Recently, bear artist Sally Winey teamed up with Larry and his mother, Elaine Rothenberg and Larry Saichek of the Dov Bear Co. This time, Winey not only designed an exclusive line of bears with Hebrew names, she also answered a prayer. When Rothenberg's father passed away in 1994, his family vowed to do something in his memory. While searching for a way to honor his father, Larry dreamed of a white bear. The bear was named "Dov," Hebrew for "bear." Many Jewish children are given Hebrew names when born. Rothenberg's father's name was Dov. With this, Rothenberg asked Sally Winey to design

the company's 11 -inch signature bear. The result is a white plush bear wearing a blue yarmulke and a white silk tallis trimmed in gold. A tallis is a prayer shawl draped over a person's shoulder while praying in Temple. Made available in March, only 500 Dov Bears were produced and each was handmade, signed and num- bered by Winey. A certificate of authenticity comes with each bear, which costs $199. Along with the plush line, Winey designed The Dov Baby Collection. The 6 -inch bears include a smaller version of Dov, Emmes (meaning "truth"), Shalom ("peace") and Aish ("fire.") the Dov Babies retail for $15. The creators made a commitment to send a positive message with the bears. Each comes with a spiritual message inscribed on the hang tag. The Dov Bear Co. wants to give something back, so a portion of the proceeds is donated to charitable causes. Retailers and collectors can get more information about the bears and the company at www.dovbears.com.

- Jacki Ralph