Avigayle Adler, Founder & Director, The Open Studio
Avigayle has been teaching art and creativity since she was in high school. She has a MA in Jewish Education from Hebrew University and is a graduate of the Pardes Educators’ Program. Avigayle made aliya from Denver, Colorado seven years ago and has been running the Open Studio every since. She has been an artist-in-residence at several summer camps, seminary programs and museums throughout the United States and Israel. Avigayle has been awarded the distinction of Oman Mitztayen, or “Outstanding Artist” by the ministry of absorption and highlighted in Celebrating 70 Extraordinary Women of Israel in The Times of Israel. Avigayle specializes in mosaics, glass painting and paper-cutting, but her true talents lie in helping to bring out the inner-artist in each child and adult she works with.
Rivka Ben Hamu, Summer Camp Director
Rivka has been working with the Open Studio for eight years. She made aliya with her parents from Paris at the age of 12. She is a talented pastry chef, educator, seamstress, and the mother of eight children. She speaks French, English & Hebrew and lives with her husband and children in Katamon.
The Open Studio in the News
Nitzanim Summer Mentors
Leonid Kritsun, Glass Mosaics & Sculpture
An architect by profession, Leonid, has worked in the field of glass art for over twenty-five years. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions and his works are on display throughout Israel and abroad.
Yaal Hermon, Photography
Yaal Herman was inspired by photography as a teenager, spending long nights in the darkroom. He studied courses at Camera Obscura, The Bezal’el Academy and Concordia University. His photographic works have been exhibited throughout Israel, Ireland, the US and Canada. Yaal’s studio/gallery is located at the Jerusalem Hutsot Hayotser Artist Colony.
Sharon Binder, Graphic Design & Calligraphy
Sharon specializes in graphic design and calligraphy to create major works of Judaic art for the home, institutions and synagogue. Trained in the United States and Canada, Sharon has exhibited internationally. Sharon’s expertise in such diverse media as painting, pen-and-ink, typography and fabric appliqué has been applied to murals, wall hangings, decorative arts, illustration and screen prints. Yaal’s studio/gallery is located at the Jerusalem Hutsot Hayotser Artist Colony.
The Open Studio 