ישראל זהבי

moty

ישראל חבר ילדות אני כה מצר על המצב שנקלעת
תקותי שתעמוד בגזרה זו בכבוד ותמצא את הדרך הנכונה מול .

Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Diamonds of Palo Alto owner Israel Zehavi plans to close business Feb. 15

by Sue Dremann
Palo Alto Online Staff

Photo

Israel Zehavi has fought and won many battles in his life. The former Israeli Army major was hospitalized for seven months after being wounded in war; and his first wife died from cancer.

But now Zehavi, the owner of Diamonds of Palo Alto, fights perhaps the greatest challenge of his life: a long and debilitating battle against the degenerative Parkinson's disease.

Every day he rides in his new wheelchair-lift van to work at the Hamilton Avenue store in downtown Palo Alto, taking the elevator to the third floor.

The jewelry establishment isn't wheelchair friendly. Wearing a gold-colored crash helmet, he must negotiate the motorized chair around glass cabinets filled with glittering rings and necklaces and through narrow doorways leading to small offices crammed with furniture.

Sometimes, he bumps into a door jamb or scrapes against a wall; but the chair, which he has only used for the last month, is better than crashing to the floor, he said.

Zehavi's illness causes him to fall backwards without warning. Just Monday, he had a fall.

Zehavi has decided to sell or close Diamonds because of the progressive illness. If he cannot find a buyer by Feb. 15, the day after Valentine's Day, he will close his doors, he said.

Still, the genteel proprietor known for giving roses to female customers remains upbeat.

"When you come, bring a smile," he said, prior to a recent interview.

Zehavi was diagnosed with atypical Parkinson's disease three years ago, he said.

"It expressed itself years ago with a very low voice," he said. A client noticed the change and was alarmed, he said.

Zehavi thought he had allergies or some other minor ailment.

"I started to feel fatigued and after many months, the doctor said, 'Either you are mischievous or you have Parkinson's,'" he said.

People with atypical Parkinson's don't have the characteristic tremors, which can be treated with medication. For Zehavi, there is no treatment available, he said.

The jeweler's work day ends at 2 p.m. at the latest. He relies heavily on his loyal staff, Ruth Bravo and Shara Smith, he said.

As he fatigues, he mumbles more and more; he involuntarily closes his eyes -- and there are the perilous falls.

"I love what I'm doing," he said, a jeweler's magnifier dangling from his neck. He's almost apologetic about leaving the business.

Zehavi is trying to sell the 22-year-old business so he won't have to lay off employees, he said.

"And I want to have a place for customers to come," he added.

A thick binder is filled with accolades from happy customers, who praise everything from the quality of his work to the attention to detail and service.

"I am overwhelmed by the roses," wrote Palo Alto resident Phyllis Kallman.

"He's a very charming man," Kallman said by phone this week, recalling how she has taken watches to Zehavi for regular servicing.

"I'll miss him, definitely. In terms of service, he is the most exceptional person I've ever known," she said.

Resident John Hurst agreed.

"He had this sage, fatherly kind of vibe. ... He's just a wonderful human being. Palo Alto really loses a wonderful business and establishment. He was old school, but spiritual old school," Hurst said.

Others commented on the dog treats and toys Zehavi has handy for children and pets while customers shop. Women get a long-stemmed rose; children have received a giant plastic diamond ring that sparkles or a cubic zirconium stone.

Some people return every week to have their rings cleaned for free, he said.

Zehavi's eyes sparkled like the gems he sells as he recounted what pleases him most about the business.

"Being with people -- to see their happy faces; to see them open the box. They say, 'Wow,' and smile. This is the little pleasure I have in this business. They are my friends and family," he said.

Zehavi has some favorite memories: the woman who buys humongous rings for every finger and the older schoolteacher who jumped up and down, clapping when she picked out her engagement ring.

If the business is sold Zehavi will stay on and teach the new owner the trade, he said.

When he retires, Zehavi hopes to travel as much as he can. He might still do some Internet business, too. He expects he'll still have some inventory left after final sales, which he might try to sell on eBay, he said.

A Rotary Club member and board member of the Downtown Business Improvement District and Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, Zehavi said he has met many movers and shakers and he will miss the business relationships.

"I've come to a time when I have to say goodbye," he said.