Can't we all get along? Orthodox Michael Shapiro with one of his seven children, Aryeh, and his liberal Jewish cousin, Windy City Times Publisher Tracy Baim. Items on display at The Silver Collection. Photos by Ross Forman______
The showcases glitter with history and tradition. There are candlesticks, dreidels, Kiddush Cups, mezuzahs, menorahs and, of course, Eliyahu's Cup—just in time for Hanukkah, or when planning for a wedding or other special occasion.
And everything is beautiful sterling silver and dedicated to the Jewish community—and is certainly expanding into the LGBT sect and beyond.
The Silver Collection is the business of the husband-and-wife duo of Michael and Yael Shapiro, run from their West Rogers Park home to the world thanks to the company's well-run, easily-navigated Web site ( see www.SilverCollectionOnline.com ) .
The two had been customers of The Silver Collection, but when the previous owner moved to New York and wanted to sell, the Shapiro's stepped up, taking over in 2005. Michael quickly identified a few things 'that we could do differently' than the previous owners, such as accepting credit cards, starting an inventory-management system and developing an online presence.
Plus, The Silver Collection previously did not have a showroom that was easy to see all of the merchandise. Now they do, offering customers—by appointment only—the first-hand look at challah boards, Torah ornaments and Tzedakah boxes, among other products offered, most made and imported directly from Israel.
'A lot of our customers are the people who are just too busy to buy gifts,' said Shapiro, who offers gift wrapping, cards and a mailing service.
The Silver Collection carries a variety of awards, plus countless acrylic display boxes. Clearly, The Silver Collection is a one-stop shop geared for the Jewish community. Thus, there are a wide variety of candlesticks, wine cups and Torah pointers, often made of silver imported directly from Israel, which has one of the world's largest concentrations of silversmiths.
About 99 percent of their silver comes from Israel; select items are Italian silver.
The Silver Collection attracts everyone within the Jewish community, specifically, the Orthodox Jewish community in and around West Rogers Park. But they also have non-Jewish clientele, and many items would appeal to general consumers.
The most popular items are wine cups, menorahs and candlesticks, Shapiro said.
The most unique Silver Collection item is an electric-ignited silver candle lighter that resembles a barbecue lighter. 'There are people who buy silver in everything. I laughed at these when I first saw them; I never thought they'd sell, but they're a hot item,' he said.
Shapiro is looking to expand his business into the gay community, particularly at gift shops. 'That's an ideal area of growth for the business,' he said. Shapiro, who is Orthodox, spoke about respect for individual people, regardless of differences in interpretation of religious issues.
They offer special promotional codes to groups as a fundraiser, and would like to work with the GLBT group Congregation Or Chadash or the Jewish AIDS Network on a promotional fundraising campaign, with a portion of sales going to those groups. They do the same for many Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish schools and community groups.
He also plans to add rings and other jewelry that would be ideal for commitment ceremonies.
The Silver Collection also does silver engraving, polishing and limited repairs.
See www.SilverCollectionOnline.com or call 773-761-1069.
