Camus Gallery

Tzfat's Artist Quarter has existed since the early years of the State of Israel, but until recently, few artists or gallery curators thought to open galleries in the Old Jewish Quarter, located next to the Artist Quarter.

Tomar and Ketty Camus were early visionaries of the idea of bringing Judaica into the Jewish Quarter, and their Camus Gallery is today one of the largest of the galleries on Yosef Caro Street, specializing in Jewish and Israel-themed art.

Tomar and Ketty are not absentee owners - they can be found daily working in their gallery where a cheerful staff is on hand to show the work of the various artists. The Camus Gallery exhibits a wide range of artwork, jewelry, and workmanship, all crafted and created by Israeli artists and artisans.

Some of the artists exhibited are:

Moshe Sendowski

Moshe Sendowski - a Holocaust survivor, came top Israel in 1947. His sculptures of wood, stone, marble, clay and bronze reflect his belief that, despite the horrors that he saw and experienced, one can be optimistic about the future. His sculptures range from partially figurative to abstract, and women are a frequent subjects of his art - Biblical women, mothers, women with children....caring and nurturing.

Ayala Bar

Ayala Bar - One of Israel's best-known jewelry craftswomen, Ayala Bar's hand-crafted jewelry is created with non-precious metals such as antique brass with glass beads, mineral stones, and crystal rhinestones.  Bar's inspirations come from mosaic styles, and she mixes opulent colors with designs which range from subdued "classic" to stand-out Deco.

Michal Meron

Michal Meron - Michal Meron draws her inspiration from Jewish and Biblical themes, and works to interpret them in ways that bring her love of these texts and stories to others. She has illustrated the Torah scroll and the Five Books of Moses, bringing the stories and lessons of the Bible to life.  In the same manner she has created elaborate and intricate illustrations which help one visualize Jewish holidays, Biblical events and many other Jewish texts. The illustrations are colorful and vivid, yet the core message is never forgotten.

Roman Glass

Roman Glass - The art of glass-blowing developed in the Middle East during the 1st century B.C.E., and till today, one doesn't have to be an archeologist or a treasure-hunter to find pieces of Roman-Era glass scattered around the landscape of Israel. Several artists have specialized in creating jewelry from these pieces, and the Camus Gallery exhibits a large variety and selection of these pieces, ranging from earrings to necklaces. Since each piece of glass is unique (molds were not yet developed!) the craftsperson must be extremely talented in order to take several dissimilar pieces of glass and make them into a cohesive piece of jewelry. The Roman Glass exhibited at the Camus Gallery is some of the most professional jewelry of its type available, and is a popular item for people who want special memories of their Tzfat visit.

The Camus Gallery is located on Yosef Caro Street in Tzfat's Old City.  They can be contacted at camus@camusgallery.com