SERVE HASHEM

IN THE HAMODIA MAGAZINE JULY 5 2010
PAGE 26/27
USING GLASS ART TO SERVE HASHEM
MAESTRO GIANNI TOSO WRITES:

SOME 30 OR 40 YEARS AGO,
I OWNED MY SHOP IN THE VENICE GHETTO.
AT THE TIME I HAD JUST STARTED TO MAKE MY INDIVIDUAL GLASS FIGURES
REPRESENTING SHABBOS AND ALL THE JEWISH HOLIDAYS,
AS WELL AS MITZVOS LIKE DAVENING, TEFILLIN, TORAH ETC,ETC,
ONE DAY A YOUNG COUPLE WALKED IN TO MY STORE.
THEY WERE FROM A SMALL TOWN IN TEXAS,
WHERE THEY WERE PRACTICALLY THE ONLY JEWS.
THERE WAS NO JEWISH DAY SCHOOL OF ANY SORT.

THIS COUPLE HAD A FEW YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEY REALLY
WANTED TO TEACH THE CHILDREN ABOUT YIDDISHKEIT.
THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO USE MY FIGURES TO
TEACH THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT, AS MANY OF THE MITZVOS
AND JEWISH HOLIDAYS, AS THEY COULD.

10 TO 15 YEARS LATER SOME CUSTOMERS WALKED INTO MY SHOP.
THEY THANKED ME FOR HELPING TO MAKE THEM ORTHODOX JEWS.
I ASKED THEM WHAT THEY MEANT.
IT TURNED OUT THAT THEY WERE THE CHILDREN OF THE TEXAN COUPLE
WHO HAD BOUGHT MY GLASS FIGURES YEARS EARLIER.
THEY TOLD ME HOW THEIR PARENTS RAISED THEM USING MY ART TO TEACH THEM TORAH.

THIS STORY MEANS SO MUCH TO ME ! !
WHEN THE BBC CAME TO ME AND MY WIFE TO MAKE THE PROGRAM
" TWO  JEWS  ON   A  CRUISE, "
I  NEVER THOUGHT I WILL GET MY MESSAGE OF YIDDISHKEIT
TO SO MANY PEOPLE ORTHODOX AND NON ORTHODOX.
DO NOT BE IGNORANT IN YOUR RELIGION,
LEARN, LEARN, LEARN .
AS THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS EDUCATION, EDUCATION , EDUCATION
                                                                                 GABY  LOCK  LONDON
                                                                                  gaby5706@gmail.com