The Holly House shop at First Presbyterian Church has its grand opening from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 1-2. These 3-foot-tall animatronic dolls were donated to the sale. Photo
provided
One of Delray Beach’s most anticipated openings each year is the Holly House Holiday Gift Shoppe at First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach, 33 Gleason St.
Holly House hosts its grand opening from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 1-2. After that, Holly House will be open from 10 to noon every Tuesday and Thursday until Dec. 19.
This year, in addition to the handcrafted items that bring so many to the shop, Holly House has two interesting donations for sale. The first is three dolls from Macy’s Christmas window displays from around the 1950s. The private donation will be sold for $50 per doll. Another significant donation came from Marsha Bird’s sister, Marie Bassett in western Kentucky, who donated her bear collection. Dozens of bears are on display, each cuter than the next.
This year’s most adorable pieces may be Savina Pagel’s handmade Raggedy Ann dolls. The gifted seamstress also made a cornflower blue cat and kitten piece. The attention to detail and fine handiwork are extraordinary and so nostalgic.
Some of the ladies who come to the weekly craftmaking sessions aren’t members of the church. They come just to craft and enjoy the fellowship of the other women. Angie Jackson of Boynton Beach, who specializes in wreaths and trees, found out about Holly House when it had a mink stole at the annual rummage sale this year. She started coming to learn new craft skills in April and now it’s part of her routine. Some of her pieces have already sold and she says, “It’s a thrill when somebody loves your work.”
Phyllis Addison has always been a crafter but she comes “because I can always learn new things.” Asuncion Sanfuentes, originally from Chile, says it’s the fellowship that brings her back each week. And Bonnie Snyder of Delray Beach doesn’t craft at all but she has written more than 500 Christmas cards to deployed service members. She says, “I sometimes struggle but then you have to put yourself in their shoes and it makes it worth the time.”
Gail Benson is “a third-generation snowbird” from Poultney, Vermont, who has lived in Delray Beach permanently for 18 years. The former catering business owner has been making Christmas trees out of mussel and oyster shells that are just as pretty close up as they are from a distance.
She gets the larger mussel shells from local restaurants but she picked up the smaller ones on New York’s Rockaway Beach. Her source for oyster shells is City Oyster. She makes five sizes and says the most time-consuming (and tedious) part is cleaning the shells.
The pieces are reasonably priced but Holly House earns a good chunk of change. Including the annual rummage sale money, Holly House gave the church about $35,000 last year, and the church used the money to improve the sound system.
This year, Holly House expects to donate a similar amount. Crafters wanted to see the money go to fix the organ, but they were told the organ can’t be fixed until the air conditioning is repaired — something about our humidity? But this well-run endeavor shows no sign of slowing down, so it’s likely repairs to the organ won’t have to wait long.
“We have such a good team now,” Linda Prior said. “I’m grateful.”
Find more info at www.facebook.com/CleverCrafter
St. Paul’s choir to perform All Souls’ Day Requiem
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s chancel choir performs the All-Souls’ Day Requiem, under the direction of David Macfarlane, at 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at the church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
A Solemn Requiem Mass honors recently departed members with selections from musical requiem settings by Mozart, Duruflé, Rutter, Fauré, Fedak and Lloyd Webber. Free, but a collection is taken.
University gospel choir coming to Boca church
First United Methodist Church hosts a performance by the Bethune-Cookman University Inspirational Gospel Choir at 1 p.m. Nov. 10 at the church at 425 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. The free concert takes place in the sanctuary.
Arrive early to attend the 10 a.m. service and a potluck in the Gathering Place, or just attend the concert. Sign up for the potluck at www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4EA5AD22A6FBC34-52069299-bethune#
Kristallnacht Commemorative Program
The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County presents a Kristallnacht Commemorative Program that features music composed by people lost during the Holocaust. The program takes place at 1 p.m. Nov. 10 in Zinman Hall, 9901 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton. A Q&A follows the program. The cost to attend is $25 for adults and $18 for students, which benefits Holocaust Education Studies and March of the Living.
Kristallnacht is also known as the Night of Broken Glass — a name that comes from the shards of broken windows of Jewish-owned stores, buildings and synagogues that littered the street after SS paramilitary forces and civilians in Germany destroyed nearly 267 synagogues and damaged more than 7,000 Jewish-owned businesses on Nov. 9-10, 1938. Nearly 100 people died.
KCP donors of $180 or more will receive two tickets and are invited to a reception honoring local Holocaust survivors prior to the program at 11:30 a.m. To register for the annual Kristallnacht Commemorative Program, visit jewishboca.org/events/march-of-the-living-kristallnacht-program or call 561-852-6041 or email mol@bocafed.org.
The Book & Author Luncheon returns
The Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center kicks off its arts and culture season with the 33rd annual Book & Author Luncheon at 9 a.m. Nov. 12 at Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive.
Scheduled to speak are authors Lauren Aliza Green, Adelle Waldman, Samantha Greene Woodruff and Elizabeth Silver. Green is the author of The World After Alice, Waldman of Help Wanted, Woodruff of The Trade Off, and Silver wrote The Majority.
Guests will enjoy coffee, pastries, lunch and valet parking. Tickets are $140 at levisjcc.org/culture or at 561-558-2520.
Comedy trio’s show set for B’nai Torah
Funny Old Broads, a threesome with plenty of stories to tell about the absurdities of “middle age,” stops in Boca Raton at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at B’nai Torah Congregation, 6261 SW 18th St. This all-female musical troupe was created by and features Caryn Bark, a writer, comedienne, humorist, essayist, novelist and playwright. Tickets are $40, which includes dessert. The evening is hosted by the Women’s League of B’nai Torah Congregation. Register at www.wlbtc.org/comedyshow.
Turkey giveaway part of family fun in Delray
SMG and the city of Delray Beach present the third annual ThanksFeeding Family and Fun Day from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 23 at Pompey Park, 1101 NW Second St.
Each low-income family (children must be present) gets one “Thanksgiving Dinner kit” including a frozen turkey, starch, vegetable, and cornbread or rolls. The event will also feature a bounce house, snow cones, balloon art, games, a DJ and facepainting for the kids.
Free but reserve your space at www.eventbrite.com.
Thanksgiving services, etc.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: An interfaith Thanksgiving service takes place at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at the church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
The theme is “Caring for our neighbor is our common ground” and the service is for everyone. Speaker is Ezra Krieg, chairman of the Delray Beach Initiative to End Homelessness.
A special collection for the Interfaith Committee is planned. A reception follows. 561-276-4541 or stpaulsdelray.org.
Ascension Catholic Church: A Thanksgiving Mass at 9 a.m. Nov. 28 is planned at the church, 7250 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. 561-997-5486.
St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church: A 10 a.m. eucharist is planned on Thanksgiving Day at St. Joseph’s, 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 561-732-3060.
Advent Church Boca: Advent hosts a Thanksgiving potluck feast from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Nov. 17 in the school gym, 300 E. Yamato Road, Boca Raton. Call the church to register at 561-395-3632.
B’nai Torah teens give cookies to caregivers
What do you think of when you think of a caregiver? Not someone 8 years old. But there are young people ages 8 to 19 who provide care for a family member near or in the individual’s home.
To recognize them during National Family Caregiver Awareness Month, a group of teens from Boca Raton’s B’nai Torah Congregation baked and distributed cookies to youth caregivers to show their appreciation.
Summer Faerman, director of the TLC Program at B’nai Torah, launched Cookies for Caregivers as a way for community volunteers to give back in a simple way.
To get involved in this or one of the other opportunities in the Tzedakah, Learning and Chesed program, contact Faerman at 561-392-8566 or visit www.btcboca.org/community/tlc-program.
Clothing needed for homeless people
The Delray Beach Initiative to End Homelessness needs new or gently used clothing items for people who are homeless in our community, especially men’s jeans sizes 30-36. Drop them off at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church parking lot, 404 SW Third St., Delray Beach, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays or Fridays. www.db0h.org
— Janis Fontaine
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