Finished a sketch for a Yin Yang design. Iv’e added the cranes because most of you out there buying the “Entangled pendant” from the Ka Gold store as a symbol of love and besides creating another Yin Yang design will be so boring that I have to add my own touch to this great symbol. I think that one part will be silver and the other one will be gold and I will use a black onyx and a white moonstone….

Only two days left for September’s Special including the new Journey pendant +only three Saturn talismans left! http://www.ka-gold-jewelry.com/p-categories/special-sales.php

Special Jewelry Sales www.ka-gold-jewelry.com Jewelry on sale by the artist David Weitzman. Meaningful and inspiring jewelry so aid you on your journey of life.

On the journey pendant is engraved, “The further one travels the less one knows” (written in Hebrew). This phrase was taken from the book of the “Tao te ching” written by the famous ancient Chinese truth seeker Lau Tsu. I really enjoy seeing the various ways people interpret the phrase, People ask me often if I believe in this phrase. For me this is the most important lesson in life. This phrase reminds me always that the knowledge and capacity to succeed in the journey of life is always in me and my close surroundings. In his autobiography, Keith Richards notes that what brought him to what he is today was his grandfather that simply pushed him to learn guitar when he was a child. In terms of a philosophical perspective, my personal understanding of the phrase is that it is an Asian version of, “As above, so below”. This means to say, that our ability to understand things emerges directly from our ability to analyze small processes in our immediate environment and to understand that those processes correspond entirely to things that happen on a larger scale. Lao Tsu would observed nature and came to precise conclusions about the world and human nature.

I like this perception because, to the same extent, the little decisions we make are exactly those that change our life entirely. Keith Richard’s story of the blind angel teaches us an important story about Karma and the way our ship navigates itself in the sea of years. The story takes place in the years 78-79. After more than a decade of heroin addiction and many failed attempts to quit, Keith gets arrested in Canada in possession of the drug. The authorities there brought him to trial and according to all predictions, he will be convicted. At the same time, he realized, he can’t go on like this, and he finally quit. On the day of the sentence, the judge charged him guilty of all related crimes. Keith was sure that he was going to jail, however, the judge sentenced him to community service; he was to put on a special concert for the blind.

Behind the judge’s sentence stood another story which shows how the decisions we make, when full of love and compassion, lead all of our lives to a better place and a better world. It turns out that a year before this happening, Keith heard a story about a blind woman that would hitchhike to all their concerts. It made him shiver to imagine that girl walking in the dark and relying on rides from strangers. He instructed the truck drivers and the roadies to take her with them to all the concerts and to take care of her accommodations and food. When that very girl, whose name was Rita, found out about the court sentence Keith was expected to receive, she decided to find the judge’s house and to talk with him directly. She met with him in his home, and explained to him how those concerts are the most important thing for her and how they give her meaning and strength. The judge who was touched by her story decided to spare him from going to jail and to simply sentence him to community service by means of a concert for the blind. Karma in action…

Journey Pendant Gold		Journey Pendant Silver

Once in a while, I receive different reactions from friends all over the world that are concerned or identify with what’s happening in Israel. The impressions that these people receive are brought to them by the media whose representation of what is happening is generally far removed from reality. The conflict has been exploited for 90 years by various leaders in order to amass political power, and monetary wealth from the arms trade. I am convinced, if it were not for those very politicians, and if the residents were able to communicate directly, the conflict would have been resolved long ago. Even if disagreements remained, they would not have turned violent. Mutual respect, especially in the Middle East, is the key to peace, friendship, and mutual trust. This story illustrates better than anything my point:

A few years ago, I was requested to accompany a British tourist to Jerusalem. The tourist was Christian so I took him to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City. It was Friday and after the visit at the church, he wanted to withdraw cash from one of the banks, 1000$. He needed it for his return flight on Saturday evening, after the Sabbath. Due to a technical problem, he was not able to withdraw cash- He found out that he would have to wait 24 hours before he could withdraw the money. We had a problem, I didn’t have a credit card and what’s more, we were both dependant on public transportation that was about to end its service in two hours. I called the man who requested me to accompany the tourist, and he reminded that I could always turn to Ibrahim. Ibrahim was a Muslim Arab from East Jerusalem whom I met a little while before then.
I met him at a time that he was hosting a group of Jewish Israelis- I was a bit surprised from this. However, he explained to me that since he is named after he who is considered the father of the Semite religions, he sees everyone as his sons and he welcomes anyone who desires peace to his home. So, I phoned Ibrahim and twenty minutes later we met with him. I explained to him the situation and in a matter of seconds he pulled out a wad of bills and started to count them off.
I observed this and I continued in Hebrew” Listen, Ibrahim, I really respect your good intentions but I don’t know this tourist and I truly hope that he will return the money. “Don’t worry; it will be all right, “was his answer.

“I trust him”, so there the three of us stood, a skeptical Jewish tourist guide (me), The Arab Palestinian Muslim and the Christian guest who need help in the center of Jerusalem. Ibrahim handed him the money, and after we thanked him and exchanged telephone numbers, we went our separate ways; the tourist to his hotel and I to Tel Aviv. On Sunday I called Ibrahim to see if the loan was returned. “Of course”, he replied, “you didn’t need to worry”.
This story illustrates possibly more than anything else the need for direct communication between people and nations, removed from politics and the impressions of the media that is always looking for the violence and blood to excite us all.

The finished “Journey Pendant”.

Been carving this “Ship Of Fools” for hours… It will be the new “Journey Pendant”.

To all my fellow friends in the U.S -I’ll never forget the moment Iv’e heard the news.

I was walking down the street in Tel-Aviv while suddenly the mobile phone rang.

“Watch the news”-I stopped at a friend’s restuarant and watched the images on the small T.V that was hanging on the wall. I have to say that there was no shocking moment nor surprise.At that time we had suicide terrorists from the Hamas on a weekly basis.There were terror attacks on buses ,shopping malls,schools not to mention missile attacks on the Israeli citizens at the south on a daily basis that continues till this day.Now for those of you who actually believe that this has anything to do with territorial claims must understand that the violent and sick people that committed the 9/11 terror attack and were described as martirs by the Hamas prime minister a few months ago had no territorial claims from the U.S

The reason that they hate the U.S is because The United States Of America is nowdays the country of the human race.It’s a symbol of freedom and entrepreneurship.That’s what freightens them-freedom and liberty.

It’s a collision between a civilization that belongs to the 7th century and a perception of liberal thinking, science, tolerance and freedom that is part of many countries in the 21st century.And regarding the “Arab Spring” after watching the mob and the riots near the Israeli embassy- let’s hope it will not end in a “Nuclear Winter”. God bless America.

First step in creating the new “Journey Pendant” - the second step will be carving and then engraving.

Here’s a second version of the new “Four Winds Pendant”- I’ll start to carve it next week. There will be an Hebrew engraving around the sail for “The farther one travels -the less one knows”.