SHANA TOVA: HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This post is dedicated to Israel's high holidays taking place later this month. It is an exciting time of year, when kids begin their school year, the boiling summer weather is slowly eased with nice cool breezes, and the holidays are a good excuse to meet with the family for a few festive dinners.

Tishrei is the first month in the Hebrew calendar. It happens in fall, usually during September or October. The 1^st of Tishrei is Israel's New Years holiday, called "Rosh Hashana". This year it will happen on Sept 5^th. Some Rosh Hashana traditions are: dipping a slice of an apple in honey for a sweet new year, giving a gift to your loved ones, and wishing each other wishes for the upcoming year.

Here are pictures I took in some of my favorite places in Israel.

Vines in Neve Tzedek

Born and raised in Tel Aviv, the beach of the Mediterranean Sea is one of my favorite places in the whole world. 

Herzelia's Beach in December

A fisherman at work on Bat Yam Beach

Even today, living in Herzelia (which also lies on the coast, just north to Tel Aviv), my day cannot start unless I had my morning walk on Herzelia's beach. This has been a habit of mine for the last 25 years: be it spring, summer, fall, and even winter!

A cloudy morning on Tel Aviv's beach

Winter on Tel Aviv's boardwalk

Israel is known to be a very small country and yet immensely divers in its landscape. We have a long coast, a large dessert, forests, mountains, and one salty sea:

The Dead Sea salts

Dried plants in the Dead Sea

Jerusalem is a city like no other city on earth. Although I wouldn't want to live there myself (my heart belogns to Israel's west coast), every time I visit I am overcome by its magical atmosphere.

Little Girl in Jerusalem

A walk through Jerusalem's neighborhoods

Narrow alleys in Jerusalem's old city

Stunning Jerusalem at night

Haifa is the Third largest city in Israel, and is the business and cultural center of northern Israel. Located on the largest bay on the Mediterranean sea, it has a rich history as an important seaport.

Downtown Haifa in December

Heading back to Tel Aviv, One of my favourite neighborhood is the old Neve Tzedek, which still holds many memories of Tel Aviv's beginning and yet has developed into a gorgeous and unusual resort. 

A lively garden balcony in an old house in Neve Tzedek

Old and new in Neve Tzedek

Colors of vacation in Neve Tzedek

Tel Aviv's oldest train station, or Hatachana, was restored a few years ago into a successful shopping center. It hides a few historical stories as well as galleries, shops, restaurants and bars. This is where my own jewelry shop is located (How fitting for me – it's a 3 minute walk from the beach…).

Hatachana - the old train station in Neve Tzedek

Hatachana - the inner plaza

Thanks for coming along touring some of my favorite spots in Israel. If you are celebrating Rosh Hashana, I wish you have a wonderful, successful, healthy and happy year.

Cafe Bialik in Tel Aviv

A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF

I'd like to share my story with you, about how I became a jewelry designer.

Before I start, in order to really understand my story, you must know that I am a frustrated architect. By that I mean that I have always hoped and dreamed of becoming an architect. But sometimes life leads you in unexpected ways…

Metropol parasol / Sevilla, Spain

Becoming a mom led me into the academic world of education. However I always remembered my dream, and decided to pursue my art once my children were old enough.

Along the years, every time I was looking to buy jewelry for myself, I felt like there was never something out there for me. I always knew I wanted the jewelry I wear to combine an artistic designer style alongside a comfortable wearable aspect which was crucial to me.

That is when I decided to study jewelry manufacture, and started creating the jewelry I was looking for. I had started to give life to my designer dream; I loved it. But still, something was missing. I felt I needed to learn more about theory and concept of a piece, rather than just creating a "good looking" garment. 

After a fascinating conversation with the founder of the sculpture school "Basis", I immediately signed up for a 5 year program. There I learned about proportions, well-built structures, understanding the manufacture methods of a piece, and much more. I gave freedom to my artistic side, creating my own visions into real pieces, this time without thinking about wearability and practicality as jewelry requires. 

My sculptures: 3 birds / steel and plastic

This raised a critical question concerning my jewelry brand: how to keep a free artistic design even when designing a piece which is worn, and must be practical? This was a question that continued to fascinate me.

I am happy to tell you that I have reached the point in the story where it all comes together. After having a lot of experience creating handmade jewelry, and accumulating the the knowledge of art and sculpture, the last piece of the puzzle was introduced: The technology of 3D printing. For me it was simply a gift, because it allowed me to manufacture all of my fantasy jewelry designs which handmade craft does not enable creating.

From My Netline Collection: Mobius ring #2 / 14K gold and Diamonds 

Using this innovative technique I have created my Netline collection: Jewels that are not only my design fantasies, but also well-structured pieces; Very fine and precise looking yet strong and durable; full of artistic presence and uniqueness yet very comfortable and practical by being hollow, smooth, and light-weight.

This is the story of how I created my own world of architecture - with jewelry.

From My Netline Collection: Flat mobius ring / 14k gold

 

From My Netline Collection: Large Bombé ring / 14k gold

This is my story in a nutshell...

If you feel like sharing your own path, write down a comment about how you have reached the place where you are today, or where you aspire to reach next!

This is me at my son's wedding, 2 years ago :)