Baruch Hashem! Jack Weinger’s iconic painting, “The Great Shofar,” has been given new life!
World Class Sculptor, “Tato,” (pronounced Tah-Toe) creates a three-dimensional masterpiece symbolizing Kibbutz Galuyot!
Note: A replica of Dad’s signature from the original painting is embossed on the bell of the Shofar (rt.), signature as it appears on the image highlighted (lft.) dated 1972.
Below is a photo of “The Great Shofar” giclee’ with Dad’s signature on the back of the canvas.
Dear Loyal Shofar So Great Patron and Partner,
The year 2022 marked fifty years since my Dad completed his iconic oil painting, “The Great Shofar.” (TGS) It was the prophetic work that still hangs in the foyer of the Weinger Family home in Los Angeles; the image that has taken on a life of its own. My father’s life has been a picture and fulfillment of “Jubilee,” born in a jubilee year,1917, the year of the Balfour Declaration; reached age fifty in 1967, around the reunification of Jerusalem, and died at age one hundred on Rosh Hashanah 2017.
Since 2011, there are 183 TGS prints circulating the world in many high-profile locations including The Hague in the Netherlands, in and around Jerusalem at Hadassah Hospital, the Office of Israel’s Chief Rabbi, and The Great Synagogue. Others are displayed prominently in Australia, Kenya, Denmark, Sri Lanka, Israel, Nigeria; over a third of the United States including Texas, Georgia, California, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, New Mexico, Illinois, Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alaska, Hawaii.
You can read the full narrative regarding the painting’s history and prophetic implications here: https://shofarsogreat.com/the-great-shofar/
Having recently realized 2022 was the painting’s Jubilee Year, I was curious about the future of this prophetic piece of art now that Mom has passed away. The original will eventually be given to me as part of my inheritance.
Interestingly, some of you will recall that my return trip to Israel from the USA on March 8 was supernaturally upgraded to First Class in Seat 3D! I was flying three-dimensionally to Israel! Little did I know what awaited upon my return to Avi Mishaan’s Shofar Factory.
In my absence, part of the factory had transformed into an art hub and gallery for a world-class artist, Tato, who showed up last August saying Hashem had sent him. Tato has been working in obscurity for eighteen years, until going out on his own in 2016. Many of his sculptures grace different nations’ public squares around the world. and prestigious galleries like that of Frank Meisler, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, https://frank-meisler.com/shop/?orderby=price-desc.
How surprised was I to discover that The Great Shofar painting hanging in Avi’s office was the inspiration for Tato to begin a work; a labor of love, a four month process bringing TGS off the canvas into a three-dimensional sculpture. He worked for three straight weeks just on the mold.
This week the finished bronze statue was unveiled and the first Artist Proof (AP) is being revealed prematurely in these photos using a temporary base sans the custom Jerusalem stone base display stand that is still being crafted.
As Tato provided a sneak preview of his latest masterpiece to fine galleries and the art community, there has been an overwhelming response and initial demand. An art gallery in the UK has requested five pieces! A fine art gallery owner at Jerusalem’s prestigious Mamilla Mall, where its promenade is peppered with life size bronze sculptures, described how, for her and she believes many others, this work represents “Kibbutz Galuyot,”
The Gathering of Israel (Hebrew: קיבוץ גלויות, Kibbutz Galuyot .(Biblical: Qibbuṣ Galuyoth), lit. Ingathering of the Exiles, also known as Ingathering of the Jewish diaspora) is the biblical promise of Deuteronomy 30:1–5 given by Moses to the people of Israel prior to their entrance into the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael).
To some, the hand holding the Shofar is that of Aaron, the Cohen Gadol, High Priest, and brother to Moses. The surrounding hands represent the Cohanim.
This piece was so impactful, that the Mamilla Mall management has signed an agreement allowing Tato to place nine sculptures on the promenade starting in January, one of which they requested to be a life-sized version of The Great Shofar! The mall does not pay for the sculpture and as I understand it, there is an actual one-time fee charged; however, the artist receives the greatest marketing exposure in the world, aligning with other world-class artists featured on the promenade. So eager was management to have this piece on display, they offered Tato three of the nine at no fee!
At the end of May, Okotch Mondoh arrived from Kenya to join us at the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast and to attend some additional meetings. On our way to Tel Aviv, we stopped at the Shofar factory and Okotch saw an early rendition of the mold and model. This week, one day after I viewed the finished bronze TGS statue for the first time, I received a call from Okotch wanting to share a dream that had occured for him two nights in a row.
He said he dreamed that TGS sculpture, whose hands to him represents the Torah, the Law, appeared as a large monument in front of a key Israeli Government office or building, prophetically fulfilling Isaiah 2 and Micah 4! What a confirmation! He was shocked to hear that something like that had just been requested at Mamilla!
Tato’s arrival at Mishaan Marketing, Avi’s factory, has transformed every phase of the operation. His advice and skill in manufacturing combined with the eye of a master artist has positioned Shofar So Great and Mishaan Marketing as the premier Shofar supplier of the future. His influence has upgraded the quality and offerings for Shofar above and beyond anything else in the market. He has been a great gift to us from Hashem!
A world-class artist of reknown, Tato’s inspired hand-painted Shofar depicting Jerusalem.
It was Tato’s suggestion and craftsmanship that added a silver Lion of Judah to our custom Freedom Staff collection!
Demchinsky Tariel, “Tato,” was born in Tbilisi (Georgia) in 1971 to a family of an artist and a teacher at the Academy of Arts. He graduated from the art studio at the Tbilisi Artist House and the Nikoladze Art High School. He underwent training at workshops for painting and sculpture at the Georgian Academy of Arts and in Germany, he worked in the restoration of ancient architectural monuments. In 1998, he moved to Israel. From 1999 to 2016 he worked in Frank Meisler’s Art Gallery, Jaffa (https://frank-meisler.com) as a modeling sculptor. Since 2016 the owner of a private gallery “Tariel Georgian Art” in Tel Aviv. His paintings and sculptures, and Pop Art form parts of private collections around the world.
| This AP version of TGS was made as a gift for me even though no one knew today, June 24 is my B-Day! However, the bronze material alone for this sculpture cost $3,300.00 not including four months labor. As you can see from the above gallery link, these sculptures range between $15,000.00 to $41,000.00 and more. I have decided to offer this TGS Artist Proof sculpture, the gift given to me by my father and Hashem, for sale to a few of my selected valued donors before I publically offer it for sale. The funds generated will be applied to the purchase of the metal and cost of manufacturing the life-sized version for Mamilla Mall, and potentially some Israeli Government Ministry Office in the future. The fair market value a gallery would ask is at least $24,000.00, and God Only Knows the true value of this piece. Upon production, TGS sculptures will be numbered and limited. They will be priced differently based on the material used in the manufacturing; i.e. Bronze, Patina Bronze, Silver, Copper, Brass, Pewter, etc. This AP comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Tato. I have chosen to market this original AP for the “double portion” blessing of $22,000.00 for the purposes outlined above. Please let me know as soon as possible if this project resonates with you, pray about it, and let me know your thoughts. I appreciate you more than you know. |
| Your past participation as a valued donor and patron of Shofar So Great and Beit Hogla has established a covenant with this Land and our people in perpetuity. You have blessed Israel and the G~d of Israel, HASHEM, will not forsake you! It is written in HIS word, Genesis (Bereisheet) 12:3 that you WILL be blessed, for HE keeps his promises! |