Woven Collection by Gary Rosenthal |
What started as a small collection of woven copper mezuzahs has inspired a line of unique Judaica. The Gary Rosenthal Collection is proud to have two autistic employees on staff who, among other things, contribute directly to the creation of these items. While vacationing with this wife in Harper’s Ferry, WV, Gary spotted a pair of mesh earrings that he bought for her as a gift. He was so taken with the woven appearance of the mesh, he planned to incorporate it into his work when he returned to the studio. As CEO of “Art as a Catalyst”, Gary is always looking for ways to include and empower special needs groups through training and employment. He hired two autistic workers, John and Tim, to weave thin strips of copper into unique mezuzahs. Gary says, “I’d like to say that all of my staff/associates do what they do better than I would do what they do. Everyone is different, but John and Tim love to work on repetitive tasks where precision is critical. Weaving is a favorite task and the more the better. After the mezuzahs were so successful, I was determined to create more woven items so that eventually I could hire another autistic staffer for just that collection. That is still my hope.” |