Congratulations to the General Assembly Raffle Winners!

UPDATE:  I apologize, the phone number listed at the bottom had a typo in it.  If you have tried to contact us unsuccessfully please try again at 301.493.5577.

While in New Orleans for this year's General Assembly the Gary Rosenthal Collection shared a table with Sharsheret and Avodah, two worthwhile organizations.  The three of us held a raffle - Sharsheret gave away a pair of breast cancer awareness Sabbath candlesticks, Avodah had an art deco menorah to give away, and The Gary Rosenthal collection had a New Orleans street car Tzedakah box, all donated by the Gary Rosenthal Collection.  We've drawn names and the winners are announced below!

Sharsheret, Hebrew for “chain”, is a national not-for-profit organization supporting young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer. Our mission is to offer a community of support to women diagnosed with breast cancer or at increased genetic risk, by fostering culturally-relevant individualized connections with networks of peers, health professionals, and related resources.

The winner of Sharsheret's candlesticks is Carole Neff of New Orleans, LA.  Congratulations!

AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps strengthens the Jewish community's fight against the causes and effects of poverty in the United States. We do this by engaging participants in service and community building that inspires them to become lifelong agents for social change whose work for justice is rooted in and nourished by Jewish values.

The winner of Avodah's menorah is Richard May of Miami Beach FL.  Congratulations!

 

Gary Rosenthal has been sculpting in welded metals for over 30 years. Together with a team of talented craftspeople, he creates one of the most popular and unique lines of Judaic art in the country: The Gary Rosenthal Collection. Combining copper, brass, and steel with brilliant fused glass, the collection has a contemporary style rooted in tradition.

 The winner of The Gary Rosenthal Collection's Tzedakah box is Susan Feldman of Bloomfield Hills, MI.  Congratulations!

If you are one of the winners, please contact the Gary Rosenthal Collection at 301.493.5577 with your mailing address so that we may send out your prize.

Christmakah Party!

Every year we have a Holiday party near the end of the year at the GRC.  We set up the holiday tree, have a gift exchange, and eat lots of good food.  Though Hanukkah is, of course, over already, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a Blessed new year!

 Nick gets some food ready on the table.

 Gary's famous potato latkes on the stove.

The Christmakah tree with secret santa gifts underneath.

A Hanukkah Letter from the Netherlands

While most of our work is sold in the US, we do have fans and customers all over the world.  Here's a great letter from someone in the Netherlands:

Dear Gary,

Wow it arrived and on the last evening of Chanukah ! We have just received the parcel and I have just returned from presenting it to my daughters teacher who is thrilled with your dreidel and just adored your work .What a lovely gift you also included for my daughter she was very touched by your generous gift, there are two very happy people in the Netherlands thank you!!!!!!!

With very good wishes and a happy Chanukah.

Raquel Drukarch

This year's Hanukkah

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable Hanukkah and was able to give the gifts they were hoping to.  We're still shipping out menorot and dreidels for those of you who have put off gift shopping until the the eighth night!  This has been a good year for us and I do think that a rising economy is definitely in the air, which is good for all.  Around this time of year I see our name popping up all over the place and I just wanted to share a couple more.

We fell for the earthy brass leaves, copper flower and glass bead in this fluid contemporary piece that’s part of Judaic sculptor Gary Rosenthal’s newest collection, Tree of Life. $185 at Dashka Roth Contemporary Jewelry; 332 Chartres St., 504.523.0805; Dashkaroth.com

From NOLA.com:

We fell for the earthy brass leaves, copper flower and glass bead in this fluid contemporary piece that’s part of Judaic sculptor Gary Rosenthal’s newest collection, Tree of Life. $185 at Dashka Roth Contemporary Jewelry; 332 Chartres St., 504.523.0805; Dashkaroth.com  

From Paper Airplane Design Blog:

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Gary Rosenthal Menorahs

Gary Rosenthal is an artist who welds metals and glass together to create beautiful Judaica art. I have a friend who spent a summer interning in his studio, which is how I first heard of him. In honor of Chanukah, which begins tonight, here are a few of his interesting menorahs. Check out more here.  

Another Tzedakah Article

Happy Hanukkah to all!  I hope everyone's holiday is an enjoyable one.  I'd like to share another article the features Gary talking about the importance of Tzedakah as well as the history of Tzedakah boxes.

Charity Boxes Coming Into Their Own for Hanukkah

Boxes for charity remain workhorses in Jewish life but have come into their own as gifts

The Associated Press

By LEANNE ITALIE Associated Press

November 30, 2010 (AP)

Invited to a Hanukkah party? Consider a charity box as a worthy gift that goes straight to the core of Jewish life.

...The Torah promises that by giving tzedakah, "a person's mind and heart become refined one thousand times." Beautifying the performance of the fundamental command through a keepsake tzedakah box can help revive the practice of charity collection in Jewish homes, said Gary Rosenthal, an artist who has been creating pieces of Judaica since the 1970s.
Menorahs, dreidels, cups for Sabbath wine and seder plates for Passover have been popular gifts for decades, he said. Tzedakah boxes for home use are a relatively new addition.
"Twenty years ago I tried to make a tzedakah box and nobody would buy it," said Rosenthal, in Kensington, Md. "Everybody did it at synagogue but it wasn't something for the home. More Orthodox and traditional Jews had them but there was this lost generation after World War II when tzedakah boxes just fell off the radar."
Rosenthal often works in copper, brass and steel adorned with glass to create ritual items and Jewish gifts. He expects to sell nearly 6,000 tzedakah boxes worldwide by year's end, including a limited-edition streetcar with a portion of proceeds going to the Jewish community in New Orleans. He also has a line decorated with pink glass mosaics designed by people touched by breast cancer to support their cause.
"I like to combine art with doing good, when the purchase is actually an act of tzedakah," Rosenthal said.
More contemporary designers like Rosenthal have delved into Jewish life in recent decades, said Stacey Zaleski, director of merchandising for The Jewish Museum in New York City...

The full article is interesting as well and can be read here.