Etz Ladaat – School of Fine Woodworking

We are a small school that teaches the fine crafts of woodworking, based on the teachings of James Krenov.

Our school was established in 2009 by Nathan Van t Hof.

Nathan graduated from the HMC in Amsterdam after participating in the four years fine woodworking program. He taught for four years at a private school in Holland while maintaining his own workshop and making fine work of his own, before returning to Israel (his home country) with his family.

Our school is located in  Kibbutz Ashdot Yaacov Ihud The school’s building served in the past as the Kibbutz’s old carpentry shop and so it had almost all the facilities we needed to turn it in to a fine woodworking school.

At our school we teach fine woodworking based on working with hand tools.

The students learn to create the furniture out of love and appreciation for wood with emphasis on grain direction and the different  wood joints.

The use of many different sorts of wood and designing the piece with accordance to the qualities of the natural wood are the basics on which the learning process at Etz Ladaat is encouraged.

We emphasize working with hand tools because we believe that the right balance between the hand, the eye and the heart will create work that no machine can ever make. Working with hand tools comes from love and connection to the process itself. When the craftsman knows how to work and sharpen his tools, he takes full responsibility over the process and thus deepens his relationship with his work and gives it meaning.

We wish to send our students into the world with full confidence in their abilities and professionalism. Without fear of pushing their own boundaries. All of these together allow the aspiring craftsman the freedom to create unique and quality pieces of furniture. This is to us the art of fine woodworking.

At our school you can find different courses and activities. Such as a full year program, a semester program, an open workshop, short workshops with different subjects, special guest workshops and lectures.

Our programs are created to fit the whole spectrum of people. Starting with those who have no experience and those who wish to improve their hobby, to professional craftsman who want to master and deepen their experience.

For more details about our programs and activities and how they might suit you, please write us an email or call us at any time.

Best wishes, the team of Etz Ladaat (Tree of Knowledge)