Rising Up After the Fire—Works from an Israeli Artist Colony

Inspiring artwork created by Ein Hod artists
after Carmel wildfires devastated their community.

Exclusive Art Exhibition: May 2-10, 2013 at Kolbo Fine Judaica Gallery
All the remaining unsold pieces in the exhibition continue to be available for purchase

An extraordinary collection of works from diverse artists who work in the renowned Ein Hod Artist Colony in the northern Carmel region of Israel. This charming artist colony was devastated in the deadly Carmel wildfires of 2010. Artists lost homes, studios, and precious artwork. And yet, their individual and collective spirits rose with a profound sense of hope and passion for their work. With the support of many in Israel and the U.S., their efforts to rebuild and their remarkable resilience are nothing short of inspiring.

About Ein Hod: This quaint artist colony is located on Mt. Carmel with magnificent views of the sea. The only artists’ village of its kind in Israel, and one of only a few in the world, Ein Hod is home to 150 artists and their studios. The art exhibited there includes contemporary painting and sculpture, prints, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, glasswork and Judaica. In the 1950s, a group of artists made the village of Ein Hod into a place where they could have studios and workshops, and form a creative environment for art, art education, and to enrich Israel as, at that time, an independent country in its infancy. Ein Hod is also well known for its enormous natural beauty; the surrounding landscape is a source of inspiration for artists and visitors alike. The village is an extremely worthy and inspiring stop for any travelers to Israel – in addition to being able to visit studios and galleries, it offers restaurants, cafés, bars, and B&Bs. (See www.ein-hod.info for more information.)

The Devastating Carmel Wildfires in 2010: A deadly forest fire that took place on Mount Carmel in northern Israel, just south of Haifa in December of 2010. It spread quickly, raged for days, and consumed much of the forested region and claimed over 40 lives, making it the deadliest in Israeli history. More than 17,000 people were evacuated from several nearby villages, including Ein Hod Artist Colony. In addition to such tragic loss of life, there was considerable property and environmental damage.

The Exhibit Sponsors: The Boston-Haifa Connection, part of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), and Kolbo Fine Judaica Gallery formed a unique partnership to sponsor this distinctive, first-of-its-kind exhibition. This exhibition could not have happened without the additional support of the Consulate General of Israel to New England and, of course, the Ein Hod community.

The Exhibition was held at Kolbo Fine Judaica Gallery from May 2 through May 10, 2013. The Public Reception and Opening was held on Sunday, May 5^th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CJP sponsored the in-person participation of four Israeli artists from Ein Hod at the exhibit. This opening reception provides a wonderful opportunity to meet the Ein Hod artists, hear what they endured as a result of the tragic fires, and how they are moving forward to rebuild and rejuvenate. Many exquisite pieces of their work, created both before and after the fires, were on display and available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds benefited CJP’s Boston-Haifa Connection programs.

The Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) is a large charitable organization that strongly supports connections with Israel and the Jewish community as a whole through education, cultural and service programs. One of CJP’s successful programs is the Boston-Haifa Connection, a partnership between Boston and Haifa. In the wake of the tragic fire in the Carmel region two years ago, CJP reached out to the Boston Jewish community to solicit emergency funds for the region. A decision was made to allocate a portion of those proceeds to assist Ein Hod, which experienced significant damage in the fires. To that end, the Boston-Haifa Connection developed a project to raise awareness about the vibrant Ein Hod community and the impact of the Carmel fires on its residents and artists.

Kolbo Fine Judaica Gallery has been displaying the fine work, Judaica and otherwise, of many artists since it opened in 1978, and continues to offer among the finest quality handwork and graphic art nationwide. This large, widely known gallery has exquisite handmade works of Judaica of all kinds and in all media – and also non-Judaica art by Israeli and Jewish artists. Kolbo strives to support Jewish arts and culture and Israeli artists and to make the gallery an important part of the larger community through exhibits and events of various kinds.

For more information regarding the Exhibition please contact Kolbo Fine Judaica Gallery at info@kolbo.com or 800-238-8743.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit CJP’s Boston-Haifa Connection Programs.