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Tag: Olive+Wild

Judaica in Metro Vancouver

Judaica in Metro Vancouver

Among the items featured in Buchan’s Judaica section is a set of six hammered liquor cups on a pomegranate branch from Yair Emanuel, for any Shabbat or holiday table. (photo from facebook.com/BuchansKerrisdaleStationery)

If you’re looking for a new menorah or some cool Chanukah gifts over the next few weeks, you’ll want to target your search to three stores that have become the only hotspots for Judaica in the Lower Mainland. Sure, there are items here or there that you can find elsewhere, but not with much selection. And, you can shop online, but the problem with click-and-purchase is you don’t get to hold the weight of an object in your hand, to see the real symmetry of a piece from your screen, how it will fit into your home. Here’s where to go if you’re in the market for Jewish objets d’art.

Buchan’s Kerrisdale Stationery sits right next door to Garden City Bakery in Richmond, the Lower Mainland’s number one challah maker. The store has had a small selection of Judaica for several years but, when Inna Vasilyev took ownership a year ago, she decided to up the ante and significantly increase the variety. Vasilyev, who also owns the original Buchan’s Kerrisdale, on West 41st Avenue in Vancouver, aims to please everyone in her product choices. You’ll find 99 cent Chanukah candy, inexpensive wooden dreidels over which small kids can drizzle candle wax, fancy hand-painted dreidels and the plastic ones that disappear into the corners of a house each year. Buchan’s has Chanukah games, gelt, colouring books, tea towels, napkins with Jewish designs and menorot.

photo - Beth Tikvah’s gift store offers several different styles of menorot and a host of other Chanukah gifts, including shaped cookie cutters, games and books
Beth Tikvah’s gift store offers several different styles of menorot and a host of other Chanukah gifts, including shaped cookie cutters, games and books. (photo from btikvah.ca/support/beth-tikvah-gift-shop)

“We have designer pieces by well-known designers and a good selection of candles, too, from simple ones to deluxe ones that burn for ages and smell beautiful,” she said.

Vasilyev also stocks non-Chanukah-related Judaica like mezuzot and candlesticks. For shoppers averse to crossing the bridge into Vancouver (or into Richmond), this accommodating store owner will transfer product between the stores to make life more convenient. She’s in the throes of updating her website and hopes to eventually display all her products on it.

Also in Richmond is one of the Lower Mainland’s longest-lasting synagogue stores, the gift shop at Beth Tikvah. Vicki Northy has been the manager and chief volunteer for the past seven years.

In the hours the office is open, office staff will gladly open the store to shoppers and handle the transactions. Northy buys new products every year, choosing a variety of fun items like bagel spreaders and mensch mugs, functional items like Kiddush cups, candlesticks and challah boards, and Judaica art by well-known artists including Yair Emanuel, Gary Rosenthal, Lily Art, Adi Sidler and Agayof. The store will be open 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 10 this year to accommodate Sunday shoppers.

Olive+Wild, the gift and home décor store at 4391 Main St., is quite possibly Vancouver’s only retailer selling Judaica. Owners Simon and Bella Zaidel have 18 different menorah designs in stock right now, ranging from menorot that will get your kids excited about Chanukah to artistic beauties in brass, silver and glass.

photo - Olive+Wild has some 18 different menorot from which to choose, as well as Judaica for Shabbat and other Jewish holidays and occasions
Olive+Wild has some 18 different menorot from which to choose, as well as Judaica for Shabbat and other Jewish holidays and occasions. (photo from oliveandwild.com/collections/judaic)

“We stock Judaica designs by Nambé, Michael Aram, Yair Emmanuel and Carrol Boyes. And, given the demand, we’ve expanded our collection with various price points to make our products available to all different budgets,” Simon Zaidel said. The store opened last September and the response from the community has been “incredible,” he added. “Since Temple Sholom’s gift store closed down, there’s a limited availability of Judaica in Vancouver,” he noted. “We carry Kiddush cups, Shabbat candles, tzedakah boxes, Havdalah sets, challah covers and boards, kippot, tallises, mezuzahs, hamsas and Judaic jewelry, most of the products made in Israel.”

After the sugar-rush from the combination of Chanukah gelt and sufganiyot has worn off and the aroma of frying latkes is leaving your kitchen, you’ll want to begin “the Great Menorah Cleanup.” If there’s candle wax on your glass surface, it’s a relatively easy job involving a dollar store scraper and a hairdryer to melt any stubborn excess wax. Candle wax on silver candlesticks can be harder to eliminate without scratching your metal. Experts suggest placing your candlestick holder or menorah in the freezer for at least 20 minutes and then using your fingernails to flick off the frozen wax. A cotton ball with silver polish or rubbing alcohol can also be a useful resource to swap the area until it’s clean.

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond. To read her work online, visit laurenkramer.net.

Format ImagePosted on December 1, 2017November 29, 2017Author Lauren KramerCategories Celebrating the HolidaysTags Beth Tikvah, Buchan's, Chanukah, Judaica, Olive+Wild, Shabbat
Building a dream on Main

Building a dream on Main

Among the offerings at Olive+Wild are mezuzot, textiles and fragrances. (photos from oliveandwild.com)

Judaica. Most of us have some in our homes. A mezuzah, Shabbat candlesticks, a seder plate, a menorah. As much as synagogues are a crucial part of Judaism, the Jewish home is a place to celebrate and perpetuate our traditions and faith.

For many years now, in Metro Vancouver, there has been hardly anywhere to buy Judaica locally. Many people order lovely things online or buy them when traveling, but it has been nearly impossible to buy a beautiful challah or matzah plate in the city – until recently.

In September, Bella Zaidel, a friendly and charming woman, opened Olive+Wild. It was her dream and she told her husband Simon it was now or never, so they did it.

Located between 27th and 28th avenues on Main Street, Olive+Wild is nestled among an increasingly interesting group of shops. At first blush, the store reflects her years of experience in design and décor retail. The displays are natural and artful and feature a carefully chosen, unique collection of home décor; the pottery is eclectic, attractive, and dishwasher and microwave safe; and the furnishings would help update any room. It’s the kind of store I love to wander through when I’m on holiday, to see local artists along with other striking pieces from around the world.

photo - Among the offerings at Olive+Wild are textilesWalking past the stunning candles and the Vancouver Island-made pottery, shoppers find near the back two large display cabinets with collections of sparkling Judaica. One case is full of renowned South African artist Carrol Boyes’ work. A portion of this case is dedicated to decorative objects and the rest features mezuzot, Kiddush cups, candlesticks and challah plates. Most of Boyes’ work has an organic, modern appeal. Made of a combination of pewter, aluminum and stainless steel, these objets d’art don’t tarnish and stay looking silver and shiny.

On the other side of the store stands a cabinet full of Judaica from a variety of artists. Zaidel explained that most of the work comes from American designers like Michael Aram and Mary Jurek. She has one Israeli line and is actively looking to expand the number of Israeli-designed and -made items. She also hopes to increase her selection of matzah and challah covers.

There is an entire shelf with mezuzot, making it possible for most anyone to find their match. They also have many candlesticks and chanukiyot, matzah and challah plates, and decorative dishes for apples and honey. As Pesach approaches, new items like seder plates will be prominently featured in this area of the store.

While Judaica is not Olive+Wild’s core business – they also sell textiles, home décor, fragrances, dishware for entertaining and artisanal foods – both Zaidels have been pleased with the enthusiastic response they have received from customers.

Among the offerings at Olive+Wild are fragrances“It’s interesting to see the number of younger people in the neighbourhood who walk in and don’t know there is Judaica in the store and end up buying things for their homes,” said Zaidel. “There are certain things every Jewish person should have and our pieces are heirloom quality, so they will last a lifetime.”

When asked why she decided to carry Judaica, she replied, “Not many places in Vancouver carry it, you had to search high and low. We love the young, modern Judaica and decided to carry it. It’s been very successful.”

Although she assumes most of the people buying ritual Jewish objects are Jewish, she knows some of them are not.

“We had a non-Jewish lady come and buy all of our hand-dipped Israeli Chanukah candles,” she said. “I think she was giving them to her child’s friends at the JCC daycare.”

The packages of Israeli hand-dipped Shabbat candles caught my eye and I couldn’t resist buying them, as they are a perfect hostess gift.

Zaidel wants people to know that there is a place in Vancouver to buy meaningful gifts for weddings and b’nai mitzvahs. Buying online may seem appealing, but seeing an item in person and having excellent service makes a big difference, especially if it’s for an important occasion. In addition, Olive+Wild has a great return policy.

“We will give a full refund with receipt up to two weeks after the purchase,” said Zaidel. “In retail, everyone expects lots of returns after the big number of gifts sold in December. Even though we tell our customers about our return policy, we didn’t get one return in January! We have this policy because we want people to be happy.”

In addition to the Judaica, Olive+Wild carries some Israeli art and jewelry.

“We like to support Israeli artists, as well as local artists,” noted Zaidel. “I tell people we carry eclectic ‘must-haves’ for the home.”

For more information about their collection, visit oliveandwild.com.

Michelle Dodek is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.

Format ImagePosted on March 10, 2017March 8, 2017Author Michelle DodekCategories LifeTags Judaica, Olive+Wild
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