The Obamica: "Because anything Obama and Jewish is cool." Shmuly Tennenhaus’ life moto goes something like this: “If God gives you lemons, make Kippahs out of them.”
The outcome? Introducing Vanity Kippahs, a new line of politically-inspired Kippot that encourages Jews and non-Jews alike, from both sides of the political spectrum, to go ahead and “Get Ur Freak Kip’ On.”

Just think what your shulmates will say when they see you sporting that stylin’ McCippah in bright blue or the Obamica in white? The polls are in: whether you think “McCain is Zayer Shain” (as printed on the McCippah), or your "Bubby is voting Obama" (as advertised on the Obamica), you will be the coolest kid in the political campaign sandbox. Though it may still be too close to call, at this point the McCippah is currently leading the Obamica in sales.

All Vanity Kippahs come with two complimentary kippah clips and will arrive in three to five days, without any shipping fees.The McCippah: "Wear your McCippah to a Bar Mitzvah, synagogue, the grocery store and to the zoo."

If politics isn’t your thing, fear not! The Hot Kippah might be the yarmulke for you! Its sassy pink stitching reads, “Don’t you wish your kippah was hot like mine?” Plus, it might just get you some action. Shmuly, the Seattle-based Vanity Kippah creator, describes himself the following way, “I am 27. Single Jewish male. With beautiful blue eyes. My parents would like me to get married last week. However, after conferring with many similar specimens of my race, I am realizing that this is a commonality.”

Ever since he started to wear his Kippahs in public, though, he’s been getting noticeable attention from the ladies. He says, “I had coffee with an Asian female yesterday. Purely platonic. She loved it. Plus, last Sabbath, I wore my VK to shul. And I could not help notice a girl checking me out from the women's gallery. Hot.”

Shmuly tells Jewcy that although Vanity Kippah is a relatively new company, business has been going pretty well so far. However he does admit that he is surprised to find himself in the yarmulke business, remarking, “I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd ever be a Kippah mogul.” The thing is, when you learn a little bit more about Shmuly, besides his self-proclaimed "beautiful eyes," his place in the commercial Kippah industry starts to make a little more sense.

Shmuly’s passions for pop culture and Judaism tend to produce some interesting results.

Dontcha?: "The text and the trimming are in hot pink because that's how you & I roll."“My father is a practicing Rabbi," he said. "So are my other two brothers. I have a Rabbinical degree though I do not practice. When I lived in Montreal, my Smicha (Rabbinical) certification was gathering dust on the bookshelf while a poster of Elisha Cuthbert hung from my wall. I would explain to visitors that if my Rabbinical degree had thighs like Ms. Cuthbert, it too would be hanging from the wall.”

Despite the rabbinic degree, Shmuly’s occupational background is actually rooted in marketing and technology. He says, “In early 2007, I was "relocated" to Seattle to work for a high tech start-up.” But that’s not all that happened. It was also in 2007 that Shmuly became something of an internet sensation. The New York Times mentioned Shmuly in an article about his channel on YouTube.

Unfortunately, Vanity Kippah has not always been the receiver of such glowing press. When asked about VK media coverage thus far, Shmuly responds that some people, especially Jews, don’t seem to be able to appreciate the humor in his product. While he has received “Flowering coverage in the non-Jewish press,” Shmuly has also gotten “Skewering response in the Jewish media.” He jokes, “Read the comments on this article. I feel like Philip Roth, minus the literary talent.“

But a few negative comments are not enough to stop the kippot, and Shmuly still aims to transform the skullcap from a religious item to a broader fashion statement. He explains, “Madonna made Kabbalah pop culture. My goal is to do the same for the kippah. A religious article does not need to be drab. Nor should it be confined to only a small percentage of the population.”

In that vein, Shmuly’s got a lot more in store for Vanity Kippah. He announces, “I will be a launching a collection exclusively for non-Jews. Of course Jews will be permitted to shop the collection. And buy a NJK (non-Jew-Kippah) for their non-Jewish friend. It's the ultimate gift for a secret Santa exchange.”

Get your own Obamica or McCippah here.

Onili: She doesn't drop the (disco) ball Rising music sensation and Israeli-born artist Onili has come a long way since her days as a teenager recording songs on a four-track. With her combined singing, writing, DJ-ing, producing, promoting, and performing talents, Onili is now a classifiable “artist of the next era.” At least that’s what it says on her press release.

Onili blends funk, hip hop, and rock with a touch of electronic. When I asked where this style comes from, Onili explained that it's all “intuition and sound digging. I like breaking frames – working on my computer and destroying sounds.”

This intuition and experimentation is evident in her Games EP, which is currently being sold in Israel and online. The EP was released earlier this year in anticipation of her first full-length album, appropriately titled First Kiss, which Onili assures us will be out soon. She says, “The Album is already mastered and all the graphics are just waiting to be printed. I'm looking for a label who will release it in Europe, the US, and all over the world.”

Games: onili's awesome epShe's on the verge of releasing Games abroad, is working on new remixes of her singles "Sentimental" and "First Kiss", and her live show is ready and waiting to be exported.

Born in Israel and raised in Paris, Onili studied in the Israeli School of Paris. She starting writing and composing songs at age 14, and left Paris for Israel in September, 2004. The talented songstress started her journey to international fame after festival organizers discovered her MySpace page. She was invited to play at Transmuciales de Rennes and Bam Festival in Barcelona, and had the opportunity to open for Lily Allen at the Cellcom Festival in Paris.

When asked what she’s up to at the moment, Onili mentions "The Secret Project," some work with Soulico, and coyly adds, “some surprises I can't tell right now.” In the meantime, we can all look forward to the release of her debut album. Of First Kiss, Onili promises, “People can expect a fun album of groovy Eeectro with a hip hop and rock touch. Jonathan Levy's (from IZABO) touch is very present in the sound of the guitars and the big basslines.”

Pick up a copy of the Games EP, find Onili streaming her tunes all over the Internet, and (legally) download her single "Sentimental" for free right here. One warning: You had better be ready to groove.

Yes to Carrots Lip Balm: In berry, carrot, melon, citrus, and mint flavorsImagine a big bowl of your favorite produce: carrots, melon, sweet potato, pumpkin, oranges (all home grown in Israel.) Mmmm, delicious. Now that your mouth is watering, let’s add one more key ingredient: a nice vat of Dead Sea Mud. You might not want to eat the mix anymore, but as the folks at Israeli beauty product company Yes to Carrots will tell you, it will do wonders for your face!

Yes to Carrots offers a wide array of lip balms, hand and face creams, shampoos, and more, all of which “combine the fresh, unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables with the purifying and moisturizing properties of 26 minerals harvested from the ancient world's most renowned spa -- the Dead Sea.”

It's hard to say "no" to Yes to Carrots. Even Yes to Carrots CEO, Ido Leffler, could not resist the pull of a carrot-inspired beauty line. When he spoke to me about his Ido Leffler: Yes to Carrots CEO and self proclaimed carrot loverstart with the company, he recalled, “I became involved with Yes To Carrots during a business meeting with Israel's leading product formulator, Mr. Uri Ben Hur, for a completely unrelated project. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this eye-catching logo with a really unusual name and pretty much made an on-the-spot offer to buy the brand. There was something so unique and positive about it, and I knew that along with the fact that most of the world has been eating carrots since childhood would also give it universal appeal. Then the globe-trotting began!”

Ido was born in Israel and grew up in Australia. It was in Australia where he studied International Business and Marketing and “acquired the training required to catapult Yes To Carrots into one of the fastest growing personal care brands in the world.” Ido then moved East to Indonesia and India where he first got his feet wet in the healthy lifestyle-promoting business, serving as Asian Director for the health and nutrition company Universal Lifestyle.

Before Ido became one of the world’s leading carrot gurus, he returned to Australia and helped to found Trendtrade International, which he describes as a company “whose mission is to discover and develop unique and exciting brands in the health and beauty industry and share them with the world.” It was through Trendtrade International that Ido was able to make Yes to Carrots a world famous brand. Ido continues, “I was involved along with my business partner Lance Kalish and Uri Ben Hur, one of Israel's foremost product formulators. We grew from a team of 3 to what is now a truly global team spanning the world. The company today employs people from every corner of the world -- just in the marketing office there are over 15 languages.”

Yes to Carrots Pampering Hand and Nail Spa: All the comforts of a spa in your own home!Yes to Carrots’ growth rate has been somewhat remarkable. Ido explains how the Yes To Carrots family of products went international, saying, “Yes To Carrots arrived in the US in December 2006 and was sold initially on Walgreens.com. We invested in creating online buzz and got some initial coverage in the major beauty publications with the goal of getting on Walgreens 6000+ store shelves. In July 2007, we hit the stores and have been growing strong ever since. In addition to Walgreens, we are now sold in the US at Duane Reade and Ulta. The brand went international about the same time we arrived in the US. It was lots of hard work, but we participated in some of the international trade shows where we were able to meet with the retailers and show them our commitment to working closely with them. We've even got Yes To Carrots packaging in Cantonese, Dutch, Russian and Italian! We are working now on 3 more languages! It's incredible to think that 18 months ago we were only in 16 stores in Israel and now Yes To Carrots is in 17 countries in nearly 18,000 stores around the world.”

It’s also incredible to imagine that all that fuss was over some carrots! But lest you become a carrot skeptic, let Ido convince you of their awesome power. “Carrots and other orange-color fruits and vegetables,” he explains, “are bursting with Beta-Carotene, a natural form of Vitamin A, which is a great antioxidant and helps keep your hair and skin looking young! We use only organic produce certified by the Israel state agencies (carrots, melon, sweet potato, pumpkin, oranges), and we combine it with Dead Sea mud and minerals. The products contain Dead Sea water which helps all the yummy ingredients absorb into the skin and the minerals help hydrate and add suppleness. All this, in a paraben-free formulation.”

Not only do carrots have health benefits, they also make people happy! Ido mentions, “As I said before, carrots are pretty universal, and in my travels around the world, I've seen that it's one of the first foods children eat, pretty much universally, so there's an inherent connection to this vegetable.” Ido believes that it is this instinctive connection that draws people to Yes to Carrots. He goes on, “Our number one goal has always been to make people happy. In fact, we were at a trade show in Italy earlier this year that was open not only to professionals, but also to the general public. I was amazed at how the faces of people walking by just brightened with a huge smile when they saw the orange. Most of the time, they didn't even know the name of the products. Essentially, Yes To Carrots appeals to the five senses: you see the zingy orange packaging, your eyes are flooded with "yes" and positivity; they smell delicious; they feel scrumptious; you can hear lots of "oohs" and "aahs" when you try it. You might even taste it, but we think a bowl of crunchy carrots or a juicy melon will do the trick to satisfy your hunger. We actually are amazed by the amount letters we receive from happy Yes To Carrots family members ranging in age from 12 to 90! People become part of the family instantly, I even receive family holiday pics and videos from our extended family.”

Pump Up the Volume: The Tremendous Tomato Daily Volumizing ConditionerIf the color orange doesn't suit you, have no fear. Yes to Carrots have launched two additional lines of products inspired by other brightly-colored produce families. While the original Yes to Carrots line was designed to nourish dry skin, now there also is both a Yes to Cucumbers line featuring green organic fruits and veggies for folks with more sensitive skin, as well as a Yes to Tomatoes line for more oily skin.

Of all of his accomplishments, Ido is especially proud of the commitment to a healthy lifestyles that he has been able to foster within this “extended family.” He explains, “Along with my wife, we've made the decision to live a healthy and happy life and we're intent on helping others to do the same! I strongly believe that when you say yes to Yes To Carrots you are making a conscious decision to smile more often, improve your lifestyle, and help others live healthy.” In addition, according to Ido, the first step to a healthy lifestyle is saying “Yes!” more often. He says, “Too many messages we receive today are negative, and it turns out this is a global phenomenon, so we decided to spread a very positive message globally, One YES at a time…I think it's about staying positive. We're in a time now when lots is going on politically, socially, and economically that stresses families out. For example, we just want your first morning moments in the shower to give you a boost, give you a reason to smile and exude that well-being throughout the day. If you look at our shampoo, the directions instruct you to ‘apply shampoo to wet hair while singing.’ How can you have a bad day when it starts out like that?”

I’ve got to admit, it sounds pretty tough.

With Your Powers Combined...: Complete Care Facial Hydrating Lotion featuring aloe vera and organic cucumbersAnother way that Yes to Carrots inspires people and promotes well-being is through its Yes to Carrots Seed Fund. Ido says, “The Yes To Carrots Seed Fund is a 501c3 non-profit organization in the United States and is on a mission to provide under-served communities with access to organic food and healthy nutrition. We've donated funds to help community gardeners buy seeds and tools, increase their plots and better serve their communities. Most recently, we've been working with Three Sister Garden Project in Columbus, Ohio. One garden serves the Native American community in Columbus' south side and the garden's fresh produce is distributed via the center's daily food pantry. As second home to an extensive Somali refugee population, the Horn of Africa garden provides community members with plots of land which allows them to farm as they once did in their native Somalia. Individuals are able to maintain their cultural identity through farming, transition away from government-supported assistance and maintain an independent food source. The third garden serves women managing physical and mental disabilities, and in some cases, recovering from addiction, abuse and chronic homelessness. In addition to access to fresh and nutritious produce, their 24-plot garden gives these women an opportunity to acquire social skills, express their creativity and share responsibilities.”

So whether you wish to say yes to carrots, tomatoes, or cucumbers, you can feel good about your purchase in addition to looking and feeling naturally gorgeous. See for yourself at yes-to-carrots.com.

The Rejewvenator: Mmmm, figgy “What do you think of the beer?” I asked my friend after he had taken his first few sips.

“Shofar, so good,” he replied.

This delightful pun was made possible courtesy of Shmaltz Brewing Company and He’Brew, its line of Jewish novelty beer. (And the number 18. Har.)

As all the Jewcers who came out to our home turf event this week now know, He’Brew is the perfect beverage to spice up an evening. Everyone looked pretty happy sipping on their Messiah Bold (“It’s the beer you’ve been waiting for!”) and Genesis Ale (“Chutzpah never tasted so good!”). I think they can all agree that He’Brew lives up to its title of “The Chosen Beer.”

In speaking with Jewcy about how he came to be a Jewish beer maverick, Shmaltz Brewing founder Jeremy Cowan said, "Back in 1996, I had the idea of brewing a batch of craft beer for Chanukah, just as an experiment. I produced 100 cases and hand delivered it to San Francisco Bay Area stores using my grandmother's Volvo, and it all sold out. I felt the community reacted really well to the product, so in 1997 I made a distribution deal with Anderson Valley Brewing Company, and here we are 11 years later having sold over 3 million beers.”

Jeremy still attributes He’Brew’s tremendous success in part to this initial grassroots support. “The company has had very steady growth with a ton of exposure via Shmaltz Founder Jeremy Cowan: Pictured with a nice, cold Genesis Aleword-of-mouth, top press outlets praising the brand, and for many years now, we've been winning awards at the finest craft beer festivals across the country. In the last 4 years, Shmaltz has grown 550% and Shmaltz now employs 5 full-time employees, and we have interns in several cities. We have always been dedicated to brewing delicious and quality craft beer that ranks amongst the top beers in the country, and participating within the community with outrageous events over the years. I'm proud that we've developed quite the cult following.”

It's no wonder why He’Brew has gained cult status, what with its humorously kitschy brand names and impressive taste, not to mention the incredible pun-creating opportunities it provides. Jeremy admits that Shmaltz has a comedic side. “We obviously like to have fun with each beer we produce," Jeremy says. "For example, we recently launched a new line called ‘The Shmaltz Tribute to Jewish Stars’ with our first offering being a tribute to legendary satirist Lenny Bruce. Its called Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.”

The Albino Python: Part of the new Coney Island series But there is also a nobility to He’Brew. Shmaltz takes its brewing seriously, and it also tries to maintain a direct connection to Judaism. Jeremy continues, “We are interested in having a direct tie to Jewish culture and the community and we find fun, creative ways to make that connection. Our latest creation is Rejewvenator. It’s a fig-infused, harvest to harvest, half doppleboch, half Belgian-inspired dubbel hybird lager/ale. It's the newest addition to our sacred fruit line-up. Rejewvenator is an annual release spanning from the first month of the Jewish Calendar in the Spring (historically coming after the barley harvest) to the High Holidays in the Fall (marking the creation of the world, and the second fig harvest of the year). Last year, we released Origin Pomegranate Strong Ale as pomegranates are also a sacred fruit. Origin is a renewal of our original HE'BREW covenant, brewed once again after 10 years with the juice of over 10,000 luscious pomegranates. 2008 marks our fifth year producing our Chanukah seasonal, Jewbelation. We sell it out every winter, and we're proud to say its the ‘most extreme Chanukah beer’ ever created. Last year, we put out Jewbelation Eleven. It was brewed with 11 malts, 11 hops, and soaring to 11% alcohol. Its a big, delicious beer! This year, we'll turn everything up a notch with Jewbelation Twelve.”

One of Shmaltz’s newest pursuits is its commitment to the arts, albeit an offbeat one. Shmaltz recently launched a “new line of five sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers.” Those getting ready to mourn the impending demise of Astroland Amusement Park will be glad to know that part of the proceeds from the Coney Island Craft Lagers go towards Coney Island USA, whose purpose, as Jeremy describes it, is “to defend the honor of lost forms of American popular arts and culture in Brooklyn's historic Coney Island neighborhood.”

Step Right Up!: The Coney Island family portrait Jeremy walks us though the Coney Island Lager line: “Our new line-up features three year-round attractions including Coney Island Lager(TM) (5.8% alc), Albino Python(TM) (White Lager, 6% alc) and Sword Swallower(TM) (Steel Hop Lager, 6.8% alc), and two seasonal curiosities Human Blockhead(TM) (Tough-As-Nails Strong Lager, 8.8% alc, summer 2008) and Freaktoberfest(TM) (Blood Red Lager, 6.66% alc, Halloween 2008.)”

What else is going on at Shmaltz these days? Jeremy tells us, “This summer is all about Rejewvenator. We are using over 500 gallons of Fig juice, and its just a delicious beer.”

Other than that, Jeremy reminds us that Shmaltz remains “The smallest, the biggest, the best, and still the only Jewish celebration beer in the country!”

"If Noah's Ark's a Rockin, Don't Come A'Knockin!": Noah's ark Jewish Rosaries in gold and silverThis will, admittedly, freak some of you out. Jewish Rosaries is a hot new line of “(jew)elry” by multi-tasking Brooklynite Carlen Altman. Carlen first got the idea for Jewish Rosaries after the traditional, Catholic rosary was popularized as a fashion accessory by certain tabloid celebrities. She explains, “I loved how 'real' rosaries looked, but knew I would never wear a cross! After seeing how popular Catholic rosaries had become (Kate Moss/Pete Doherty wore them so much!), I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a rosary using a Jewish Star.”

But the Jewish rosary did not remain a private invention for long. As soon as she started wearing her rosary in public, she began to generate a huge amount of interest. Carlen recalls, “Once I made one for myself and wore it out, a bunch of people asked me where I got it. Then that fancy Aryan dreamboat model Agyness Dein asked me where I got it and I told her I made it and she said she wanted one. And it has just snowballed from there!”

Snowballed, indeed! It seems as though everyone wants to get their hands (or necks) on one of Carlen's Jewish rosaries. My first correspondence with Carlen ended like this: “Okay Jessica, it is now 5:17AM. Ever since Daily Candy wrote an article about my line, my house has turned into a one-woman sweatshop of me! But I am so happy people are interested!”

Carlen, the daughter of comedian and artist Uncle Dirty, grew up in Manhattan and currently resides in Brighton Beach. When she's not busy single-handedly manning the Jewish Rosaries ship, she engages herself in several other pursuits. Carlen elaborates, “I do stand-up comedy, make little comedic videos with my mom and pets, do artwork, and play with my 7 guinea pigs. I am obsessed with funny elderly people and because I live in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, where not very many people speak English (except the elderly Jewish people,) I have made a lot of elderly Jewish friends, which is great for me!!!! I think my dreams (for now) are to be a character on MadTV, have a Jewish Rosaries™ empire, and help animal and environmental causes!”Hot Hot Hot: Jewish Rosaries mastermind Carlen Altman and model friend Agyness Dein

For now, it seems the empire is on its way, and Carlen’s elderly Jewish friends look pretty snazzy in their rosaries on the Jewish Rosaries site (which, by the way, Carlen also designed herself.) In fact, Carlen’s entire gig as a (jew)elry designer has been one big learning process for her. She says, “I never went to school for jewelry making, so it has taken a lot of time and effort to learn everything (I majored in Psychology!) It has been so fun to learn so much…I do everything myself: website design, jewelry design, jewelry making, email writing, press, everything! Oy vey! I like to know as much about so many things as possible. I hope to learn Flash, so I can do an animated Rabbi with swirling payis on my site one day soon!”

The Jewish Rosaries come in a wide variety of colors and styles. Shoppers can make their own bead combinations, or can choose from a whole array of aptly named styles, from the “Let My People Go-Go” featuring Moses and matzo charms, to the “Everybody Doven Now” featuring Kiddish cup and dancing Hasidic man charms.Chai, Nice to Meet You: The hugely popular Chai Rosary in silver

Carlen explains her bead choices, saying, “Many of my beads are vintage and some are from Judaica Stores. I pick them out by what I think is funny, cute, and wearable. My favorite beads are the "Excited Dancing Hasidic Man" and the Gefilte fish charm. I used to sell a Hamentachen bead, but it looked a bit vaginal, so I removed it from the site! I love glow in the dark stuff, so I decided to carry glow-in-the-dark rosary beads as an option!” She was also excited to announce that staring very soon, the rosaries will also be available in plastic as well as bracelet form.

There has been a bit of criticism about the rosaries in regard to their being based on religious iconography. Carlen addresses these critics not only by pointing out that many people who buy Jewish Rosaries are Christian, but also by explaining that she means no harm. She states, “I know that any artist/jewelry maker/comedian who discusses (or alters, in my case) religious imagery is bound to receive some negative feedback. But I try to be as clear as possible on www.jewishrosaries.com that my line is not intended to mock or insult Catholicism, or any other religion. I have many friends of all Creeds and they (even the Christian friends!) are supportive of Jewish Rosaries™, as they know I am just doing my line with good intentions, and if anything to help instill Jewish pride without devaluing Christian pride."Give Yourself a Hand: Protective Hamsa Turquatica style

Criticism aside, Jewish Rosaries are at worst an excellent conversation piece, and at best an awesome bit of jewelry that flaunts your New Jew pride. Possibly the best part about Jewish Rosaries is that after you order one, you will automatically become Carlen’s BFF. She says, “I LOVE hearing from people who love their Jewish Rosary™ and I write a hand-written note to everyone who orders from me! I feel like everyone who owns a Jewish Rosary™ is a friend, and it is AMAZING to see people on the street wearing my creations! So nice!!!” And if you still can’t get enough of Carlen, you can check out her writing and art on her personal website.

Funtastic Plastic products are at once whimsical, fun, and functional. Whether you are looking for a way to enhance your bath, or a decorative travel item to set you apart from other jet setters, Funtastic Plastic mastermind, Ossnat Alon, has got you covered.Toiletry Bag: in world map print

Although she has no formal background in design studies, Ossnat is passionate about her craft, and is able to draw inspiration from a wide variety of experiences.

“I guess that the artistic education from home, love for traveling, dreaming, and the need for fantasy are my driving forces and passion for my work,” she explained to Jewcy. It's exactly these elements that have earned Funtastic Plastic international praise.

Ossnat first began designing “funtastic” items after her youngest child was born. Instead of relying on existing products to decorate the nursery, she crafted her own artificial plants and created a rainforest over the baby’s bed. To this day, Ossnat’s designs have made a lasting impression on her son.

She recalls, “Instead of the usual baby's bed mobiles, there were banana leaves, creepers, and white lilies, as well as parrots, snakes, and other exotic stuff. My son grew up to be an animal lover and a young nature expert. I took this ‘funtastic’ look as my inspiration and started a new product line.”Marina Bath Plug: the one that started it all <!--[endif]-->

Beginning with the world map printed Marina Bath Plug, the first Funtastic Plastic item to be sold internationally, Ossnat has generated what she describes as “immediate wonderful response.” The Bath Plug has graced the covers of several design magazines worldwide and has “opened the path to many other Funtastic Plastic items.” <!--[endif]-->

And what’s not to love? Ossnat’s perfect blend of her favorite artistic materials, “world maps to dream away on, nostalgic items, old working tools, romantic lace or childhood games,” blended with her admitted sense of humor make for the perfect gift or personal indulgence--what Ossnat calls, “new functional items in original contemporary designs."

The Vazu vases from Israeli design group TH+E are unlike any you have ever seen before. Although they appear to be made of glass orA Vase Like You've Never Seen: Vazu's "Tear Off Top" line of vases pose for a group photo crystal, the vases are actually made from a unique form of plastic and be folded completely flat! Sold both individually and in multi-packs, the Vazu vases make the perfect housewarming gift for a neighbor or a friend: Just add flowers and water and you've got yourself a beautiful display and an instant conversation piece. The vases are strong, durable, washable, and reusable—they're even environmentally friendly! No wonder Vazu vases are becoming a hot commodity here in the US.

We asked Tzvika of the TH+E Design Group to tell us how Vazu vases came about.

Jewcy: Tell us a little bit about TH+E Design Group.

Tzvika: TH+E stands for Tzvika, Hagai and Eitan, three childhood friends with no previous experience with designing vases. I was a law graduate managing products and projects in the Israeli hi-tech industry. Eitan was a cognitive psychologist specializing in human interfaces, and Hagai was a landscape architect renovating houses in the city of Tel-Aviv. Typical 'mid-life crises' found the three of us wanting to do something different.

TH+E had many ideas for products, but when the Vazu vase found such a great market niche, the vase business became so large that we found ourselves only designing vases for the last couple of years. Now, as the vases become more established in the marketplace, we are starting to design new products like lamps, pet accessories, and kitchenware.The LinGuina Vase in Green: Good morning, sunshine!

We've partnered in the United States with Michael Epstein (a Jewcer) to create Vazu USA. Vazu USA markets and distributes the Vazu product line in the USA and carries a full inventory in their Cleveland, Ohio warehouse.

Jewcy: Where did the idea for Vazu vases come from?

Tzvika: During a search for ready-made materials that we could use to create a lampshade, we were looking at different types of food packaging and discovered an interesting format that was no good for lighting but happened to work perfectly as a vase.

Jewcy: What materials are the vases made out of? How does it work?

Tzvika: The main material is a special kind of polyethylene which is highly transparent, flexible, and very strong.

Jewcy: What kinds of patterns are printed on the vases? Who designs this aspect of the product?

Tzvika: The three of us together with graphic artist Hagit Zimbrovich all draw, paint, and play with hundreds of patterns until we find a print that merges with the vase's shape and also compliments flowers. Our first line of vases was 70ish retro but, as we now appeal to a wider audience, we try to design for a variety of tastes with many different styles. Our bestselling pattern, the “TranSisto,” is designed to look like a classic Bohemia-glass vase. Our gold and silver “LaceTica” vases are an ethnic design with an oriental touch. The “Blumina” line, with its strong summer colors, remind us of our last trip to Brazil. We work very closely with the creative staff at VazuUSA to incorporate the latest trends from the US into our designs.Opening a Vazu Gift Sleeve: Comes out flat!

Jewcy: What kind of buzz has the product been getting?

Tzvika: Like the “Jerusalem Syndrome,” we call it the “Vazu Syndrome.” We have people from all over the world contacting us every day, asking to sell our vases in their homeland, because they're convinced that their lives will change if they just start to work with our vases. We've heard from everyone from a retired teacher in New Zealand, a young mechanic from Peru, a real-estate broker from Germany. We've been featured on many Israeli magazine covers, our vases were picked as last year's giveaway at the Israeli Export Institute, and several Israeli embassies have included our vases in the gift baskets that they give to other diplomats. The most recent: We were a finalist in the “Best New Product Award” at the Super Floral Show in Orlando, Florida, which is the floral retail industry's annual trade event.

We always say that if you have new guests coming to your home, just place one Vazu on the table and wait until your guests realize it is not a glass vase; you will then have something to talk about for the next couple of minutes! The Vazu has become very popular in the US as a hostess gift, especially as a gift with or without flowers for Shabbat dinner.Coming Soon: Vazu vases with the conveniece of a tear off top!

Want to know where you can pick up your own Vazu products? Michael Epstein, long-time Jewcer and distributor for VazuUSA, tells us: "Our Gift Sleeve version is currently available at many museum shops, botanical gardens, hospital gift shops, JCCs and gift stores in the USA. Our Tear-Off-Top version is available at select supermarket floral departments and other floral retailers. By this time next year, we expect to have the ToT version available in the majority of US supermarkets and mass merchants. If you don't see a Vazu at your favorite local retailer, you can also buy them online from Vazu USA. Shipping is free!"

Bouncing Off the Walls: the Plushood neighborsMeet the neighbors of Plushood, a series of Israeli plush dolls created by industrial designer Shlomi Schillinger and illustrator/designer Tamar "TAM" Moshkovitz. Joske, Vigo, Miss Moss, Jose, Pinto, and Dolores may not always get along, but they're always a ton of fun.  All the dolls have colorful fleece bodies, vinyl faces with irresistible silk screen expressions, and a extensive character history--not to mention online animations.

Plushood dolls are available online through sites including Modern Tribe, Release the Freaks, and Modern Baby Barn. You can also check them out at the Plushood website and on Flickr.

To learn more about these unique stuffed dolls, I spoke with Shlomi and TAM, who turned out to be a couple of creative characters themselves!

Jewcy: Tell us a little about your backgrounds in design. <!--[endif]-->

Shlomi: After two weeks of studying law I came to the conclusion that I can't ignore my passion for design, so I started learning industrial design at HIT (Israel). My first job was at a design office, but dealing with plastic engineering wasn’t my thing (even though the office was on the front line of Tel Aviv beach). Since than I have been working as a production designer, designing sets for TV commercials and for fashion catalogs. Today I work with some of the biggest advertising agencies and fashion companies in Israel. Side by side with my work I found time to design products for my enjoyment – one of them is the Plushood dolls. Some of my products have appeared in international design magazines ( I.D., Dwell) and are being sold in design shops around the world. <!--[endif]-->

Live in Color: Shlomi and TAM on stage with their dolls in Tel AvivTAM: Well, I've been doodling since I was a little girl. As a huge animation fan, I've always wanted to work in that field and tell my little stories that way. After a short period of dreaming about becoming a marine biologist (don't laugh!) I started learning graphic design and animation at the visual communication department in Wizo College in Haifa. My graduation project was a short animation about two Siamese twins who hate each other. After graduation I started working in various fields focusing on editorial illustration, character design, animation, and a little branding. I spent more than two years working as a designer and animator for Shortcut Films on two animation series for kiddies. Besides that I had the pleasure of participating in art exhibitions and designing vinyl toys.  Somewhere in the middle, Shlomi called me and asked if I wanted to make toys with him. <!--[endif]-->

Jewcy: How did your design experience influence the creation of your plush dolls?

Shlomi: As a products designer I learned how to deal with 3D – it helped me give another dimension to TAM'S amazing sketches (materials behave totally different than sketches). As a designer I also knew the importance of the small details to make a product desirable. Working as a production designer I learned about making a dream come true (this is the hard part.) We manufacture everything in Israel, and dealing with manufacturers is something I do every day. <!--[endif]-->

I'm Ready for My Closeup: Vigo, in his anniversary Limbo Edition styleTAM: Even in my college years I had to work with a variety of materials besides CMYK and RGB. I did a silk screen course and learned how to sew, so knowing the limits of the materials and how to work with them made it much easier to work with Shlomi. I learned a lot about working in a semi-mass-production way - stuff they don't teach you in college.

Jewcy: Each "neighbor" in the Plushood line has a background and character story. What was your inspiration in creating these bios? <!--[endif]-->

TAM & Shlomi: Every character is based on people we’ve met over the years. Well, maybe 30% less radical than the real persons. Some of them are good friends who will never know that fact even after we die, and some are crazy neighbors and impossible flat mates we've had the pleasure of living with. The whole building thing is what holds those little dudes together. They are neighbors but they don't really get along. They have no choice but to live and suffer together. A little like it is in our crowded reality. <!--[endif]-->

Jewcy: Have you been getting a lot of press attention, or any interesting testimonials from Plushood customers? <!--[endif]-->

James Richardson III: the newest addition to the Plushood familyTAM: We receieved nice press attention over the past three years, but I'm sure my mom can be much more specific if you ask her. We don't have a publicist, so we're doing whatever we can in that field by ourselves. Not very easy...

During our first months, we used to sell Plushood in open-air fares and had the chance to see our costumers and hear their opinions right away. It was really fun to see how they read each character's story and started identifying with them right there in the street! <!--[endif]-->

Shlomi: We did get a lot of press in daily newspapers and design magazines, and we even appeared on TV shows. As a set designer, I like to push the little Plushoods in front of the camera. <!--[endif]-->

It really shocked me when I realized how many Google results you get when you search for "plushood."

Jewcy: Will we be seeing any new Plushood dolls in the future?

TAM: We recently released the Plushood Limbo edition, a limited series of 45 dolls of each character, all black and silver. We wanted to make something more "adult." <!--[endif]-->In addition to that, we're working on creating a plush of Miss Moss' cat – James Richardson III! We're quite excited about it! And naturally, we'll be making more animations.

The Yogi Man Bean Bag: in a nice, manly beige	Bolster for Baby: five whole feet of fun!
Fun for the Whole Family: Yogipoof designers Yogev and Michele Avisar enjoy Yogipoofs with their kids	Yogi Solo for Mom and Baby: provides hands-free nursing support

As a college student, I can truly appreciate the beanbag, that wonderful invention you can throw around your basement or dorm room, providing no fuss, comfy seating.

But beanbags don’t have to be the ugly blobs that many people associate them with. In fact, the Los Angeles-based, Israeli-owned company YogiPoof USA is changing the face of the beanbag chair at this very moment! YogiPoof is an American division of the Israeli company Milega. Milega means “comfort” in Hindi, and that’s exactly what the company delivers in their self-proclaimed “ultimate bean bag” products.

Whether you're in the market for a dorm room chair, chaise lounge, guest bed, or sofa, YogiPoof has got a bean bag for you! All products are made with fabric manufactured and dyed just for Milega in Israel and have “exactly the right combination of cotton, elastics and beads to create the ultimate comfort.” They also come in a wide variety of colors and styles, and can be molded into different shapes – the combinations are endless! Not convinced yet? Watch this tutorial video on how to mold your YogiPoof, or this one on YogiPoof for kids.

The Perfect Mommy Backpack from GittabagsParenthood can often mean the sacrifice of fashion in favor of functionality, with moms more likely to be seen sporting unsightly diaper bags and stroller packs than fancy-shmancy designer purses.

Israeli designer and mother of four Hagit Neeman-Gorni is familiar with this situation. That's why she decided to launch Gittabags, her own line of fun, stylish, and very functional bags. Their impeccable balance of form and function is why Gittabags so quickly became hot commodities among stylish Israeli parents. 38-year old Neeman-Gorni was recently interviewed by the Jerusalem Post, where she said that her dream is to become a brand name in Europe and the US. To find out more about the evolution of the ultimate diaper bags (and assorted other baby accoutrement), we went straight to the source.Changing Pad Holders from Gittabags

JEWCY: What inspired you to develop Mommy bags that were not only functional, but fashionable?

Hagit Neeman-Gorni: It all started with my personal needs as a mom, and the fact that I studied Industrial design. After having my firstborn (I have four kids now), I needed a bag for myself. Since I couldn't find any bag that was both functional and fashionable, I decided to design something on my own. Parenthood is a continuous process, and women shouldn't hang around with unfashionable bags just because they are moms. Ten months after having my firstborn, while pregnant with my second, I started designing diaper bags.

JEWCY: How did you go about marketing them once the idea was realized?

Confident and ColorfulHagit Neeman-Gorni: The marketing process started the old fashioned, way going from one store to another, confident in my product and with lots of patience. It was something new, more expansive than other products in the market, and it took time for the store owners to understand that customers will pay more for fashionable bags, and that backpacks and stroller bags are a real need for moms, and that the price is justified. It took time, but once the customers started demanding my bags, stores started contacting me.

JEWCY: Do you keep up with current fashion trends in developing new lines of bags?

Hagit Neeman-Gorni: I'm influenced by new trends and constantly modifying my designs to stay updated, but first I make sure all the materials I'm using are of the highest quality and durable. Colors and prints are more influenced by the current fashion.

So Much More Than Bags: gittabags accessories include changing pads and insulated bottle holdersJEWCY: A lot of buzz has been generated in Israel over your bags, making them a hot commodity. Have any celebrities been spotted with your products? Have you gotten any exciting requests?

Hagit Neeman-Gorni: Many Israeli celebrities are using Gittabags bags, including actresses and models like Shiraz Tal, Dana Dvorin, and Sharon Aylon. The list is long. After participating in the Silver Spoon Dog and Baby Buffet in Los Angeles this past April, we hope that American celebrities will start using our bags as well.

JEWCY: Where can we find some more information about you and your bags? Hagit Neeman-Gorni: Information about the bags can be found at our website.

Previous: Jewish and Israeli Must Haves

Meredith L. Jacob's: Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to ShabbatHello there thirty-is-the-new-twentysomething! That's right, I'm talking to you. Do you have a friend, sibling, cousin, or co-worker who recently procreated? Perhaps a girlfriend with a young family who could use a kid-friendly, modern guide to Shabbat? You do? Just as I expected. Well, here's something to consider: Mother's Day doesn't only have to be about your own mom. If you're looking for a gift to let the young moms in your life know you appreciate how hard they're working, consider Meredith L. Jacob's The Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat. In addition to thoughtful and creative guidance on how to prepare the house, the table, and the family, Jacobs offers projects, recipes, and summaries of the weekly Torah portions with family discussion questions. There's even a chapter on how to keep Shabbat interesting and meaningful for teenagers.

If you're in search of a last minute gift for your own mother this Sunday, here are a couple of foolproof ideas:

Sabon: means 'soap' in hebrewJewcers in New York, Boston, Chicago, New Jersey, Toronto, or Montreal should seriously consider making a visit to Sabon, an amazing bath and body company that was founded in Israel in 1997. Their lotions, massage oils, soaps, cleansers, and serums combine aromatherapy oils, Dead Sea extracts, herbs, and flowers from the Israeli countryside. In addition to delicious products that are stylishly packaged, Sabon's soaps are made on an agricultural co-operative Moshav in Northern Israel, they use boxes made from recycled materials and fully biodegradable packing material, they never test on animals, and they support Dead Sea conservation via Friends of The Earth. US and Canada locations can be found here. Sabon also has an Israeli site.

ahava: as close as mud gets to loveFor those who can't get to a Sabon storefront, Ahava is another good bet for Mother's Day. Described as the "only cosmetics enterprise indigenous to the Dead Sea region," their rich, mineral-based products are available all over the world. Any number of their cleansing, exfoliating, hydrating, and nourishing solutions would be a welcome offering. For more traditional moms, try something along the lines of the Mineral Body Lotion or hand and foot creams. For more adventurous mamas, pick up a tube of the Energizing Body Mud Mask with fresh essences of mandarin & cedarwood.

Put down the Matisyahu and pick up the Y-Love.

"This is Babylon," the new album from Hasidic emcee Y-Love (AKA Yitz Jordan), seamlessly blends rhymes in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, and even Aramaic, all the while mixing sounds and beats evocative of DJ Shadow, The Streets, Mos Def, Chuck D, and a host of others. Thought-provoking political verses reside naturally beside electronic dance tracks. Y-Love calls it "global hip hop," and considering that he's a convert to Judaism, he can spit some pretty fast Yiddish.

The album functions on a couple of levels: You can chill with it and meditate on his words, or let them seep in as you move. Fresh and inspired, Urb calls "This is Babylon" a "soundtrack to social progression" and describes it as "a head nodding, fist lifting, wake-up and do something kind of record."

Already available for download on iTunes and Amazon, the album will be in stores on Tuesday, April 29.

Previous: God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of Nature with the Adventure Rabbi 

God in the Wilderness: by the Adventure RabbiReform Rabbi Jamie Korngold, AKA The Adventure Rabbi, has made quite a name for herself in the past seven years. In 2001 she started the hugely successful Adventure Rabbi program, which seeks to bring "Jews back into communal religious life through innovative religious programs which combine the outdoors and Jewish practice."

Her first book, out just this past week, is called God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi. A celebration of and guide to the divinity inherent in the natural world, the book was designed to fit easily into a backpack or pocket. With chapters like "Cultivate the Patience to See Burning Bushes" and "Restore Your Soul Beside Still Waters," it's a must have at only $9.56 from Amazon.

You can read the first chapter here.

Previously: The Passover Box of Questions

Looking for a way to personalize and enliven your seder this year? Trade the traditional four questions in for 35 new ones. The Box Girls Passover Box of Questions is a set of cards with themed conversation starters such as "What are our modern day plagues" and "To what are you personally a slave?" In addition to the 35 question cards, each box also contains 20 place cards and 20 passover stickers.

Boxes are $19.95, and a portion of the proceeds go directly to charities benefiting children and families. Here are some sample cards:

Previously: Laura Cowan's Moon Seder Plate

Our post earlier this week about No Sweat, the sweatshop-free apparel company creating jobs for Palestinians in Bethlehem, set off quite the debate. Whatever your stance on the work Adam Neiman and company are doing, one thing is for certain: A number of their organic, Bethlehem-made T-shirts are must haves. Here are a few of our faves:

Organic Bethlehem Green Menorah Tee, $18: "The Shalom Center of Philadelphia does remarkable interfaith work with an integrated approach to the issues of peace, justice and environmental responsibility. Their new green menorah covenant campaign is focused on climate change. It's an especially good fit on our Palestinian produced organic t-shirts from Bethlehem, West Bank. $4 per t-shirt goes to support the Shalom Center's climate change campaign."

Organic Bethlehem Vision in Action Tee, $18: "There’s only one symbol in the holy land that’s embraced by Jews, Christians & Muslims & this is it, the eye of Fatima (or Miriam), encircled by a Japanese proverb that fits the moment to a T: Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Fatima was Mohammed’s daughter, Miriam, Moses’ sister. It is said that the symbol actually represents the hidden female aspect of the deity and is used as a talisman to ward off the evil eye. For us the placement of the eye in the hand implies vision in action - what we strive to provide every day."

Organic Bethlehem Musicians Against Sweatshops Tee, $20: "Musicians Against Sweat Shops™ official tee is here, and only here! Support this initiative to help wipe sweatshops out of the music merchandising business while raising awareness of the issue. $5 on every T goes to MASS."

Previous: Alternative Jewish Grooves for Passover

With Purim now safely behind us (you're not too hungover to shop, are you?) and Passover a mere four weeks away, it's time to start getting in the seder mood. If we've learned anything from the big stories this week, it's that the lines between races and cultures can be very shifty. Hence, a collection of culturally and musically diverse tunes to serve as the soundtrack to your seder planning—or a good-humored gift for the person hosting you.

	The SoCalled Seder "A mini hip hop symphony filled with old Jewish samples centered around the theme of the Passover Seder."
	This is the Afro-Semitic Experience "A mix of Jewish and African-American music both sacred and secular...The Afro-Semitic Experience is an ensemble dedicated to preserving, promoting and expanding the rich cultural and musical heritage of the Jewish and African diaspora. Multi-cultural soul."
	Reggae Passover "Reggae and West African arrangements of traditional and original music for the exodus holiday of Passover, played by an international ensemble featuring reggae artists, cantors, and some of the finest drummers West Africa has to offer."
	Abayudaya: The Music of the Jews of Uganda "A unique collection of African-Jewish music in which the rhythms and harmonies of Africa blend with Jewish celebration and traditional Hebrew prayer. This compelling repertoire is rooted in local Ugandan music and infused with rich choral singing, Afro-pop, and traditional drumming."

Previously: Letters of Creation Necklace, Readymade Purim Baskets