Meet Chana Gamliel, born and raised in Canada and currently lives in Eretz Yisrael where she now leads a thriving and successful business designing and embroidering Parochesen and Mantlech for Shuls and Sifrei Torah, etc. Her works have long passed the borders of Eretz Yisrael and can be found in all corners of the globe. We asked Chana to give us in-depth sharing and teaching about the field. I think it’s a very special exposure to one of the most interesting and challenging topics in graphic design.
Chana, you’re invited

Hello and welcome to you all, it’s my honor and privilege to be the one opening the Shutfim Magazine series.

In this article, I will share a fascinating and unique design process that I worked on last winter.

A WEB OF FLOWERS

It was when I received a phone call from R’ Leibel Schlesinger from London the designer/architect of the new Biala shul that was being built, inviting me to design a beautiful paroches for the Aron Hakodesh in honor of the Chanuaks Habayis of the new Shul.

It was clear to them that the new paroches would be the most majestic and magnificent in all of Europe. They wanted the paroches to commemorate the Nine Admorim that links the Rabbi back to the Yehudi Hakodash from Peshuscha.

First things first, I met with the designer/architect R’ Leibel in my Bnei Brak office, he expressed the following wish:
“The Rebbe Shlita imagines something very unique. Let’s try designing a flowery web that will span the entire height and width of the velvet. Perhaps we can use a deep red velvet, almost black, to add to the drama.”

R’ Leibel then filled me in and showed me pictures of the incredible progress “Lavi Synagogue Industries” was making with the Aron Kodesh and the shul in general.
The Rebbe had approached R’ Liebel about a year and a half prior to design and plan the most magnificent shul imaginable in the Chassidishe suburb of Stamford Hill, London. On monthly visits to Eretz Yisroel, R’ Leibel made sure to oversee the progress at Lavi and ensure the smooth running of the Biala project.

We discussed many ideas for the paroches before moving on to make very general plans for the Bimah and Amud covers. The idea of a band of flowers, leaves, and swirls making its way around the bottom of the covers excited R’ Leibel.

After our meeting, my mind began racing with ideas for this fabulous project, each more grandiose than the previous one. I love taking the time to process the ideas my customers present me with before even putting pen to paper to begin drawing rough sketches.
In the end, it took me close to a month to formulate some ideas which would not only form a web of flowers as per R’ Liebel’s request but coordinate with the ultra-posh design elements in the Aron Kodesh in particular and the entire shul.

However, as I neared completion of the rough sketch, R’ Leibel called me up:
“I’m not sure how to tell you this, but my client has a very very long dedication text. Very long. Something like nine or ten names of the Rebbes who preceded him.”

With the design concept already in mind, I thought I’ll write them one after the other in an attractive applique badge in the center of the paroches.
As I was voicing my thoughts, he asked: “Is it possible we can somehow incorporate the names of the Rebbes within the flowers and leaves?”

I sat down to work, trying to brainstorm for some leafy designs. It was hard work, but I was determined to make it look perfect.,
Here are three ideas I sketched.

Notice how the style of the carvings of the Aron Hakodash and Shul integrates with the design of the parochas to make it blend in smoothly.

PERFECTING THE GRAND DESIGN

R’ Leibel informed me that the Rebbe favored the third option.
I started working on refining the design down to the smallest detail.
It was time to add color, embellishments, and Swarovski crystals to the sketch. The ‘embellishing’ process took a few weeks until we had a final design that the Rebbe was really excited about.

THE CHANUKAS HABAYIS

The manufacturing of a standard paroches can take several weeks to produce. The magnificent Biala Paroches, embroidered with 3.8 million stitches and 1500 hand-applied Swarovski crystals, could not fit such a timeslot. We had to book an available slot for such an execution. The earliest timeslot we managed to get hold of was January 16. At that time, it wasn’t long before the Chanukas Habayis was scheduled.
Since there was no way such a major paroches could be produced on time for the Chanukas Habayis, I suggested to the Rebbe an alternate solution: I will silk-screen a 1:1 image of the paroches onto satin, and then sew it into a curtain. The Rabbi was enthusiastic about the idea and even ordered three more for the Shtiblach.

Here’s the picture of the Paroches printed on satin fabric two months before the embroidered paroches was ready, not bad, right ?!

PRODUCTION

Although my digitizer had initially estimated that the Biala paroches would require about 2 million embroidery stitches, the final product was made of 3.8 million stitches! (Just to grasp the number! A regular paroches is made from half a million to a million stitches.).
After embroidering a few samples of the crown with various embroidery effects and e-mailing photos to R’ Liebel, I went ahead and had my digitizer prepare the ultra-complicated embroidery files for the entire paroches.
A giant embroidery machine with a 145 cm hoop diameter can embroider up to a million stitches in one digitized file. Here with our 3.8 million, we had to take apart the design and divide it into several sets of leaves and flowers.
Besides, the paroches embroidery area was 140 by 210 cm. And as mentioned, the hoop diameter is “only” 145 cm. Here too, we had to be creative and divide the tissue into the “upper part” and “lower part.”
He prepared seven separate files that my embroiderer would have to puzzle together with microscopic precision.
The paroches was on the embroidery machine for a total of 4 weeks, with embroiderers working in shifts- they worked 21 hours/day, six days a week, plus Motzaei Shabboses. Needless to say, I spent many hours of that month in the embroidery factory, supervising the embroidery stage.
When we were done embroidering the top surface, we moved the fabric, and now you have to re-hoop a material that is already embroidered on it; it’s like hmmm… almost impossible! It was only with the help of two strong men that we were once again able to hug the fabric towards the “lower part.”
I must admit it was a tough challenge.

There was a great deal of stress and a lot of prayers, so we could reach the maximum reset.
Here are some pictures to illustrate how I divided the design into seven pieces.

And some pictures during embroidery.

You’ll probably notice that I completely broke away from the typical Chasidish design in which every parochas has to be shades of silver against a dark blue background or maximum a combination of silver-gold-copper wire on blue velvet. What’s wrong with a splash of color? I am proud to say that I have never designed a silver-only paroches for a Chassidishe shul; the paroches I’ve designed for Chassidim have at least six distinct hues that add depth to the overall effect.

For the flowers on the parochas, I chose the Astral Pink color. It has a golden/ pinkish shine that blends in with everything and gives the parochas a very spiritual look. At the same time, I combined some paths of stones that went from the small to the large in crystal color. In the crown, I created a mosaic look with brown-gold-silver-colored stones.

SWAROVSKIS

If you’ve ever seen a sparkly Swarovski store, you may be able to fathom the idea of a paroches bedecked with 1500 Swarovski crystals.
Biala decided to go all-out with the Swarovskis. I interspersed astral pink tear-drop stones here and there to create ‘flowers’ within the embroidered leaves and twigs. ‘Splashes’ of silver-hued circular and eye-shaped Swarovskis flowed with the curvy lines.

Every time the paroches is opened or closed, a kaleidoscopic effect is achieved, with rays of light shining in every direction.

And Oh, it was miniature work to glue and sew everything down. But it was worth it to reach such a level of performance.

SAMUEL AND SONS

The finishing touch on the Biala Paroches and Bimah/Amud covers are the refined 100% silk trims by high-end passementerie “Samuel and Sons.”

R’ Liebel chose the golden melange Orsay Silk collection, and we mixed and matched the Orsay Silk Tassel Fringe, the 1 5/8” Silk Ribbed Border and the 1/4” Orsay Silk Cord with Tape. They definitely gave the “final touch” to the paroches.

The effect is breath-taking. Embroiderers from all over Eretz Yisroel came to see the Biala Paroches in its final stages…
Here she stands, in her full glory showing off her majestic appearance.

The last step was to match a good design For the Bimah and Ammud covers. We decided on a frame of flowers and leaves from the parochas design on the edge of the covers.

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THE BIALA EFFECT

I have never produced a paroches that caused as much international noise as the Biala Paroches. I received warm greetings from Londoners and travelers who went specifically to see the Biala Shul and be impressed by the parochas. In the end, I also convinced my husband to go there. Indeed in the deep of winter, we bid farewell to balmy Bnei Brak and traveled to freezing London. It was amazing. I invite you to go see it for yourself as well!

Here is an interesting behind-the-scenes peek at the Biala Paroches being embroidered stitch by stitch:
https://vimeo.com/303469420

One can gaze wide-eyed as the magnificent 3.8-million stitch Biala Paroches is embroidered. This paroches honors the memory of 10 generations of Biala Rebbes, intertwining their holy names amidst the flower and leaf motif. 1500 genuine Swarovski crystals add a few extra doses of Malchus to this extraordinary paroches.

Meat the Master herself, Chevy Altman, where she takes us on a live tour to gain a deeper understanding of logos and branding.
The ups, the downs, the challenges, and the excitements every designer faces. The beginning and finishing steps of how your work comes to fruition…
Read on for yourself.

When Olive approached me to schedule an appointment, I could not begin to imagine what a fantastic process I was in for.
The road was not easy, and there were bumps along the way where I promised myself I was abandoning the profession and becoming a fisherman on the Mediterranean coast. But in the end, when the reactions came, and the customer’s satisfied feedback reached my ears, I declared that I was crazy over my profession and never quitting.

The client came to me with a sparkle in his eye and a whole lot of dreams, which would hopefully materialize once construction at the Peninat Chemed mall in Yerushalayim was complete.
It was going to be a very unique appetizing store selling pickles, smoked fish and an assortment of quality smoked meats. They would feature a selection of spicy sauces, a refrigerator filled with aesthetically packed quality salads, and a vast selection of exotically spiced schmaltz herrings.
A look at some of the mood board content I built for myself:

Sounds like a deli? Well, no, this was nothing like the classic noisy deli. The plans were already in the hands of a talented interior designer who was working diligently on turning the small rented area into a luxury store full of ambiance and style. The client described to me warm lighting and lots of dark wood with elegant marble.
Sounds good?
I thought so, too.
I was getting excited. Luxury businesses are my unique and comfortable niche, and minimalism and style are my great love.
I felt my fingertips tingling with the challenge, and the wheels of my brain were already turning vigorously.
I knew there would be black, color of luxury, elegance and food. I informed my client immediately that I would probably not use gold.
What then? Time would tell.
The client had already thought of the name OLIVE for his store.
I’m not a big proponent of English branding in Eretz Yisrael for no justifiable reason. Still, in this case the target audience is English-speaking; the store is set up in the heart of “Little America,” as I like to call it: Shamgar Street in Yerushalayim.
I liked the name right away. Its connotations do the job: it conveys food in general, conveys what the store sells, and conveys luxury.
After thorough research on my part, answers on their part, and a contract - we began.
Date: Most delusional, two weeks before Pesach.
Deadline for Logo: Before Pesach!!!
After working my way through the brief and summarizing the details, I tackled the Internet.
When it comes to searching for inspiration, I become hyperactive, opening dozens of tabs in my Chrome window until I can barely toggle between them because they are so tiny … moving from one to another, sorting, and closing everything that might be beautiful but is not related at all, and then saving as pictures the relevant sources of inspiration that receive my approval to become a part of the impressively-sized inspiration folder I open.
Here’s a look at the inspirations I started downloading:

Each one of these contains the core of an idea that sprouted within me, waiting for me to develop it further.
The following day, I sat down in my messy corner (i.e., my work area) with a cup of Spring lemon-flavored iced tea and some oatmeal cookies. I opened a fresh, new Illustrator page and went to dig through the folder I had worked the previous day to fill with various brandings from around the globe.
Switching between the mouse and a blue Pilot pen, I scribbled a lot of sketches in my sketchbook, scribbles that a stranger would not be able to decipher but in which I see entire worlds.

(After reading the post, scroll back to the sketches and find the sketch that led to the final logo :))
After scribbling and scribbling, I returned to the white artboard waiting patiently for me in Illustrator and started working.
The first obstacle sprang up immediately -
Olive is a word that represents a tangible, non-abstract object. An olive. And not just any object, but one product out of the vast selection the store sells. I found that very limiting.
Putting an olive on the logo as an icon would be the silliest thing, for two reasons:

1. One of the most idiotic things is when a logo addresses its viewers as idiots:
   The name is Olive, the icon is an olive? Doesn’t really show any respect for the viewer’s intelligence.
2. Such a logo does a terrible disservice to the store, focusing on one minute product out of the huge variety the brand sells and then emphasizes it in both the text and the icon.
   Okay, then, there would be no olive icons.
   Predictably, the only idea that kept surfacing in my mind over and over again was an olive in different variations.

Reviewing my work, I don’t like anything. Why was it that I had gotten so excited about when I received this project?
I sent the entire collage to a colleague, as a test.
“What do you see here”? was my question.
Her answer surprised me greatly and helped me see the logo from the perspective of an outsider.
“Looks like something nutritious, natural, maybe creams (for the body/face?), or quality olive oil?”
I informed her that I was disowning her as friend.
After a square of chocolate, I felt ready to tackle the challenge again. Then it hit me:
The combination of the word Olive and the clean, upscale design draws people directly into the world of grooming, soaps, and nourishing creams.
See inspirations I collected

I realized that I needed to distance myself from the soaps and grooming look as much as possible. I upgraded the sketches that I’d already developed a liking for. (A huge mistake, by the way: speaking from experience, a designer should not admire his work before it is finalized by the client.)
I introduced the color red in order to move away from the grooming world and get closer to the food world, but I retained the minimalistic design. I inserted a jar into the logo, intending to portray pickled products.
I was so busy, so immersed in my work that I forgot that there are a variety of jars in the world, with a variety of contents. Not necessarily food …

I emailed my colleague again (yes, the one I was no longer friends with).
“It’s beautiful and elegant, but if the stuff this store sells is very tasty and not just pretty, then this logo isn’t a fit. It doesn’t taste good to me.”
Terrible, right? But that is exactly why I am her friend.
Looking back, I agreed with her that the logo seemed to be of a particularly high-quality poison … especially the one with the jar.
After some more experiments that all led to the same frustrating results - beautiful logos, but not talking to our taste buds - I decided to try adding seasoning and juiciness.
But then, guess what? The prestigious look was gone.
I mean, not really, because I had kept the lines very clean, but the elegance I was aiming for eluded me.

I felt like a yoyo.
If I tugged in one direction, there was a hole in the other. Whichever way I sliced it, something was missing.
Three days before Pesach, when even the advertising agency I work at acknowledged that women could no longer be required to work these days, one particular brander
made up her mind that come what may,
this logo would be sent to her client before Pesach, with Hashem’s help.
Eventually, I came to the most important and accurate conclusion:
The logo must have distinct food-branding characteristics as its basis.
I set out to explore food properties in logos. I looked for inspiration again and compared the common denominators among them.
Here is a sample of the logos I checked. I only saved some of them at the time:

That is how I arrived at the perfect font.
That is how I came to the conclusion that chalk texture would add a lot.
And that is how I discovered that a logo in a curved line is a distinct characteristic of food logos.
After countless changes and refinements (with the dots? Without the dots?)

B"H, the final logo was accomplished.

Minimalistic, clean, with distinctive food characteristics, strong visibility and very memorable, differentiated within the specific market share, luxury, and matching color.
On the thirteenth of Nissan, the day I started working on the presentation (!), my son came down with fever and we spent a night at the hospital due to the suspicion of meningitis (which ended up being viral, B"H).
The next day (fourteenth of Nissan, 7 am!) with my eyes closed and a jelly-like brain, I built mockups and a presentation.,
And — I hit Send.

Now I was all ready for the Seder
After Pesach, I received a green light from the client, and we darted off in the race.

On the further development of the distinct and attractive brand language, how it interacts with the logo and what it broadcasts, and how it functions in the customer’s sea of materials -
In the next article, BE"H.