Check around town for gifts

Katharine Hamer

With Chanukah almost upon us, it's time, once again, to think about where to go for great Judaica ideas. Around Greater Vancouver there are myriad places to find jewelry, artwork and fun stuff for kids ... something for everyone on your list!
In the first of a two-part series, the Bulletin has collected information on the perfect spots to pick up unique presents. See next week's issue for more ideas.

• The Temple Sholom gift shop lays claim to being "the largest Judaica gift shop in the whole Northwest," according to manager Marion Cassirer. The store offers 65 different kinds of chanukiyot and eight kinds of dreidels, as well as jewelry, skincare products, housewares and "a tremendous amount of books for kids, including cookbooks." Cassirer has also just received a shipment of Hebrew language T-shirts for children and adults, and accessories with the Israel Defence Forces logo.

"You name it, we got it for Chanukah!" she said.

The Temple Sholom gift shop is at 7190 Oak St. and can be reached at 604-266-1957. They will also be selling gifts during the Jewish Book Festival, Nov. 21-25 at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver.

• Vancouver boasts the only North American location of Israeli interior design store Hafatzim. Guy Bar, son of founder Judith Bar, has many Israeli products, most designed exclusively for the company. There are Elsa's Story cookies and jams, Isadora beaded jewelry, handmade soaps, body oils and Egyptian cotton bathrobes. Along with honeycomb candles, the outlet also has an "aquarium-style" lamp for Chanukah, based on a design from the Mea She'arim district of Jerusalem. Hafatzim is at 2028 West 4th Ave., telephone 604-739-9903. You can also check out their catalogue online at www.hafatzim.com.

• Another family- and Jewish-owned outlet is Moulé (1994 West 4th Ave., 604-732-4066, and Park Royal South in West Vancouver, 604-925-3679). Co-owner Michael Goenstein has a wide array of clothing, accessories and funky housewares, and always tries to bring in a "cute selection of Jewish books," he said. Moulé has a number of unique mezuzot in glass, pewter and bronze, plus seder plates, kiddush cups, dreidels made of Swarovski crystal, and sparkling Star of David necklaces.

• Naama Laniado imports wares exclusively from Israel for her Mazal Judaica collection – and features new items every other month. Among her current crop: necklaces and earrings for girls, and hand-crafted glass dinner plates for Shabbat. Decorative metal dreidels and other Chanukah items are a mainstay – and this year, Laniado is offering some "small gift ideas," including mezuzot designed specially for children.

Laniado will be showing her products at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver on Nov. 30, Dec. 6 and Dec. 12, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. She can be reached at 604-783-5455.

• It's just like Amazon.com – except you can also buy prayer books and comedic titles like Molly Katz's Jewish as a Second Language. And, if you purchase books at www.meteg.com, 70 per cent of the proceeds will go to the local Jewish community. Expanding the mind, feeding the soul ... it's like two mitzvot in one!

• Evelyn Amar's Patrona and Company has everything you need for the holidays, including Chanukah cards and giftwrap, dishware, dreidels and beeswax candles. For children, there are games and soft toys. Cute little plush doggies with kippot flop next to Chanukah menorot. The West Vancouver store also has an assortment of menorot (one of which has a representation of the Wailing Wall) and mezuzot – plus brightly colored jewelry from Israeli artists Ayala Bar and Lalo Orna. Patrona and Company is at 1534 Marine Dr., and can be reached at 604-926-8448. Amar also has her wares on show at Har-El Synagogue on Taylor Way.

• For an extra-special Chanukah gift, LindaLando Fine Art has a wide selection of both contemporary and investment paintings (including works by two Group of Seven artists), priced at $350 and up. A new addition to the collection this year: locally crafted glass bowls and platters. The gallery is located at 2001 West 41st Ave. You can also shop online at www.lindalandofineart.com or call 604-266-6010.

Katharine Hamer is a Vancouver freelance writer.

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