Osher Fritzhand, 27, is an immigrant to Israel who has successfully launched his new venture, Pritzadik, introducing a unique Shabbat-friendly lightbulb called “Ner Tamid” that is now available in stores across Israel and online.
Fritzhand, who made aliyah just over three years ago, transitioned from high-tech entrepreneurship to fill a niche he identified in the Israeli market for aesthetically pleasing and halachically approved Shabbat lighting solutions.
Fritzhand’s journey to creating the Ner Tamid lightbulb began around April 2024, stemming from a personal desire for a product that merged functionality with design.
“My wife and I had a need for a product like this,” he told The Jerusalem Post. “We're very aesthetically minded... and just seeing this on the market, there's nothing that really fits what we were interested in."
Inspired by a similar concept he encountered in America, Fritzhand set out to improve upon it and tailor it specifically for Israel's larger religious population.
He began by reaching out to design firms and manufacturers in China, working through various designs and prototype samples. This initial phase, lasting about seven to eight months from idea to a workable product, was a passive endeavor.
The Ner Tamid lightbulb, which outwardly resembles any standard lightbulb, features an integrated shutter mechanism.
This light bult can be used with any light fixture
"It's a light bulb that looks like a regular light bulb, like any light bulb that you put into a lamp or light fixture, and but in the middle of the lamp... there's a shutter," Fritzhand described. When the shutter is turned, it covers the internal light-emitting diodes without altering the electrical circuit.
This ingenious design allows any existing light fixture to be used on Shabbat, providing a convenient and aesthetically pleasing alternative to bulky, standalone Shabbat lamps.
Fritzhand noted an interesting trend among his customers: “Not all customers are religious. People actually really enjoy it. For children's rooms, it essentially allows you to play with the amount of light that's coming out, in a very easy way."
Nationwide distribution and Halachic approval
Upon receiving his first shipment of bulbs in mid-January, Fritzhand embarked on a month-long, cross-country journey, personally driving to small hardware stores and eventually securing placement in major chains like Machsani Hashmal and large supermarkets.
"At this point, like outside of there's also an, I also have an online online sales ship across the country, but so you could buy it online, or pretty much 95% of Israelis are within a 20 to 30 minute drive from a store that has it," he proudly stated.
Crucially for its target market, the Pritzadik lightbulb has received two significant halachic approvals: one from the influential Summit, generally geared towards the Dati community, and another from the more stringent Institute of Science in Halacha, Science Technology Halacha, which caters to more stringent communities.
"We have the approval on the board for both those gets to demonstrate that it's like, it's approved for use," Fritzhand confirmed.
Fritzhand admitted that the biggest hurdles weren't necessarily sales, but rather navigating the complex bureaucratic processes involved in importing the bulbs to Israel.
"There's tons of different approvals that you need from the Economy Ministry the light bulbs, meaning, from the environmental ministry, from the finance ministry, you need to, like, through the tax authority and the customs bureau," he recounted.
He humorously shared an anecdote about persistently calling a specific bureau within the environmental ministry for nearly two months, only to finally reach an official who apologized for the delay, explaining, "Sorry, I was in Lebanon."
Despite these challenges, Fritzhand maintained a positive outlook, emphasizing the learning process involved in entrepreneurship. He told the Post that he sees the entire process as a testament to persistence.
"It's not easy, but it's possible... I know that I did it, and sure there will be, there'll be challenges, there'll be new things to learn... But I know that it's possible."
The Pritzadik website, available in both English and Hebrew, provides a comprehensive list of stores across the country where the lightbulb can be purchased, along with direct online sales. Fritzhand hopes the product will particularly resonate with the Anglo community in Israel, given their often design-focused outlook and strong religious component.