A sabra is a native fruit from a Middle Eastern cactus, prickly and sharp on the outside but warm and sweet inside.

A sabra is also an affectionate term for a native Israeli woman. As a third-generation sabra, Havi Zemach personifies the term. Her history infuses her work with color and strength, drawing on a lifelong love of story telling.

A library scientist, Ms. Zemach developed some of the first public library systems in Israel. She received her BA in Hebrew and English Literature, and a graduate degree in Library Science from the University of Jerusalem. Her great love of books led to an interest in print-making, then to kilnformed glass. She earned an MA in Printmaking and Glass Design from California State University, Northridge.

Ms. Zemach has studied kilnforming and casting glass with some of the great artists of the new glass movement, including Henry Halem, Detlef Tanz, Rudi Gritsch, Steve Klein, Richard Whitely, Peter Aldridge, Roger Thomas and Miriam diFiore.

Ms. Zemach currently lives with her beloved cats Didoo and Loolee, and works from her studio in Ramat Ha-Sharon, Israel.