Hiddur Mitzvah in the News

This is a little old, but it somehow slipped past my attention until now.

Via The Atlanta Jewish Times Online

11/27/2008 8:32:00 AM

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Participants order Judaica items from the Gary Rosenthal Collection, such as a menorah, tzedakah box or dreidel. They use special Hiddur Mitzvah kits to design their own fused glass patterns. The designs are sent to the studio, where they are fired and added to the modern metal items – each one as unique as its creator. Congregation Beth Shalom members Rene Montaigne and Leslie Lopp design fused glass for artistic Judaica as part of the Hiddur Mitzvah Project. COVER: Building Community Through Art Jody Steinberg Special to the Jewish Times Congregation Beth Shalom members Rene Montaigne and Leslie Lopp designed fused glass for artistic Judaica as part of the Hiddur Mitzvah Project, a popular community project sponsored by the Beth Shalom Sisterhood. The glass will be fused and mounted on metal Judaica items designed by the Gary Rosenthal Collection. "My brother is very hard to buy gifts for," said Montaigne, "but he liked the Tzedakah box I made him at the last Hiddur Mitzvah project so much that I'm making one for the other brother." The Hiddur Mitzvah project has been a popular program at Beth Shalom, because members love coming together to be creative. The items make unique gifts or become special family keepsakes, according to Andrea Rosenbloom, who organized the event with Marcia Moneit. "The Hiddur Mitzvah Fund has worked with tens of thousands of people around the world who use art with mitzvah," explains Judaica artist Gary Rosenthal, who founded Hiddur Mitzvah. "It's a beautiful mitzvah to make Judaica - one of 613 commandments is to make beautiful ritual. People connect with each other and help other communities; the art project becomes a catalyst for mitzvot." Rosenthal founded the Hiddur Mitzvah Foundation about eight years ago as a tool to build community around creating art and turning it into a mitzvah project. Profits from the sales of the kits fund programs around the world. For example, Rosenthal sponsored the first organized Jewish community event in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Residents came together and created over 500 donated menorahs and dreidels in what's been described as "the calm after the storm - a chance to relax among community and create something beautiful to replace so much that was lost." The program was such a success that Hiddur Mitzvah returned in the spring with donated mezuzot, and ultimately helped found the New Orleans Jewish Music Festival. In other Hiddur Mitzvah projects, grandchildren of Holocaust survivors created two items each - one to keep, and one for Hiddur Mitzvah to deliver to survivors in diminishing Jewish communities in Poland and Russia. Hiddur Mitzvah has also sponsored Purim in Uganda and Shabbat dinner in Argentina. A group in Maryland created fused glass art to commemorate Kristallnacht.

New Challah Knives and Boards

Just because the New York show is over and the new catalog is on its way out the doors doesn't mean that we've stopped designing new work! Introducing two new challah boards and accompanying knives:


These knives will have a suggested retail of $80 and the boards, $120.

New Orleans Streetcar Tzedakah Box Update

A little while about I wrote about the special NOLA Tzedakah Box commission we created. I'd like to mention that for whoever wants a spectacular Trolley Tzedakah Box that helps support a good cause, they're now available for sale! Click the image below for more details.

Email Addresses

I would just like to post a quick note to all of our stores. We at the GRC frequently send news and specials via email to our accounts - but quite a few bounce back each time! To ensure that you don't miss out on any specials just send our webmaster a quick note at hwhitney@collectgaryrosenthal.com with the name of your account and current email addresses and he will make sure your account is up to date.

For our readers who are not store owners and just fans of our work, don't forget that you can keep up with new product releases and project news by adding your email to our list by submitting it in the form at the top of this page!

Price Lists, Catalogs, and the Web

We do our best to send out our catalogs accurately reflecting our artwork, prices, and available items. Because it's impossible to make any changes to a printed piece between one catalog mailing and the next, they do get outdated as new products are made, old ones are discontinued, and prices are adjusted in one direction or the other. But never fear, the web is here! Don't forget that we have an up to date website with every current item we have available, along with their dimensions and descriptions. And when you log into the retailer's section you will have access to all current prices and even be able to place an order from right there! As always, if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to contact us at 301.493.5577.