilin tote bags with the Jewish business or tzedakah association’s logo is very easy. These tote bags will also be valued and used for many years making them excellent way of promoting the company in the wider world.
==Off The Peg==
With the restrictive luggage allowance that airlines now impose, many frequent flyers may prefer to buy a larger off the peg tote bag for their tallit and tefilin which can double as hand-luggage when travelling by air. A large tote bag with several compartments with room for tallit and tefilin pouches, a siddur, a wallet and passport, can also contain a change of clothes, and supplies for Shabbat and kosher food in case of an emergency.

Tote bags are an excellent solution to the problem of carrying tallit and tefilin bags in a discrete, easy and professional way wherever someone needs to go.

Plastic-Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bag-Covers

2013-04-07T14:03:48Z

Tzaftisha: Plastic protective bag covers are a popular solution for tallit and tefillin pouches, protecting them against the elements and enabling them to be carried separately or together as required.

{{Infobox
|title =Plastic Tallit & Tefillin Bag Cover
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Plastic Tallit & Tefillin Bag Cover
]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = Plastic
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = Protective Cover for pouches
|header5 =Description:
|data6 = a protection against the elements for tallit and tefilin pouches}}
Plastic protective bag covers are a popular solution for tallit and tefillin pouches, protecting them against the elements and enabling them to be carried separately or together as required.
==Plastic Protective Covers==
Today religious Jewish men carry their tallit and tefilin with them wherever they go instead of just leaving them in the synagogue as was often the custom when Jews lived in small shtetls in Poland and Russia. With this increased mobility tallit and tefilin bags are no longer simple home-made affairs, but with Jewish society’s increased wealth can sometimes be quite valuable in their own right. They are often made of luxurious or delicate fabric like silk which can be easily damaged or torn. It is therefore important to have a plastic cover to protect these valuable tefilin and tallit bags not only from wear and tear but also the weather. Even strong pouches made of leather can still get sun or rain damage and a specially designed plastic bag cover makes it easy to protect both the pouches and of course the tallit and tefilin within.
==Advantages==
Having a plastic cover for both the tallit and the tefilin bags not only protects the pouches from weather and other damage, but enables both to be easily carried together, in one bag. Plastic covers come in several sizes so it is possible to get covers to fit both the tallit and the tefilin bags, enabling the tefilin bag to go inside the tallit bag. Using a see-through plastic cover also means it is easy to see the tefilin and remove them prior to days when tefilin are not worn like the Sabbath. Identification information like name, address and phone number can also be put on or inside the cover, without marking the tefilin or tallit pouch itself.
==Disadvantages==
The main disadvantage of using plastic protective covers is that they tend to wear out after a few years and need to be replaced. The plastic may degrade in sunlight especially if the bag is left on the back shelf of a parked car. The corners also tend to fall apart, which is when most people chose to replace the plastic covers. Plastic covers are also not very elegant or smart and nowadays many people prefer to use tote bags instead. These tote bags come with shoulder straps making them much easier to carry than plastic covers which are usually just carried under the arm.
==Popular Solution==
Nevertheless plastic protective covers are still a popular solution to the problem of wear, tear, and weather damage to tefilin and tallit pouch bags. They can be bought at the same time as the tallit and tefillin bags themselves and are inexpensive to replace.

Plastic-Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bag-Covers

2013-04-07T14:00:02Z

{{Infobox
|title = Plastic Tallit & Tefillin Bag Cover
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Plastic Tallit & Tefillin Bag Cover
]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = Plastic
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = Protective Cover for pouches
|header5 =Description:
|data6 = a protection against the elements for tallit and tefilin pouches}}
Plastic protective bag covers are a popular solution for tallit and tefillin pouches, protecting them against the elements and enabling them to be carried separately or together as required.
==Plastic Protective Covers==
Today religious Jewish men carry their tallit and tefilin with them wherever they go instead of just leaving them in the synagogue as was often the custom when Jews lived in small shtetls in Poland and Russia. With this increased mobility tallit and tefilin bags are no longer simple home-made affairs, but with Jewish society’s increased wealth can sometimes be quite valuable in their own right. They are often made of luxurious or delicate fabric like silk which can be easily damaged or torn. It is therefore important to have a plastic cover to protect these valuable tefilin and tallit bags not only from wear and tear but also the weather. Even strong pouches made of leather can still get sun or rain damage and a specially designed plastic bag cover makes it easy to protect both the pouches and of course the tallit and tefilin within.
==Advantages==
Having a plastic cover for both the tallit and the tefilin bags not only protects the pouches from weather and other damage, but enables both to be easily carried together, in one bag. Plastic covers come in several sizes so it is possible to get covers to fit both the tallit and the tefilin bags, enabling the tefilin bag to go inside the tallit bag. Using a see-through plastic cover also means it is easy to see the tefilin and remove them prior to days when tefilin are not worn like the Sabbath. Identification information like name, address and phone number can also be put on or inside the cover, without marking the tefilin or tallit pouch itself.
==Disadvantages==
The main disadvantage of using plastic protective covers is that they tend to wear out after a few years and need to be replaced. The plastic may degrade in sunlight especially if the bag is left on the back shelf of a parked car. The corners also tend to fall apart, which is when most people chose to replace the plastic covers. Plastic covers are also not very elegant or smart and nowadays many people prefer to use tote bags instead. These tote bags come with shoulder straps making them much easier to carry than plastic covers which are usually just carried under the arm.
==Popular Solution==
Nevertheless plastic protective covers are still a popular solution to the problem of wear, tear, and weather damage to tefilin and tallit pouch bags. They can be bought at the same time as the tallit and tefillin bags themselves and are inexpensive to replace.

Velvet-Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bags

2013-04-03T10:13:59Z

Tzaftisha: Velvet tallit and tefillin bags are very popular and reasonably priced making them popular with every type of Jew, enabling someone to blend in, whichever type of synagogue they attend.

{{Infobox
|title = Velvet Tallit and Tefillin Bags
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Velvet Tallit and Tefillin Bags]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = Velvet
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = luxury, rich,
|header5 =Description:
|data6 =Velvet is a very traditional, reasonably priced material for Judaica items such as tefilin and tallit bags}}
Velvet tallit and tefillin bags are very popular and reasonably priced making them popular with every type of Jew, enabling someone to blend in, whichever type of synagogue they attend.
==Material==
Velvet can be made from silk, cotton or other fibers including artificial fibers like polyester or viscose. It is made in a special double woven process where the finished material is cut in half to create a thick short pile that is soft to the touch. Velvet is a very traditional fabric for tallit and tefilin bags and is also used for other ritual Jewish religious items like challah covers and kippot.
==Royal Blue==
Silk velvet was often used by royalty as it was originally very expensive to produce by hand. Today velvet made from artificial fibers is much cheaper to produce, but velvet made from silk is still extremely expensive. Velvet must be washed gently by hand or preferably dry cleaned as the pile can easily be damaged by machine washing. Plush velvet is another type of velvet where the pile is slight longer and less dense. Tallit and tefillin bags are usually made in royal blue or black velvet and many people chose to have a matching kippa (skullcap) made as well, especially when these bags are given as Bar Mitzvah presents.
==Embroidery==
Velvet tallit and tefillin bags can be personalized with the recipient’s name and embroidered to make very individual bags. Traditional designs vary from very simple plain ones which just have the words tallit or tefillin in Hebrew together with the person’s Hebrew name, to elaborate embroidered designs. For example Chabad tallit and tefilin bags may be decorated with pictures of the Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Parkway, in Crown Heights, New York. Other types of designs available from companies include modern embroidered and appliqued designs illustrating views of Jerusalem or the Wailing Wall (Kotel) etc. Many designs use silver and gold thread and even metal applique to bring out the richness of the velvet.
==Advantages and Disadvantages==
Modern artificial silk velvet tallit and tefilin bags are very reasonably priced and make an excellent choice for a family on a budget. As long as the bags are protected from the rain by a plastic cover they last well, and can easily be repaired if they get damaged. The main disadvantage of a velvet tallit or tefilin bag is that they are usually the most common ones seen in a synagogue so it can be difficult to distinguish one pouch set from another. This makes it even more important to try and choose an individual style of design that can stand out from the crowd. Nevertheless because of this popularity someone having a velvet tallit and tefilin bag set will fit in whichever type of synagogue they choose to pray in.

Raw-Cowhide-Fur-Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bags

2013-04-03T09:30:40Z

Tzaftisha: Tallit and Tefilin bags made from raw cowhide fur are particularly popular with Chassidic Jewish men as they are very individual and reminiscent of the shtreimel worn on the Sabbath.

Raw Cowhide Fur Talit & Tefilin Bags
{{Infobox
|title = Raw Cowhide Fur Talit & Tefilin Bags
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Raw Cowhide Fur Talit & Tefilin Bags]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 Raw Cowhide Fur
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = Individual
|header5 =Description:
|data6 =made from cow hide with the fur left on, giving an unusual and smart appearance for tallit and tefilin bags.}}
Tallit and Tefilin bags made from raw cowhide fur are particularly popular with Chassidic Jewish men as they are very individual and reminiscent of the shtreimel worn on the Sabbath.
==Material==
Raw cowhide fur is the skin of a cow which has been processed with the fur left on while regular rawhide is the skin of an animal which has had all the fur, meat and other substances removed. Both types of rawhide are not processed using tanning like leather but are stretched over a frame and left to dry, often in the sun. This means they can be used for parchment, drum heads, whips and of course the famous rawhide saddles. Raw cowhide fur is often a preferred material chosen by Chassidic Jews for their tefilin and tallit bags.
==Uses==
After processing to ensure cleanliness and flexibility the raw cowhide fur can be used for a variety of things from rugs to upholstery. Another popular use for raw cowhide fur is for bags, for example the sporran pouch that Scottish men wear around their waist with their kilts on formal occasions. This type of bag is also strong, although not as strong as regular leather. As it is the natural skin of cows, which are quite happy to stand out in the rain, rawhide cowhide fur doesn’t get damaged by a bit of water. This makes it a suitable material for bags which can be in bad weather without needing a plastic cover. As religious Jews need to carry their religious prayer items of tallit and tefilin to the synagogue on a daily basis having a natural weather proof tefilin and tallit pouch set to put these ritual objects in is very useful.
==Individual==
Tallit and tefilin bags made from raw cowhide fur are made with the fur on the outside of the bag, making each bag very individual as unless the hair is dyed to resemble another animal, e.g zebra, the natural pattern of the animal’s hair shows. As no animal has exactly the same pattern, color or shade of fur, each tallit and tefillin bag set will be different. They can of course be personalized, but they will stand out from the crowd regardless.
==Chassidic Jews==
These type of tallit and tefilin pouches are particularly popular with certain Chassidic sects. For a Chassidic Jew who wears a sable shtreimel on the Sabbath, having a raw cowhide fur tallit and tefilin bag set, which they can use during the week will be very attractive. A cowhide fur bag set will be much cheaper than a bag set made of sable and look equally special.
Raw cowhide fur tallit bags can also make an excellent gift for any Jewish man who would like an individual style bag for special occasions like Passover, High Holy Days or other Jewish holidays.

Silk-Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bags

2013-03-12T15:02:29Z

Tzaftisha: Silk is a natural fabric that can be woven to make ritual Judaica items like tallit, kippot (skull caps) as well as creating matching tallit and tefilin bags.

{{Infobox
|title = Silk Tallit and Tefillin Bags
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Silk Tallit and Tefillin Bags]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = Silk
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = Luxury/soft/delicate
|header5 =Description:
|data6 =Silk is a natural light fabric that can be embroidered or hand-painted making it very easy to personalize a tefilin or tallit bag, as well as making them to match a silk tallit and kippot}}
'''Silk''' is a natural fabric that can be woven to make ritual Judaica items like tallit, kippot (skull caps), as well as creating matching '''tallit and tefilin bags'''.
==Silk Material==
Silk is a natural fiber normally woven from the threads from the cocoon of the mulberry silkworm. Silk was first produced in China thousands of years ago, when the Chinese found a way to cultivate the silkworm for its unique thread. The process, which was kept secret, involves killing the larvae so that the silk thread can be unwound from the cocoon, spun and woven into fabric. This luxury fabric was highly valued in the ancient world and was originally only used by royalty and the aristocracy. Today this fabric is still extremely popular and cheap types of silk are readily available, while good quality silk is especially prized for high end items.
==The Silk Road==
As the demand for silk garments grew, a silk trade developed throughout the east and gradually made its way west, reaching Egypt and Persia in biblical times. The silk trade gradually spread across the Mediterranean to the Roman Empire, but China continued to jealously guard the secret of this prized material. These caravans of camels, horses or mules carried silk, spices and other goods from the East to the West, while gold and other valuables were traded for the silk. These trade routes were known as the Silk Road. Eventually the secret of silk was discovered and silkworms were smuggled out of China in around 550 C.E. in an attempt to start a silk industry in Byzantium (modern day Turkey).
===Jewish Traders===
Much of this silk trade was carried out by Jewish merchants and by the year 1,000 C.E. there was a thriving Jewish community in Kaifeng, right in the center of China at the end of the Silk Road. Today silk is mass produced in India as well as China, and varies in quality and price. Silk is used for a wide variety of products including Judaica items like kippot, tallits, and tallit and tefilin bags. Some people prefer good artificial silk to cheaper versions of real silk either for quality or for ethical reasons.
==Style & Design==
Silk can be dyed a wide variety of colors or hand painted, as well as hand or machined embroidered with a variety of designs. Many people like to have their Judaica ritual items like a tallit, tallit bag and a tefilin bag, as well as kippot made to match and silk is an ideal fabric for this. Hand-painted silk tallit and tefilin bags can be color coordinated with the silk tallit. Embroidered tallis and tefilin bags are also very attractive and can be personalized and even combined with a hand-painted design.

Many people prefer raw silk for bags as it is sturdier than regular silk and will last longer. One of the disadvantages of silk is that it easily gets dirty or water-stained and needs to be washed carefully by hand or dry cleaned. Silk also tears much more easily than other strong fabrics like leather or canvas, and using the special plastic protectors designed for tallit and tefilin bags will help preserve the silk fabric. Silk is still considered to be a high-end item and is much lighter than most other material used for tallit bags, making it an ideal fabric for people who travel a lot.

Needlepoint-Tallit-and-Tefillin-Bags

2013-03-12T14:29:01Z

Tzaftisha: '''Needlepoint tallit and tefillin bag''' kits enable even an inexperienced craftsperson to make a unique pouch set which will stand out from the crowd in the synagogue.

{{Infobox
|title =Needlepoint Tallit & Tefillin Bags
|image =[[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Needlepoint Tallit & Tefillin Bags]]
|header1 = Material:
|data2 = Canvas, cloth
|header3 = Style/Look:
|data4 = Individual, needlepoint embroidery
|header5 = Description:
|data6 = Needlepoint tallit and tefilin bags can be bought as kits, or individually designed and made by inexperienced and experienced craftspeople alike.}}
'''Needlepoint tallit and tefillin bag''' kits enable even an inexperienced craftsperson to make a unique pouch set which will stand out from the crowd in the synagogue. They make an ideal personalized present for a Bar Mitzvah boy or as a loving gift from the bride to the groom.
==Needlepoint==
Needlepoint, or canvas embroidery, is an ancient craft that goes back to the time of the Egyptians, and was very popular both the Middle Ages and the Victorian period. Needlepoint uses an open weave canvas as the ground basic material on the top of which a design is stitched using a variety of threads. These threads may be silk, wool, cotton or other combinations. When doing needlepoint for a tallit or tefilin bag, it is important to make sure to use the right types of threads as it is forbidden in Jewish religious law to combine wool and flax (usually made into linen or linen thread).
===Thread Count===
The type of thread needed also depends on the canvas which comes in a variety of mesh sizes, or what is known as the thread count per inch. An open mesh canvas allows thick wool to be used producing a tallit bag design quickly. For a finer thread design, use a closer mesh size, but it may take longer to make and be more suitable for the smaller tefilin bag.
==Needlepoint Kits==
Needlepoint tefilin and tallit bags can either be bought readymade or as a needlepoint kits to enable the creative individual to create their own tallit and tefilin bags either for themselves or as a gift. This means that a needlepoint tefilin bag set can be a very unique item, making it easily recognizable amongst many other tefilin and tallit sets in the synagogue.
A needlepoint kit for tallit and tefilin may come with all the materials necessary to make the bags: the canvas, the threads, and the design as well as a stitch guide. Some companies prefer to just sell the canvas weave design alone, leaving the embroiderer to choose the quality, type and colors of the threads. An experienced needlepoint craftsperson can even buy all the individual elements themselves and design their own individual tefilin and tallit bag set, using a blank canvas.

==Needlepoint Designs==
The design is usually preprinted or hand-painted on the canvas so that it is easy for the novice to follow. For the completely inexperienced needle pointer there are online videos, DVD’s, adult education classes, as well as numerous books and needlepoint magazines available.
There is a wide choice of designs for needlepoint tefilin bag kits, from very simple ones using only one or two stitches ideal for someone with no needle-pointing experience, to very elaborate designs using a wide variety of stitches for the expert stitcher. Design themes vary from traditional blue tallit bags with the person’s name stitched in a different color to elaborate views of Jerusalem as well as very modern abstract patterns. Needlepoint tallit bag kits can also be bought ready assembled so that the only thing that needs to be added is the needle-pointing itself, which makes it easier and quicker to complete.

A hand made needlepoint tallit and tefillin bag set is a unique gift either for a Bar Mitzvah boy or for a chatan (groom) for a wedding present.

Benjamin-Shiff

2013-02-28T16:56:15Z

Tzaftisha: Benjamin Shiff developed his talents later in life and went on to become a well-known and respected Israeli writer and artist. He died in 2011.

{{Infobox
|title = Benjamin Shiff
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Benjamin Shiff]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1931, Cologne, Germany
|header3 = Died:
|data4 = 2011, Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Judaica artist & writer
|header7= Description:
|data8 = an Israeli poet, writer and artist in the realist-cubist style }}
'''Benjamin Shiff''' developed his talents later in life and went on to become a well-known and respected Israeli writer and artist. He died in 2011.
==Background==
Benjamin Shiff was born in 1931 in Cologne, Germany and he and his parents moved to Israel after Hitler came to power in 1933. He was brought up in Haifa and as a young man Benjamin joined the ''Palmach'' and fought in the battle for Jerusalem during the War of Independence for the State of Israel.
==Art & Poetry==
Schiff did not begin to explore his creativity seriously until he turned 40. Not only did he immerse himself in art, but he also explored music, poetry, philosophy and Jewish thought. Artistically Benjamin Schiff was initially drawn to the Surrealists, especially the work of ''Rene Magritte''. Later on he honed his skills by learning the methods of the Old Masters, especially studying their use of the tempera technique and oils. Schiff went to Austria to further his studies, and held his first exhibition in Bonn, Germany, in 1976.
Poetically, Schiff was a member of ''The Hebrew Writers Association'' in Israel, and during his life wrote three books of poetry and two books of short stories. Benjamin Schiff’s art work also illustrated the covers of various books by other writers.
==Style==
Benjamin Schiff developed his own unique style, which was a combination of realism and cubism, with a touch of pathos in many of his pictures. Schiff used to refer to himself as the ''‘sad optimist’'' and his work falls into three main themes:- Jewish figures, especially ''Hassidic'' life and faith; music , often illustrated by people playing instruments; and women, especially mothers and their love. Schiff also painted the landscape of Jerusalem, in addition to self-portraits.
==Exhibitions==
After his first exhibition in 1976, Benjamin Schiff continued to exhibit his work regularly in Germany and Israel, and later went on to exhibit other parts of Europe as well as the United States and Canada.
==Legacy==
Benjamin Schiff not only produced evocative paintings but also limited edition prints, which are available online. His work is displayed in private and public collections including those of the Foreign Affairs offices in Jerusalem, the Bratislava Jewish Cultural Museum and the Presidential Palace collection of Slovakia. Benjamin Schiff’s poetry and short stories are also still available in Hebrew.
Benjamin Schiff died in 2011.

Michal-Golan

2013-02-26T14:49:25Z

Tzaftisha: Michal Golan, jewelry designer and ceramicist was born in Israel and now lives in New York. Her work is available world-wide.

{{Infobox
|title = Michal Golan
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Michal Golan]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Haifa, Israel
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = New York, USA
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Jewelry Designer, ceramicist
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = A designer of elaborate and ornate jewelry following in the Byzantium and Victorian tradition }}
'''Michal Golan''', jewelry designer and ceramicist was born in Israel and now lives in New York. Her work is available world-wide.
==Background==
Michal Golan was born and grew up in Haifa, on the northern Israeli coast, and like many women doesn’t like to reveal her age. Michal moved to the United States in 1976 where she studied graphic art at the University of Maryland graduating in 1980. In 1981 while she was studying for her MA, Michal began to make jewelry to support herself through college. Although she specialized in printmaking and etching, in 1984, after graduating from New York University, Michal Golan decided to turn her part-time jewelry design business into a full time one.
==Jewelry==
Having grown up in Israel, Michal Golan’s artistic sensibilities were attracted to all the ancient civilizations that surrounded her, and she developed an interest in archeology from a young age, and she still likes to visit museums for inspiration.
Many of Michal’s jewelry pieces are reminiscent of the ornate and rich ''Byzantium'' period, or the more recent ''Victorian'' period, but they all have a contemporary twist. Michal Golan’s jewelry uses brass or white metal electroplated over with silver or gold, studied with combinations of semi-precious stones, crystal, glass or pearls to achieve a rich, ornate design. Michal Golan’s jewelry pieces which ranges from earrings to rings, and broaches to necklaces, are extremely popular and Michal has an excellent reputation.
==Judaica==
Michal’s Judaica is also very elaborate and ornate. She makes Judaica jewelry like ''Star of David'' pendants, and Hamsa bracelets, which are supposed to ward off the 'evil eye'. Golan produces other ritual Judaica objects in the same vein as her jewelry, like her menorahs and mezuzah cases studded with semi-precious stones.
==Mosaics==
Continuing her artistic development Michal Golan studied film and video, sculpture, bead making and ceramics in a variety of courses throughout the 1990’s. Since she began working in clay, Michal found that she was able to transfer and transform her etching skills and produce work that reflects her interest in archeology. Golan creates artistic and decorative tiles which create a feeling of wholeness and Michal will sometimes incorporate hieroglyphics and other symbols from Middle Eastern ancient civilizations in her work. Like Michal Golan’s jewelry, these mosaic pieces, with their individual parts and created fragments are often very ornate and elaborate and are artistic pieces in their own right.

Michal Golan’s work is available in good quality jewelry stores as well as online. She lives and works in New York, and travels regularly to Europe and Israel for inspiration.

Gad-Almaliah

2013-02-26T14:36:31Z

Tzaftisha: Gad Almaliah designed awarding winning stamps, produced Judaica, and started two design studios. Born in Jerusalem in 1939, Gad Almaliah died in Boston in 2007.

{{Infobox
|title = Gad Almaliah
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Gad Almaliah]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1939, Jerusalem, Israel
|header3 = Died:
|data4 = 2007, Boston, USA
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = graphic Judaica artist
|header7 = Award:
|data8 = 1st Place in two Mexican Postal Service Stamp Competitions.
|header9 = Description:
|data10 = A graphic designer known for his stamp, medal and poster designs who was President of the Israeli Graphic Designers Association}}

'''Gad Almaliah''' designed awarding winning stamps, produced Judaica, and started two design studios. Born in Jerusalem in 1939, Gad Almaliah died in Boston in 2007.
==Background==
Gad Almaliah was born in Jerusalem in 1939 before the founding of the State of Israel. As a young man he became interested in graphics and in 1960 Gad began to collect Israeli posters. At the ''Bezalel Academy of Art'', Almaliah specialized in graphics and graduated in 1965. He later went on to study in both the School of Visual Arts, New York and in Mexico at the Autonomous University of Mexico, where Almaliah graduated with an M. A. in communications.
==Medals, Posters and Stamps==
Gad Almaliah’s talents were recognized by the Israeli government and he began to design commemorative coins and medals. Almaliah designed the emblem for the Six Day War and in 1973 Gad was asked to design the medal commemorating the Yom Kippur War. Gad Almaliah also designed medals for the Mexican government.
With his deep interest in posters Almaliah, not surprisingly, began to design promotional posters advertising events like those celebrating ‘3000 years of Jerusalem’, ‘Jewish Arts Week’, Technology exhibitions etc.
Gad Almaliah also designed postage stamps for Israel, Mexico and the United States postal services, winning two stamp design competitions in Mexico. One of his best known Israeli stamps was designed for the 150th anniversary of ''B'nai B'rith'' in 1994. His graphic talents earned him the respect of his colleagues and Gad Almaliah was President of the Israeli Graphic Designers Association for 15 years. In 1985 Almaliah organized the International Congress of Visual Communication which was held in Haifa.
==Judaica==
Gad Almaliah produced a range of Judaica, from easily accessible art prints and calligraphy to more personalized commissioned pieces for individuals and communities.
===Ketubot===
Gad Almaliah specialized in ketubot:-.i.e. Jewish Marriage Contracts. His simple ketubot were hand written in the traditional way on paper and decorated with watercolor designs according to the wishes of the couple concerned. Almaliah’s innovation for ketubot was to create them out metal, normally silver or copper, which he hand cut and embossed with the desired pattern. The metal design then acted as a frame for the beautifully calligraphed text, making it easy to display on the wall.
===Ritual Objects===
Other Judaica produced by Gad Almaliah included candlesticks, Seder plates, and other ritual objects like tzedakah (charity) boxes, menorahs and Sukkot decorations.
===Commissions===
Almaliah was often commissioned to produce one off Judaica items for Synagogues, like his ''"Wall of Blessing"'' – a 28 foot wall commemorating the Sephardic community of Mexico City.
==Studios==
In 1979 Gad Almaliah opened his own design studio in Tel Aviv, called the Creative Group. Later when he moved to Boston in the United States, Gad opened up another graphic design studio, called the Design Lab, where he worked until his death in January 2007.
==Legacy==
Gad Almaliah taught graphic design at the New York School of Visual Arts, and was a Professor at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology producing several books on design. Gad’s last art works:- ‘Life on the Book’ consisted of a series of highly personal pieces - open constructed books, each individually framed inside a box, illustrating the theme of the survival of the Jewish people – the People of the Book. Almaliah also offered his personal collection of Israeli posters as part of a travelling educational exhibition. Gad Almaliah’s work is still available online and his Design Lab is now run by his wife Joan.

Baruch-Nachshon

2013-02-19T20:13:47Z

Tzaftisha: Baruch Nachshon is a surrealist visionary Judaica artist who lives and works in Kiryat Arba, adjacent to the ancient city of Hebron

{{Infobox
|title = Baruch Nachshon
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Baruch Nachshon]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1939, Haifa, Israel
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Kiryat Arba, Hebron, Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Symbolic Surrealistic Visionary Judaica artist
|header7 = Award:
|data8 = Distinguished Artist Award, Bar Ilan University,1989
|header9 = Description:
|data10 = is a visionary spiritual Judaica artist who is part of the Chabad movement in Judaism }}

'''Baruch Nachshon''' is a surrealist visionary Judaica artist who lives and works in Kiryat Arba, adjacent to the ancient city of Hebron.

==Background==
Baruch Nachshon was born in the religiously mixed northern coastal city of ''Haifa'' in 1939. As a young child he wasn’t interested in his regular school studies, but fortunately he had a teacher who recognized his talent and encouraged him to draw and paint. At the age of 11 Nachshon was introduced to ''Shlomo Nerani'', the only student of ''Cezanne'', who took him under his wing, and he became Nerani’s apprentice-student.
When Nachshon went into the army he served as a shepherd based on ''Kibbutz Lavi''. This enabled him to connect with nature and to develop his spiritual understanding of the world. After his military service Nachshon continued his studies at a ''Chabad'' Yeshiva in Lod, where he developed a life-long attachment to the ''Lubavitch'' movement.
==Relgious-Spiritual Development==
As well as studying ''Chabad Chassidic'' teachings, Baruch Nachshon studied the work of ''Rabbi Nachman of Breslov'', and the writings of the ''Zohar'' of ''Shimon Bar Yochai''. In 1965 he was in in the United States and had a three hour private audience with the late Lubuvitcher Rebbe, ''Menachem Mendel Schneerson''. Rebbe Schneerson offered Nachshon a two year scholarship to study art in a kosher way, and gave Baruch a blessing for success.
==Hebron==
After returning to Israel he taught in an elementary school until 1967. After the ''Six Day War'', Nachshon decided to move with his wife and family to the city of ''Hebron'', in the West Bank, previously held by Jordan. There he opened an art gallery very close to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, (the ''Machpelah Cave''), where Abraham and Sarah, of the Bible, are buried. Nachshon, who speaks Arabic, was able to make good relationships with his Arab neighbors, and he is still well known in the area, even though he now lives in the nearby Jewish town of ''Kiryat Arba''.
==Style==
Baruch Nachshon is an auto-didactic visionary painter who considers that his art is a conduit from above. Nachshon’s paintings are very symbolic and mystical often concentrating on pictures of the world after the ''Redemption'' and the coming of the ''Messiah''.
Other paintings, more surrealistic and lyrical realism in style, focus on the surrounding Hebron landscape, especially on the ''Tomb of the Patriarchs''.
Baruch Nachshon’s style has been compared to that of [[Chagall|Chagall]], but his main inspiration apart from the landscape and nature is from the Psalms of David and the prayers and melodies of the Jewish year, especially those of the Sabbath. Due to his respect and devotion to the Lubavitch Rebbe, many of his paintings include images and portraits of the late sage. Nachshon works in both oils and acrylic, often producing a panoramic style of picture in a narrow landscape format similar to a small flattened religious scroll.
==Exhibitions==
Baruch Nachshon’s first exhibition in the United States was in 1980 with the encouragement of Rabbi Schneerson. He has since exhibited his work in U.S., Canada, Brazil and Argentina, Australia, England and Hong Kong.
Nachshon’s paintings, including serigraphs and greetings cards, are available online and from his gallery.

Israel-Rubinstein

2013-02-19T19:49:52Z

Tzaftisha: Israel Rubinstein is an artist with an eclectic style. His work is often a combination of Cubist and Surrealism, but he also produces Judaica in a more traditional style. He lives and works in New York.

{{Infobox
|title = Israel Rubinstein
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Israel Rubinstein]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1944, Petach Tikvah, Israel
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = New York, United States
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Cubist, Surrealist and Judaica Artist
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = he has a humorous and playful style and often works on commission}}

'''Israel Rubinstein''' is an artist with an eclectic style. His work is often a combination of Cubist and Surrealism, but he also produces Judaica in a more traditional style. He lives and works in New York.
==Background==
Israel Rubinstein was born in Petach Tikvah, a coastal town in the center of Israel in 1944, before the War of Independence. Rubinstein grew up in Ramat-Gan and first started to learn art from his father who was a graphic artist. He helped his father with various artistic projects and then began to draw and paint for himself. Israel Rubinstein began his formal artistic career by being asked by his school principal to help decorate the school building with paintings of Biblical images. Rubinstein’s father recognized his son’s talent and arranged for him to attend a specialist art high school in Tel Aviv. After his military service, Israel Rubinstein continued his artistic studies at the ''Institute of Art'' in Tel-Aviv.
==Style==
Israel Rubinstein’s style is very eclectic. He uses a mixture of Surrealistic and Cubist styles, often combining the two. However Israel usually paints his Judaica paintings in a more traditional manner, although some of them combine more Lyrical elements reminiscent of the art of ''[[Marc Chagall|Chagall]]''. Israel Rubinstein’s art work is often humorous especially his more surrealistic pieces and this is also reflected in his habit of turning wine bottles into various amusing sculptured figures.
==New York==
In 1985 Israel Rubinstein moved with his wife to New York to further his artistic development. Rubinstein is constantly evolving and changing his style, and is happy to produce decorative and other pieces for the home on commission as well as continuing to paint more challenging works. Rubinstein also works restoring paintings, gives lectures about art to the general public as well as teaching art to art students. Israel Rubinstein regularly exhibits and his work, both paintings and prints, can be found online and in private and public collections throughout the world.

Victor-Brindatch

2013-02-19T19:37:59Z

Tzaftisha: Victor Brindatch is a Russian-Israeli illustrator, painter and sculptor who produces Judaica in a Classical Realist style. His other work tends towards Lyrical Realism.

{{Infobox
|title = Victor Brindatch
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Victor Brindatch]]
|header1 = Other Name
|data2 = Victor Brindatch Frantishkovich
|header3 = Born:
|data4 = 1941, Kharkov
|header5 = Lives:
|data6 = Israel – since 1993
|header7 = Artist:
|data8 = Classical Realism Painter & Sculptor, Judaica artist
|header9 = Award:
|data10 = Distinguished Artist Award, Argentina
|header11 = Description:
|data12 = a Classical-Lyrical realist Judaica artist,who both paints and sculpts}}

'''Victor Brindatch''' is a Russian-Israeli illustrator, painter and sculptor who produces Judaica in a Classical Realist style. His other work tends towards Lyrical Realism.

==Background==
Victor Brindatch was born in 1941 in Kharkov in the former Soviet Union. He first studied art at the Grekov Art Academy in Odessa, now part of the Ukraine. He continued his art education, graduating from the prestigious Moscow Academy of Art. The scope and quality of Brindatch’s work enabled him to become a member of the Union of Soviet Artists. Apart from training as a painter and illustrator, Victor Brindatch was considered, by the Academy of Arts of the USSR, to be one of the most talented sculptors of his generation in Russia.
Brindatch worked as an artist in Moscow from 1978 until he emigrated to Israel in 1993, after the fall of the Soviet Union. Victor is a now a member of the ''International Association of Painters and Sculptors'' as well as being in the ''Union of Israeli Artists.''

==Style==
Much of Victor Brindatch’s work is commercial art in a traditional realist style. Brindatch often produces paintings and illustrations that are reminiscent of classical pictures of traditional Jewish themes such as a ''Bar Mitzvah'' or the lighting of the ''Sabbath Candles.''
While his traditional Judaica paintings have few or no women in them, Victor Brindatch’s pictures of the female nude offer a complete contrast to the seemingly male only world of his religious images. These ''Lyrical Realism'' style paintings often seem lighter and more joyful than the more conventional images of the lost world of the Jewish ''shtetl.''

==Sculptures==
Victor Brindatch other art, like his ''Hebrew Letter'' series painted or sculpted in a Lyrical Realism style, often has a more Kabbalistic theme. Brindatch also produces small sculptures of traditional nude poses of women, reminiscent of ancient Greek or Roman sculptures. Other small sculptures range from busts of well-known people to semi-political figurines representing the repression of the Stalin era, as well as idealized images of soldiers, lovers etc. Victor Brindatch produces sculptures in cast metal such as bronze and carved stone. He also works in clay producing a variety of ceramic pieces.

==Exhibitions==
Victor Brindatch regularly exhibited in his native Russia where he participated in a number of solo and group exhibitions from 1984 onward. Since Brindatch’s move to Israel he has consistently exhibited his work in both Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, as well as on both coasts of the United States. In 2006 Victor Brindatch participated in an International Art Show in Argentina, where he won a ''Distinguished Artist Award''. His work is available online, in a variety of galleries, and he has several pieces in private collections as well as in permanent exhibitions e.g.the Museum of Modern Jewish Art in Moscow. Victor Brindatch lives and works in Israel.

Alexander-Wissotzky

2013-01-27T14:51:11Z

Tzaftisha: Alexander Wissotzky was the name taken by a married couple, Tanya Wissotzky and Alexander Galtchansky who collaborated together to make art.

{{Infobox
|title = Tanya Wissotzky and Alexander Galtchansky
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Tanya Wissotzky and Alexander Galtchansky]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1959, Crimea
|header3 = Died:
|data4 = Wissotzky 2006, Galtchansky 2008, Czech Republic
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = mixed media, collaborative artists
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = a married couple who collaborated together to produce art that harked back to nostalgic romantic past }}

'''Alexander Wissotzky''' was the name taken by a married couple, ''Tanya Wissotzky'' and ''Alexander Galtchansky'' who collaborated together to make art.
==Background==
Alexander Wissotzky were actually two artists who were married and collaborated together to make their art.
Tanya Wissotzky was born in 1959 in the Crimea. She started to study art in Simferopol specializing in painting. She then moved to Kiev to further her studies. There she met her husband Alexander Galtchansky who was studying book illustration. He was also born in 1959 in the Crimea and began his art studies in Dnepropetrovsk. Galtchansky also decided to continue his art education at the ''Kiev Institute of the Arts''. After they fell in love and got married they began to collaborate artistically to produce their works of art.
==Israel==
With the opening up of the Soviet Union, Wissotzky and Alexander took the opportunity to emigrate to Israel. Working in a combination of acrylic, pen and ink, and collage the couple produced art that is both nostalgic and romantic. Their work harks back to a time, the 1920’s and a place, Paris, which helps conjure up the image of love, and this makes their art very accessible to the general public. Some of Wissotzky and Alexander’s mixed media pieces remind one of figures in the ''‘Belle Epoch’'' while their still life paintings of flowers seem to step out of an English garden guide.
==Czechoslovakia==
Wissotzky and Alexander found it difficult to adjust to life in Israel and eventually they returned to Europe settling in the Czech republic. They continued to collaborate working together and sequentially on their art, both signing each piece ''Alexander Wissotzky'' and it is not possible to discern who did exactly what. Tanya unfortunately developed cancer and died in 2006. Her husband, finding it hard to live without her, died two years later in 2008.
==Legacy==
Wissotzky and Alexander exhibited their work widely during their lifetime and there is a book about their life and work ''‘G.Alexander and Wissotzky T''.’ Their work can be found online and in permanent exhibitions, galleries and collections around the world including the ''International Conference Center'' in the center of Jerusalem.

Ruth-Schloss

2013-01-27T14:43:51Z

Tzaftisha: Ruth Schloss was born in 1922 in Germany and studied art at the Bezalel Academy. A social realist artist she wasn’t always appreciated by the establishment. Her recent work depicting old age is some of her most powerful.

{{Infobox
|title = Ruth Schloss
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Ruth Schloss]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1922, Nuremberg, Germany
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Kfar Shmaryahu
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = graphic artist, illustrator, painter
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = a social realist artist who documented those living on the margins of society}}

'''Ruth Schloss''' was born in 1922 in Germany and studied art at the Bezalel Academy. A social realist artist she wasn’t always appreciated by the establishment. Her recent work depicting old age is some of her most powerful.
==Background==
Ruth Schloss was born in Germany in 1922 and emigrated to Israel with her parents in 1937. She studied at the Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem, majoring in graphics in 1942. After graduating Ruth Schloss helped to found ''Kibbutz Merhavia'', and later joined ''Kibbutz Lehavot Habashan'', where she lived with her husband until 1953. Due to political differences Schloss was left the Kibbutz and moved to family property in ''Kfar Shmaryahu'', Herzliya, which at that time was an agricultural settlement.
==Training and Work==
In 1946 Ruth Schloss went to the ''Kibbutz Haartzi''’s painting course and held her first exhibition a year later at the Mikra Studio in Tel Aviv. As an illustrator and graphic artist Schloss worked as an illustrator for children’s books and magazines for the ''Sifriat Poalim'' publishing house. She then went to Paris in 1949 and studied Cubism at the ''Grande Chaumiere'' returning to Israel in 1951. However Schloss’s main interest was in social realism.
As ''social realism'' went out of fashion, Ruth Schloss’s art wasn’t appreciated, especially as her political views didn’t match those of the art establishment. Throughout the 50’s Schloss’s work showed her concern for the human condition and reflected the difficult living conditions of Israel's new immigrants. Although she hardly exhibited, Schloss painted and drew every day, even while she was bringing up her children.

For twenty years from 1963 – 83 Ruth Schloss had a studio in ''Jaffa'' where she not only drew portraits of the people in the area, but invited mothers and their children to come to her studio and play. This enabled her to paint and draw them with ease. Ruth Schloss’ art concentrated on the disadvantaged and marginalized in society, both Israeli and Arab. After 1983 she moved her studio back to Kfar Shmaryahu, where she still lives.
==Style and Technique==
As Ruth Schloss grew older it became more and more difficult for her to paint and draw in the conventional manner and she developed various techniques to overcome this. Using charcoal on canvas and drawing with both hands, was one technique, another Schloss developed was to use acrylic paints on film paper. In many of her larger political paintings, Schloss created mixed media pieces by incorporating press cuttings etc. into her work. Continuing to act as a voice for the unnoticed of society, Ruth Schloss began to document old age, especially the everyday difficulties and humiliations of life for the elderly. She worked from life and from photos and this work is not always easy to look at. Now, at over 90, she has succumbed to the physical limitations of her body and can no longer work.
==Legacy==
Ruth Schloss’s last exhibition called ''"First and Last Works"'' at the ''Zaritsky Artists House'' in Tel Aviv in 2012, showed art from her early and late period. As artistic and political fashion has changed Ruth Schloss’s art is now more accepted and there have been various retrospectives of her work. As well as having her work in the ''Israel Museum'', there is a documentary biographical film of Ruth Schloss’s life ''‘Against the Stream’'' by Peter Dudzig. Her work can be seen in galleries, museums and online.

Gregory-Kohelet

2013-01-27T14:34:16Z

Tzaftisha: Gregory Kohelet was born in Uzbekistan, moved to Israel and now lives in Holland. A mixed media artist he also writes poetry and is inspired by kabbalah.

{{Infobox
|title = Gregory Kohelet
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Gregory Kohelet]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1954, Fergana, Uzbekistan,
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Amsterdam, Holland
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = mixed media artist, poet, writer
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = born in 1954, he emigrated to Israel in 1990, and then moved to Holland in 1998, where he still lives and works}}

'''Gregory Kohelet''' was born in Uzbekistan, moved to Israel and now lives in Holland. A mixed media artist he also writes poetry and is inspired by kabbalah.

==Background==
Gregory Kohelet was born in Fergana, Uzbekistan in 1954. His father, Anatoly Kapzan was a well-known sculptor and gave the young Gregory his first art lessons. Kapzan originally came from the Ukraine and moved to Fergana, which attracted people from all over the Soviet Union, making the city a very multi-cultural one. Gregory Kohelet, as he became known in Israel, regularly went hiking with his father in the mountains and wild landscape of the countryside. In 1969 Kohelet went to the capital, ''Tashkent'', to study art at the Art College, completing his studies in 1973. Gregory Kohelet then continued his art training at the ''Academy of Art'' in Tashkent where he studied a wide variety of art, from Japanese to European art styles, graduating in 1981. Gregory Kohelet started showing his work in 1981 and participated in many group exhibitions while also teaching at art colleges in Fergana and Tashkent. In 1990 with the beginning of the collapse of the Soviet Union Kohelet emigrated to Israel.

==Israel==
In Israel, like many immigrants, he changed his name and adopted the name ''Gregory Kohelet''. He was initially drawn to Jerusalem where Kohelet felt very spiritually inspired and became interested in the mysticism of kabbalah. Kohelet’s art in Israel had a naïve, lyrical-realism style mixed with some surrealistic elements. He portrayed the city of Jerusalem in a stylized way and also painted biblical stories like ''Noah’s Ark'' which are attractive to children. Kohelet also painted his wife and children in this appealing way, producing serigraph prints as well as paintings in a variety of media. Gregory Kohelet also worked producing mixed media pieces reminiscent of Jewish ritual objects like ''tefillin''. Exhibiting regularly in Jerusalem and abroad, he began travel around Europe and eventually, in 1998, Gregory Kohelet decided to relocate to Amsterdam, Holland.

==Holland==
Settling in Amsterdam, Gregory Kohelet was attracted to what he saw as its magical qualities and he began to draw inspiration from the very different landscape of Holland as compared to Israel and his native Uzbekistan. The flat open expanses of the Netherlands, often shrouded in mist, enabled Kohelet to connect with his imagination, the hidden and the secret, continuing his journey of self-discovery, a process that he started in Jerusalem. Exposed to the famous Dutch artists like ''Rembrandt'' and ''Breughel'', Gregory Kohelet’s style evolved and developed and he began to create more mixed media pieces and as well as writing poetry. The work Kohelet produced in Jerusalem were often cityscapes full of sunlight and joy whilst his most recent work reflects the greyer and more subdued landscape and seascapes of Holland. He is also currently working on a book on Kabbalah and Art.

==Exhibitions==
Gregory Kohelet continues to exhibit on a regular basis, mostly in Holland, although he has shown his work in both solo shows and group exhibitions in galleries as far apart as Tashkent and New York. Kohelet’s work is in many collections world-wide, everywhere from Australia to the United States and can also be found online.

Dimitry-Polak

2013-01-27T14:23:57Z

Tzaftisha: Dimitry Pollak was a landscape artist who emigrated to Israel in the twilight years of his life, receiving international recognition as a result.

{{Infobox
|title = Dimitry Polak
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Dimitry Polak]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1922, nr Kiev, Russia
|header3 = Died:
|data4 = 2008, Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Impressionist style landscape painter
|header7 = Description:
|data8 =Ukrainian artist who emigrated to Israel in his later years }}
'''Dimitry Pollak''' was a landscape artist who emigrated to Israel in the twilight years of his life, receiving international recognition as a result.
==Background==
Dimitry Pollak, (also spelt Dimitri Polak) was born in a small village near Kiev, in 1922, following the upheaval in Russia after the Revolution. He inherited his talent from his father, who was also a gifted artist. Pollak studied painting and drawing from a young age but his formal art education was put on hold when the 2nd World War came to the Soviet Union in 1941. After serving in the Soviet army during the war, Dimitry Pollak went to the ''Kiev Institute of Arts'' where he graduated. In 1945 his ability was such that Pollak was able to join the ''U.S.S.R. Union of Artists'', which was essential in order to be considered a ''bone-fide'' artist in Soviet Union. Art in Russia usually meant producing social-realist work or paintings that didn’t threaten the political status quo e.g. landscapes. Dimitry Pollak drew on ''lyrical impressionism'' to create his paintings and became very well known in Russia for his landscapes. Pollak exhibited frequently in both group and one-man art shows throughout the Soviet Union including the Union of Artists House in Kiev in 1984, and his work was very well received.

==Israel==
In 1991, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening up of the Soviet Union, Dimitry Pollak decided to move to Israel. At first Pollak found it difficult to adjust his painting technique to the Mediterranean light as this was much stronger and brighter than the light he was used to in Russia. Pollak had to change some of colors he used to paint with as well as adjusting his technique so that he could achieve the effects he wanted.
However Dimitry Pollak’s method of layering the paint to build up the texture lent itself to his new environment and enabled him to develop more as an artist. Pollak continued to paint landscapes and when they have figures in them they are usually images of people in the past, strolling in the park or in nature, giving his paintings a timeless quality. Pollak’s later work, although still remaining somewhat stylized, exposed him to a wider audience and enabled him to receive greater recognition and acclaim than had been possible in his native Ukraine. Pollak painted in oils on canvas as well as producing limited edition serigraph prints. His work can be seen in galleries and online. He continued to exhibit and paint until he died in 2008.

Anatoly-Metlan

2013-01-27T14:14:20Z

Tzaftisha: Anatoly Metlan lives and works in Israel while getting inspiration from the landscape of the Mediterranean coastal villages of southern France.

{{Infobox
|title = Anatoly Metlan
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Anatoly Metlan]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1964, Yalta, Ukraine
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = illustrative painter
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = inspired by the Impressionists, he travels regularly to the south of France}}

'''Anatoly Metlan''' lives and works in Israel, while getting inspiration from the landscape of the Mediterranean coastal villages of southern France.

==Background==
Anatoly Metlan was born in 1964, in Yalta, in the Southern Ukraine. As a child he showed an interest in art which was encouraged by his art loving parents. Anatoly Metlan dabbled with paints and brushes and was initially interested in the Impressionists. Anatoly’s talent was recognized and he went to a high school which specialized in the arts. After finishing high school in 1985, Metlan went to ''“Krivoi Rog”'' University to further his art studies. While at university he started to exhibit his work and by 1989 Metlan's reputation was such that he was able to join the ''Ukraine Artists Guild''. Shortly afterwards, in 1991, with the opening up of the Soviet Union, Anatoly Metlan took the opportunity to emigrate to Israel with his family.

==Style==
Anatoly Metlan enjoys painting scenic views of the countryside, the urban landscape, interiors and exteriors, and of course the sea. Metlan regularly travels to the south of France, especially Provence, to get inspiration from the landscape painted by the Impressionist painters that he admires. Many of Anatoly Metlan's paintings show homage to his favorite artists in different ways. Metlan’s paintings:- of cafés in squares and on corners, lanes leading somewhere out of the picture, are very appealing and evocative of the area. Metlan's harbors and sea views are also very reminiscent of the timeless romantic image of the Mediterranean coast that inspires so many painters. In addition to painting, Anatoly Metlan creates lithographs, and serigraphs prints of his work on paper, canvas and even wood.

==Exhibitions==
Anatoly Metlan exhibits regularly in the United States, Europe and Israel, in both one-man shows and group exhibitions. Anatoly Metlan’s work can be found in galleries and online. He continues to live and work in Israel.

Miki-Karni

2013-01-17T11:53:14Z

Tzaftisha: Miki Karni is a native born Israeli painter who lives and works in Haifa. His mixed media Jerusalem stone pictures are particularly original.

{{Infobox
|title = Miki Karni

|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Miki Karni
]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Israel, 1959
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Haifa, Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = mixed media artist, painter, photo-realist style
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = is an accessible Israeli artist whose work is available in everything from greetings cards to original oils}}
'''Miki Karni''' is a native born Israeli painter who lives and works in Haifa. His mixed media Jerusalem stone pictures are particularly original.
== Background==
Miki Karni was born in 1959 and lives and works in Haifa in northern Israel. Karni’s art is very accessible. He paints in a variety of styles, from modern themes using photo-realism to his timeless paintings on Jerusalem stone.
==Themes==
Miki Karni has a range of themes, from pictures of the sea in its changing moods and colors to his '' photorealistic'' paintings of classic cars.
===Sea Paintings===
Karni’s sea paintings vary from conventional harbor views, boats on the shore and so on to photorealist paintings of surfboards, and windsails in addition to his lyrical realism pictures of the sea. Miki Karni also has a series of ruined walls, with an open arch that looks out to sea. He adapted this style for a painting he did in memory of ''Steve Jobs'', the late CEO of ''Apple'', where the wall is actually a type of tombstone in the shape of the ''iPhone'' with the apple logo in the arch as a moon/sun.
===Classic Cars===
Miki Karni’s classic car paintings are housed at the ''Tefen Cars Museum'' in the Western Galilee. They are on display on easels amongst the cars themselves, giving car lovers an opportunity to see these car classics next to Karni’s paintings.
===Jerusalem Stone Paintings===
Using actual Jerusalem stone, Miki Karni creates miniature mixed media pieces of the ancient places of Israel. He either uses oil paints directly onto the stone or he prints the picture onto the stone itself. He has views of the ''Wailing Wall'' (Kotel), pictures of the lanes of ''Safed'' (Tzfat), and places in Jerusalem as well as elsewhere. They come with their own mini easel for ease of display.
===Oil Paintings===
Karni also paints in oils on conventional canvas with subjects as far apart as the South of France to pictures of Israeli nature. Much of Miki Karni’s work is on display in institutions, companies and government buildings. He has his own gallery in Acre and many of his pieces have been donated to foreign dignitaries visiting Israel.

Miki Karni’s work is available as original paintings, posters, prints and cards both in galleries around the world as well as online, and he even has his own Facebook page.

Avi-Ben-Simhon

2013-01-17T11:47:24Z

Tzaftisha: Avi Ben-Simhon is a Modern Fauvist Painter who was brought up in Israel. His paintings are very colorful and joyful. He is a founder member of Kibbutz Eyal where he lives and works

{{Infobox
|title = Avi Ben-Simhon
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Avi Ben-Simhon
]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Fez, Morocco, 1947
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Kibbutz Eyal, Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = painter, mixed media artist
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = paints in the Fauvist style, and is very collectable
}}
'''Avi Ben-Simhon''' is a Modern Fauvist Painter who was brought up in Israel. His paintings are very colorful and joyful. He is a founder member of Kibbutz Eyal where he lives and works.

==Background==
Avi Ben-Simhon was born in Morocco and his family made aliyah to Israel in 1948, when Avi was one. When he was a child, his family was poor and he didn’t have access to paints, crayons or paper, however he used whatever he could find to express himself artistically. Ben-Simhon therefore was always drawing on newspaper with charcoal and his mother, seeing his talent, encouraged him. After doing his military service, Avi Ben-Simhon became a founder member of ''Kibbutz Eyal'', in the center of Israel, where he lives and works.
Avi Ben-Simhon only started his formal art education in 1986 when he went to the ''Avni Art Institute'', the oldest art school in Tel Aviv. He then studied at the ''Kallisher Institute'', an institute of contemporary art. After finishing his art training, Ben-Simhon worked from his studio on the kibbutz and began to teach art, graphics and printing. He is considered a ''Modern Fauvist Painter''.
==Style==
Avi Ben-Simhon’s use of color is particularly expressive like the 19C Fauvist and Cubists whose work he admires and from who he draws inspiration. Ben-Simhon is also heavily influenced by his environment, his friends and his surroundings on the kibbutz. However Ben-Simhon works only in his studio and paints from his imagination rather than directly from the nature that surrounds him. His paintings are rather like stained glass, or the coloring books children use, with black lines separating the colors and defining the pattern or picture. Much of Ben-Simhon's work depicts flowers, while other pieces have a more abstract mosaic feel.
==Technique==
Avi Ben-Simhon has developed his own technique to create mixed media pieces. He makes collages selecting from hundreds of newspaper and magazine cuttings which he layers on heavy art paper, then Ben-Simhon over paints the collage with a special paint mix he has developed. This paint draws the images out of the cuttings lifting it to the surface, thus creating a collage of image, paint and texture all at the same time. Ben-Simhon is only able to see the final result of his work when he steps back from the piece, making each piece very individual. He also creates prints of many of his paintings. Avi Ben-Simhon’s work is very joyful, expressive and full of life.
==Exhibitions==
Avi Ben-Simhon exhibits regularly in the United States and Israel and his work is in over a hundred galleries and private collections world-wide. Ben Simhon considered very collectable and his prints and paintings are available online. Avi Ben-Simhon is also represented in Israel and abroad by various galleries.

Yosl-Bergner

2013-01-17T11:35:35Z

Tzaftisha: Yosl Bergner was a major influence on both Australian and Israeli art and is considered an important painter in both countries. He lives and works in Tel Aviv.

{{Infobox
|title = Yosl Bergner
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Yosl Bergner]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Vienna, 1920
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Tel Aviv
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Israeli artist in the expressionist/social-realist school
|header7 = Award:
|data8 = Dizengoff Prize 1956, Israel Prize 1980
|header9 = Description:
|data10 = an expressionist-social realist painter, who was a major influence on Australian and Israeli art}}

'''Yosl Bergner''' was a major influence on both Australian and Israeli art and is considered an important painter in both countries. He lives and works in Tel Aviv.

==Background==
Yosl Bergner was born in 1920 in Vienna and grew up in Warsaw. His father, the writer ''Melech Ravitch'', introduced Bergner to German Expressionism. However he wanted Yosl to learn a trade, which Yosl saw as being a painter. In 1937 due to the deteriorating situation in Europe, Yosl Bergner emigrated to Australia with his family.
==Australia==
Yosl Bergner began to study at the National Gallery Art School in Melbourne while working in factory jobs. In WW2 while in the Australian Army as a ''‘friendly alien’'' Bergner continued to paint. Together with other similar young Australian painters, Bergner joined a group called the ''Angry Penguins''. In 1942 the group showed paintings at the Contemporary Art Society ''anti-fascist exhibition.''
Bergner effectively introduced Australia to a combination of expressionism and social realism. He portrayed Jews in the ghetto and as refugees, and painted downtrodden Australian workers, especially Aborigines. Yosl Bergner was the first white artist to show portraits of Australian Aborigines, linking the oppression and discrimination they suffered to that of the Jews.
==Israel==
In 1948 Yosl Bergner left Australia to travel and exhibit, moving to Israel in 1950, settling in the Safed (Tzfat) colony of artists. Initially Bergner’s work was not well received in Israel, as it was considered to be too Diaspora orientated, instead of portraying the ‘New Jew’ being created. In 1957 Bergner moved to Tel Aviv, where he still lives and works.
==Style==
Yosl Bergner’s style is a combination of ''expressionism'' and ''social realism'', and many of his pictures have haunting images of the past. All his pictures tell a story, although the story may not be immediately obvious to the viewer. Bergner often uses images from the first drawing he did as a young child in his work. This first picture told the story of someone who fell under the wheels of a train and showed the man’s wife and daughter looking on, wondering what to do next. Also in this first picture was a clown, or a triangular face, which was the beginning of one of his frequent themes:- the image of a clown in a pointed hat. Bergner also uses object trouvés in his work, for example he creates angels from discarded boats he found on a Haifa beach. His latest works have a ‘toys’ theme and particularly appeal to children.
==Other Works==
As well as painting, Yosl Bergner illustrated various books including book covers for Penguin classic editions of ''Franz Kafka'', who Bergner admired. He has also produced theatre costumes and sets for a variety of Hebrew and Yiddish plays, especially those of ''Nisim Aloni'', a major Israeli playwright.
==Exhibitions==
Yosl Bergner exhibits his work in Israel and abroad, especially Australia. The ''Tel Aviv Museum'' has held several retrospective exhibitions, the last one being to celebrate Bergner’s 90th birthday in 2010. He is still considered an important artist in Australia.
==Legacy==
There are several books about Yosl Bergner, including one ''‘Art as a Meeting of Cultures’'' by Frank Klepner, as well as numerous catalogues of exhibitions and books of his illustrations and paintings. Bergner’s own ''‘What I Meant to Say: Stories and travels as Told to Ruth Bondy’'' was published in 1997, and an earlier book ''‘Yosl Bergner: Paintings, 1963-68’'' was published in 1969. There is also an Australian film ''‘Painting the Town: A Film About Yosl Bergner'' (1987) about his life and work. His work is available through galleries, auction houses and online.

Michael-Elkayam

2013-01-11T07:33:42Z

Tzaftisha: Michael Elkayam, an Israeli Judaica artist, depicts the Jewish life-cycle in his work. He comes from a family of calligraphers and he follows the family tradition including it in his art. He lives and works in Israel

{{Infobox
|title = Michael Elkayam
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Michael Elkayam]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Morocco, 1954
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Judaica painter and calligrapher
|header9 = Description:
|data10 = a painter of traditional Jewish themes, he also follows his family tradition of calligraphy.}}

'''Michael Elkayam''', an Israeli Judaica artist, depicts the Jewish life-cycle in his work. He comes from a family of calligraphers and he follows the family tradition including it in his art. He lives and works in Israel.

==Background==
Michael Elkayam was born to a traditional Jewish family in Morocco in 1954. At the age of three the family decided to make aliyah to Israel. Elkayam grew up in a creative atmosphere as the family were skilled craftsmen. They worked mostly in copper producing jewelry, ornaments and inscriptions in relief. His family was also very experienced calligraphers and scribes and Elkayam was able to appreciate and learn this traditional craft at home.

Michael Elkayam was encouraged to pursue his own path and while at the ''Mikve Israel Agricultural High School'' in Tel Aviv he took many art classes. He went to a variety of workshops where he studied graphics, painting and sculpture. After high school he went to the ''Beersheva Academy of Fine Arts''. Elkayam then continued his training at the ''Bezalel Academy'' in Jerusalem, specializing in graphics.

==Style==
Elkayam uses traditional Jewish images in his art, creating Judaica for the Jewish home. Michael Elkayam works in a variety of media, including chalks and watercolors, in addition to conventional oils. He is also uses his skills as a calligrapher in his art. Elkayam not only incorporates calligraphy in his paintings, he creates illuminated blessings for the home, ketubot (marriage document) etc. sometimes using traditional black ink on parchment. Michael Elkayam’s pieces are often quite mystical in nature, and reflect the Jewish religious life cycle. Elkayam also uses a combination of traditional painting techniques with modern materials to create mixed media pieces, sometimes in 3D in addition to limited edition prints of his work. Michael Elkayam’s subjects are taken from the Bible, the Festivals, the synagogue, and of course the home.

Michael Elkayam exhibits regularly in Israel and abroad and his work can be found in galleries and online. He is a member of the ''Israel Association of Artists and Sculptures''.

Michael-Rozenvain

2013-01-11T07:10:06Z

Tzaftisha: Michael Rozenvain is an artist who was born in Kiev, moved to Israel and now lives in Toronto. Apart from his paintings, Rozenvain paints large murals using a fresco technique. He also has a gallery with his own stable of artists.

{{Infobox
|title = Michael Rozenvain

|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Michael Rozenvain
]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Kiev, 1963
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Toronto, Canada
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = painter
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = a painter who now lives and works in Toronto, Canada. He works in acrylic, painting both pictures and large fresco murals. }}

'''Michael Rozenvain''' is an artist who was born in Kiev, moved to Israel and now lives in Toronto. Apart from his paintings, Rozenvain paints large murals using a fresco technique. He also has a gallery with his own stable of artists.

==Background==
Michael Rozenvain was born in Kiev in 1963 and studied art both in Kiev and the prestigious ''Academy of Applied Arts'' in Lvov, also attended by the [[Gabon|Gabon]] brothers amongst others. In 1990, with the opening up of the Soviet Union, Michael Rozenvain took the opportunity to move to Israel.

==Technique==
Michael Rozenvain uses a very multi-layered style of painting, creating very textured paintings that invite the viewer to step into the picture. His images of Mediterranean street scenes and café society have a timeless feel and reproduce well in print form. Rozenvain normally paints in acrylic and also makes limited edition serigraphs, a type of silkscreen printing using modern methods. Apart from his paintings and prints, Michael Rozenvain likes to work on the large scale, painting murals using the fresco technique. These murals and frescos decorate hotel and library walls, as well as public buildings in various countries.

==Exhibitions==
Michael Rozenvain regularly exhibits in one-man shows in North America, Israel and South Africa. His art has also appeared in group exhibitions in countries as far afield as his native Russia, Europe, Turkey and United States and Canada.

==Gallery==
In 1992 he opened his own gallery, ''Rozenvain Fine Art'', to help other artists promote their work. Michael Rozenvain uses his connections in the art world to bring artists to the attention of the art loving public. Rozenvain is constantly looking to find and encourage his stable of artists in their creative development and also to consider the demands of the art market. In this way he enables them to be successful both artistically and commercially.

In 2006 Michael Rozenvain moved to live in Canada. He now lives and works in Toronto. Rozenvain is represented by various galleries and his work is also available online.

Nahum-Gilboa

2013-01-11T06:50:00Z

Tzaftisha: Nahum Gilboa was an Israeli artist in the Lyric Realism tradition and his work is much admired. He was born in Sofia in 1917 and died in Israel in 1976.

{{Infobox
|title = Nahum Gilboa

|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Nahum Gilboa
]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1917,Sofia, Bulgaria
|header3 = Died:
|data4 = 1976, Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Israeli artist, Lyric Realism school
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = Trained as an artist in Bulgaria. His work is considered part of the Fantastic Realism school of art.}}

'''Nahum Gilboa''' was an Israeli artist in the ''Lyrical Realism'' tradition and his work is much admired. He was born in Sofia in 1917 and died in Israel in 1976.

==Background==
Nahum Gilboa was born to Jewish parents in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1917, and his father was one of the first Jewish journalists in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Jews were mostly Sephardi and spoke ''Ladino'' rather than ''Yiddish.'' Although Jews were less than 1% of Bulgaria's population, they had full civil rights.
As there were no bars to higher education for Jews, Nahum Gilboa went to study art at ''The Royal Academy of Art'' in Sofia, the oldest art school in the country. The school had been founded by the sculptor ''Boris Schatz'', who afterwards went on to found the ''Bezalel School of Art'' in Jerusalem. Gilboa also studied at the ''Jewish Teacher’s College'' where he qualified as a teacher, specializing in art.

==Israel==
The Zionist movement was very strong in Bulgaria and gave people support to leave the country to go to British controlled Mandated Palestine (pre-state Israel). Nahum Gilboa and his wife managed to leave Bulgaria on one the illegal immigration ships (''Aliyah Bet'') to ''Eretz Yisrael'' at the start of the Second World War. Even though they were captured by the British, they eventually were able to join one of several kibbutzim they lived on before the founding of the state.
In 1952-3, a few years after Independence, Gilboa went to Paris to study art at the ''Academie de la Grande Chaumiere''. He also traveled to Italy to see classical Italian painting for himself. On his return to Israel, Nahum Gilboa joined the ''Association of Painters and Sculptors of Israel'' and was an active participant all his life.

==Style==
At the beginning of his artistic career Gilboa painted traditional landscapes, both urban and pastoral as well as portraits and still lifes. Nahum Gilboa soon moved into the world of Lyric Realism otherwise known as ''Fantastic Realism''. This is where the paintings appear to be realistic and then as the viewer looks closer there are many lyrical or fantastic elements, often of a spiritual or religious nature, which give a whole different experience of the painting.
Part of Nahum Gilboa’s technique was to take photographs of scenes he wanted to paint, or make sketches from memory of the past and then create something totally new from his imagination. He also guided and taught other artists including ''Rina Sutzkever'', a Russian artist, who also paints in the Lyric Realism tradition. Nahum Gilboa painted many views of Jerusalem and other Jewish subjects, although Gilboa cannot really be counted as a traditional Judaica artist.

==Exhibitions==
Gilboa painted in both gouache and oils as well as creating lithographs and serigraphs of his works. In his life Nahum Gilboa exhibited widely throughout Europe, Israel, South Africa and the United States. A book of his work entitled ‘Nachum Gilboa’ was published in 1976, the year he died. Nachum Gilboa’s work is in demand and available both online and through auction.

Calman-Shemi

2013-01-09T19:04:19Z

Tzaftisha: Calman Shemi, an innovative artist and sculptor was brought up in Argentina and moved to Israel as a young man. He patented the ‘soft painting’ technique and is constantly evolving and developing his techniques. He lives and works in Jerusalem.

{{Infobox
|title = Calman Shemi
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Calman Shemi
]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1939, Argentina
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Jerusalem, Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Argentinian-Israeli artist, sculptor, painter
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = Calman Shemi is an artist who blurs the boundaries between painting and sculpture. His techniques are very innovative and creates art in everything from textiles to steel. He lives and works in Jerusalem.}}

'''Calman Shemi''', an innovative artist and sculptor was brought up in Argentina and moved to Israel as a young man. He patented the ‘soft painting’ technique and is constantly evolving and developing his techniques. He lives and works in Jerusalem.

==Background==
Calman Shemi was born in 1939 in Argentina and began studying sculpture and pottery at the age of thirteen. At the ''School of Sculpture and Ceramics'' in Mendoza, Shemi was fortunate to have the well-known Argentinian sculptor'' Libero Badii'' as his mentor. Shemi moved to Israel in 1961 and settled on ''Kibbutz Carmia'' where he lived as an active member of the kibbutz for twenty years. Apart from working in agriculture, Shemi produced sculptures in wood and clay as well as polyester and fiber-glass. Shemi’s style was at first influenced by ''Rudi Lehmann'', a founder of the Canaanism school, which aimed to artists to the land and the early civilizations in the area. He later developed his own original techniques and style producing unique work which is full of optimism and energy.

==Technique==
Because Shemi wasn’t conventionally trained in drawing and painting he has been able to create and develop several different techniques to enable him to create pieces that straddle the boundaries between painting and sculpture.
===Soft Painting===
In the late 70’s and early 80’s Shemi began developing a new technique which he called ''‘soft painting’''. This technique was so original that he was able to take out a patent for it. He combines layers of various fabrics and using a special industrial sewing machine, with 9,000 thread-less needles, he meshes them together onto a background to create individual soft textile pictures.
===Lacquer Painting===
On a visit to the Far East in 1997, Shemi came across the traditional lacquer technique used for thousands of years to decorate wooden pieces. On returning to Israel, Shemi experimented with the method until he was able to create ''lacquered work'' using modern techniques and materials. He uses both wood and metal for these create these pieces. He first paints gilded gold or silver leaf designs on the piece and then using car paint as a glaze Shemi builds up the layers. When it is dry the piece is ready to be spray painted several times with a car lacquer. This technique produces a very shiny, hard, modern finish to the art work.
===Window Paintings===
Acknowledging that everyone likes to look through windows, Shemi has created pictures that resemble a view through a window. He first creates a painting known as ''‘shadow box’'' where the work is contained inside a wooden box. Shemi then puts a handmade lacquered frame around the box, giving the illusion of looking through a real window.

==Commissions==
Since 1991 Shemi was commissioned by several big companies to create large public sculptures and paintings for their businesses. These companies include the Florida based ''Carnival Cruise-Liners'' who asked Shemi to make prints and paintings for cabins for three of their ships, as well as bronze sculptures for the public areas. Shemi’s sculptures decorate the head office of the ''Bank HaPoalim'' in Israel, as well as several of their head offices in other countries.

On his historic visit to Israel Egyptian President ''Anwar Sadat'' was presented with one of Calman Shemi’s works, and the former French President, ''Mitterrand'', was also given one of Shemi’s art pieces.

Calman Shemi now lives and works in Jerusalem and he is currently creating sculptures out of laser cut steel. He regularly has one-man shows in the United States and Israel amongst other countries. Shemi’s work can be seen in public spaces as well as online and in permanent collections around the world.

Dima-Gorban

2013-01-09T10:54:59Z

Tzaftisha: Dima Gorban is a Russian-Israeli graphic artist and painter. He studied art in the same schools and university as his older brother Michael, and is recognized as a painter in his own right. He made aliyah to Israel in 1990.

{{Infobox
|title = Dima Gorban
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Dima Gorban]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1961, Jagovka, Ukraine
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Israel since 1990
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Russian-Israeli graphic artist and painter
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = Dima Gorban is a Russian-Israeli graphic artist and painter who specializes in painting pictures of wine and wine bottles. He is the younger brother of the artist Michael Gorban }}

'''Dima Gorban''' is a Russian-Israeli graphic artist and painter. He studied art in the same schools and university as his older brother Michael, and is recognized as a painter in his own right. He made aliyah to Israel in 1990.

==Background==
Like his older brother, the artist [[Michael Gorban|Michael Gorban]], Dima Gorban was born in 1961 in Jagovka in the Ukraine. When he was three the family moved to Kishinev in Moldova so that his brother could go to a specialist elementary school that taught painting. With his brother leading the way, Dima also began to paint and draw.
By 1971, when Dima was ten, he followed Michael’s footsteps and was admitted to the ''Kishinev School of Art''. There he won an award for the being the most promising young artist in the school at that time. Dima also attended the Higher School for the Painting Arts, like his brother and graduated in 1980. He participated in many group exhibitions all over Moldovia and his work soon came to the attention of the ''Drawing Department of the Moscow Film Academy'' which chose two of his sketches for their permanent exhibition. In 1990, a year after Dima finished his formal artistic training at the ''Lvov Academy for Painting'', he decided to make aliyah to Israel with the rest of his family.

==Israel==
In Russia Dima had worked as a graphic designer for a winery, designing their all-important wine bottle labels, and he built up a good reputation. During this period Dima also produced his own work. After making aliyah, although life in Israel wasn’t always easy, Dima was able to get work as a graphic designer for a textile manufacturer. Amongst other work he designed their fashion T-shirts which were sold in many countries around the world. After several years of doing graphic design however, Dima decided to return to his first love, painting.

==Wine Paintings=
Dima Gorban started painting wine pictures when he was working at the winery in Russia. Dima had grown up surrounded by wine as his grandfather produce wine for the family from the grapes that grew in their backyard. As a child Dima regularly spent many hours helping his grandfather make the wine and this gave him an appreciation not only of wine, but of the work involved in producing the wine. Dima mainly paints still life pictures of various arrangements of wine in both bottles and glasses. These paintings are very attractive and appealing, especially for the wine lover and make excellent prints.

Dima Gorban’s original paintings and limited edition prints can be seen in various online galleries, and he is represented in galleries in Israel and abroad.

Michael-Gorbon

2013-01-09T10:43:36Z

Tzaftisha: Michael Gorban is a Russian-Israeli artist whose talent was recognized at a young age. One of his first exhibitions was at the Hermitage in Leningrad and Gorban's work continues to be shown in prestigious galleries around the world.

{{Infobox
|title = Michael Gorban
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt= Michael Gorban]]
|header1= Other name:
|data2= Misha
|header3 = Born:
|data4 = 1956, Jagovka, Ukraine
|header5 = Lives:
|data6 = Petach Tikvah, Israel since 1990
|header7 = Artist:
|data8 = Russian-Israeli representational artist
|header9 = Description:
|data10 = Michael Gorban was born in Russia and now lives in Israel. He paints representational pictures and as a young man he was the youngest artist ever to show work in an exhibition at the Hermitage, one of the most prestigious museums in the world.}}

'''Michael Gorban''' is a Russian-Israeli artist whose talent was recognized at a young age. One of his first exhibitions was at the Hermitage in Leningrad and Gorban's work continues to be shown in prestigious galleries around the world.

==Background==
Michael Gorban was born in Jagovka in the Ukraine in 1956. Gorban showed a talent for art from a young age and in order to develop this talent his parents decided to move to ''Kishinev'' in Moldova. In Kishinev there was a special elementary school that specialized in art. Considered a child prodigy the young artist was able to study art for three hours a day before he even got to high school. For high school he went to the Kishinev Higher School for the Painting Arts and graduated in 1976. When it was time to go to college Gorban moved to ''Lvov'' where he attended the Academy for Painting, specializing in graphics and graduating in 1982.

==Russia==
Thirty is considered very young for an artist; nevertheless in 1986 Michael Gorban was given the opportunity to exhibit his work in one of the most prestigious museums in the world. ''The Hermitage'' in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) displayed Gorban’s work for over a year in an international exhibition and he is still the youngest painter ever to show work in this museum. Three of his pictures are also in an album of the national history of Russian art where he is recognized as one of the young artists of the country between 1960 and 1980.

==Israel==
In 1990, with the opening up of the Soviet Union’s borders, after the fall of the ''Berlin Wall'', Michael Gorban took the opportunity to make aliyah to Israel with his family. His younger brother Dima, who is also an artist, made aliyah at the same time. Gorban is still much admired in the countries of the Former Soviet Union, where his work can be found in most of the major art galleries. Michael Gorban is now also a well-recognized Israeli artist and he works from his studio in Petach Tikvah.

==Style==
Michael Gorban’s style is very representational and easy on the eye. They are full of light and color and many of his paintings have images of charming children. Gorban also paints still life pictures, with typical themes of flowers, chairs, and musical instruments in a various combinations. Gorban mainly paints in the traditional way in oils on canvas and he has both originals and Giclee limited edition prints of his work.

Michael Gorban has regular exhibitions in the United States as well as Japan and other countries. His work can be found in online galleries and museums and galleries around the world.

Moshe-Castel

2013-01-07T18:26:56Z

Tzaftisha: Moshe Castel, a native of Jerusalem, was one of Israel’s best known abstract artists. He was the founder of the ‘New Horizons’ group of artists, and his murals decorate important Israeli public buildings. His work can be seen online, in galleri

{{Infobox
|title = Moshe Castel
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Moshe Castel]]
|header1 = Other Name:
|data2= Elazar
|header3 = Born:
|data4 = Jerusalem, 1909
|header5 = Died:
|data6 = Tel Aviv, 1992
|header7 = Artist:
|data8 = Painter and sculptor
|header9 = Award:
|data10 = Dizengoff Prize -1941, 1946, Independence Day Prize -1958
|header11 = Description:
|data12 = Moshe Castel, a native Israeli, was one of Israel’s premier artists and his large mosaics decorate the Knesset and other important buildings}}

'''Moshe Castel''', a native of Jerusalem, was one of Israel’s best known abstract artists. He was the founder of the ''‘New Horizons’'' group of artists, and his murals decorate important Israeli public buildings. His work can be seen online, in galleries around the world and at the ''Moshe Castel Museum'' in Ma’aleh Adumim.

==Background==
Moshe Elazar Castel was born in 1909 in Jerusalem to a religious ''Sephardi'' family whose roots in Israel go back over 400 years to the Spanish expulsion. His father, ''Rabbi Yehuda Castel'', not only worked as a scribe, but was creative and designed Torah scroll covers as well as curtains for Holy Arks in synagogues.
The young Castel wanted to study art and went to the ''Bezelel Art School'' in 1921 where he learned for three years. Moshe proved to be a talented artist and his work was first displayed at an Israeli Artists’ group exhibition at the Tower of David in Jerusalem.

==Paris==
Moshe Castel then furthered his art education in Paris, and as part of his training spent time copying the great masters in the Louvre. During the day he worked to support himself and at night he painted in the studio he shared with the sculptor ''Giacometti''. When Castel held his first solo exhibition in May 1927, ''Jabotinsky'', who admired the young painter, wrote an introduction in the catalogue. As Castel’s reputation increased he was taken on by the Galerie Jacques, who made an agreement to buy all his paintings for three years. Castel continued to exhibit in Paris as well as London, Warsaw and Haifa. By 1936 Castel was in a position to organize a show in Tel Aviv for other artists, like [[Chagall|Chagall]], also working in Paris.

==Israel==
With the outbreak of WW2, Castel returned to Israel and moved to [[Safed|Safed]] (Tzfat) joining other artists already working there. Despite the war, Castel was able still able to exhibit, having a one-man show in Tel Aviv in 1942, and another in 1946. In 1948, due to artistic differences, Castel led a break-away from the ''‘Israeli Artists’ Union’'' and formed his own group called ''‘New Horizons’''. This group had more of universal outlook towards art, and looked towards the abstract European artists like ''Picasso'' for inspiration. Castel continued to live and work in Israel, but from 1959 onwards he spent several months a year working in his studio in Paris. He exhibited frequently, both in solo shows and in joint exhibitions internationally representing the best of Israeli art.

==Style==
Castel’s connection to the land was very strong and on his return to Israel, Castel started to use ''basalt'', a black indigenous rock, in his paintings. Using strong colors like red, green and black in his abstract work, he would add basalt in relief to give the appearance of an ancient script. He painted several murals for public spaces using this method. Castel felt deeply about his native city and many of his most famous works reflect his love for Jerusalem and can be found there. His ''‘Song of Praise to Jerusalem’'' decorates the Israeli Parliament (the Knesset), while ''‘Wall of Praise to Jerusalem’'' is one of two of his works in the Presidential Mansion. The National Convention Centre has a glass mural of his, and he also created pieces for the Weitzman Institute in Rechovot. Castel’s work can also be found in other prestigious locations in Israel like the Diamond Center in Ramat Gan. He is well represented in galleries abroad world including Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Gallery in London.

==Legacy==
During his lifetime he was honored with several retrospectives, including one in 1984 held at the Knesset. A book of his etchings and lithographs was published in 1988. In 2010, on what would’ve been his hundredth birthday the ''Moshe Castel Museum'' was opened in Ma’aleh Adumim.

Ellen-Miller-Braun

2013-01-07T18:16:30Z

Tzaftisha: Ellen Miller Braun was born in the United States and now lives in Israel. She trained in Fine Art and began as a textile artist. She now works as a micro-calligraphist working with traditional Hebrew texts, using water color paints rather than

{{Infobox
|title = Ellen Miller Braun
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Ellen Miller Braun]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Chicago, Illinois
|header3 = Lives:
|data4 = Ginot Shomron, Israel
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Microcalligrapher, Judaica artist, soft sculptor
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = Ellen Miller Braun, originally a textile artist, produces micro-calligraphy pictures in a unique way using watercolor paint instead of ink. She is a religious Zionist and lives in the Shomron.
}}

'''Ellen Miller Braun''' was born in the United States and now lives in Israel. She trained in Fine Art and began as a textile artist. She now works as a micro-calligraphist working with traditional Hebrew texts, using water color paints rather than black ink to create her pictures.

==Background==
Ellen Miller Braun, a ''micro calligraphist'', was born and grew up in Chicago. She went to Northeastern Illinois University where she graduated in Fine Art. In 1983, because she and her husband were both religiously observant and Zionist, they decided to make aliyah to Israel with their family. They now live in ''Ginot Shomron''. Ellen first developed her artistic reputation creating soft sculptures of political, Biblical figures and Chassidic figures. Later, after she had adjusted to living in Israel she began to take an interest in micro-calligraphy. By 1999 she began to produce her own work.

==Micro-calligraphy==
Micro-calligraphy is a unique Jewish art form. It developed because Jews traditionally didn’t produce representational pictures as it was seen to go against the commandment ''‘do not make graven images’''. Instead, from the 9th century (CE) onwards, artists and scribes developed a form of microscopic writing where words would create the pictures. For example the words of the ''Book of Ruth'' can be written in such a way as to create a picture of Ruth in the field gleaning the wheat. The text was normally left plain so that the image was in black and white. More recently the pictures are often given a wash of water color paint to make them more attractive, and to emphasize the design.

==Braun’s Technique==
Ellen has developed a technique of her own. She uses a normal calligraphy pen with watercolor paint, instead of black ink to make her pictures with the Hebrew letters. In addition Braun uses ''gematria'', a Hebrew form of numerology, to help her lay out her design. Once she has sketched her drawing, she then etches lines onto the paper that she can easily follow with her pen. This work is painstaking and depending on the complexity can take anything up to a year to create. The resulting image sees both the picture and the text entwine in one seamless whole.

==Work==
Ellen Miller Braun’s micro-calligraphy pictures cover all aspects of Jewish life, from Biblical texts and the ''Blessings after Meals'', to the ''Hatikva'' – the National Anthem of the State of Israel. In some of her latest work Braun combines painted fabric, embroidery and micro-calligraphy to create individual textile pieces. Apart from her original pieces, Ellen produces fine art prints of her work in limited edition and unlimited editions , which are available online.

Shmuel-Katz

2013-01-06T13:54:06Z

Tzaftisha: Shmuel Katz, was well-known Israeli cartoonist, caricaturist and illustrator. Born in Vienna he immigrated to Israel in 1947 and was a founder member of Kibbutz Ga’aton where he lived for the rest of his life. His work, including prints and

{{Infobox
|title = Shmuel Katz
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Shmuel Katz]]
|header1 =Other Name:
|data2 = Alexander
|header3 = Born:
|data4 = 1926, Vienna, Austria
|header5 = Died:
|data6 = 2010, Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel
|header7 = Artist:
|data8 = Painter, illustrator, caricaturist
|header9 = Award:
|data10 = Golden Pencil – 2007 - Israeli Cartoon Museum
|header11 = Description:
|data12 = Shmuel Katz was a cartoonist and caricaturist best known for his illustrated children’s books and his courtroom sketches of the Eichmann trial.}}

'''Shmuel Katz''', was well-known Israeli cartoonist, caricaturist and illustrator. Born in Vienna he immigrated to Israel in 1947 and was a founder member of ''Kibbutz Ga’aton'' where he lived for the rest of his life. His work, including prints and watercolors can be seen online and in museums, including the archives of Yad Vashem.

==Background==
Shmuel Katz was born in Vienna, and after the ''German Anschluss'' (take over) of Austria, his family fled to Budapest in Hungary. He carried on his education until 1944 when he was deported to a forced labor concentration camp, ''Miskolz'', in Yugoslavia. He managed to escape and returning to Budapest, passed the rest of WW2 under the protection of the Swiss delegation in the famous ''‘Glass House’''. After the war he joined ''HaShomer Hatzair'', one of the many youth movements who were part of the ''‘Aliyah Bet’'' – the illegal immigration to pre-state Israel. His ship was captured and he went sent to an internment camp in Cyprus to wait for a visa. In 1947 he was able to legally immigrate to Israel and was one of the founders of ''Kibbutz Ga’aton'', in the Western Galilee.

==Training==
Katz began drawing in Cyprus, and although his talent was recognized, his artistic talents had to be put on hold while he fought in the ''War of Independence'' and afterwards helped to develop the kibbutz. One of his creative designs for the kibbutz was the décor for the kibbutz dining room. In the early 1950’s Shmuel Katz illustrated a weekly children’s magazine, ''Mishmar Layeladim''. The kibbutz later sent him to Paris to study art at Beaux-Arts where he studied fresco painting as well as a range of printing techniques.

==His Work==
Katz's kibbutz was part of the ''Kibbutz Artzi'' movement which had its own publishing house. It published hundreds of books using Katz’s illustrations, especially for its children’s books. Katz also produced a variety of celebration posters as well as propaganda encouraging people to vote, not to waste, not to profiteer etc.
Katz always contributed fully to kibbutz life and never allowed his status as one of the country's major cartoonists and illustrators to interfere with his obligations to his fellow kibbutzniks. His editorial cartoons, caricatures and humorous appeared regularly in several daily and weekly newspapers for many years.His travels around East Africa in 1958 helped to influence his style and are reflected in his collaboration with ''Nathan Shaham'' to produce'' A Journey to the Land of Kush''.
One of Shmuel Katz’s main contributions to Israeli history were the drawings and sketches he produced from the courtroom during the ''Eichmann'' trial in 1961.
In the ‘70’s, before the fall of the Shah, Katz travelled to Iran and on his second visit he had an art exhibition in Tehran. He also traveled to Egypt and had a private audience with President Sadat.

==Legacy==
Katz’s courtroom sketches of the Eichmann trial are held in ''Yad Vashem’s'' archives. Shortly before his death Katz donated his original drawings and sketches for children books to the ''Israel Museum'''s Study Collection of Illustrated Children's Books. Shmuel Katz’s work is much admired and one of his famous book covers – a drawing illustrating Leah Goldberg’s classic ''Flat for Rent'' was used for a postage stamp.

==Awards==
He received many awards in his lifetime including the ''Nachum Gutman|Nachum Gutman'' Memorial Award from the Tel Aviv municipality in 1985. In 2007 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Israeli Cartoon Museum - ''the Golden Pencil''.

Nahum-Gutman

2013-01-06T08:53:06Z

Tzaftisha: '''Nahum Gutman''', an Israeli artist, grew up in Tel Aviv along with the new city,and many of his paintings reflect the simplicity of the time. He was an accomplished illustrator, photographer and writer and was awarded the prestigious Israel Prize

{{Infobox
|title = Nahum Gutman
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Nahum Gutman]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1898, Bassarabia
|header3 = Died:
|data4 = 1980, Tel Aviv
|header5 = Artist:
|data6 = Israeli, painter, illustrator, photographer, sculptor and writer
|header7 = Award:
|data8 = Israel Prize, 1978
|header9 = Description:
|data10 = Nahum Gutman was one of the founders of the Israeli art style and even 25 years after his death was voted one of the 200 Israelis of all time}}

'''Nahum Gutman''', an Israeli artist, grew up in Tel Aviv along with the new city,and many of his paintings reflect the simplicity of the time. He was an accomplished illustrator, photographer and writer and was awarded the prestigious Israel Prize in 1978.

==Background==
Nahum Gutman was born in 1898 in Bassarabia, Moldovia, and taken in 1905 as a young child to live in Jaffa, then in Ottoman ruled Palestine. Later his family moved to the newly created ''Ahuzat Bayit'' neighborhood, which grew into the first new Jewish city in 2000 years - ''Tel Aviv''. He was one of the first children to live in Tel Aviv and many of his paintings reflect the creation of this modern city out of sand dunes. He also wrote a book about his experiences - ''A Small City with Few People''.

==Art Training==
Nahum Gutman began his training as an artist at the ''Bezalel Art Academy'' in Jerusalem, but felt that the European techniques taught in the school were inadequate for the Middle Eastern landscape and light. During the First World War he served in the Jewish Legion, and after the war he traveled around Europe to further his art education. After he returned to Tel Aviv in 1926, Gutman began his artist career in earnest.

==Style==
Gutman worked in a variety of media, especially gouache, oils and watercolor. A writer, both for adults and children, he drew his own illustrations for children’s books and was an accomplished photographer and sculptor. Nahum Gutman helped to develop a truly Israeli art style, which is still admired today.

==Themes==
His drawings and paintings reflect the growth of Tel Aviv, the simple life of the people, the landscape and development of the Yishuv (the Jewish settlement in pre-state Israel), and of course the sea. Between the 1950’s and the 1970’s Gutman focused on painting the sea in all its moods, both in oils and watercolors, not only Jaffa, Tel Aviv and Haifa, but also Herzliya and Tiberius. Nahum Gutman produced posters, Judaica, prints and lithographs, as well as a illustrating a children’s weekly magazine for over thirty years.

==Famous Works==
Apart from Nahum Gutman’s beautiful illustrated Haggadahs designed for both adults and children, he was one of the first writers to write children’s literature in Hebrew, for which he won many prizes. Gutman illustrated the poetry of ''Bailik'', Israel’s national poet, as well as various other books.
Inside the ''Shalom Tower'' there is a series of Gutman’s mosaics depicting the history of Tel Aviv, while for Tel Aviv’s urban landscape Gutman produced outdoor sculptures. One such is his fountain opposite the old Tel Aviv municipal building.

==Legacy==
Although Nahum Gutman died in 1980 his impact on Israel and Israeli art is such that he was voted the 110th greatest Israeli of all time in a newspaper poll in 2005. His children’s books are still read. These and other books he wrote or illustrated are still available. His paintings, prints and lithographs can be found online and his work often comes up for sale in auction houses. Gutman’s art is also in many museums.

===Museum===
In the Neve Tzedek neighborhood of Tel Aviv there is a Nachum Gutman museum which has a history of his life, and his large oeuvre of work is on display in rotation and in special exhibitions. The museum offers special activities for children as well as touring exhibitions and educational programs.

===Stamps===
In 2008 the ''Israeli Post Office'' released a series of stamps for the Tel Aviv Centennial in 2009 depicting Gutman’s pictures of the early years of the city.

==Awards==
Throughout his life Nahum Gutman received many awards and prizes, from the ''Dizengoff Prize'' for painting in 1938, to an Honorary Doctorate from Tel Aviv University in 1974. In 1976 he received an Honorary Citizenship from Tel Aviv, while in 1978 Gutman was awarded Israel’s most prestigious award - the ''Israel Prize''.

Galilee-Silks

2013-01-02T09:14:22Z

Tzaftisha: Galilee Silks,a multi-million shekle business, handmakes painted silk tallit and kippot as well as a variety of women's fashion in an atelier in Northern Israel.

{{Infobox
|title = Galilee Silks
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Galilee Silks]]
|header1 = Founded:
|data2 = 1992
|header3 = Founder:
|data4 = Shlomit Azati
|header5 = Designer:
|data6 = Hadara Zaks
|header7 = Location:
|data8 = Kibbutz Beit HaEmek, Western Galilee, Israel
|header9 = Award:
|data10 = Certificate of Merit - Kibbutz Movement
|header11 = Description:
|data12 = A woman run company that handmakes beautiful hand-painted silk Judaica as well as unique women's fashion.}}
'''Galilee Silks''',a multi-million shekle business, handmakes painted silk tallit and kippot as well as a variety of women's fashion in an atelier in Northern Israel.

==The Company==
'''Galilee Silks''' is based on ''Kibbutz Beit HaEmek'' in the Western Galilee, in Northern Israel. It was founded by kibbutz member ''Shlomit Azati'' twenty years ago (1992) as a small one-woman enterprise. Now a thriving business with an annual turnover of over 2 million shekels, it offers a wide variety of hand-painted and handmade traditional silk Judaica as well as women's fashion items. These beautiful and individual fabrics range from tablecloths and other Shabbat and Festival items like tallit for both men and women, to floating silk jackets, and scarves.

==Background==
Shlomit Azati originally worked in the kibbutz clinic as a nurse. Her background as treasurer in the ''Noar HaOved'' youth movement together with various business courses, gave her the foundation to run a successful business. Her desire to do something artistic came from her needing to travel regularly to Tel Aviv to visit her mother during her last illness.
Partly as a relief from being surrounded by sickness, Shlomit took the opportunity to take handicraft classes with ''Batya Uziel''. Uziel is one of Israel’s premier arts and crafts teachers, and many well-known Israeli artists studied with her including [[David Gerstein|David Gerstein]].

After her mother passed away, Shlomit Azati decided that she wanted to do something more creative. She then persuaded the kibbutz committee to let her take a small workshop on the kibbutz and turn it into a studio. Shlomit began to work with silk, designing and painting scarves, and very soon the business took off. Today she runs it together with ''Hadara Zaks'', a designer who graduated from ''Oranim Academic College''.

==The Process==
The factory, which is more like a traditional ''atelier'' than a conventional factory, employs around 20 trained creative women artists who hand paint raw silk before turning the colored silk into beautiful products.
The raw silk is first dyed white, before being stretched on a frame. The silk is then hand painted, processed and fixed before being left to dry for about two days. It is then cut and made into a wide variety of items. As everything is hand-painted and handmade no two products are exactly alike.
The artisans are a mix of women members of the kibbutz, some of whom are immigrant women from the former Soviet Union, and Arab women from the neighboring villages.

==The Kibbutz==
Around 400 people live on Kibbutz Beit HaEmek, which is like many kibbutzim diversifying away from the traditional kibbutz format, was founded in 1949. Apart from the Galilee Silks company, it has another claim to fame. ''Sacha Baron Cohen'',the comedian, known for his various TV and film roles such as ''Ali G'' and ''Borat'', was a volunteer on the kibbutz in the late 80’s.

==Award==
Galilee Silks has support from ''The Fund for the Promotion of Overseas Marketing'', the ''Israel Export Institute'' and the ''Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor''. A few years ago Shlomit Azati was awarded a certificate of merit by the ''Kibbutz Movement Department for the Advancement of Women''.

Group tours of the kibbutz and the Galilee Silks factory are available by appointment.
Galilee Silks products are also available in a wide range of stores world-wide and online.

Hadad-Bros

2013-01-02T08:22:18Z

Tzaftisha: '''Hadad Bros''' is a well-known silversmith company in Israel, which produces a wide range of handmade silver Judaica for the Jewish home. Established in 1964 as a family run business, Hadad Bros is

{{Infobox
|title = Hadad Bros.
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Hadad Bros]]
|header1 = Founded:
|data2 = 1964
|header3 = Owners:
|data4 = Haim & Hagziel Hadad
|header5 = Location:
|data6 = Bnei Brak, Israel
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = Hadad Bros is an family run silversmith company, producing a wide range of handmade silver Judaica for the Jewish home}}

'''Hadad Bros''' is a well-known silversmith company in Israel, which produces a wide range of handmade silver Judaica for the Jewish home. Established in 1964 as a family run business, Hadad Bros is based in ''Bnei Brak'' , next door to Tel Aviv, and employs over 100 people.

==Background==
''Haim'' and ''Hagziel Hadad'' are two brothers who originally came from a prominent observant Jewish family in Tripoli, the capital of Libya. The family patriarch, ''Rabbi Shalom Hadad'', was a skilled silversmith whose silverware was much in demand with wealthy Arabs and Jews alike. Unfortunately he died when the brothers were very young and the Hadad boys had to learn to support themselves. After the family moved to Israel, Haim and Hagziel were apprenticed to silversmiths in Tel Aviv to learn the trade. After gaining enough experience in different elements of silversmithing the two brothers decided to open their own business, Hadad Bros.

==Factory==
The Hadad Bros. company started very small with only two craftsmen, but its reputation for producing quality work quickly grew. As it expanded Hadad Bros. needed larger premises and eventually by 1992 the two brothers had an eight story factory building in Bnei Brak, giving enough room for their workshops, offices, and storerooms. Hadad Bros also has a large showroom (500 sq meter, over 5,000 sq ft) for displaying the large variety of silverware available:-from large elaborate branched candlesticks to simple small mezuzahs in all styles from traditional Judaica to modern designs.

The two brothers have divided the responsibility of the company between them. ''Haim Hadad'' acts as the ''general manager'' running the company on a day to day basis, while ''Hagziel Hadad'' is responsible for producing the ''Judaica'' designs. Their skilled employees hand make all the products starting with the raw silver and processing it through a variety of stages until the final piece of sterling silverware is ready for polishing and display.

==Sterling Silver==
Silver is quite a soft metal and it needs to be hardened before it can be turned into candlesticks, menorahs, ritual washing cups or other objects. Silver is normally alloyed (combined) with another metal, usually copper, to make it hard enough to work with. Silver is then categorized according to the ratio of silver to the alloy metal. A percentage of 92.5% silver to 7.5% alloy metal makes silver ''‘sterling’'' and often ‘925’ is stamped into the object as a hallmark.

==Hallmarks==
A ''hallmark'' is a symbol or series of symbols stamped or punched into an object to show that it is made from a precious metal like gold or silver. Many countries have official hallmarks, usually controlled by their ''‘assay office’'', which may indicate the company, the year the object was made, as well as the purity of the gold or silver. The Israel assay office is in Tel Aviv, and is part of ''The Standard Institution of Israel''. However in Israel hallmarks for silver are voluntary at present.

==Locations==
Hadad Bros. which is now a three generation business have two stores in Jerusalem in addition to their store in Bnei Brak. They also have fascinating videos online showing how Hadad Bros. make their silverware, as well as an online presence.

Marc-Chagall

2012-12-27T22:10:44Z

Tzaftisha: Marc Chagall is best known for his iconic dreamlike paintings recalling life in the shtetls of Russia before the First World War, and his stained glass windows in locations in Europe, Israel and the United States.

{{Infobox
|title = Marc Chagall
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Marc Chagall]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = Vitebsk,Belarus,1887
|header3 = Died:
|data4 = Saint Paul de Vence, France, 1985
|header5 = Jewish Artist:
|data6 = illustrator, painter,stained glass artist
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = Marc Chagall's romanticized paintings of Jewish life in the shtetl together with his stage set designs and his famous stained glass windows consolidate his position as one of the best known artists of the 20th Century. }}

'''Marc Chagall''' is best known for his iconic dreamlike paintings recalling life in the shtetls of Russia before the First World War, and his stained glass windows in locations in Europe, Israel and the United States.

==Background==
Marc Chagall is probably the most famous Jewish artist of the 20th Century. Born in 1887 in a shtetl near ''Vitebsk'', Belarus, into a poor Hassidic family, Chagall as a young boy studied in a traditional religious school. Later when opportunities for Jews opened up he attended a newly opened art school in Vitebsk. In 1907 Chagall went to study art in St Petersburg.

After three years, Marc Chagall moved to Paris where ''Cubism'' was the latest art form. Although Cubism didn’t suit his style which had a more ethereal dreamlike quality, France suited Chagall. In 1914, Chagall returned to Russia and became trapped by the start of the First World War. After he married in 1915, he remained in Russia until 1923, caught up in the Russian Revolution. While in Russia, Chagall designed stage sets and murals for the new ''Moscow Jewish Theater''.

==France==
Keeping Paris as his base, Chagall then traveled extensively around France and the rest of Europe. In 1931 he traveled ''Tel Aviv'' for the opening of its Art Museum. This inspired his drawings (105) for an illustrated edition of the ''Bible'', eventually published in 1956. During the war years, (WW2) Chagall and his wife, ''Bella Rosenfeld'', escaped to the United States. Afterwards Chagall returned to live and work in France. He died in 1985, in Saint Paul de Vence, in the south of France.

==Style==
''Marc Chagall’s'' iconic images of ''shtetl'' life have a dreamlike quality and give a romanticized view of the past. His picture of ''‘The Fiddler’'' who is standing on a roof is one of his most well-known paintings while others show young lovers or other figures floating in the sky with life continuing below.

==Work==
Chagall worked in all media, from oils to gouache, watercolors to lithographs, using everything from paper to glass, on both a small and large scale.
===Set Designs===
Apart from his designs for the Moscow Jewish Theater, Chagall also produced costumes and sets for the ballet ''‘Aleko’'' by Leonide Massine and ''Stravinsky’s'' ballet ''‘Firebird''’. These helped to consolidate Chagall’s reputation in the United States.
===Murals===
Marc Chagall’s painted several large murals for both the ''Paris Opera House'' and for the ''Metropolitan Opera'' in New York City. He also produced a large mosaic for a plaza in Chicago, and mosaics and tapestries for the Israeli Parliament (Knesset).
===Stained Glass Windows===
Chagall is probably best known for his ''stained glass windows''. His first stained glass window, produced with his glass maker ''Charles Marq'' was for a church in Assy in 1956. In 1960 he followed this with a window for the Cathedral in Metz. In 1962 he produced a set of ''twelve windows depicting the twelve tribes of Israel'' which were installed in the newly built ''synagogue for Hadassah Hospital'' in Jerusalem.
His next window, called'' ‘Peace''' was for the United Nations’ which Chagall completed in 1964. In 1967 he dedicated a window to Rockefeller in a church in New York, while in 1974 he was commissioned to make a window for another cathedral in Rhiems. He also produced windows for other churches including a complete set of twelve windows for a church in England. In 1977 he produced his ''‘America Windows''’, installed in the Art Institute in Chicago, in commemoration of the ''Bicentennial of the American Revolution''.

==Legacy==
Marc Chagall’s work can be seen in museums around the world including the ''Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall'' in Nice, and the ''Marc Chagall Museum'' in his old family house in Vitebsk, Belarus. Both prints and reproductions of his art are available from galleries and online.

Shraga-Landesman

2012-12-27T21:39:21Z

Tzaftisha: Shraga Landesman is an Israeli Judaica artist and designer who lives and works in Haifa. He is also an accomplished photographer of birds, and uses bird themes in his small sculptures combined with ancient motifs to connect with the history and cultu

{{Infobox
|title = Shraga Landesman
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Shraga Landesman]]
|header1 = Born:
|data2 = 1954
|header3 = Israeli Artist:
|data4 = Artist, sculptor and photographer
|header5 = Description:
|data6 = Shraga Landesman is a Judaica artist, designer and photographer specializing in images of birds, creating pieces that look similar to ancient artifacts.
}}

'''Shraga Landesman''' is an Israeli Judaica artist and designer who lives and works in ''Haifa''. He is also an accomplished photographer of birds, and uses bird themes in his small sculptures combined with ancient motifs to connect with the history and culture of the area.

==Background==
Shraga Landesman, artist, designer, sculptor, and photographer was born in Israel in 1954 and now lives and works in Haifa. He studied painting and sculpture at ''Oranim College of Art'', Kiryat Tivon, north-east of Haifa, Afterwards Shraga studied at ''Tel-Hai College'', in the Upper Galilee on the northern border with Israel.
Both of these campuses are surrounded by natural beauty with wonderful views of the countryside and are on the seasonal bird migration path from Europe to Africa. This makes Israel a wonderful place for bird watching and as a boy Shraga spent a lot of time bird watching around the ''Kenneret'' (Sea of Galilee). This fascination with birds comes out in both his small sculptures and his photography. After leaving Tel Hai, Landsman travelled extensively in Europe which exposed him to Western culture in all its variety and complexity. Returning to Israel Shraga then continued his artistic studies at ''Haifa University'', where he specialized in small sculptures.

==Medium==
Much of Landesman’s work is in ''cast metal'' or ''laser-cut anodized metal'' mostly using aluminum. To increase his skills further Shraga Landesman studied to be a gold and silversmith. This enabled him to offer his work in a wide variety of other metals including brass, and pewter as well as gold and silver. He produces a wide range of Judaica items from ritual objects like menorahs and Passover Seder plates to limited edition pieces like his ''Torah crown'' and ''mantel'' (Torah cover). Shraga also makes unusual pieces for the home from cast aluminum coffee tables and chairs to mirrors and lamps.

==Themes==
Shraga takes a lot of his themes from nature, and images of birds proliferate in his work. Landesman also uses his interest in the archeology, culture and history of the region, both ''Jewish'' and ''Canaanite'' to create his distinctive Judaica. Inspired spiritually by the Bible, Shraga Landesman’s work often resembles ancient artifacts found in Israeli museums. He often uses an ancient form of Hebrew script on his Judaica when quoting phrases or verses from Hebrew scripture as a way to connect with the lost world of the past. Apart from themes of birds he also puts traditional images of olive branches, pomegranates, and wheat in his art.

==Photography==
Shraga Landesman is an accomplished ''bird photographer''. His pictures capture the life of birds in amazing detail. He has pictures of birds ready to take off, birds in mid-flight with their wings outstretched and kingfishers catching their prey. Shraga has even managed to capture pictures of birds with a fish, mouse or even a fly in its beak and mother birds feeding their chicks.

==Exhibitions==
Landesman had his first exhibition in 1993 and has been widely exhibited in Europe and North America. Shraga Landsman’s Judaica can be seen in Jewish museums and Judaica shops around the world and is available online.

Lily-Art

2012-12-27T21:21:18Z

Tzaftisha: Founded in 1992 by Lily and Dudi Shohat, '''Lily Art''' has been supplying a large range of hand-crafted Judaica from its factory near Gan Yavne in Central Israel ever since.

{{Infobox
|title = Lily Art
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Lily Art]]
|header1 = Founded:
|data2 = 1992
|header3 = Owners:
|data4 = Lily & Dudi Shohat
|header5 = Location:
|data6 = Gan Yavne, Central Israel
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = A company that has been producing hand-crafted Judaica and tableware since 1992, from its factory in Central Israel.}}

Founded in 1992 by ''Lily and Dudi Shohat'', '''Lily Art''' has been supplying a large range of hand-crafted Judaica from its factory near Gan Yavne in Central Israel ever since.

==Artist==
''Lily Shohat'', the artist and designer works mainly in glass, metal and ceramics producing an eclectic mix of Judaica and everyday products for the home. She has recently branched out into textiles and now produces tallit and kippot, which, along with her elegant Torah pointers, are suitable as Bar Mitzvah gifts.

==Glassware==
Much of Lily’s glassware is hand-painted with traditional Jewish motifs such as pomegranates and ''Stars of David''. Other items are colored blue, reminiscent of the heavens and the ancient mystic traditions of the kabbalah. Incoporating embossed metal on glass enables Lily Shohat to put traditional blessings like the blessing for the home on some of her glass designs. She also likes to use stained glass as well as painted glass for some of her items.

==Judaica==
In addition to producing specific Judaica items for the various Jewish holidays, such as Seder plates for Passover and Menorahs for Hannukah, Lily Arts also makes regular hand-decorated tableware. This tableware, from plates and vases to salt and pepper sets can be appreciated by anyone, making a practical souvenir and a reminder of Israel.

Lily Art has been in operation for 20 years and has a unique place in the world of Israeli Judaica. Anyone can relate to their individual style which is quintessentially Israeli, whether they want Judaica per se or just something to remind them of Israel. ''Lily Art'' products can be found in Judaica and other gift shops in Israel and online.

Kakadu-Design

2012-12-24T13:35:05Z

Tzaftisha: Kakadu Design is an international Israeli design company based on Moshav Tzafririm. It produces a variety of practical hand painted wooden designs for the home, everything from decorated furniture and wooden carpets to vases and placemats.

{{Infobox
|title = Kakadu Design
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Kakadu Design]]
|header1 = Owners:
|data2 = Aharon and Reut Sharar
|header3 = Founded:
|data4 = 1990
|header5 = Location:
|data6 = Moshav Tzafririm, Elah Valley
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = International company of handmade and hand-painted wooden designs for the home}}

'''Kakadu Design''' is an international Israeli design company based on Moshav Tzafririm. It produces a variety of practical hand painted wooden designs for the home, everything from decorated furniture and wooden carpets to vases and placemats.

==The Company==
Kakadu is Hebrew for cockatoo, and was started in 1990 by ''Aharon'' and ''Reut Shahar'' with unique designs featuring pictures of birds and other images from nature. These designs proved popular and by 1994,from small beginnings,the Shahar’s had opened their first store in Jerusalem, followed later by a second one in Tel Aviv. Aharon and Reut have a commitment to a ''‘green’'' approach to life and so only use wood from sustainable sources. The Shahar’s believe in a society based on coexistence that respects everyone, just like they respect the environment. Accordingly, Kakadu workers cover the whole spectrum of Israeli society. During the second intifada some of the Palestinian workers were unable to travel to the workshop, so the Shahar’s set up mini-workshops in their villages. Now Kakadu is an international company, based adjacent to a nature reserve on ''Moshav Tzafririm'', midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in the historic and beautiful ''Elah Valley''.

==The Artists==
===Aharon Shahar===
Aharon is a master carpenter and designer who started by making furniture. He developed the various processes used to make Kakadu products durable, creates new designs and now runs the management side of the business. He also, in keeping with an integrated approach to life teaches Alexander Technique.
===Reut Shahar===
Reut studied art and jewelry design at Bezalel Academy and was the first woman to study carpentry in Israel. Apart from being the main creative force behind the company she is also an artist, musician and sculptor in her own right. She exhibits her work in Israel and abroad.

==The Process==
Handcrafted, and hand-painted, Kakadu’s products go through a 12-step process of manufacture. Once an item has been designed it is made in the workshop on site. The material used is combination of solid wood and plywood which is cut so that there is as little waste as possible. After the product has been made, it is lovingly hand-painted and then lacquered several times to ensure that they are both water-resistant and durable. It is then ready for display and distribution.

==‘Art for the Heart’ Workshops==
The Shahar’s run workshops at the Kakadu Gallery, and elsewhere in Israel and the world, so that people can participate in the creative process. Reut believes that everyone can be creative and she runs workshops to help people bring out their creativity. Some of the workshops at Kakadu are short, aimed at tour groups, while others are long-term regular classes that enable people to eventually open up their own studios and businesses. Other classes and workshops offered at Kakadu include Jewish heritage, nature and music.

==‘Picabu' at Disney World==
Recently Reut was commissioned by the ''Swan & Dolphin Resort'' at ''Disney World'' in Florida, to redesign one of their restaurants. This required a lot of coordination on Reut’s part as all the work was carried out in the Kakadu workshop in Israel. The restaurant features the ''‘Picabu’'' motif, which appears peering around corners, guiding customers around the space. Picabu is full of light and fun, and appeals to both children and to the ‘child within’ adults alike. Apart from the wooden ‘Picabu’ motifs all around the restaurant , there are three display ‘worlds’ with wooden fish, birds and bugs in typical Kakadu style - just to amuse.

Aharon and Reut Sharar’s environmentally friendly furniture and household products are available from their Kakadu gallery and stores in Israel, various stores worldwide, and online.

David-Gerstein

2012-12-23T12:59:44Z

Tzaftisha: David Gerstein is an internationally well-known Israeli painter and sculptor and his art is exhibited all over the world.

{{Infobox
|title = David Gerstein
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=David Gerstein]]
|header1 = Other Names:
|data2 = Dudu Gerstein
|header3 = Born:
|data4 = 1944, Jerusalem
|header5 = Israeli Artist:
|data6 = Painter/Sculptor
|header7 = Award:
|data8 = Children's Book Illustration,- Israel Museum (1979)
|header9 = Description:
|data10 = International artist known for his 'cut-out' public sculptures of runners and cyclists
}}
David Gerstein is an internationally well-known Israeli painter and sculptor and his art is exhibited all over the world.

==Background==
'''David Gerstein''' was born in Jerusalem in 1944 to immigrant parents and grew up in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. Both he and his twin brother Jonathan (Yoni) showed artistic talent from a young age, even making their own toys out of cardboard. His father was a leather cutter and as David (Dudu) grew up he would help him in the workshop. In high school he took painting classes and went to an art camp for several summers. After the army, where he served in the prestigious paratroop regiment, he first went to the ''Bezalel'' Academy, before going to study further in Paris, New York and London.
Later, returning to Israel, David Gerstein was a lecturer at Bezalel.

==Style==
Gerstein was influenced by the ''Pop Art'' movement in America and his style is colorful, vibrant and easily recognizable. As his style developed from illustration and painting he found he wasn’t able to express everything he wanted through painting and so moved into sculpture. Often David also combines images in an unexpected fashion. For example in one of his works, a large picture/sculpture of a woman’s high heeled shoe is actually made up of lots of butterflies. Gradually David began to merge the two dimensional world of painting with the three dimensional world of sculpture, especially with what he calls his ''‘cut-outs’''.

==Cut-Outs==
David’s childhood experience of cutting out both leather and cardboard has morphed into ‘cut-out’ sculptures of metal which he paints with bright industrial paints. His public steel sculptures which appear to be flat like a painting are actually made in layers so that they are in three dimensions like a sculpture. This often gives the feeling of movement and many of Gerstein’s sculptures are of ''bicyclists'' or ''runners''. When his sculptures are put up against a wall they cast a shadow which David sees as an integral part of the sculpture. This is reminiscent of the traditional Jewish [[David Fisher|papercut]] pictures, only on a much larger scale.

==Accessibility==
Part of David Gerstein’s approach to art is to remove the distinction between so called ''‘high art’'' and ''‘low art’''. David believes that ''‘everyone deserves art’'' so he creates very accessible art, whether it is his large sculptures and paintings for public spaces or multiple copies of his small ''‘wall sculptures’'' (painting/sculptures) and pieces for the home. These affordable limited editions for the home, like his dancers or cyclists, may actually be a fruit bowl or just a pure decorative piece. He also has a range of broach pins, prints and photographs which make his art both affordable and accessible. David Gerstein also makes Judaica, including range of Chanukah menorahs which, once the candle-holder is removed after the holiday, is an interesting sculpture.

==Public Art==
David Gerstein’s large public sculptures of runners and bicyclists, amongst others, can be found in a wide number of locations around Israel as well as other countries. His piece, ''‘Momentum’'' at 18.5 meters high is ''Singapore''’s largest outdoor sculpture, while another piece, ''‘Star City’'' resides in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. His art is in constant demand around the world and is often given as a gift by the Israel Foreign Ministry to visiting dignitaries and heads of state.

David Gerstein is represented by galleries in over twenty countries and he has two galleries in Israel, one in Tel Aviv, the other in Jerusalem. His work is also available online.
He currently lives and works in Jerusalem.

David-Fisher

2012-12-21T12:20:08Z

Tzaftisha: David Fisher is an auto-didactic Israeli papercut artist who uses this traditional Jewish art form to recreate the destroyed wooden synagogues of Poland in paper with modern laser technology.

{{Infobox
|title = David Fisher
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=David Fisher]]
|header1 = Born
|data2 = 1966
|header3 = Artist
|data4 = Israeli Papercut Artist
|header5 = Description
|data6 = Reviving a traditional Jewish artform and memorializing the wooden synagogues of Poland.}}

David Fisher is an auto-didactic Israeli papercut artist who uses this traditional Jewish art form to recreate the destroyed wooden synagogues of Poland in paper with modern laser technology.

==Background==
'''David Fisher''', a self-taught paper-cut artist, has taken a traditional Jewish art form that goes back to at least the Middle Ages and has helped to revive it using modern technology.
David, born in 1966, is a ''‘second generation’'' i.e:- the son of survivors of the Holocaust. He is acutely aware of what was lost, both physically and spiritually, and has chosen the almost lost art of Jewish papercut as a memorial to the communities of Europe.

==Papercut Pictures==
Apart from producing papercut pictures of traditional subjects like the Star of David, menorahs, and house blessings, David Fisher is creating a series of papercut homages to the wooden synagogues destroyed in Eastern Europe.

==Traditional Papercut Art==
Traditionally, papercut art was made using a sharp knife (such as shoemaker’s) to cut either paper or parchment. The design would first be drawn on paper and then the paper-cutter would skilfully cut away the unwanted parts, leaving the design. A symmetrical design can be created by folding the paper in two and cutting through both sides, from the fold, at the same time. After opening the design up, the paper-cut would often be first painted and then mounted on a contrasting background. These papercut pictures are very intricate and can include Hebrew or Yiddish blessings or prayers, or religious symbols and were used for a celebration, decoration, or for religious purposes. For example many religious homes would have a mizrach (east) - a paper-cut picture - on the eastern wall that faced Jerusalem, so that people would know which direction to face for prayer.

==Laser Cutting Art==
A modern laser cutting machine does the same job as a knife, but is a lot faster and can be more precise. After working out a design by hand, multiple copies of the design can be made by pre-programing the design into the machine and letting technology do all the work. This makes laser-cut paper art much more affordable. Many papercut pictures are so delicate and so intricate, especially when made with laser, that they appear as fine as lace. It is even possible to make papercut art that is actually in 3D, or appears to be in three dimensions.

==Destroyed Synagogues==
Drawing on archive material, David Fisher makes papercut pictures of the destroyed synagogues of Poland. Fortunately before the 2nd World War, the Polish government decided to record and document in detail the intricately carved wooden synagogues that existed in the country. These buildings were of world class architectural importance, masterpieces of a genuine Jewish folk art and each was individual in style. Almost all of these synagogues were destroyed during the war and very little remains apart from photographs and people’s memories.

Since David started this work in 2005, which he does in his ‘spare time’, he has managed to make papercut pictures of eight of these lost gems. Fisher is constantly refining his work as he discovers more about a synagogue so he can make the papercut as accurate as possible. Each picture requires an immense amount of research as he not only wants to know about the individual building’s architecture but also about the history behind it and the community it served. David’s work is extremely powerful, evoking memories in survivors, and awe of the skill involved, in others. David Fisher even keeps all the pieces of paper that are cut away from the picture, as he sees them as part of the symbolism of the loss of the past.

David Fisher has had several exhibitions of his papercut art and his work is available online.

Caesarea-Arts

2012-12-19T16:10:37Z

Tzaftisha: Alice and Brian Bergner, the owners of Caesarea Arts, produce modern jewelry and Judaica that is heavily influenced by the presence of the sea and the surrounding landscape and archeology of Caesarea.

{{Infobox
|title = Caesarea Arts
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Caesarea Arts]]
|header3 = Owners:
|data4 = Alice & Brian Bergner
|header5 = Location:
|data6 = Caesarea,Israel
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = An arts studio in Caesarea that produces modern jewelry and Judaica that is influenced by the local archeology and the ever present Mediterranean Sea.
}}
Alice and Brian Bergner, the owners of Caesarea Arts, produce modern jewelry and Judaica that is heavily influenced by the presence of the sea and the surrounding landscape and archeology of Caesarea.

==Caesarea Arts==
'''Caesarea Arts''' is an arts studio workshop is owned by Alice and Brian Bergner. It is based in Caesarea, an important port in ancient times. The seaside location and the important archeological finds in the area are constant inspiration for the modern Judaica designed by this creative couple.

==The Sea==
Alice and Brian live and work close to the sea and experience its changing moods from every room of their home. Their Caesarea Arts studio also looks towards the sea and they spend many hours beach-combing the debris that the sea leaves on the shore. Sometimes they incorporate these found objects, especially glass, directly into unique jewelry; other times they just use them for inspiration to create new pieces. Not surprisingly the blue color of the sea, in its various shades, features in much of their jewelry and Judaica.

==The Archeology==
As well as working in colored metals like aluminum which remind them of the sea, the Bergners also like to work in stone, inspired by the ancient ruins in the area. The Roman amphitheater and aqueduct nearby, together with the archeological sites still being unearthed, provide them with plenty of ideas, both in terms of shape and materials. Everything from the designs on ancient coins, to the shape of an ancient glass amphora, a type of bottle, have been incorporated in their pieces They combined the amphora shape with Jerusalem stone to create a unique type of ''mezuzah'' case and it proved so popular that the style has been adopted by other Judaica artists.

==The Judaica==
The Bergners produce modern Judaica for the Jewish home, enabling people to celebrate all phases of the Jewish year. Caesarea Arts’ ''challah'' knives and boards are used specifically for the ''Sabbath'' and other Festivals, while their candlesticks can be used by anyone who appreciates good design. They also produce a selection of corporate gift sets which can be personalized to suit both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations and businesses alike.

If you are unable to visit Alice and Brian Bergner’s Caesarea Arts workshop studio in person, you can always see their latest designs online.

Agayof

2012-12-19T15:48:50Z

Tzaftisha: Over the last 40 years the Agayof company in Jerusalem has produced some of the most innovative and creative modern Judaica available in the world today.

{{Infobox
|title = Agayof
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Agayof]]
|header3 = Owners:
|data4 = Avner & Avia Agayof
|header5 = Location:
|data6 = Jerusalem
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = A company that produces innovative contemporary Judaica which are future heirlooms.
}}
Over the last 40 years, the Agayof company in Jerusalem has produced some of the most innovative and creative modern Judaica available in the world today.

==Avner Agayof==
'''Agayof''' is an innovative Israeli modern artist and designer,who has inspired countless artists with his contemporary Judaica. Based in Jerusalem, Avner Agayof has been the backbone of the Agayof company for the last 40 years. Together with his son Avia, they produce some of the most interesting and exciting Jewish ritual objects available today.

==Puzzles==
Working in colored anodized aluminium and other metals, the Agayofs produce a wide variety of intricate Judaica designs, many of which are also puzzles:- like their ''dreidel'' which turns into a ''menorah''. These geometric puzzle designs are very appealing to children as they can play with them by folding and stacking them, even after the holiday is finished. Agayof’s products are not only very attractive but several are also designed to reduce in size when not in use, making them ideal for religious travellers to carry in their hand luggage.

==The Anodizing Process==
Putting a metal in a special electrolytic solution and passing an electric current through it,is called anodizing. This process enables aluminum to accept colored dyes and harden, which helps to prevent corrosion. Unlike silver, which can easily tarnish or get damaged, metal that has been anodized retains its color and just needs a gentle wash if it gets dirty. Titanium is another metal that can be anodized and the process itself enables titanium to change color without any need for dyes. Both anodized aluminum and titanium are ideal metals for creating contemporary modern artistic designs.

==Future Heirlooms==
By taking traditional ritual objects and giving them a completely contemporary look, Avner Agayof has brought Judaica into the 21st century. His designs, which are heirlooms for the future, make ideal bar/bat mitzvah and wedding gifts. He is one of Israel’s best known Judaica artists, and his unique designs have found their way into museum exhibitions around the world, and are also available online.

Adina-Plastelina

2012-12-17T14:21:17Z

Tzaftisha: Adina Plastelina, an Israeli jewelry design company, uses a combination of modern materials (polymer clay) and ancient techniques (millefiori technique) to make interesting and exciting modern jewelry designs.

{{Infobox
|title = Adina Plastelina
|image = [[File:Space holder.jpg|215px|alt=Adina Plastelina]]
|header1 = What Is It?
|data2 = Innovative Modern Jewelry Studio
|header3 = Who Are They?
|data4 = Sami Leder & Adi Prahia
|header5 = Where Is It?
|data6 = Jaffa Old Port
|header7 = Description:
|data8 = Studio workshop where they combine modern polymer clay and the ancient technique of millefiori to produce unique jewelry mounted in silver and gold.
}}

Adina Plastelina, an Israeli jewelry design company, uses a combination of modern materials (polymer clay) and ancient techniques (millefiori technique) to make interesting and exciting modern jewelry designs.
==The Company==
Adina Plastelina is actually two people, Sami Leder and Adi Prahia, who have combined their different talents to produce beautiful modern jewelry from their studio in an ancient building in the Old Jaffa Port artists’ quarter.
==Sami Leder==
Born in Tel Aviv in 1976, Sami’s creativity first expressed itself in writing. After finishing his military service,he moved in 2001 to Kibbutz 'Rosh Ha'Nikrah' on the northern Israeli border to write his opus. At the same time he was inspired by the amazing scenery in the area to make mythic sculptures out of sea shells, corals, tree roots and other found materials. In 2002 he met Adi Prahia by chance, and they began working together to produce their innovative jewelry. In 2004 they opened a studio-gallery called Adina Plastelina in Rosh Ha’Nikrah’. Their jewelry designs proved so popular that by 2005 they were able to move the studio-workshop to Jaffa .
==Adi Prahia==
Adi Prahia was born in Holon in 1983 and like most children enjoyed playing with plasticine and modeling clay. She studied Art History at college where she came across the millefiori technique, which traditionally used glass to produce pretty beads and jewelry. Adi and Sami realized that this method could be adapted to make use of modern materials. They began to experiment with polymer clay which is very easy to work with. It also doesn’t require large expensive equipment to make glass or a kiln to fire the clay in, because polymer clay bakes at low temperatures in a simple toaster oven. Polymer clay holds its intense color indefinitely and can be combined with precious metals like gold and silver to produce beautiful jewelry.
==The Technique==
The Millefiori technique was originally developed by the ancient Egyptians to produce small glass mosaics. The method originally fused different colored glass rods together in a column which was then stretched and cut into thin slices. This kept the original pattern throughout, rather like a stick of seaside candy, and produced exquisite glass beads and other jewelry. In the Middle Ages this technique was used by Italian glass workers in Venice who gave it the name ''millefiori'' (a thousand flowers).
Adina Plastelina uses the same technique, with polymer clay instead of glass, as a basis for their jewelry. Once they have the initial design, they mount the thin slices of clay in silver or gold and seal it with enamel, to create beautiful pieces of timeless jewelry like necklaces, earrings and cufflinks, which are suitable for both men and women.
==The Studio==
Their main Adina Plastelina studio is in the artistic quarter of the Old Port of Jaffa in a building that originally was used as ''hamam'' (Turkish bath) in Turkish times. The studio is open every day for visitors and you can watch the whole creative process needed to produce this unique jewelry. You can also visit their ''‘mysterious room’'' which is a private museum displaying ancient artifacts, that go back as far as the Greeks and the Romans, which were found on the site during renovations.
Adi and Sami also have a studio in the ''Sarona'' neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Adina Plastelina has been featured in a variety of magazines worldwide from ''Vogue'' to ''OK'', and also has an online presence.