Jewish Deaf Business
by David Rosenbaum
BATYA DESIGNS
- Custom Bead Jewelry
- Precious & Semi-Precious Gems
- Bead Restringing
- 50 Dinsmore Avenue, Suite 101
- Framingham, MA 01701
- 508/879-1640 TTY/Voice
- 617/965-7880 FAX
She was trained, at 2 years old, to speak and lipread. With influence and encouragement from her parents, Kaplan also took two years of ballet training "to broaden her creative horizons".
Challenges Of Education
When she was 4 1/2 years old, Kaplan attended the Clarke School for the Deaf
in Northampton, MA for thirteen years before enrolled as sophomore at Natick High School
and studied Art. But after one year, she was unhappy as she was the only deaf student at
the school.
That is when she made her decision to transfer to Rochester Institute
of Technology (RIT) where she studied Photo Illustration and Photography. And yet...
Kaplan still felt something was "missing"...
Turning Point
Her life changed when she entered Gallaudet University in
Washington, D.C... "I finally came to terms with my deafness," she explains,
"... and had the greatest opportunity meeting deaf people from all walks of life. The
four years at Gallaudet were very happy and productive years." She received her
Bachelors degree in Art History/Art.
After working for seven years in California as a graphic designer for a
newspaper company in Walnut Creek, she has moved back to be close to her family in Boston.
Soon, however, two senses soon crossed roads...
Life Impacts Kaplan
Betsey Kaplan always had a fascination for jewelry... and was
creative in making jewelry items and experimenting with colors. After her bout with
cancer, her outlook on life changed. "It was a very scary ordeal," she confides,
"getting involved with jewelry helped me get over the trauma with flying
colors."
It was at that time when she decided to 'dare the entrepreneur spirit'
... she went into her own business!
Batya Designs
She put her interest to good use by going into her own business
full-time where she makes, designs and sells jewelry items. "My designs are elegant
and simple". When asked if she designs Deaf-related items, she says its general
types. "I only use 14 karat sterling silver and semi-precious or precious stones as
well as blown glass, venetian, Swardiski, or Czech glass." She sells her works to
Danford Museum in Framingham, the Jewish Community Center in Newton, Chico's jewelry store
at Quincy Market in Boston, Images at Snowbird, Utah and will eventually sell a line of
products for the Sundance Shopping catalog owned by actor Robert Redford.
The word 'Batya' in her business name is Hebrew for her first name, '
Betsey '.
Future Goal?
"My future goals are to expand my business & sell the items in
Europe especially London, Rome and Paris where the fashion industries are located.
"I go to New York City on business to buy stuff for my business
from time to time... making beaded jewelry enables me to meet fascinating people
everywhere!
"... always developing new creative ideas which is the fun part!" She also attends many jewelry shows. She is a member of the Bead Society of Boston and attends monthly meetings. She also keeps up to date by taking mini-courses to continually improve the quality of her designs."
Judaism Faith
Kaplan is proud to point out that she had her adult Bat
Mitzvah four years ago. She says it was a "milestone" in her life. She received
the Shevit La'am Scholarship to teach deaf students in Israel but says "it did not
work out very well because I had to go up north to Kiryat Shmonah to study Hebrew without
any interpreters!"
Offer For JDCC Friends
Betsey Kaplan has offered to donate 10% of the orders she
receives from JDCC friends. "There is a large group of deaf Jews living in the Los
Angeles vicinity," she explains, "hopefully this will benefit them in a way that
is worthwhile to them."