New Seder Centerpiece

The New York Gift Show is already almost upon us and we've got lots of new stuff to showcase there.  Among those items is this fantastic new Seder plate designed as a Passover centerpiece.  The vertical design allows for a great presence at the table without taking up too much room.

The SP21 will have a suggested retail price of $150 and features some beautiful sky blue glass.

The World's Largest Seder Plate?

Gary and team have created what may very well be the world's largest Seder plate.  I know I've never seen one this big, have you?  This magnificent beast is a replica of our SP18, stands over two and a half feet tall and is almost four and a half feet wide.  Made from steel, brass, and copper it holds six glass dishes on top and has a two sided glass pyramid in the center, screened with 24kt gold.  Not only does it look great, it visually tells the story of Passover, representing the parting of the red sea, the pyramids, and the ten commandments.

Gary created this stunning piece with caterers, hotels, and cruise ships in mind - when holding a large Passover Seder, a large Seder plate makes the perfect centerpiece.  If you are interested in purchasing this, or similar custom works, give us a call at 301.493.5577.

Tu Bishvat

Tu Bishvat is a lesser known holiday, celebrated this year at sundown on January 29.  A celebration of the "New Year of the trees," it is customary to have a seder when observing it.  This Seder is much different than the Passover Seder, featuring dried fruits and nuts along with four glasses of wine.  It can be described as the Jewish Arbor Day. 

We just recently had a request for a special Tu Bishvat Seder Plate, something we've never done before.  The requirements were that it the seven required dishes as well as places for the four glasses of wine and that it represented a tree in the spirit of the holiday.  Gary and his designers came up with this masterpiece:

Modern Jewish Mom - Passover Special

If you have access to the Jewish Channel you may have seen an interview with Gary on the Modern Jewish Mom Passover Special - or you may see it in the near future, I am unsure of when the air date of the show is. Among other interesting things they talk about in the episode, there is a segment about how a unique and artistic Seder plate can become a great centerpiece, featuring an interview with Gary at the New York gift show. We have a copy of the show on DVD and I'm hoping to get permission to post the Gary Rosenthal segment here for all of your viewing pleasure. In the meantime, happy Passover wishes from all of us at The GRC!

Gary Rosenthal Seder Plate Part of Fundraiser Auction

Suzye Doblin of Texas writes in to tell us about a fundraising auction that includes one of Gary's seder plates, the uniquely vertical SP16.

"As co-chair for the fundraising arm of Temple Emanuel in Beaumont, Texas, I borrowed an idea that had been successful at my previous temple in Hattiesburg, MS. We will have a silent as well as a live auction. My husband, Steve, who is president of the temple, and I like to donate Judaica for the fundraiser. Our fundraiser is called the Fabulous Fall Fun Raiser (FFFR). Last year we made about $8000. I love the pieces of art that we have from Gary Rosenthal's collection and so I decided to donate the Vertical Seder Plate. I thought that would be a fun item. It is going to be a part of the live auction. We put minimum bids on all items...usually half of retail and then hope the bidding will soar. Our fundraiser is November 1st and I will let you know how we do."

Though she didn't mention it in the letter, Suzye liked the seder plate so much that not only did she buy one to donate for the auction, but bought one for herself as well! We wish Suzye good luck with her fundraising efforts and can't wait to hear back from her in November. It's always great to hear that our work is appreciated and put to good use.