3D Kotel picture for 20 shekels
Hello everyone out there,
How are you all doing today? I hope ok or fine.
Before I begin I would like us all to say a little prayer for those suffering from the Huston hurricane and all those suffering from other disasters around the world and also what is going on here in Israel.
Thank you.
I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a small Jewish Community. While growing up I worked for my parents in the family business. I went to the University of Minnesota and graduated with a BA in Social Services. Instead of pursing my field I continued to work for my parents and worked for other people as well. The last job I had that I created myself in Minneapolis I began to think about where I wanted to go from there. I knew I know longer wanted to live in Minneapolis. I decided to visit a friend that lived in Phoenix, Arizona to see if that was the right fit for me. I have visited her before so I knew I liked it there and liked the weather as well. I went there and found it was not where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
As growing up I never thought of going to Israel to live. I was not fond of the Israelis when they would visit the United States. I thought more and more about it though. So, before they closed the doors at the job I was working at in Minneapolis I decided to visit Israel for the first time.
I went there in 1985 and found exactly how a Jew should feel and I know visiting and living are not the same thing. I contacted a person that helps Jews go Home to Israel and he told me all the bad points of living in Israel. I decided in spite of that I had two very special skills that would help me which were independence and survival skills so I decided to go Home. It wasn't just me, but, I believe G-d felt it was time for me to come Home. I had his blessing so what could go wrong.
I arrived in Israel on November 11, 1986 ( almost 31 years ago) and it was a very nasty day that I was thinking am I crazy. I did not get into an absorption center where new immigrants go. I went to live in an apartment hotel and had to absorb myself. It was not easy for a person that did not live anywhere else but Minneapolis. I found out that if a person that I needed to see was not at an office I had to keep coming back till they were there. It turned out that that person was the only one that could help me. I started to get settled in by learning Hebrew, getting a job. At that time I worked in English since my Hebrew was not good and found an apartment. As far as the apartment went I had to go to another apartment before the one I wanted to move in to was ready. That was the case in the beginning. I worked at several jobs and then I found a job I really liked. That was working at a bookstore in Yad Vashem. Yad Vashem was a very interesting place to work. We had post cards of the Holocaust outside of the store and people would come in and point to themselves in the post card. It was a very strange feeling meeting actual survivors and not just reading about them. I remember going for my interview and looking at the view. It was breathtaking and thought am I suppose to enjoy the view because of what Yad Vashem represents. Yad Vashem is the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, is the ultimate source for Holocaust education, documentation and research. From the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem,
I knew it was too good to be true to be able to continue at Yad Vashem. In 2000 the store closed because of the intifada and not enough tourists. I was unemployed and had to find another job. Evenually I found somethng. The last job I had before I became self-employed was working at a Thrift Shop. I was one of the 3 paid staff members. The others were volunteers. It was a fun shop. The manager would play music so people would come in and have music to listen to and sing along if they wanted to while shopping. We had both used and very nice things. I have never been to a Thrift Shop before and I just loved it. There were days I would be working when nice things came in and I bought a very beautiful and in good shape down coat. I found things there I was looking for and could not find anywhere else. While working there I felt that was not enough for me so decided to take a computer graphics course I heard about or saw advertised. I went to learn in a bomb shelter. It was quite an experience. One day I was having a lesson and things started to shake. At first I wondered what was going on and when they did not stop I realized it was an earthquake. My first to experience. I worried about my cat at home but when I got home things were fine and so was she.
In the beginning I could just not catch on to the programs and it turned out that they are my favorite programs to do graphics in. One I do cards, part of calendars, notebooks in and the other I can fix pictures. I did not complete the course because I was anxious to get out there and see what people would think of my things. I found that I needed additional help so found someone to help me with certain things and instead of wanting to help me with things towards my business she wanted to fix up my apartment. We shortly after that said our goodbyes.
One of the first places I went to sell was at our bus station in Jerusalem on a Friday. I thought if I wore one of the t-shirts I made the people would admire it and look at what I had to sell and buy from me. Boy was I naivete. Across from me was someone with a huge sign and people would crowd around it and at the other end was jewelry. I did not stand a chance. I was at a good spot but I did not know how to draw a crowd like they did. The more I learned the more I did. I would continue to rent tables at certain times of the year and sell, but, I found one place I could sell all the time and not have to pay an extravagant amount to rent the table. Other people sold things there too, but, they did not stay. When I came the first time people would check out what I had to sell and me as well and probably wonder if I would stay or go. After almost 11 years I am still there. I do not go as much as I once did and at one point I was wondering if I really found what I wanted to do with my life. I tried to figure out ways to make extra money on the computer at home so could continue selling at that place. I began to wonder what I really want to do and it would not come to me even with suggestions from others. On this past Monday I went back after the summer and started to sell again. There is a lady that comes when I am there and always tells me that my things are very nice, but, does not buy from me. She took a course and this Monday she told me things she learned that might help me and for the first time in almost 11 years I felt a weight lift off of me. So, if all goes well I want to take my blog out of the building and into computerland and spread it to places that are pro Israel.
So, after you have read this blog please scroll down to other blogs and also you will come to things I have or may still have on sale.
Please contact me at: hannihar@gmail. com and tell me what you think of my blog and also if you found items that you would like to buy.
Thank you very much till next time.
Since I have used several names for my business I think I should come up with one I like very much and I think I did. I would like to call my business: Hanni's Gift Shop or Hanni's Traveling Gift Shop when it goes around the internet.
This is an example of my table. This is me at Purim with cool glasses on.
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