by: GuestBlogger
For over 5,000 years, stone from these quarries has been used to build the resilient city of Jerusalem. Gill Lobel’s passion is to assure that the exquisite stone educates and open doors to understanding between political and religious groups.
“Jerusalem is the nexus of the Abrahamic religious traditions. This is vitally important to Jews, Christians and Muslims,” explains Lobel who visited Jerusalem often as a child always admiring the stone in the buildings and the legendary “Wailing Wall”. “One does not have to be religious to appreciate the appeal and historical significance of the stone. This stone has a unique power, so it adds an ethereal quality to wherever it is used.”
On a trip years ago, Lobel realized that the very stone from which Jerusalem is built is an affordable and beautiful alternative to granite or marble. Jerusalem Stone, a durable limestone developed over millions of years of ocean water, sand, and shells coming together to create a durable stone. Each variety reflects its own unique hue: bone, gold, grey and rose. Much of the stone contains million year old fossils which add to its depth of beauty. The family purchased quarries in Israel.
“When I touch this ancient stone, I feel the pulse of history. I believe that if the stone could speak, the amazing story of the region would be brought to the forefront,” explains Lobel who sells to builders, homeowners, businesses, churches and synagogues who choose the stone to enrich their facilities. “My vision is to offer an affordable alternative to marble or granite while bringing something historically important and timeless from the Middle East to America.”
Jerusalem is known as “The City of Gold” because reflections of the sun on the stone create a golden glow across the entire town. Even today, the building code in Jerusalem regulates that all new buildings must use the stone in construction or as a facade in order to keep the city historically consistent.
Lobel’s imports the stone direct from his family’s quarries in the Negev desert and the Galil region to North America. This makes the stone more affordable than many commonly used stone materials. He supplies to a number of dealers in the U.S. His passion is to help consumers find ways to utilize the stone in their homes or in their houses of worship thus bringing a bit of history to each project inspiring discussion and reflection.
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