What is a MEZUZAH?? Mezuzah: (Lit. “doorpost”): A small parchment scroll upon which the Hebrew words of the Shema are handwritten by a scribe. Mezuzah scrolls are rolled up and affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes, designating the home as Jewish and reminding those who live there of their connection to G‑d and their heritage. ALSO - An amazing work of art if you buy one of these beauties! Stay tuned, so many more gorgeous creations on the way.
So proud of this new art! Painted images with melted glass, circle dancing, L'chaim! Created with the intention of uniting with joy.
Have you heard of hashgacha and siata d'shmaya?
I had a dream to have the Maestro Gianni Toso to come to Tzfat and share his mastery of the art with art lovers, glassblowers, and anyone interested (or lucky enough) to see the highest level of the art in action. I feel like I'm dreaming to see the dream come to fruition. When I first met the maestro, even though I only saw him work for a few minutes of one day, my understanding and love of the material evolved beyond measure. The maestro told me he would never come to Israel, that he had originally wanted to settle in Israel but was traumatized by trying.
Somehow, that didn't phase me. I told myself, the next time I get a chance to visit the maestro, I better take it. So I did. Last year, when the opportunity arose to travel to the states, I made sure I would stay by Maestro Gianni. I really wanted to have shabbas with him and his family, beyond seeing his mastery of the art. I stayed for shabbas, we discussed a plethora of ideas and shared stories over the few days duration I was there. The experience of being in the maestro's studio and seeing his perseverance as an artist, his ongoing thirst for "beyond" expression is really beyond description. And I learned above all that the mastery of an art is never over, that there are always new frontiers to explore and conquer.
The other focus of that trip was to visit "Mount Krushmore", an enclave of super-talented glassblowers in Philly. What I saw there rocked my world. To see many high-level glassblowers working in a studio, together and independently, with top-notch facilities, was not only inspiring, it was life-changing. The glass community can be very family-like, and my little taste of the Philly crew, including Marble Slinger, Coyle Condenser, and Germ, warmed my heart and convinced me that building community around glass needs to be a major focus. I encouraged Germ to come inspire the glass scene in Israel as well.
Then came the idea for a glass festival.
Somehow, with siata d'shmaya and hashgacha, both Maestro Gianni Toso and Germ agreed to be a part of this event. Imagine, the grandfather of glass in our generation, Gianni Toso, and one of the leading artists in the new world of boro glass, Germ, sharing their work (in action!) in my studio is Tzfat. Beyond. Those who are keen on witnessing and being a part of this historic event will surely be inspired to say the least.
The idea of some of the greatest glass artists of our time coming together in my studio in Tzfat is a dream that is manifesting. Thanks to hashgasha (divine providence) and siata d'shmaya (help from above)... we are blessed with a once in a lifetime experience coming our way. If you want to hear the inner story and more, come join us at the festival! It's a certain type of stars in alignment you don't want to miss!!
Glass-Fest in Tzfat. February 3-4. Sheva Chaya's Gallery/Tzfat Glass. Don't miss it.
To sign up and for more info click here
from Maestro Gianni Toso's sculptural glassblower series
