Holiday gift solutions

KYLE BERGER REPORTER

As Chanukah draws closer, more and more community members start to wonder where they are going to do their gift shopping. Fortunately, Greater Vancouver has a good number of stores and artists who have enough gift ideas to satisfy anyone's wish list.

The Bulletin rounded up a little information in order to help make the Chanukah shopping experience a little easier. See next week's issue for more great gift buying opportunities.

• The Temple Sholom gift shop has grown into one of the largest and most extensive Judaica shops in the city. With a huge selection of items for all occasions, the store manager, Marion Cassirer, said that around this time of year they turn themselves into "Chanukah Land."

The store features 65 different types of chanukiyot, including electric and sports-themed versions. Some of their more unique ideas are a dreidel that bounces as it spins and a musical dreidel that also lights up when it spins.

They have stickers, decorations, music books, wall hangings, games, puzzles and even a dancing bear that does its own special trick – "When you press his foot he plays you know what," Cassirer joked, as "The Dreidel Song" began to play.

The Temple Sholom gift shop is located at 7190 Oak St. and can be reached by calling 604-266-1957.

• Why not shop for some great Chanukah gifts and support an Israeli company at the same time? Hafatzim has recently opened a store in Vancouver where they offer a wide variety of household products.

All year round, Hafatzim has everything you need for your home, such as full kitchen sets, patio furniture, carpets and drapes or even an Egyptian cotton collection of bathrobes and towels. In the spirit of Chanukah, they are featuring a new collection of candleholders, lanterns and candles that they have brought in from Italy.

Hafatzim, located at 2028 West 4th Ave., can be visited online at www.hafatzim.com or by calling 604-739-9903.

• If you're shopping for someone who never has enough art in their home, pay a visit to Linda Lando Fine Art. Located at 2043 West 41st Ave., they offer historical Canadian investment art ranging from $300 and up. You can shop online at www.lindalandofineart.com or call
604-266-6010.

• Naama Laniado's Mazal Judaica also features a wide variety of products from Israel. Including jewelry, kiddush fountain, and mezuzot. She also carries a series of unique chanukiyot highlighted by stones and beads. She also sells metal dreidels and more traditional chanukiyot.

Laniado will have an open house Dec. 7 at her home at 5064 Walden St. She will also have a table of her products Dec. 14 at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, where she will offer a 20 per cent discount for Chanukah. For more information, call 604-710-6602.

• At the Perfect Gift you can find an unlimited supply of chanukiyot, holiday tablecloths, coffee mugs and other festive items. Located at 5687 Balsam St., the Perfect Gift can be reached at 604-261-1501.

• Presents of Mind has one of the most unique collections of Judaica in the city. With hand-made wooden and ceramic chanukiyot ranging from $40 to $400, dreidels, cookbooks, seder plates, kiddush cups and picture frames, there's something for everyone at Presents of Mind. Located at 3135 Granville St., they can be reached at 604-736-6463.

• Everyone likes to read. So why not do some of your shopping online at www.meteg.com? With a huge selection of Jewish and holiday books for all ages, 70 per cent of the proceeds for Metegbooks goes to the Jewish community of Greater Vancouver.

• At Patrona and Company in West Vancouver, you can outfit your entire house with one visit to the store. It features an eclectic mix of furniture lamps or lamp shades from Morocco, Israel and Indonesia.

For Chanukah, they also carry a variety of chanukiyot, novelty items, candles, Chanukah crackers and lights and various games.

Patrona and Company are at 1534 Marine Dr. They can be reached at 604-926-8448.

Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer living in Richmond.

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