Gary Rosenthal Collection Named CSAAC Employer of the Year

We at the Gary Rosenthal Collection are privileged to have the opportunity to work with CSAAC (Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children).  We currently employ two individuals with autism, Tim and John, who excel at every task they are responsible for here.  Their service is invaluable and they have directly contributed in the manufacturing of our very popular collection of woven Judaica.

We were recently honored to be named Employer of the Year for CSAAC and took the opportunity to get a group photo of the full GRC crew, including Tim and John.  Tim is holding the award plaque and John is on the far right of the photo.

In the photos below, Tim is working on packaging glasses he has dyed that will be part of a Jewish wedding ceremony while John weaves copper strips that will become mezuzot like the one pictured.

 

Stamford Jewish Arts & Film Festival

Those of you in Connecticut may be aware that Gary's work is currently on display at the Stamford JCC as part of the Jewish Arts & Film Festival of Fairfield County.  If you haven't gotten there yet, you still have a few more days as they festival continues through November 13th.

The Jewish Ledger has a wonderful article about Gary and his work, in conjunction with the festival.

Rosenthal may be among the most recognized Judaica artists working today. His tzedakah boxes and menorahs have been presented to Presidents Carter, Clinton, and Bush pater, and to celebrities Bette Midler, John Travolta, Tony Randall, and Itzhak Perlman.
But it is his community involvement and tikkun olam that he hopes to be remembered for. Since 2004, he has focused on turning his business into what he has called “a community-service machine based on art.”
“I’ve always been interested in tikkun olam, since I was in college,” Rosenthal says. “I think of myself as a social activist who happens to be a sculptor. I feel lucky that, as my art developed and I developed a following and started to earn a living from selling my art, it gave me a platform for the social activism.”

Check out the full article here!

The Past Couple Months

I realize it has been a little while since you've heard from us here and I wanted to make sure you didn't think we'd gone away!  Though the past couple months have been busy for us, we haven't necessarily been busy with things other people would find all that interesting.  Mostly we have been busy gearing up production to be ready for the Hanukkah rush which is now upon us!

October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we once again had a good number of participants hold Glass Ribbon Projects which is wonderful!  If you haven't heard about our program you should really check it out.  It is a FREE community arts project that benefits those with breast cancer and we have heard from numerous participants that it really is a very meaningful as well as enjoyable experience.  It doesn't have to be October for you to plan an activity - it could make a wonderful Hanukkah program or Mother's Day idea as well!

As I said, and you are probably fully aware, the Hanukkah rush has already started.  With that in mind, we've made available a great selection of one-of-a-kind items and discontinued items at great prices.  Whether you're looking to stock your shelves with unique items, or find a perfect gift for that certain someone, check out our Hanukkah Super Sale - quantities are limited (many are truly one-of-a-kind items) and going fast!

Finally, a bit of sad news.  One of our top notch designers, Ned, has decided to move on and take another job elsewhere.  She brought a lot of great ideas to the team and helped design some of our most popular new items.  If you have seen any of our pieces with embossed copper or puzzle glass (our new best selling A53 has both), you have seen her work.  She will be missed but we are busy finding others who can fill her shoes and add even more great ideas to the team.

As always, don't hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or ideas - we're always glad to talk!